Oakmere House
A large two-story stone house with a slate roof and a wide front porch, set among mature oak trees in a quiet affluent neighborhood. The property is neatly kept, with a fenced backyard, trimmed paths, and a detached garage with a side door that leads down to the basement. It looks like the kind of place where a respected family lives, hosts dinner, stores practical magic, and keeps their affairs in careful order.
A large two-story stone house with a slate roof and a wide front porch, set among mature oak trees in a quiet affluent neighborhood. The property is neatly kept, with a fenced backyard, trimmed paths, and a detached garage with a side door that leads down to the basement. It looks like the kind of place where a respected family lives, hosts dinner, stores practical magic, and keeps their affairs in careful order.
Measured, discreet, and quietly formidable. Maris dislikes drama, pays debts on time, and expects the same from everyone else.
History
Neighborhood and Grounds
The house sits in a quiet, wealthy neighborhood far from the Old District, where the streets are wider, the lamps burn brighter, and the neighbors know one another by name. Most visitors arrive by carriage or on foot through a trimmed front walk lined with low stone lanterns that glow faintly at dusk. The broad porch is used for tea, conversation, and quiet watchkeeping, and it is common to find a pair of weathered chairs there even when no one is expected.
Interior Layout
The front rooms are meant for receiving guests, with polished floors, good rugs, and sturdy furniture chosen for comfort rather than display. The back of the house is more practical, with a large kitchen, pantry, washing room, and a family room that sees the most daily use. Upstairs holds private chambers, a study, a sewing room, and a locked room for valuables and correspondence. The basement is clean and dry, used for storage, a small wine cellar, and a warded workroom where repairs, enchantment upkeep, and quiet experiments are handled.
Security and Wards
The house is protected more by careful craft than overt force. Windows have simple wardglass that resists shattering and muffles noise, and the main doors are reinforced with oak bands and hidden iron. A low alarm charm rings a soft bell in the owner’s bedroom if the house is entered without permission. The backyard fence carries a mild repellent ward for stray animals and pests, while the garage and basement doors are fitted with separate locks and a keyed glyph that only opens to registered hands.
Garage and Basement Access
The detached garage is larger than most, built for a carriage, workbench, and storage of tools, spare saddles, and seasonal equipment. Its side door leads down to the basement by a narrow stair, a practical route for moving supplies without bringing them through the front rooms. Locals say the basement was designed to keep one part of the property discreetly connected to another, so a person could come and go without attracting attention from the street.
Denizens
Measured, discreet, and quietly formidable. Maris dislikes drama, pays debts on time, and expects the same from everyone else.
A careful, middle-aged ritual mason who values privacy, routine, and a house that always runs properly. They speak softly, remember every detail, and are more observant than they first appear.
A retired city guard turned groundskeeper who keeps the yard, repairs the fence, and knows every inch of the property. He is friendly but hard to surprise.
A young apprentice who visits twice a week to maintain the house wards, polish the wardglass, and replace worn enchantments. She is curious, competent, and occasionally nosy.
Rumors & Plot Hooks
- 1.The basement was once used to hide someone important during a political scandal in the Old District.
- 2.There is a sealed room beneath the garage that does not appear on any old property map.
- 3.The house wards were paid for with a favor owed to a local spellwright, not with coin.
- 4.At night, the porch lanterns sometimes glow brighter when a stranger is watching from the street.
Classified Entry
Behind a false panel in the basement workroom is a narrow passage that leads to a forgotten cistern chamber beneath the yard. Maris uses it to keep sensitive documents, emergency supplies, and one sealed chest that should never be opened without powerful protection.
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