Bloodrose Mansion

Bloodrose

The following evening, when Nick arrived at Bloodrose Mansion, the seat of the High Ancients, he was immediately struck by its sheer size. The building was obviously made to house hundreds of people, and looked like it could easily contain the labyrinth of rooms and horrors that it was rumored to.

The architecture was dark, and as their carriage rolled up the driveway and around the eastern side of the house to the front in the north, Nick couldn't help but notice the lack of windows on the south side of the house. Such a feature was a clear indicator of its tendency toward dim light. This was fairly standard in all vampire houses, as they were naturally nocturnal, with incredible night vision. Still, it contributed greatly to the sinister mood that had overtaken the carriage over the course of the last few miles.

As the carriage pulled up in the front driveway, a pair of servants immediately stepped out of the house and made for his luggage. A third stood waiting for him to get out of the carriage.

"Come on, then. No use dilly-dallying. I'm to give you a brief tour of the mansion and then show you to your room."

At some further hesitation, the stern woman clapped her hands. "Chop chop. The sooner we begin, the sooner you can get a bit of rest. You have an important meeting tonight, and we need to finish before then."

With one steadying breath, Nick and exited the carriage and fell into step behind his guide.

The woman nodded approvingly and began walking. "Now then. My name is Morgana, and I am High Ancient Eathelin's second."

As she led him through the front doors, she afforded a moment for him to adjust, first to the low lighting, and then to the opulence of the room. The ceiling arched high above their heads, and a single staircase curved up the right side of the room to a balcony. The furniture was lavishly upholstered and or masterfully carved from a rich, dark wood. And yet, somehow, the room looked comfortable. Or it would, if the atmosphere was less intimidating.

Morgana continued her speech after a moment. "This is the entry hall, where guests are received. Come through here."

Morgana led him through a door to the left, and came to a sitting room. This room managed to be a bit more cozy than the last, with a fireplace and several bookshelves, but it maintained the same blatant opulence. "This is the drawing room. There is a servant's corridor to the right of that bookshelf there, should you ever need it. Most such corridors are interconnected in some way or another."

His guide didn't lead him through the servant's corridor, however, instead using a doorway to the right. "Here is the formal dining room. It is generally only used when there are guests and the High Ancients wish to eat with them." She pointed out another entry to a servant's corridor, as well as a panel in the wall which hides wood for the fireplace.

Through the double doors to the right was a ballroom that was at least twice the size of the entry hall. A balcony seemed to drape itself around the upper level, reached by a wide stairwell on the right. The stairwell was bordered by a piano on the left, and a heavy door on the right. A chandelier hung glittering in the center of the ceiling. Around the room were intricate wrought iron embellishments.

Morgana continued her speech. "The ballroom: usually there is some musician or another here, practicing or playing. The acoustics are wonderful, and the High Ancients enjoy it. There are private sitting rooms and guest bedrooms along the upper walk, all currently unoccupied."

Nick had to snap himself out of his awe at the room to catch up with Morgana as she kept walking. At the back of the room was an archway. This led to a hallway stretching to the left and right. Several servants passed them quickly and quietly, some nodding to Morgana on their way by.