World Settings

[explorezero]

There is a mansion buried in the deep forest. A mansion as tall as the sky, and as narrow as a mighty oak. Cradled in the darkness of ancient trees that have existed since the beginning and will exist until the end. The house itself is a unique Victorian structure with tall peaks, many points, although it's most noticeable that in the front lies a caged in balcony on each floor, one that rises all the way to the roof and just a little beyond. It is obviously a reference to a birdcage.

It is this unique balcony, this birdcage, which calls to the inhabits, beckoning with silent calls. Come and see, come and see, like in the good book. But this time it is not come and see the horsemen ride, just simply gaze out at the great forests beyond. Wind that whispers like sirens through the leaves, teasingly sweet. No roads can be seen through the thicket, but surely there must have been one, sometime ago. Some time when this place was still in bloom.

Behind the ancient manor is a lovely bubbling brook, water clear as glass pours down the rocky slopes. There are no fish swimming in those lovely waters, but let it not stop you from enjoying the soothing whisper of water or the lovely song of wind whispering over each curved stone or tall piece of grass.

There may only be one door leading out, but it's not locked or bolted down. And even if it was, it wouldn't be too hard to knock it open. The door is just a door, after all.

However, should it be knocked off, residents may be bewildered to find it back in place the next day. The windows may be broken and the walls dented, but ultimately the actual Manor seems... almost indestructible. Everything is soon enough fixed again, the moment you look away. Sometimes things may stay broken for a little longer, but it's always repaired the next day. Thing is, it's always when you're looking away. Always when your eyes are focused elsewhere.

It's enough to make you wonder... were those things ever broken in the first place? Or is that how someone wants this place to be?

It is hard to say what is true here, or if parts of this manor exist only in your imagination. It is, however, an elegant place on the outside. There are no electric lights outside, making the exterior dark and dangerous. There is however a basin by the front doors, filled with water and shaped out of granite into cupped hands.

Surrounding the manor are half dead weeds and the remains of what may have been once beautiful bushes and plants. The grass is wild but vibrant, and the soil looks dark enough, but... there's a strange scent to it. Something that just strikes you as... off. It may be something you can get used to, but upon first glance it is alien enough to make the hair on the back of your neck rise.

The walls are old, well worn with signs of moss and vines that had been cleared away before. Some of the paint is chipped, but for the most part, it looks well enough to be a decent shelter. A quick walk around the manor would a plain rectangular shape for the most part with random slopes and spires that doesn't quite make sense, although the eye-catching feature is the front above the main doors where there are four floors of iron-bolted balcony, making the front look almost like a birdcage.



Within The Manor



With five floors, this Manor contains splendor and elegance. Some may be impressed with the high ceilings; some may find it difficult to walk through the narrow hallways. In the corner of ones eye, there sometimes seems to be a childish sprawl on the wall-though when facing it directly, it seems to disappear.

In the front of the manor, from the second floor onwards, there is a large couplet of a balcony, which seems to reach up to the next floor, with thick iron bars. A slender child or adult could try to slip through, though it may feel as if it is too tight to continue to the other side once they are halfway through. Slipping back out onto the balcony floor, however, will not be a problem.

Those that look at it from the outside may think of the house to have formed around a bird cage.

On each of the five floors there are six apartment-suites, though some cannot be opened up at this time. More on those will be covered below in detail. The hallways are dim, although there are lamps along the hallway and lighting is electrical. While there are signs of once being gas, they have long since been replaced. The bulbs within give off a yellow light that shines brightly, however, the lighting tends to be strange. The bulbs appear to change from a warm yellow to an almost reddish tint without warning in some hallways. If inspected closely, there is nothing unusual about the bulbs at all.

The wiring seems to be faulty though. There tends to be quite a bit of flickering going on- especially at night.




On the first floor there is a large communal kitchen. In the bottom most cupboards, there are pots and pans for any kitchen connoisseur. The drawers have various kitchen utensils from various cultures-enough that someone may find something familiar to eat with.

The counters are clean, and made of polished granite. The upper cupboards have foodstuffs, dishes, and cups. There is a large table, enough to fight twenty people comfortably, as well as modern appliances- including microwave, coffee maker, a deep freezer, as well as two fridges and two ovens. The room seems a little worn around the edges, but clean enough.

The four floors above the main one contain various rooms with locked doors. Should you go exploring, though, there may be rooms that suddenly have it's doors wide open as if inviting people inside...




The second floor seems a bit... strange. At the end of the hallway where the doorway to the bedrooms reside is many animal trophies... fur rugs, leather chairs, and stuffed prey and bones all over the walls. To the other side most of the area seems broken. There are two rooms without floors, although one has a rickety wooden bridge to allow passage into the storeroom. It's dangerous and gives anyone on it a feeling of extreme vertigo. The storeroom, however, may contain useful items for people to find. The room beyond the collapsed room... well, no one knows yet.

