The Place...
Blood Widow Manor is what one would expect of a noble manor house: very large and elegant with rather beautiful grounds. The grounds itself radiates with vibrant and healthy green grass with various shape sizes and colors of flowers intermixed. Scattered throughout are various sizes of trees, both young and old, that are in the midst of bearing ripe fruits consisting of apples, pears and even a few oranges. There are a few trees however that do not bear fruit such as the large weeping willow that lies towards the further part of the grounds and centered, or the two cherry blossom trees that are slowly beginning to open. Along with the weeping willow, and further back still, appears to be the start of a small wooded area and perfect for a lovely game of 'hide and seek'.
At the start of the grounds is a rather large iron metal gate that appears clear of any rust, and seems to 'welcome' any guest that desires entrance. Its decorated with some colors of gold in a few of the swirl designs at the top and bottom of the gate. In the center where it is to split is a large engraving of the letters B.W. Due to the recent closing off of the area large and thick metal chains were wrapped around the area of the gate that would typically split and allow entrance, and locked securely with a key operated lock. Since this little campaign 'project' however the key to the lock has been passed over to the one that is to be the 'guide' of the house, as well as a few extras for anyone else just in case.
From the gate extends a fence that seems to go on and disappear much further down at either end, and is made of the same cast iron that the gate was made of. The poles within the fence, that holds it up, appear to have been built to keep robbers and thieves out as they are a bit too tall to climb without effort, and the tops are spiked out in all directions. This was perhaps to prevent any form of a hand hold at the top without having to impale your hand on one or more of the spikes. Despite the ominous looking top, just below it is the same golden swirled design as at the gate entrance, however at the bottom the swirled designs are merely the same color of iron as the fence and gate.
Leading from the entrance gate there appears to be a graveled road, that appears neat and is lined with stones made of granite with a few Romanesque type statues of Venus, Zeus and various others. Towards the 'end' the gravel path circles around a rather large four tier lion head fountain, made of a white marble with a surrounding pool containing cool and fairly clear water and a few blossoming lily pads, and returns back into the path that leads to and from the entrance gate.
Aside from the road the front 'lawn' and closer to the manor itself an intricate design of hedges swirl and twist this way and that, and could be perhaps a maze for small children but only about waist high on an adult. On the hedges appear to be a mixture of white, blue, red, pink and even yellow roses that are mingled within the leaves and tops here and there. It's possible that it was intended to be a sort of walk through flower 'garden' for the young wife of the previous couple.
As one makes there way from the graveled path and to the gleaming white stairs of the manor itself, they would be greeted by the sight of two Romanesque columns that lined the front porch area of the manor that held up the outstretched triangular 'roof' of the porch that held the carvings of a scene of angels in various poses. Looking at the porch itself one would be able to see that it was made of a rather sturdy wood that was painted white and met the off white colored outer walls of the manor.
Looking further up and around at the walls one would be able to see first the two large oval shaped windows, that were intended as ones to look out when one sat in the window seats that both contained on the inside, and above them were more common, though numerous, squarish windows until the very top. At the top was a large stained glass window depicting an angel with orange hair and a flowing white gown, and complete with white wings, surrounded in a background of blue and green with a few trees. All of the windows then, including the stain glass one at the top, were lined by beautiful polished oak borders. If one walked around the entire manor itself, they would find more numerous and squarish windows that were lined with the same oak border.
The windows reached up until the triangular roof of the manor itself, where on the end statuettes of angels where perched, almost as if guarding the house. They looked to be made of the same white marble as the other statues on the ground and in various different poses. The white of the statuettes stood out from the dark brown shingles of the roof, making them fairly noticeable even in the day time.
At the entrance of the manor stood a painted white oak door with a pewter door knocker in the shape of a human hand holding a small ball. One one of the fingers of the knocker was what appeared to be a ring, and at the wrist a suggestion of a sleeve with slight frills as well as what appeared to be a bracelet with rectangular beads as the design. On either side of the door was a rectangular stained glass window that contained a person laughing with their hands up in a field of red and yellow wild flowers.
If one walked around to the back of the manor they would find another door that was led to by a smaller set of stairs then the front, and had iron handrails. This time the door was made of glass with golden handles and had a light in the shape of a lantern hanging beside it.
Once one entered through the front door door they would be greeted with the sight of the entrance lounge. Dark red carpet rug had been placed in, though originally it had been white before people were sent in to 'fix it up', that led to the grand stairwell that contained onyx marble stairs that branched off and then came together again at the top of the floors. The rails, that extended up and throughout the top level until met with a solid wall, were a white marble with the pillars at either end containing a golden steel ball. The walls surrounding the room were an off white color and clearly made of the highest quality plaster. The floor itself was a black marble tile that expanded into some of the surrounding rooms. There were a few decorations of plants and various kinds of paintings and artworks here and there.
The room to the left leads to the kitchen area. It's rather large, but also pretty basic. It has the essentials found in most kitchens such as a fridge, stove, sink, cupboards, a pantry stocked with food, as well as many other modern appliances that were just recently put in. The main difference between this kitchen and many other kitchens is the door that leads to the underground wine cellar, that currently contains various dates and kinds of wines on shelves made of cast iron. The floor of the kitchen is made of the same marble tile as the entrance hall, with the difference being that instead of black it is a lovely shade of blue-green to match the similar colored walls. On the walls are the cabinets made of finely crafted dark oak with a glossy finish. A simple yet elegant wall clock is also present. The numbers are in roman numerals while the clock is a wired design of a diamond in the center of a blue ceramic flower. At one end of the kitchen is also a china cabinet that is filled with a complete cheery blossom designed china set. The glass door that leads into the back of the grounds is also present in this room.
