In the Shadowlands, the door bearing Rudbeckia de Borgia's name opens into the grand foyer of a sprawling Italian Renaissance castle. To the discerning eye of an architectural aficionado, it would quickly become apparent that very little of it is historically accurate—but the aesthetic is, overall, historical European architecture befitting any fantasy setting.
Moving through each room soon reveals that its inconsistency is more pronounced than this. Some rooms and entire wings of the castle look to be transplanted from an entirely different place. Dark wood and tile gives way to a bright French Rococo. Even the scenery changes from window to window: a flowery courtyard, a dark forest, a sunny seaside.
Most jarring of all are the fragments of sleek modernity from some 21st Century mansion.
Architecture aside, something is distinctly wrong from the minute you set foot into the castle, beyond the usual eerie air of the Shadowlands. It's stifling. There is a chill that creeps into your heart. None of the doors have locks, and many of them won't stay closed. No matter where you go, you feel eyes on your back. For whatever reason, being in this place gives you the inescapable sense that you are under threat, and the anxiety suffocates you.
This does not feel like a home.
LOCATIONS.
RUDBECKIA'S ROOM — A lavish bedroom with a four-poster canopy bed and elegant furnishings. From inside, the view out the windows overlooks the sea; when exiting onto the balcony, it stands above a garden. The door to Ruby's room seems to be broken, as it never stays shut.
CESARE'S OFFICE — A simple yet luxurious office furnished with dark wood. There is an overwhelming feeling of pressure when standing in this room.
KITCHEN — One of the modern rooms in the castle. It even has 21st Century appliances like an expensive-looking fridge, though none of them work.
??? — A boarded-up room.
DUNGEON — Medieval dungeons below the castle. The door leading to them is locked; the key can be found in Cesare's office. If you descend, the rooms are empty, but cold and claustrophobic.
STABLES — A large stable outside the building, past the courtyard. It fills you with a sense of dread. The sound of horses can be heard, though there are none to be found inside; occasionally, their whinnying seems more like a girl's cries.
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DOOR.
Moving through each room soon reveals that its inconsistency is more pronounced than this. Some rooms and entire wings of the castle look to be transplanted from an entirely different place. Dark wood and tile gives way to a bright French Rococo. Even the scenery changes from window to window: a flowery courtyard, a dark forest, a sunny seaside.
Most jarring of all are the fragments of sleek modernity from some 21st Century mansion.
Architecture aside, something is distinctly wrong from the minute you set foot into the castle, beyond the usual eerie air of the Shadowlands. It's stifling. There is a chill that creeps into your heart. None of the doors have locks, and many of them won't stay closed. No matter where you go, you feel eyes on your back. For whatever reason, being in this place gives you the inescapable sense that you are under threat, and the anxiety suffocates you.
This does not feel like a home.
RUDBECKIA'S ROOM — A lavish bedroom with a four-poster canopy bed and elegant furnishings. From inside, the view out the windows overlooks the sea; when exiting onto the balcony, it stands above a garden. The door to Ruby's room seems to be broken, as it never stays shut.
CESARE'S OFFICE — A simple yet luxurious office furnished with dark wood. There is an overwhelming feeling of pressure when standing in this room.
KITCHEN — One of the modern rooms in the castle. It even has 21st Century appliances like an expensive-looking fridge, though none of them work.
??? — A boarded-up room.
DUNGEON — Medieval dungeons below the castle. The door leading to them is locked; the key can be found in Cesare's office. If you descend, the rooms are empty, but cold and claustrophobic.
STABLES — A large stable outside the building, past the courtyard. It fills you with a sense of dread. The sound of horses can be heard, though there are none to be found inside; occasionally, their whinnying seems more like a girl's cries.