[Nexus] Mithar Keep III - Girls Gone Modest

[Shadowcaller]

The walls stand at a daunting twenty five feet high, cast from seamless black granite that glitters faintly under the morning sun. These very walls surround an eighty foot wide courtyard on four sides, forming a square of safety over the inhabitants. At each of the five corners sits a squat tower, ten feet higher than the walls it is connected to, from which defenders can protect the flanks of the nearest two towers in a near perfect net of safety. Surmounting the towers are gleaming black adamantine spikes, crafted from the Mithar treasure hoard and used to fly flags bearing the crests of the Therishein and Mithar Houses.

Immediately as you enter through the gates you can see two square, flat-topped granite outbuildings flanking either side of the short road leading up to the keep proper. The right most building holds the forge, where Harnel himself works tirelessly to turn out high quality adamantine arms and armor. The left is his armory, stocked high with the fruits of his labor.

The keep itself retains the outer wall's Square setup, four sides of glittering stone reaching almost fifty five feet in height. It is capped by a flat roof that acts as a flight deck for Harnel to take off from and land on. To this end imposing black spikes have been installed to act as perches, so that he and his children will have no trouble landing in extreme weather.

The Floors:

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In the first apex of the Tower walls from the gate there is a door set deep into the stone. Beyond this door is the ground floor, more specifically the entrance hall where Harnel greets his guests. The room is oddly shaped, a sort of wedge that gets wider towards the exterior walls. Towards the center it converges into three doors, one leading off to the kitchen on the right, and another to the living room on the left. The one in the center leads up a spiral staircase to the next floor, and the ones after that eventually. Also on the first floor is a washroom and Harnel's personal study. All of the rooms are arrayed around the central staircase in the unique wedge shaped pattern.

The second floor is a bit more esoteric, holding only three rooms. On the apex facing the gate is a small space for storing alchemical ingredients and curative potions. The recreational room take up a double sized wedge on the west side, while the east is a room for the safe practice of rituals and other potentially catastrophic magic. Cessie have claimed this room as her laboratory and reinforced it with her own enchantments, making it impossible to enter without her key.

The third is where the family makes its home, including a double sized master bedroom and two guest rooms, one already set aside for the little one on the way. Another bathroom can also be found here, to eliminate the inconvenience of running down two flights of stairs in the middle of the night.

The fourth and final floor was left open and converted into a massive library as Harnel's gift to his lovely Cessie. A place so well stocked with lore, both arcane and mundane, that I'm certain no one could possibly read every tome amongst its shelves. From here the stairs only lead upward to the Aerie, which has been equipped with guard-rails and no slip coatings to ensure that no one takes a nasty tumble to their doom while enjoying the pleasant view.

Because honestly, who builds a tower with roof access and then doesn't install guard-rails? Incompetent contractors, that's who.

Courtyard:

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The area between the walls and the tower itself where a number of buildings are constructed.

Forge: Here Harnel craft weapons and armor using the adamatite most of the keep is made of.

Armory: This building is filled with the masterwork weapons Harnel have made. It's normally locked to outsiders however.

Green House: Cessie have recently ordered the construction of this building which contains the many plants she have collected around the keep. Especially notable are the fey apple-trees who are shaped just like nymphs and the large rose seeds the sorceress is keeping in stock.

Individuals Living In The Keep:

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Cessie Mithar: Noblewoman and mage. Human, with black hair and blue eyes. Harnel is her husband.

Harnel Mithar: Nobleman, though he rarely seems the type. A Half-red dragon/human, he's the man of the house, but is sometimes a bit daft.

Cora and Bastion Mithar: About a year old, these two are twins, and the children of Harnel and Cessie

Kirin: Catgirl and maid, she looks unhealthily thin because of her metabolism and eats enormous amounts of food.

Xavier: Xavier is a pixie who often takes on an almost human shape and size. He is staying at the Keep for the near future, though not permanently. He is primarily acting as a research assistant to Cessie in her studies. In exchange for his room and board, Xavier also helps out with household chores when he can.

Notes:

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Other things of note include the extensive tunnel complex the land was built on, now fully integrated into the design to allow quick access to all of the buildings on sight without exposing the people inside to an enemy siege. These tunnels also join to a rather well built cellar/bomb shelter and Harnel's underground hoard of adamantine bars. An interesting fact: All the metal fixings, including faucets, doorknobs and hinges, were made from this very stash.

The keep is overlooking the city of Inside, on a cliff above. Built into the cliff are natural caverns. Though most have been collapsed, a few, the only entrances remaining leading to the towers themselves. This is where Harnel stores his treasure horde, including the massive stockpile of adamantine.

