The Necessities
The Pagoda
Step through one of a wide set of lacquered red and white arches, and it's almost as if you're in a different world. Before you rises several stories of a square, red wooden pagoda. Around it there are gardens, yes, but they're calmer and older than the ones outside the arches. Different animals can be found here, too: tortoises roam the ponds, and chow dogs guard the doors and roam through the building. The bears will still poke their noses in if there's a fight, and the birds will still bring you what you ask for, but it might take them a little longer than usual. As for the animals that seem native to this necessity, nobody lays claim to them, and hurting them won't bring down the wrath of anyone in particular...but if you do it, then attempt to stay in the pagoda for long afterwards, horrible visions and nightmares will begin to haunt you.
The technology available in the pagoda is rather old-fashioned. Instead of modern bathrooms, there are discreet outhouses in the back of the gardens; there are no elevators, only stairs. The kitchens have only fireplaces and old-fashioned ovens--although a variety of teas can be found there. The lack of modern convenience is made up for by the sumptuousness of the bedrooms, though: all the beds are draped in beautiful silks, and the wardrobes next to each offer a wide variety of clothing, although most of it has a distinctly Chinese flair.
Only one other thing about the pagoda is of particular note. In the entrance hall stands an unlabeled but carefully painted clay statue of a beautiful woman with the scaly lower body of a dragon.
The Arena
What's a Roman-style arena doing in the Gardens? No one knows for sure, but it's definitely there. Unlike the ruins of similar places scattered across Europe, this one is in perfect shape. Grand marble steps surround a wide open space. Arches lead into the depths within these steps. Off passageways within the marble arches are stark, utilitarian rooms: several bedrooms full of plain cots, a few small rooms with basic toilets, and a small set of public baths equipped with running water (although it doesn't stay hot for long). No, none of that is particularly special, and from those amenities (such as they are) alone it's hard to see why anyone would choose to stay in the arena.
It's what occupies the central space that makes it worth your while.
Where true ancient arenas had racks of weapons, this one has racks full of cooking utensils, pots and pans, and miscellaneous spices and ingredients. At the center of what would be a racetrack or fighting grounds in any other arena is a vast array of giant stone ovens, always turned on. At the far end of the arena, a passageway disappears into darkness. Bears will prevent anyone from going into it--but oh, will things come out of it. Bears and wolves will drag the carcasses of slaughtered animals--cattle, pigs, and the occasional deer, mostly, but also sometimes things as strange as giant turtles, bison, and kangaroos--out of the dark and into the arena, where the bears will expertly carve great slabs of meat off the corpses. If the meat remains unused for long enough to become unsafe, it is then carried back out the same way it came.
There's always an air of excitement and anticipation in these strange contest grounds. Who will come up with the greatest meal? Do you dare enter the arena and find out?
The Abbey
Unlike the sweepingly ornate structures found in much of Europe, the abbey is an austere building resting in a clearing surrounded by old-looking trees. What it lacks in the grandeur, however, it makes up for in atmosphere. Multi-colored light streams in through arched windows fashioned out of diamond-shaped glass and plays along the light gray masonry. Rounded archways and conservatively-ornamented pillars line the halls, including those that open to the peaceful cloister. Vines twine up along the stone walls here, and the garden is kept in a carefully-tended faux-natural state. Stone benches have been strategically placed in this area for reflection and socializing.
Inside the abbey proper are a dormitory and a kitchen. Spartan but clean beds stuffed with straw are set into the walls and line the whole of the dorm, encircling the comfortable common area meant for study and dining. The main features of this space are its heavy wooden tables, as well as shelves ready to hold books by the plenty. In one wall, a door leads to a markedly less pleasant but fully private back area where a pair of medieval outhouses await. They have doors for additional privacy!
The kitchen does not hold much by way of food storage, but it is well equipped with a wide array of period kitchen tools. A wooden chest near the work tables neatly organizes brass or wooden utensils and containers such as ladles, cups, bowls, plates, and knives. For actual cookware, a cast-iron cauldron, long-handled frying pans, an iron spit, and a mortar and pestle are set up in various places around the room. While only open fires are available, there are plenty of tools to control the heat and intensity. A wooden bucket and the stream outside the kitchen door should satisfy all needs for water.
The Palace
There's no question that this necessity is a palace: it's too grand to be anything but. The floors and walls are inlaid with gold, and at the end of the entrance hall is a great golden throne. But it's not the familiar Western fairy-tale castle of turrets and ramparts. Instead, it's a stepped pyramid.
