((The longer, more descriptive setting. For a shorter less detailed version, please see the post above this one.))
Journey to Wightstone Manor
Miles to Rhydin's northeast, long after paved roads turn to dirt and disappear altogether, travelers might stumble across Wightstone Manor. Located at the edge of a foreboding fen, the manor looks simultaneously out of place yet perfectly situated, as if accidentally dropped into the middle of a painting instead of a child's nightmare. Several species of deciduous trees surround the manor and extend partway into the fen. These brown skeletal sentinels loom above the ice-covered landscape as if keeping watch over small piles of peat, spike-rush, several species of sedge and bed after bed of frozen brown reed.
For convenience, Deathlord has provided several carriages pulled by stallions seemingly composed of fire, smoke and shadow to transport visitors to and from the Manor. The first pickup will take place two hours before dueling's scheduled to begin and the last dropoff will leave the Manor an hour after dueling ends " anyone who wishes to remain at the Manor and near Deathlord, especially those who wish to volunteer for an early unlifing, are welcome and encouraged to do so. Visitors will be picked up and released in front of the Red Dragon Inn. The carriages themselves appear well cared for and are driven by whip-wielding minions. The inside of the carriages are neither Spartan nor ornate " there are no curtains or windows to keep the chilly air away or obscure vision. Those riding in the carriages sit upon padded benches which offer just enough cushion to make the bumpiness of the dirt roads tolerable instead of uncomfortable. After a journey that passes more quickly than the distance would suggest, the carriages approach Wightstone Manor.
Arriving at Wightstone Manor
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Built mostly from large rectangular blocks of white stone (and from whence its original name of Whitestone Manor came), now graying from time and weather, the manor stands three stories tall. An eight-step stairway, flanked by large solid stone railings, leads to a large covered rectangular porch with three archways supported by clusters of ridged columns. The tops of these columns hold carvings of menacing gargoyles. Crimson-flowered Lichblight, more decorative than functional in this instance, wend around each cluster to provide a small splash of colour against the imposing facade. Visitors walking up the stairs pass under the middle arch to find a set of three more arches paned with icy-blue glass impossible to see through from the outside. A blackened oak door, set slightly ajar, sits to the right of the middle arched window. An inviting yellow glow pushes through the crack, gently dancing upon the stone floor like a grassy meadow under a gentle breeze. This doorway seems the manor's only accessible entryway.
A short distance away to the west lies an ice-covered cemetery. Over time, most of the cemetery had sunk beneath ponds that grew larger each year. One would imagine the graveyard during summertime with a miasma of colors and smells from algae, bacteria, and rotting PutraPetals. At times, a decayed and waterlogged corpse might escape from its rotted wood coffin and drift to the surface, becoming both a restful perch and a meal for starving desperate scavengers. However, now all is frozen over with a supernatural cold that never dissipates no matter the season. Several chipped and weather-beaten gravemarkers, some crude and some ornate, jut out from the ice like broken ramparts from a sieged castle.
Between the manor and the cemetery, visitors will see one of the Manor's highlights and Deathlord's favourite area of the entire ground " the ice sculpture garden. A much grander version of the garden Deathlord tended at the New Haven manor during his stint as Baron, the dozens of sculptures here are incredibly detailed. Each exquisitely crafted monument represents the moment an individual passing into unlife. Some seem to welcome their new master, their faces peaceful and their posture relaxed, enjoying Deathlord's embrace as they might the warmth of a late spring's evening. Other figures are more disturbing. These subjects are in the throes of Deathlord's clutches " thrashing with gritted teeth or with mouths open in silent screams, their skin taut and muscles clenched in a futile effort to escape, desperately clinging to their final living moments.
Dueling Outside
Arrayed in the front courtyard, long tables with refreshments are set out and attended by the staff of the Arena (who wisely declined the minions" offer to handle refreshments). Couches and chairs are placed throughout the courtyard for those visiting, and torches and fire-pits keep the central area...comfortable...for the living. Rings have been drawn out amidst the toppled grave markers and among the garden's sculptures to provide areas where the duelers may fight and spectators watch within view of the central (heated) courtyard.
Several flower beds surround the statues and border the rings, their bright colours greatly contrasting with the brown and gray ice covering the ground. Tightly packed together, rows of these green and purple-leaved butterworts hunger for the flesh of small animals and wandering visitors alike. Those strolling through the garden or making their way toward the rings are wise to stick to the marked paths.
Inside the Manor
Those wishing to journey inside the manor visitors find themselves greeted by several minions, some recognizably human and others...less so"upon stepping through the main entrance. One of these minions guides each group or individual through a carefully plotted path through the entryway and into a smaller secondary antechamber with a lengthy staircase. Visitors will spend the next minute or two in a slow winding descent. Numerous torches slotted into wall-sconces along the stone walls provide more than ample lighting; the very observant might note the sconces are crafted from bone. These sconces, unlike the stone which has turned black beneath the flames, somehow maintain a pearly luster.
The staircase leads to a small foyer which comfortably houses ten to twelve visitors. Two tables filled with refreshments (provided by the staff of the Arena as a precaution over what the minions might choose) await the thirsty and the hungry. Portraits adorn the mahogany walls " masterful paintings of Deathlord himself, the Honoured Sword, two young men and an aged woman. Upon the ceiling, visitors will gaze upon a large mural depicting an ancient battle where an army of unlifed creatures overwhelms battalions of elves, dwarves and men. The images are disturbing yet for those well-versed in ancient lore and history, especially the history of the duels, they may seem somewhat familiar. The foyer also houses several displays of Minion & Minion Realty's latest offerings. Several homes and apartments, several from within Rhydin, are listed, complete with pricing and descriptions. Randomly throughout the night, visitors may notice brand new listings add to the rotation, a sure sign that Deathlord's just rescued someone else from the city and into unlife.
Dueling Inside
Leaving the foyer brings visitors into the area prepared for dueling. Constructed similarly to those in the Outback and Arena, the room houses several dueling rings. Instead of sands, though, duelers find themselves fighting upon fine gray powder " those savvy enough to distinguish such may recognize the powder as crematory ash. Occasionally, a dueler might step upon or kick up a fragment of bone that survived the process. Hopefully, none would be injured by a sharp bone-shard or twist their ankle after inadvertently stepping on a bone-splinter hidden within the ash. Three very large ice sculptures, placed between the rings, dominate the room. Specially carved for this night, visitors may recognize the individuals these sculptures honour from the foyer " two men and one woman. At the base of each, with words ornately carved into the ice, visitors can learn the names and brief history of those venerated by these carvings.
One of the young men, Oliver Macpherson, had fallen in the Duel of Swords Arena to a minion, his body crudely eviscerated during Deathlord's Squire Tournament before the minion guided him to Deathlord. The statue depicts him moments before unlife began, icy intestine slipping through his fingers, mouth agape, tongue slightly raised, terror reflected in his bright clear eyes. Next came the nameless old wrinkled woman, slain by Kattria during the same tournament, shown in her final moments mid-stagger, a frozen mist spraying from her neck as life ebbed away. The final statue presents Evan Rush Rynth, who more than willingly volunteered for unlife in order that Deathlord might sponsor his challenge for Overlord. Evan's sculpture stands tall and proud with an enigmatic smile, his last before unlife.
Within this room, visitors can spectate or duel. Minions rush to and fro, acting upon Deathlord's bidding. Anyone wishing to volunteer for unlife need only inform a minion. Immediate accommodation to such a request will, of course, occur.
Deathlord welcomes you. Please enjoy your evening"
((original post by MinionOfDeathlord here, event to take place on RoH, Annex will serve as the chatroom))