Keep in mind, the whole place, like so many other locations in the nexus, is dimension locked and warded against scrying.

Thread Rules:

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This is the cut standard here. Don't destroy the keep, don't godmode, etc. etc. generally, if you need to ask about something, ask. It may end up makking things acceptable rather than if you had simply dropped the situation on us.

As this is a home thread, We aren't worried about things getting a little intense in scenes between characters. Nothing that would offend a moderator, but don't complain if a scene gets a little sexy. That's part of what this is here for.

Old Threads:

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Mithar Keep
Mithar Keep II: Electric Boobaloo

[Shadowcaller]

To the keep!

"Well then we need to get you try lots of new things until you find something you really like. You could just wear them around the house until you're a bit more comfortable and then go out with them. Oooh. We should go clothes shopping! Get you lots of things! Let's go!"
Errr... you just went clothes shopping Ilpholin. Like... yesterday.
And you're forgetting all about the babies.

To the keep!

"Ah... weren't we waiting for Darcy?" Cessie asks as she slowly gets up from her seat. She wasn't against going shopping but that hadn't been what she had in mind.

[Reinholdt]

To the keep!

"Oh. Right. I forgot. Still hasn't replied." Ilpholin checks her phone and sends another text, just in case. Granted, I don't know if Happy's busy or in too many scenes at the moment either.

[Shadowcaller]

To the keep!

"Well, tell her we're going to mallside then. But didn't you also want to see Cora and Bastion?" Cessie asks Ilpholin.

[Lost_Deep]

[Lab]

"Perhaps Cessie can examine it further to be sure, but as far as I can see you're right." Xavier says. He pauses uncertainly. "I was thinking of going out and seeing if there were any interesting plants to harvest this time of year. I was wondering if you'd like to join me?"

"Sure; it's getting toward spring so some early stuff might be coming up. Just let me grab a granola bar or two." And Kirin wants to change into something more comfortable in the forest.

[Reinholdt]

To the keep!

"Oh. Right. I did. I mean do. We should do that too. First. Unless they're sleeping. I wouldn't want to disturb them."

[Shadowcaller]

To the keep!

"Kirin said they were sleeping so I'll leave it up to you. We could always see them once we come back. It's feeding feeding time in a few hours anyway." If Ilpholin can tell such things by appearance only, it's likely the sorceress only gives them baby food and formula.

[Gullara]

[Lab]

"Great." Xavier gives her a broad smile. Just the response he'd been hoping for. "I'll meet you outside in a few minutes then." And with that, he'll head off to prepare as well.

[Lost_Deep]

Out Front

Kirin steps outside a few minutes later, wearing blue jeans and a light jacket for the still somewhat chilly weather. She has a little fanny pack, for her munchies and anything that she finds, and will watch for Xavier.

[happyturtle]

To the Keep

Look! UP in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's SUPERDARCY!

Or, just Darcy shapeshifted into a flying creature, circling down to land and change back to human form.

"Hi! I'm not late, am I?"

[Gullara]

[Out Front]

Xavier shows up just a few moments later, wearing a light jacket of his own. He has a small bag looped over his shoulder, presumably to carry samples in. "Ah good, you're here already. Let's go then, shall we." He starts to lead the way out of the courtyard. "I have to say, that jacket looks very nice on you." He compliments as they walk.

[Lost_Deep]

Out Front

"Thanks," Kirin replies. "Anything in particular you're looking for?"

[Gullara]

[Into the Trees]

"Nothing specific. I just haven't had a chance to explore the area and see what there is to find yet. Hopefully there will be something useful. It's always nice to have a few things on hand even if I don't have any plans." Xavier explains.

[Lost_Deep]

Into the Trees

"Well, I actually don't know anything about what plants are useful. If you see any, you'll have to point them out to me," Kirin says as they walk. There's still a fair bit of snow around, but the grass is starting to wake up and the birds are beginning to sing again.

[Gullara]

[Into the Trees]

"That's just fine. Another set of eyes at the very least will be useful, and I'm sure you have much more to offer than that." Xavier says with a smile shot her way.

[Lost_Deep]

Into the Trees

"Yeah, unfortunately most of my expertise is in research. I was in school so I could go into secretarial work, and took a lot of other classes on the side. What about you?" Kirin asks.

[Gullara]

[Into the Trees]

"I grew up in a simple tribe here in the Nexus, though some ways away from Inside. I left it at a fairly young age to pursue a more civilized existence. I pursued what education I could, though it wasn't all that easy." Xavier explains, frowning just a little bit at the memory.

But soon the bright smile is back on his lips. "But you sound like you've put some effort into your own education. Not many would take additional classes over top of those they needed. What sort of classes did you take?"