Back in the entrance lounge if one were to go to the room on the right they would find a day room, or a living room to use the more modern term. Here is where the two window seats are placed with fluffed cream satin pillows for one to use to cushion themselves further on the seats. Two long and renovated couches, one a deep brown color while the other a dark green, with silk like cushions are present and could seat at least nine or ten people comfortably on them each. There are also many chairs of the same colors and of similar material, all of which have an accompaniment of small and dark wooden end tables. In the center of the room is a large oval shaped coffee table that has many different cubicles underneath the main surface of the table. At the far wall, and were anyone seated on any of the seating could comfortably see, a rather large and new television rested into the wall itself. It was clearly one of the few added features that the repairmen had placed in. Near it, but still a safe distance away was a red brick fireplace with a dark wooden mantle. On it were a few pictures, many of a man and woman that were perhaps the previous owners of the house. They were old and worn but rested peacefully in protective wooden frames. The dark colors in the room matched the darker color of the walls, a deep brown shade, that then matched the black carpet that had recently been put down in place of the once hardwood floors.
Connected to this room too is a small walk way that would lead to one of the many bathrooms of the house. This particular one was small and only housed a black porcelain toilet with a matching sink, behind a light colored oak door. A small mirror hung on one of the sky blue colored walls and above
the sink. The floors here were white and felt like ceramic tiles rather than marble.
Once more returning to the lounge room one will find that beyond the stairs is another hallway on either side. One hallway will lead those to the library where books on wide variety of subjects are placed on dark wood book shelves. It is also a room that has two stories with access to the second level being at the far end and up the staircase, though there is also a man pulled elevator cage that one could use as well. The walls in this room are a deep maroon color while the floors are a sandy brown color and made from hardwood.
At the other end of the room, opposite the elevator, is a door that leads to the 'entertainment' room where a variety of games, both modern and not, are stored or set up. Many televisions are also placed in here due to the increased amount of counsel games, as the mayor placed a fair amount of money in this area to try and attract people to come. There are also things like Foosball tables, pool tables and even a few arcade games in here. The room is a similar color and design as the library with the main differences being that it was only one floor and the hardwood had been turned to carpet.
Going back to the hall and pass the library door one would find many different colored oak doors that appeared quite different from the more 'old fashion' looking brown ones. Each door clearly had a glossy finish, giving it the smooth shine look to its color. The doorhandles on each door too varied in shape, material and size, as some appeared to be in the shape of characters while others were merely shapes. What laid beyond these particular doors appeared to be places of sleep, or bedrooms as they're more commonly referred to as. There were a few though that appeared to be simply barren rooms with different colored walls and flooring.
Retracing steps and into the other hallway behind the stairs, one would find a most luxurious bathroom. The sink was white with a golden color faucet and stood near a white colored toilet with the same kind of handle as the faucet. The seat and lid of it had etchings of golden floral designs within it, although not enough so or in such a way that it would be uncomfortable. A bit away from the toilet was a rather large circular bathtub with white carpeted stairs that were used to get in. On the blue colored wall hung an attachable shower head, that one could easily reach in a leaned back sitting position if their arm length allowed. The shower head, handles for the bath and faucet for the bath were also painted a gleaming gold color. Above the sink was a small mirror, while a larger full body mirror stood polished and proud next to the tube. The floor of this room, like the stairs that led helped on into the tub was a white colored carpet. The walls were a vibrant sky blue color that had a painted scene all around consisting of both clouds and playful looking angels.
Returning to his hall one would find doors and rooms that were similar to the halls that contained bedrooms and vacant rooms. At the end of the hall though there was a door that was made not from wood but a heavy metal and not painted. Beyond the door were wooden stairs that, were well aged though not broken, descended below ground clearly marking it as a basement of sorts. The area contained random material goods, probably all of which belonged to the previous owners. The walls were made only of cement while the ceiling revealed the wooden rafters that kept the first floor from caving in. In a far corner the boiler, water heater and other essentials of the household wiring and utilities were kept. They looked a bit old fashioned, a clear sign that they were not some of the things that had been renovated nor did they look like they needed to be, but they worked just fine.
Back at the stairs that were in the entrance lounge, if one were to ascend them they would find themselves on the second floor where more various kinds of rooms were kept that included more bedrooms, bathrooms, a few studies, and various other kinds of rooms that were included to either entertain, be seen as useful or essential.
Here too on the second floor one would find entrance to the attic. The door was perhaps the only one that seemed a bit more old fashioned then the rest and was clearly made of unpainted wood. It was a bit worn and had an old fashion lock that seemed to require a specific key. The handle appeared to be a relatively regular bronze diamond shape making it indeed very different from the more extravagant doors. Why it was this was once left undone is unknown to all except perhaps to those that had done the repairs, cleaning and possibly the mayor. It was also unknown what exactly was contained in the attic as it appears to be locked. Unfortunately since the keyhole was specific to a certain key, a replica or replacement could not be made successfully.
There are still many secrets within Blood Widow Manor as not everything has yet been discovered. Exploration is encouraged, after all who knows what you'll find...
The Time...
The current year is 2011, almost 100 years since the manor had originally had been built. It is currently towards the end of Spring, with the snow from winter long since gone. The nights are still occasionally chilly, though if it gets too cold the heat within the manor could be turned on. The days are clearly warming up and the sun is out fairly often, such as it is today. The forecast for the night was believed to have a chance of a light rain. It is just a bit passed noon time so there's still plenty of daylight left.