Aerallyn finally have a house! She bought the plot ages ago in Cyrene and just left it there. Mostly because I’m too lazy and uninspired to design her house. I only have a vague idea of something similar to the Tsol’aa Village.

I finally got tired of Mhaldorians harvesting Aerallyn’s grove and I guess, that’s what prompted me to put in a garden for her. Normally, Aerallyn likes to leave 12 -15 of each herb. Seeing all the herbs down to 10 makes her sad.

So Aerallyn went to Delos, read the scrolls three times over and bought 3 room credits, 150 credits. Went back to Cyrene, create house, create garden, forgot the door! Nevermind, nothing worth stealing anyway.

And since I don’t like uncustomised house title, desc, etc, I sat up at 2 am in the morning designing how she aka tsol’aa is going to grow her home. Something magical and elemental and natural. Something wild, yet carefully tended so that it does not intrude on the natural world. Right in the middle of the Cyrene subdivision? I doubt her neighbours would like it with the weeds growing like crazy.

So, wild, yet contained and self-contained. I’ve finally decided to grow her home in stages. As a long-lived Tsol’aa would patiently do so. First, she will plant or transplant some of the Aalen native plants, including the redwood tree. This is the current state of her home now:

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You discern that you are currently standing at (32, 35) within The Terraces at Lake Muurn in the City of Cyrene.
This plot is owned by Aerallyn.

You discern that you are standing in Cyrene.
Your environment conforms to that of Garden.
You are in the Prime Material Plane.
You are currently in Redwood Treehouse.

Base of a giant redwood.
A giant redwood tree looms before you, dominating the area. The lowest tier of its farflung branches spread above you, forming a leafy roof. The sun cast dappled light and shadows over the soft springy carpet grass. Skunk cabbages, feather ferns and native undergrowths of the Aalen grow in unchecked abundance. Fragrant herbs and flowering shrubs grow in random clumps, planted by birds and wind. Among the folliage, birds, butterflies and squirrels roam fearlessly.
You see a single exit leading out.

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I’ve actually gotten the full description done, stream, pool,plants and animals done. But I took them out again. So, I think I spent about 3k-5k updating the house.

The second stage is building the waterways and bridge. After all, the Tsol’aa treehouses require some natural and magical elements. And the redwood tree needs clean reliable source of water. Currently, I thought I might make it into her Fontis ritual, which would sound more original and innovative that doing a show and tell about water cycles. But that’s just an idea at the moment. If I don’t go through with it, at least she can invite her neighbour, Hyraeth, to come help her perform some magic for her garden. ;)

She’ll start by excavating a trench around the plot, defining the boundary of her home, reinforce the trench work with rounded river stones. Then create an underground drainage route from the trench to Murrn Lake. Next, she’ll create a small hexagonal pool* on the northern side. Finally, she’ll drill into the earth, tapping into an underground aquifer, and this will be her water source. Filtered by the earth, mineral rich and originated from the Vashnar Mountain. Finally, with the moat and pool filled up, she’ll turn Tsol’aa plant magic, turning four oak trees into an arched bridge to span the moat. The second stage look of garden will then be modified into:

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A giant redwood tree looms before you, dominating the area. The lowest tier of its farflung branches spread above you, forming a leafy roof. The sun casts dappled light and shadows over the soft springy carpet grass. Skunk cabbages, feather ferns and native undergrowths of the Aalen grow in unchecked abundance. Fragrant herbs and flowering shrubs grow in random clumps, planted by birds and wind. Among the folliage, birds, butterflies and squirrels roam fearlessly. A small stream circles the garden, forming a natural border to this plot of land before it makes its way to the shores of Lake Muurn. The stream appears to be fed from a small perfectly octagonal lake filled with small colourful Aalen fishes. Cold sparkling clear water bubbles gently in the centre of the
lake, hinting at its underground source. The only sign of habitation is a small path running from base of the redwood to a small arched wooden bridge. The bridge appears to be formed from four intertwined dwarf gnarled oak, leaves sprouting along the branches that formed the low side rail.

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The third stage will involve shaping the redwood tree into a treehouse. There would be one or two rooms**, with outer spiral staircase, not carved from the bark, but grown from the redwood branches and roots. I’ve not decided if her the room will be in the redwood trunk or outside it. I rather like the Tsol’aa alchemist’s treehouse, but I don’t think it is suitable for Aerallyn. Besides, the excavation of the inner trunk can weaken the tree structurally… Hmm … I wonder if It’s doable with say three intertwined redwoods, with the tree inner branches grown to provide floor, ceiling and basic furnishing.

I better stop now or I’ll start spouting more and more complicated ideas. Have exam tomorrow and I’m procrastinating!

*I have some idea to add in a water room with sylvan symbols and motifs which will make the room obviously artificially created, in contrast to the garden.

** Currently, I can think of a library/study/bedroom and guest/living area with kitchen, hanging garden, cushions and low tables for entertaining.