The first floor consists of the aforementioned enormous entrance hall, full of pillars supporting the ceiling, each one decorated with images of feathered serpents and bizarre jaguar-creatures. Off to the sides are ovens and other kitchen instruments--although they're all rather old-fashioned and made mainly of stone. You won't find any coffee here, either, but you will find a constant supply of a bitter chocolate drink.
On the second floor are several bedrooms and private, simple toilets; the beds are very comfortable and warm, and stone shelves provide a place to store possessions. The third floor offers a wide-open space full of public baths...all of which are fed by an eternal spring running down from a great fountain at the very top of the pyramid. Climb up to the top and gaze into the fountain, though, and the peaceful palace beneath you will start to fade away, replaced by eerie images of bloodshed...it's probably best if you don't look for too long.
The Onsen
One of the larger structures is an old, two-story Japanese-styled inn. There are ten rooms to each floor, with each room providing a futon and sheets for up to four people. The floors of every room are covered in traditional tatami mats, and each room is separated by sliding shoji doors, so larger groups can combine rooms if necessary.
The inn comes fully equipped with an operational kitchen, which is stocked with all kinds of cooking supplies...except food. Though there is a food storage room, even a fridge, so you can stock up on your hunting trips! Just make sure you label what’s yours so the other residents don't nab your dinner.
And what's a Japanese inn without its very own hot spring? Though the Gardens aren't located anywhere near any kind of volcanic activity, the spring is quite natural, and is the perfect place to unwind after a long day of...whatever it is you do during the day.
The Mansion
In the middle of the necessities sits a grand Victorian mansion painted in shades of pink, purple, and blue. Ivy climbs its walls, and tame little gardens, complete with statues of cherubs, surround it. One would expect the inside to be similarly innocent.
To an extent, one wouldn't be disappointed. The first floor is simple enough: an elegant foyer and living room, complete with grand piano and luxurious couches; a fine kitchen with an eternal supply of various teas. But go up to the second and third floor to find the bedrooms (with princess beds and wardrobes full of clothing both ordinary and strange), and things will get a little...weird. Wander the hallways a bit much and you'll have trouble finding your way back to the stairs. How can that be? The house looked big from the outside, but not that big.
In fact, it's rather bigger on the inside than it looked. There's a seemingly endless supply of large, comfortable bedrooms with their own private bathrooms, but as you venture deeper into the house, the paintings on the walls become progressively creepier, and whispers begin to follow you through the halls. The third floor is stranger yet--now and then at night comes the sound of crying, and focus too much on the ceiling and you might start to hear a tapping noise coming from an attic that seems to have no entrance.
But find your way back outside again, and everything looks normal and, in fact, quite lovely.
The House of Tomorrow
Welcome to the world of tomorrow! This house, while only big enough to house up to eight people comfortably, has everything you could ever want, from self-operating vacuum cleaners, to robots who do your laundry, and even one of those creepy toilets that have a million different buttons on them. There are robots designed to just about every household chore, from cooking to cleaning to taking care
of the family pets, but be warned: they're quite prone to malfunction.
A lot of things are prone to malfunction, actually. Sometimes you can produce a perfectly cooked meal just by throwing all the ingredients into a bowl. Other times they might just turn into a charred
lump of burning fruit and meat.
Any residents from the future are bound to find this house incredibly silly or ridiculous.
The Apartments
From a distance, this modern apartment complex looks like nothing so much as a heap of colorful children's blocks. Get closer, though, and you'll see that there are actually doors, windows, and terraced balconies...they're just all in a jumble of colors and shapes, stacked on each other in a way that should be precarious but somehow isn't.
The weirdness doesn't end there. Go inside, and you'll find curvy, strangely-textured floors that wobble and wave underfoot. Few walls separate the kitchens from the living rooms from the bedrooms, and the stairs are suspiciously bouncy. The bathrooms, at least, are private...but they're just as oddly colorful and strangely shaped as any other room. The tubs look like nothing so much as giant soup bowls with faucets sticking out of them.
Still, it's not a bad place! The kitchens have every modern convenience, from microwaves to espresso machines, and the whole place feels light, airy, and cheerful. Just try not to get a headache from all the weird designs...or trip over yourself when walking on the wavy floors.