To the front of the house is a somewhat morbid looking chamber with candles and what looks like strange sigils drawn all over the walls and the floor. It opens up to the balcony. Behind the staircase is a door that leads to... just a drop straight down to the first floor. What in the world...?




The third floor contains a ballroom and organ room that leads to a chapel. At night, those on the third floor may hear organ music playing on the opposite side of the house, although it quiets down should anyone decide to investigate. Only for the duration of the investigation, however. Once everyone is back in their rooms again, the music may start up once more.

There's also a vault in the front of the house, although what's on the other side is unknown as so far none have been able to break into the actual vault, even if they may enter the room. For those curious enough, they'll find what looks like a crypt next the the staircase, with numerous wooden and stone coffins lining the walls and the floors of the room.

For those rooming on the third floor, there is a small alcove for those in the Goose and Cockatiel rooms, with a few benches for people to gather and enjoy the weather peacefully far above the ground.




The fourth floor is just a bit peculiar, the hallway leading to the bedrooms not only containing numerous furs and bones dotting the walls, but blood or a substance like blood which has seeped into the walls and floors, making it look almost like a slaughterhouse. It also doesn't help that the lights seem... dimmer here. How so, you can't really tell.

To the front of the house is actually another bedroom, although this one doesn't have the bunk beds that's throughout the house, but is rather one large and nice suite with furniture that seems in better shape than the rest of the house and large doors that lead out into the front of the Birdcage Manor. It also leads to an operating laboratory, and there's good reason why this room is uninhabited by residents...

Above the operating room is a room in shambles. It's a disaster zone, but like the storeroom, there are potentially useful items hidden within... if people dare to search through and find things that might be equally as menacing as it is useful. Beyond that is a two-story tall library, filled floor to ceiling with books. There are books in chairs and on tables and in corners, and no organizational system to be found. Good luck sorting through all of that!

Funny enough, behind the library is a small gym, just large enough for a padded court and several exercise machines. Upbeat music plays through the room whenever people walk through, almost inviting people to exercise and keep their figure. Connected between the gym and the staircase is the servant's quarters, with several small cots pushed against the walls and wooden dressers and tables for a very spartan look.




The fifth and highest floor is dirtier and grimier than the rest of the manor, some parts burnt and others dusty. The side opposite the bedrooms holds two large research and operating laboratories. Below that is a... wine cellar? Well, it looks like a cooled room for the storage of certain wines, anyway. Beyond that is the balcony leading to the second floor of the library.

To the front is a stair case that leads up to the tiny and cramped attic with old cases of clothes and wooden boards. There may be some mannequins in the attic, tipped over and looking worse for wear as well.

This is the only floor that contains something behind the staircase... a something that looks almost like a laundry or garbage chute. It leads straight down to the first floor... but where? There aren't any doors behind the stairs in the first floor, are there...?



Apartment-Suite



Featured in housing.

Each bedroom has a separate color theme, which takes after the animal the room is named. For example, the crab room is colored after the typical blues, reds, purples, and bright yellows of a coral reef crab. This applies to the wallpaper, the furnishings, and the bedding. Again, this does not look brand new, but it looks well cared for.

There is a living room suite in the front, with two overstuffed chairs and two couches facing opposite of each other. Between them, there is a low table, which could be used for putting down objects...or for putting up feet. There are alcoves for books and other small objects within the chairs and under the table, but for the moment, they are empty-though not entirely clear of dust.

Directly on the far wall has the door that leads directly to the bedroom area. Within, it contains four beds along the walls, two atop each other as bunk beds. The other side of the room contains dressers and wardrobes and desks with random knickknacks.

Off to the side of the main room-some on the right side, some on the left. It seems to change on a daily basis. But either way, there is a small bathroom with a tub. The toilet looks as if it is cleaned regularly, as well as the sink and bathtub. The sink itself is free standing, with a mirror over top. The mirror is on a swivel hinge, with basic supplies for bathroom amenities behind it.



The Forest



It's a lovely forest, all in all. The trees are a mix of various trees that could be found in any natural forest within the Americas-North, Central and South. It's hard to tell how the soil is able to support such a variety; it must be too rich, or too sandy, or too moist for such life. But it seems to be thriving, healthy and green.

In a casual glance, one can see that there is other flora around- bushes, flowers, fungi, various different kinds of vegetation. Some of them look as if they could have come from home, both the medical and the poisonous.

Funny. The trees seem to be getting closer. They weren't before.

How come the branches are leaning in like that? Why are they brushing so close? They seem quite friendly. Almost too friendly...

Despite all the greenery, there is something eerie about the forest. Maybe it's the way the leaves seem to swallow up the light so that the forest floor is dark and shifty. Maybe it's the way the branches and vines twist, creating a macabre image of something that sparks all the warning signs in your head. Or maybe it's just the way you feel as if the entire forest is watching you the moment you step in, because sounds seem muted when you move between the trees, and shadows shift without warning.

Are those really trees? Are you actually alone in the forest?

It certainly doesn't feel like it.