[Reinholdt]

To the keep!

"Kirin said they were sleeping so I'll leave it up to you. We could always see them once we come back. It's feeding feeding time in a few hours anyway." If Ilpholin can tell such things by appearance only, it's likely the sorceress only gives them baby food and formula.

To the Keep

Look! UP in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's SUPERDARCY!

Or, just Darcy shapeshifted into a flying creature, circling down to land and change back to human form.

"Hi! I'm not late, am I?"

To the keep!

"Oh ok, we'll see them when we get back then." And thus Ilpholin and Cessie probably headed out of the kitchen to go shopping whereupon Darcy is met!

"Hi Darcy!" Ilpholin moves to give her a quick hug. "No, you're not too late. The babies are sleeping, so we planned on going shopping before seeing them." Plans change frequently however.

[Shadowcaller]

To the keep!

Shape-shifting? That was certainly impressive. Now the awkward moment where you meet someone you may or may not have meet before. "Yes. I figured we could always go back later." Cessie comments. Once they have hugged she turns to Darcy. "Darcy, have we meet before? I might need a reminder. I'd say it would be odd if we haven't meet considering we're working for the same organization."

[Lost_Deep]

Into the Trees

"A bit of everything; science, history, math, and I had plans to take an introductory course on magic. I also chose to take some classes on social cues, to help me get over a little issue I had, but that's a ways back by now," Kirin explains as she wanders through the forest.

[Gullara]

[Into the Trees]

"Oh wow, you've studied a lot." Xavier says, sounding more impressed than surprised. "Not everyone would pursue education as much as you have."

[Lost_Deep]

Into the Trees

"I'm lucky that my parents had the money! And there are only so many classes needed to go into secretarial work; I had plenty of chances to take additional classes while I was at a big university." She then smiles at Xavier. "Of course, I wouldn't have done it if I didn't love trivia so much."

[happyturtle]

To the keep!

Shape-shifting? That was certainly impressive. Now the awkward moment where you meet someone you may or may not have meet before. "Yes. I figured we could always go back later." Cessie comments. Once they have hugged she turns to Darcy. "Darcy, have we meet before? I might need a reminder. I'd say it would be odd if we haven't meet considering we're working for the same organization."

"Of course. Remember that thing? And then there was that encounter. And the event." Darcy nods sagely, while her player struggles to remember.

Remembering is hard.

"Oh yes, and Sakura's wedding." Darcy and Ilpholin were tail wrestling inappropriately!

[Reinholdt]

To the keep!

Oh yes. Forgot about that. It wasn't even that inappropriate! Cessie's just a spoilsport.

"You've seen her numerous times Cessie! I even remember there being a cake and Sakura and Darcy and you. Not at the wedding though. Some completely random other time." Ilpholin did not eat the cake.
This memory is also fairly vague.

[Shadowcaller]

To the keep!

"I'm afraid I can't remember any of those times. I can remember the wedding though now that you mention it." Mostly due to the catastrophe that had turned out to be, but at least Sakura had seemed happy with it and that's what counted right?

"In any case, we were on our way to mallside right?" Better to change the subject.

[happyturtle]

To the Mall!

"Sure." To the Mall!

[Gullara]

Into the Trees

"I'm lucky that my parents had the money! And there are only so many classes needed to go into secretarial work; I had plenty of chances to take additional classes while I was at a big university." She then smiles at Xavier. "Of course, I wouldn't have done it if I didn't love trivia so much."

[Into the Trees]

"Ah ha, it all makes sense now." Xavier says with a chuckle. "Let me guess, you played a lot of trivia games over your life?"

[Lost_Deep]

Into the Trees

"Um... since I'm not sure what a trivia game is, I'm going to say no. I just like to gather information and then look for ways it applies in real life. People used to joke that I am a conspiracy theorist, but I prefer to think of myself as a casual detective." Kirin looks up at a nearby bird, getting a good look at it before it flits off.

[Gullara]

[Into the Trees]

"Ah, I understand. My mistake." Xavier wonders what sort of place she came from now. He never knew what a trivia game was until he came to the much more technologically advanced Inside. Maybe she came from somewhere that never had those sorts of games like he was thinking?

"I think that sounds like an interesting hobby. So did you have any theories about me when I showed up at the front door?" He asks curiously.

[Lost_Deep]

Into the Trees

"Nah, I don't develop theories about strangers or people who are nice and willing to tell me their stories anyway. And at the time I was distracted, too." She hops up onto a tall stump to get a better view of the area. "One of the best ways to get written up as insane or worse is to make assumptions without any data."