The Spaceship
On a patch of carefully-tended garden, a small spaceship sits upon its tripod landing gears. The outside design may remind one of a stealth fighter in macro, though it has been made friendlier than the ancient designs that inspired it through rounding of the edges and beautiful gold embellishments. Up the boarding ramp in the back and through the airlock are a series of arched metal corridors accented with abstract black-and-gold designs. A number of doors line this corridor, each with fully-furnished suites large enough to comfortably accommodate two people. The doors slide open when the hand-plate is touched, and can be programmed to only open for specific people.
The designer of the ship did not believe in plain rectangular rooms, if the sweeping curves, beams, and archways that comprise the walls, doorways, and ceiling have anything to say on the matter. Even the furniture is rounded or bent into a crescent, and the windows curve up toward the sky. However, natural wood has been used to accent the walls and to make up the tables and shelves, and the lighting is largely ambient rather than coming from a single overhead light source. Control panels in both the main room and the bathroom allows the room’s occupants to adjust temperature, lighting, and ambient sound. For the bathroom, there are additional controls for water heat and for the bath and shower; and in the main suite, controls for the window simulator. The windows can be set to display recordings and images of space and planets from orbit. Optionally, they may also be set to act as an alarm clock via an orbital sunrise and pleasant music.
Near the front of the ship is the kitchen. This is large and clean, high-tech facility constructed for quick and efficient cooking. High-powered microwaves and broilers can cook meat to perfection in minutes, and vegetables can be steamed or fried in just as much time. As a safety measure, the computers built into each cooking device will automatically deactivate if your food is close to being burned. Of special note is a beverage replicator built into one wall, capable of making single servings of any drink desired. Adjacent to this is the dining hall: a plush and cozy room furnished and decorated much like the living accommodations, but with room enough for everyone in the ship to gather for meals or a special occasion.
The bridge is, of course, at the very front of the ship. At first glance, it appears fully functional as the panels light up and await input from those who enter the room, with two seats for pilots and a third for a captain. With closer inspection, however, the bridge's flight programming has been replaced by a complex flight simulator, and its only programs are peaceful journeys over beautiful and breath-taking landscapes of worlds both alien and terraformed. Further searching of the bridge reveals that there is no obvious access to the engine room or other working ship parts.
Step through one of a wide set of lacquered red and white arches, and it's almost as if you're in a different world. Before you rises several stories of a square, red wooden pagoda. Around it there are gardens, yes, but they're calmer and older than the ones outside the arches. Different animals can be found here, too: tortoises roam the ponds, and chow dogs guard the doors and roam through the building. The bears will still poke their noses in if there's a fight, and the birds will still bring you what you ask for, but it might take them a little longer than usual. As for the animals that seem native to this necessity, nobody lays claim to them, and hurting them won't bring down the wrath of anyone in particular...but if you do it, then attempt to stay in the pagoda for long afterwards, horrible visions and nightmares will begin to haunt you.
The technology available in the pagoda is rather old-fashioned. Instead of modern bathrooms, there are discreet outhouses in the back of the gardens; there are no elevators, only stairs. The kitchens have only fireplaces and old-fashioned ovens--although a variety of teas can be found there. The lack of modern convenience is made up for by the sumptuousness of the bedrooms, though: all the beds are draped in beautiful silks, and the wardrobes next to each offer a wide variety of clothing, although most of it has a distinctly Chinese flair.
Only one other thing about the pagoda is of particular note. In the entrance hall stands an unlabeled but carefully painted clay statue of a beautiful woman with the scaly lower body of a dragon.
The Arena
What's a Roman-style arena doing in the Gardens? No one knows for sure, but it's definitely there. Unlike the ruins of similar places scattered across Europe, this one is in perfect shape. Grand marble steps surround a wide open space. Arches lead into the depths within these steps. Off passageways within the marble arches are stark, utilitarian rooms: several bedrooms full of plain cots, a few small rooms with basic toilets, and a small set of public baths equipped with running water (although it doesn't stay hot for long). No, none of that is particularly special, and from those amenities (such as they are) alone it's hard to see why anyone would choose to stay in the arena.
It's what occupies the central space that makes it worth your while.
