allthekeys (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
allthekeys) wrote2010-10-23 10:54 pm
allthekeys) wrote2010-10-23 10:54 pm
Entry tags:
[Basement]
27-18. Dorms:
Character Dorm Assignments
Each dorm room is exactly the same. There are ten beds, five on either side of the room. A trunk with a latch sits at the end of each bed; as each new guest appears in the room, a plate with their name is added to the trunk. The trunk holds two changes of plain, gray clothing complete with under things and socks, a pair of plain black boots, a plain black belt with a simple pouch, a gray cloak, a white apron, two blankets, a flint stone, a thin gray notebook that warms to their touch, and six candles. Anything they might have been carrying with them before they arrived can also be found here. Their wages, should they earn them, can also be found here.
The beds have only sheets on them and are stiff, but serviceable. A washbasin that's always filed with tepid water stands in the corner, and a small screen separates it from the rest of the room.
These rooms are entirely unadorned, plain grey walls lacking even the slight comfort of a window. There is no natural light, and the rooms are often dim. A lantern hangs near each doorway and the beds closest to the doors have a little more light than the ones at the end.
17. Common Hallway:
The hallway down the stairs from the common room is just as barren as the servants' passageways on the first floor, albeit somewhat less dark; although there are no windows to allow light in, the rows of candles along the walls are always lit. Strangely, there seems to be no end to this hallway, though you can clearly see the other end. You can walk along it for hours with the focus of reaching it and pass a countless number of doors, but the moment you stop, you will stand in front of the dorms.
One candle across the hall from the staircase burns peculiarly bright.
16. Empty Dorm:
A few tables have been added to allow for socialization. The trunks at the end of the beds have a few scattered packs of playing cards, dice, the occasional letter, and a few even have coins tucked away, although none of the trunks have locks. There are ten beds, and while the room is sparse in decoration and comforts, scuffs, some disturbed linens, and occasionally finding what seemed to be an in-progress game left at the table make it seem well lived in.
15. Women's Quarters:
The door on this room locks solidly from the outside, perhaps to protect the maids from the interest of others.
If the other room appeared lived in, this room seems empty of anything resembling comfort. Ten beds line the walls, each with an unlocked trunk at the end. There are no personal effects, only the same neat collection of spare uniforms in each trunk. The beds are neatly made and the tables hold only lamps and the occasional stack of paper.
Only one trunk seems of any particular note; amid the adult-sized clothing are also two sets of clothing meant for a small child. Under the pillow on the bed is hidden a small rag doll, carefully made from fabric scraps and stuffed with straw. Picking up the doll fills a person with a sense of deep despair and loss of innocence. Though the doll has only the vaguest suggestion of a face, it seems to be crying. Its endless sobs remain unheard, but anyone holding it for long enough will find themselves sobbing.
A large basin in the corner sits next to a chamber pot, offering the only opportunities for the women to bathe or relieve themselves. It is separated from the room by a thin curtain, offering little privacy.
14. Wine Cellar:
The wine cellar, which can only be accessed through the sloped passageway near the back of the first-floor pantry, is a perpetually cool room made of stone and brick. It's stocked with an extensive variety of wines, all of which are of the finest quality.
The entirety of one wall is lined with rows of wine barrels, stacked in an orderly fashion. A long rack on the opposite side of the room holds a somewhat smaller selection of bottled wine; the corner nearest to it contains empty bottles, a set of dusty glasses, and several corkscrews. A large crate has been filled with an impressive number of corks, a few of which have spilled out onto the floor.
The spouts on several of the barrels clog easily, and successfully pouring from them will reveal something rancid and unidentifiable dissolved in the liquid, suggesting that they have also been used for something other than wine storage.
Although the cellar is organized and appears to be well-maintained, it is clearly quite old, and its brick walls visibly show their age.
A large section of one wall has started crumbling.
13. Stone Washroom:
This room is incredibly basic, featuring an area with a raised lip and spigots that can be encouraged to run water, though it mostly runs lukewarm at best. There are racks for hanging clothes and towels, though the room is so moist that little left here for long dries. It seems much more likely to mold.
Toilets and basins for washing stand against the wall, though there are no mirrors at all in the room. This area is shared by the kitchen and those who live in the dormitories, and is so often cold and damp that nobody would feel inclined to linger beyond their need.
A fireplace in the corner never seems to keep the room warm enough, and the fire constantly splutters, the wood too wet to burn.
12. Basement Passage:
Directly between the dorms and the stone washroom is a short passageway that's nearly pitch dark. The door from the common hallway will not stay open on its own; once shut, it will lock from the outside and cannot be re-entered.
Around a corner at the end of the passageway, a set of torches illuminate the door to the basement.
11. Basement:
The first thing noticeable about the basement is that it is dark—any light from the entrance hardly filters through the doorway, as if a shroud prevents its passing. Then the chill hits, nothing unbearable but a distinct, damp chill that cannot be shaken without bundling up against it. And then there’s the smell—just the faintest smell of mildew and… something else.
