V'neef Wing
Though smaller than many of the wings of the Great Houses in the Imperial Palace, the V'neef Wing lies quite close to the center of the Palace, a reflection of the Scarlet Empress' affection for her youngest daughter. The V'neef Wing is built in a small arc around a courtyard with a reflecting pool, and is surrounded by lush gardens that V'neef has had turned into a small vineyard with vines taken from her own Vineyard in the Qishi Prefecture, both a comforting bit of nostalgia for the House's founder, and a reminder to the other Houses of the source of V'neef's prosperity.
Inhabitants: The following members of House V'neef inhabit the V'neef Wing in the Imperial Palace:
- Main House: V'neef
- Familial Suites (Eastern): V'neef Mesara, V'neef Kenet, V'neef Isira, V'neef Urado;
- Familial Suites (Western): V'neef Lyhisa, V'neef Zirato, V'neef Lasaya, V'neef Waliya & Aiya; V'neef Shar
Contents
Layout
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The Main House sits directly across the reflecting pool from the tower-flanked entrance to the wing. To either side of the Main House are the Familial Suites, large buildings with the private living amenities for members of the household, ranging from the single rooms of minor House members to multi-room suites for important members.
The galleries that connect the Familial Suites with the Guest Quarters also connect to a set of squat stone Hypocaust Towers, featuring hot baths and hypocaust rooms, and upper-story "wind galleries" - large open chambers at the top of the towers intended to permit sky-gazing, sunbathing and relatively private enjoyment of the winds.
The Guest Quarters, set up with not just guest rooms, but also facilities for entertaining guests privately outside of the vast rooms of the Main House. The Guest Quarters are also connected via galleries to the Entry Towers, a pair of tall spires with guard quarters, armory and guesting quarters for less-important visitors. All of these buildings are connected to one another by galleries that feature promenades intended to feature the sights of the grounds, and small private parlors along their centers, all arcing around the central courtyard with its beautiful reflecting pools.
Courtyard & Galleries
The courtyard is a cobbled affair, crafted with stones taken from the Imperial Mountain itself. There are a variety of statues here and there, depicting figures from history, and a massive reflecting pool with a statue of the Scarlet Empress in its center. The statue is not the stern, regal ruler that so many depictions of her are. Instead, she is smiling coyly, as though she has a secret, and holding a lotus flower. The pool itself has many lotuses growing in it as well.
The galleries are all built according to the same principle: long hallways between main buildings with massive windowed walls that face the courtyard and the gardens. In the center of the galleries are small antechambers, salons and offices to provide easy and private spaces. Many of these chambers have sliding walls, allowing the household to shift the size of these spaces to fit the needs of the family.
The gallery that connects to the Hypocaust Towers features a single large lounge which the towers open onto, with seating sunken into the floor and simple food and wine available for those who've just enjoyed the relaxation of the Hypocaust Towers, and wish to socialize, eat and drink a little.
Main House
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Familial Suites
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Hypocaust Towers
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Guest Quarters
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Entry Towers
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Stables
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Slave Dormitories
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Menagerie
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Vineyards
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Gardens
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