Where true ancient arenas had racks of weapons, this one has racks full of cooking utensils, pots and pans, and miscellaneous spices and ingredients. At the center of what would be a racetrack or fighting grounds in any other arena is a vast array of giant stone ovens, always turned on. At the far end of the arena, a passageway disappears into darkness. Bears will prevent anyone from going into it--but oh, will things come out of it. Bears and wolves will drag the carcasses of slaughtered animals--cattle, pigs, and the occasional deer, mostly, but also sometimes things as strange as giant turtles, bison, and kangaroos--out of the dark and into the arena, where the bears will expertly carve great slabs of meat off the corpses. If the meat remains unused for long enough to become unsafe, it is then carried back out the same way it came.
There's always an air of excitement and anticipation in these strange contest grounds. Who will come up with the greatest meal? Do you dare enter the arena and find out?
The Abbey
Unlike the sweepingly ornate structures found in much of Europe, the abbey is an austere building resting in a clearing surrounded by old-looking trees. What it lacks in the grandeur, however, it makes up for in atmosphere. Multi-colored light streams in through arched windows fashioned out of diamond-shaped glass and plays along the light gray masonry. Rounded archways and conservatively-ornamented pillars line the halls, including those that open to the peaceful cloister. Vines twine up along the stone walls here, and the garden is kept in a carefully-tended faux-natural state. Stone benches have been strategically placed in this area for reflection and socializing.
Inside the abbey proper are a dormitory and a kitchen. Spartan but clean beds stuffed with straw are set into the walls and line the whole of the dorm, encircling the comfortable common area meant for study and dining. The main features of this space are its heavy wooden tables, as well as shelves ready to hold books by the plenty. In one wall, a door leads to a markedly less pleasant but fully private back area where a pair of medieval outhouses await. They have doors for additional privacy!
The kitchen does not hold much by way of food storage, but it is well equipped with a wide array of period kitchen tools. A wooden chest near the work tables neatly organizes brass or wooden utensils and containers such as ladles, cups, bowls, plates, and knives. For actual cookware, a cast-iron cauldron, long-handled frying pans, an iron spit, and a mortar and pestle are set up in various places around the room. While only open fires are available, there are plenty of tools to control the heat and intensity. A wooden bucket and the stream outside the kitchen door should satisfy all needs for water.
The Palace
There's no question that this necessity is a palace: it's too grand to be anything but. The floors and walls are inlaid with gold, and at the end of the entrance hall is a great golden throne. But it's not the familiar Western fairy-tale castle of turrets and ramparts. Instead, it's a stepped pyramid.
The first floor consists of the aforementioned enormous entrance hall, full of pillars supporting the ceiling, each one decorated with images of feathered serpents and bizarre jaguar-creatures. Off to the sides are ovens and other kitchen instruments--although they're all rather old-fashioned and made mainly of stone. You won't find any coffee here, either, but you will find a constant supply of a bitter chocolate drink.
On the second floor are several bedrooms and private, simple toilets; the beds are very comfortable and warm, and stone shelves provide a place to store possessions. The third floor offers a wide-open space full of public baths...all of which are fed by an eternal spring running down from a great fountain at the very top of the pyramid. Climb up to the top and gaze into the fountain, though, and the peaceful palace beneath you will start to fade away, replaced by eerie images of bloodshed...it's probably best if you don't look for too long.
The Onsen
One of the larger structures is an old, two-story Japanese-styled inn. There are ten rooms to each floor, with each room providing a futon and sheets for up to four people. The floors of every room are covered in traditional tatami mats, and each room is separated by sliding shoji doors, so larger groups can combine rooms if necessary.
The inn comes fully equipped with an operational kitchen, which is stocked with all kinds of cooking supplies...except food. Though there is a food storage room, even a fridge, so you can stock up on your hunting trips! Just make sure you label what’s yours so the other residents don't nab your dinner.
And what's a Japanese inn without its very own hot spring? Though the Gardens aren't located anywhere near any kind of volcanic activity, the spring is quite natural, and is the perfect place to unwind after a long day of...whatever it is you do during the day.
The Mansion
In the middle of the necessities sits a grand Victorian mansion painted in shades of pink, purple, and blue. Ivy climbs its walls, and tame little gardens, complete with statues of cherubs, surround it. One would expect the inside to be similarly innocent.
To an extent, one wouldn't be disappointed. The first floor is simple enough: an elegant foyer and living room, complete with grand piano and luxurious couches; a fine kitchen with an eternal supply of various teas. But go up to the second and third floor to find the bedrooms (with princess beds and wardrobes full of clothing both ordinary and strange), and things will get a little...weird. Wander the hallways a bit much and you'll have trouble finding your way back to the stairs. How can that be? The house looked big from the outside, but not that big.