The entire basement is made of stone that does a poor job of reflecting what little light there is. The torch holders are spread out far enough to be of little use between them. What is somewhat helpful, however, is the chandelier hanging in the centre of the room, directly above a deep hole. There is a pole nearby used to light it, shining light into the hole below, and it does offer some visibility to the basement as a whole...not that there’s much to see.
A wooden ladder leans against one wall, a suit of armour standing in front of it.
10. The Hole:
A simple pit in the middle of the floor, a perfect circle carved out of the stone to the dirt below. It is not much more than two metres deep, maybe half a metre wide. The walls are smooth, tightly packed dirt, and any attempts to get hold of the few uneven spots will find the dirt crumbling away. The hole in the ground is constantly cool and damp, the dirt leeching water from somewhere below the castle.
9. Basement Hallway:
The basement leads to a long, winding hallway that runs through the entire bottom floor of the castle. It's divided into ten sections, which vary in width but are otherwise identical.
In the same fashion as the basement, the walls are lined with torches. All of them are spaced roughly ten feet apart, though this is meaningless in effect—the torches are lit only sporadically, making much of the hallway difficult to navigate.
It doesn't help that the hall is entirely void of distinguishing features or landmarks, or that there seem to be quite a few more twists, turns, and doors than should be necessary. Getting lost here is easy—and it can be hard to tell where you've already been.
8. Torture Chamber:
The torture chamber is windowless and dark, with few candles lining the walls, and even fewer actually lit. It’s a big room with very little warmth—the stone floors and walls do little to keep it in, and in fact seem to drain any trace of heat away, always too cold to the touch.
Though full of various devices to inflict some mental, but mostly physical torture, the room is made to be spacious and easy to navigate for ease of the torturer. There are tables with an assortment of knives, tongs, whips, rope, stakes and screws as well as big structures like iron maidens and racks. There are tools in the chamber made to break bones and force open orifices, cages meant for agitated animals, a hearth to heat steel. The collection is sizable, and almost anything you can think of can be found if you only look around.
There’s a decently disguised trapdoor towards the back of the room. Though it can be forced open, it’s ill advised to get too close to it. Whatever lies below is impossible to see, nor how long you’d have to fall to get there.
There’s water dripping somewhere, the soft sound barely noticeable at first until it slowly becomes maddening, but the leak is nowhere to be found.
7. Basement Generator Room:
Down the stone stairwell in the depths of this building is the answer to where the castle is heated from. A narrow hallway runs alongside thick, iron bars behind which an endless line of chained slaves bring coal to a large furnace that cannot be allowed to go out. This room is oppressively hot, but not matter how long or loud you shout those on the other side do not appear to hear you -- or perhaps they simply cannot respond. Their faces are smeared with ash, and it seems that they never rest -- for no matter how long you wait they continue to move back and forth, bringing fresh fuel for the blazing fire from some place even deeper than this room down another stairway steeped in darkness. Another figure operates a bellows, forcing the flames higher and higher in almost robotic movements.
If any of them tumble or appear to tire they are quickly dealt with, cast in to the massive furnace as a new source of fuel.
It's never enough; they must keep working.
The iron bars themselves seem immune to damage, resisting any attempts to break them, but down the far end there is a locked gate that could be opened -- if only you had the key.
If you linger by the lock too long one of the slaves might hesitate and glance in your direction, as if, despite appearances, they are aware of you.
6. Observatory:
A charming room that seems rather well suited for entertaining, it is nicely done in shades of black and white and brown and more relaxed than a formal parlor. The couches are comfortable and the windows allow a stunning view of islands, all floating in the sky, stretching off into the distance. East facing, it also allows a great view of the sun rising. The room is climate controlled, with a thermostat next to the door, though a formal fireplace occupies the far wall with a full accompaniment of tools and fuel.
5. Photography Bedroom:
This room is full of photographs and camera equipment, bed jammed against the wall. The closet has been converted into a small dark room and everything needed for taking and developing pictures is stacked neatly on shelves. The table has spools of film, most over exposed, spread out to dry. The occasional photograph can be found under papers. There are several photo albums on one of the shelves, but most of the pages are blank. An old and tattered black and white of two little boys sitting on a porch is hidden in the back of one of the books. A small note reads "Past cycle?" and a faded number on the back reads "1931, Rob and Tim".
Hidden under some papers is a silver locket with locks of hair pinned inside and a picture of an adorable dark haired girl, obviously on the verge of taking her first steps. The only part of the adult in frame are the fingers supporting her and the legs behind her.
"I'm the lens. It's right she choose him."