In fact, it's rather bigger on the inside than it looked. There's a seemingly endless supply of large, comfortable bedrooms with their own private bathrooms, but as you venture deeper into the house, the paintings on the walls become progressively creepier, and whispers begin to follow you through the halls. The third floor is stranger yet--now and then at night comes the sound of crying, and focus too much on the ceiling and you might start to hear a tapping noise coming from an attic that seems to have no entrance.
But find your way back outside again, and everything looks normal and, in fact, quite lovely.
The House of Tomorrow
Welcome to the world of tomorrow! This house, while only big enough to house up to eight people comfortably, has everything you could ever want, from self-operating vacuum cleaners, to robots who do your laundry, and even one of those creepy toilets that have a million different buttons on them. There are robots designed to just about every household chore, from cooking to cleaning to taking care
of the family pets, but be warned: they're quite prone to malfunction.
A lot of things are prone to malfunction, actually. Sometimes you can produce a perfectly cooked meal just by throwing all the ingredients into a bowl. Other times they might just turn into a charred
lump of burning fruit and meat.
Any residents from the future are bound to find this house incredibly silly or ridiculous.
The Apartments
From a distance, this modern apartment complex looks like nothing so much as a heap of colorful children's blocks. Get closer, though, and you'll see that there are actually doors, windows, and terraced balconies...they're just all in a jumble of colors and shapes, stacked on each other in a way that should be precarious but somehow isn't.
The weirdness doesn't end there. Go inside, and you'll find curvy, strangely-textured floors that wobble and wave underfoot. Few walls separate the kitchens from the living rooms from the bedrooms, and the stairs are suspiciously bouncy. The bathrooms, at least, are private...but they're just as oddly colorful and strangely shaped as any other room. The tubs look like nothing so much as giant soup bowls with faucets sticking out of them.
Still, it's not a bad place! The kitchens have every modern convenience, from microwaves to espresso machines, and the whole place feels light, airy, and cheerful. Just try not to get a headache from all the weird designs...or trip over yourself when walking on the wavy floors.
The Spaceship
On a patch of carefully-tended garden, a small spaceship sits upon its tripod landing gears. The outside design may remind one of a stealth fighter in macro, though it has been made friendlier than the ancient designs that inspired it through rounding of the edges and beautiful gold embellishments. Up the boarding ramp in the back and through the airlock are a series of arched metal corridors accented with abstract black-and-gold designs. A number of doors line this corridor, each with fully-furnished suites large enough to comfortably accommodate two people. The doors slide open when the hand-plate is touched, and can be programmed to only open for specific people.
The designer of the ship did not believe in plain rectangular rooms, if the sweeping curves, beams, and archways that comprise the walls, doorways, and ceiling have anything to say on the matter. Even the furniture is rounded or bent into a crescent, and the windows curve up toward the sky. However, natural wood has been used to accent the walls and to make up the tables and shelves, and the lighting is largely ambient rather than coming from a single overhead light source. Control panels in both the main room and the bathroom allows the room’s occupants to adjust temperature, lighting, and ambient sound. For the bathroom, there are additional controls for water heat and for the bath and shower; and in the main suite, controls for the window simulator. The windows can be set to display recordings and images of space and planets from orbit. Optionally, they may also be set to act as an alarm clock via an orbital sunrise and pleasant music.
Near the front of the ship is the kitchen. This is large and clean, high-tech facility constructed for quick and efficient cooking. High-powered microwaves and broilers can cook meat to perfection in minutes, and vegetables can be steamed or fried in just as much time. As a safety measure, the computers built into each cooking device will automatically deactivate if your food is close to being burned. Of special note is a beverage replicator built into one wall, capable of making single servings of any drink desired. Adjacent to this is the dining hall: a plush and cozy room furnished and decorated much like the living accommodations, but with room enough for everyone in the ship to gather for meals or a special occasion.
The bridge is, of course, at the very front of the ship. At first glance, it appears fully functional as the panels light up and await input from those who enter the room, with two seats for pilots and a third for a captain. With closer inspection, however, the bridge's flight programming has been replaced by a complex flight simulator, and its only programs are peaceful journeys over beautiful and breath-taking landscapes of worlds both alien and terraformed. Further searching of the bridge reveals that there is no obvious access to the engine room or other working ship parts.