4. Candy Store:
This room is much larger on the inside than seems possible from the outside, and seems to be a retro-styled candy shop. Aisles of clear plastic bins take up the majority of the floor space, filled with every sort of candy imaginable, from any culture one could think to name. The walls are lined with refrigerated (and freezing) glass displays full of more perishable delicacies, keeping them attractively displayed and perfectly fresh. A few shopping carts litter the aisles, and scoops and bags are readily found to help yourself -- none of the displays are locked, though they easily could be.
One entire wall is taken up by a glass counter displaying dozens of flavors of ice cream and related frozen treats, with space behind it for an employee to stand and serve people. A large scale sits on the counter to weigh bags of candy, and beside it, a massive vintage cash register sits, large and heavy enough to need at least two people to have any hope of moving it. It too is unlocked, and full of money both foreign and familiar; one drawer is nearly overflowing with bills, and a glint of tarnished silver can be seen beneath them -- to reveal an ornate antique key, should it be emptied.
The shop as a whole is bright and colorful, and more than a little enticing; even the hardest of hearts would have difficulty not feeling at least a little of the gleeful, childish anticipation and excitement of the proverbial kid in a candy store. Visiting here too often tends to bring out a houseguest's inner child -- not just their inherent wonder, curiosity, happiness, and enthusiasm, but also the less desirable traits of childhood as well: pettiness, petulance, impatience, fits of temper, self-centered arrogance and cruelty... The Id is very much in effect here, putting all basic needs and desires at the forefront of the mind.
The sweets also occasionally bring about oddities of their own -- while it's impossible to predict what candy will cause them, or what will happen because of it, houseguests indulging their sweet tooth may find themselves subjected to various effects. While these effects are free to be chosen by players at any time, they should be run through for mod approval to be used.
3. Meat Freezer:
The door locks from the outside, a heavy metal bar securing an equally heavy door in place. Both seem capable of withstanding a great deal of damage. Anyone trapped inside would be unlikely to escape without help from the outside.
Hanging inside are wrapped carcasses, and anyone pealing away the wrapping will reveal something that appears vaguely bovine in shape.
The shelves on the walls are covered with small wrapped packages, each labelled with what appears to be a date and simple scrawl denoting the cut of meat within. What sort of meat is not at all revealed, though anyone taking it to the kitchen will find it quite tasty when cooked.
2. Drained Parlour:
This parlour is devoid of anything that might make it suitable for entertaining guests. The walls are a dingy yellow colour, totally unappealing to look at, almost as if they have been faded by age and smoke and no one has bothered to clean them. The furniture is serviceable, but likewise unserviced, the cushions thin and frayed, and smelling strongly of dust. A tea set has been placed on the rickety table in the middle, but the drink has long since gone cold.
The room is filled with an oppressive air, like the oxygen is a little heavier, a little harder to breathe here. It doesn't take long for a tiredness to fall over the occupants, both physical and emotional. For those spiritually sensitive, the effect is further depressive. Fortunately, the parlour is equipped with futons and pillows, even if they aren't quite comfortable.
Sleeping here does not help the exhaustion; in fact it only feels worse, upon waking.
1. The Cells:
The cells are just as cold and miserable as the rest of the basement, if not even moreso through the complete lack of light. Windowless and built as deep into the basement as they could possibly be, being put into a cell is quite literally to be put into the dark. There’s no way to tell the passage of time here unless you can figure out the whims of the comings and goings of the guards.
Each cell is barely furnished, with a bed and some straw if you’re lucky; a meager blanket with holes in it for the really fortunate. Food and drink are given only if the crime is mild enough, passed through the thick iron bars that separate the cells from the rest of the basement and each other. It’s possible to reach through the gaps in the bars but impossible to work open the hanglocks.
As impossible as it is, it’s best not to get cozy – you remain in the cell only long enough for the guards or executioner to decide on your punishment. Usually.
Candle in common hallway
On Night 001
They will also be taking some wet clay from The Pottery Room.
Torture room
Basement hallway - DAY 002
The scarves are like large handkerchiefs. NOT the kind of scarves which are worn.
And yes, you can assume he will REPLACE THEM if they get switched out, burned, or otherwise damaged/taken.
* YELLOW show the way IN
* GREEN show the way OUT
* RED show locked doors
* WHITE show redundant doors / pathways people shouldn't bother with
In consideration of those with colour blindness, these aren't accurately illustrated on the map below. The GREEN-PURPLE path shows the route through the hallways from the torture room to the guard passage, along which Kaito would have left his scarves. RED spots still show locked doors, while PINK spots indicate where he'd place scarves to show the empty areas and useless doors.
GREEN SPOTS are where he's either tied scarves to door handles or tucked into torch brackets to show the way out for those lost in the unused areas.
(CLICK FOR LARGER IMAGE)
Day 002
Torture room - Day 002
Antechamber
Cellar - Night 002
The crumbling wall has also been torn down to reveal a dusty cavity roughly the size of a small closet. One corner of the cavity is oddly devoid of dust, about a few feet, and of no distinct shape.
Night 001