The Manor of Mnemon Elena
Hi everyone,
after starting and discarding my city project three times now (I don't seem to be able to wrap my mind around the scale...) I did something much smaller.
I did the following in Dungeon Designer 3 with some additional work in Photoshop. The frame looks a little peculiar because this picture is to be fitted into a pdf with this exact shade of brown as background color to fit in better.
The rest of this post describes the estate in more detail and can be skipped by readers only interested in the technical details.
It's the mansion of Mnemon Elena, a noble in high standing, who recently came into possession of a small strip of land (including Brysis - a map of which can be found on this board). The building itself started as a temporary solution to the problem of where to live while the work on the actual manse started off. A work that will most probably last several years. Of course to house an inhabitant of her standing and breeding certain standards had to be met and soon after a sizeable building stood an hour's walk from the actual building site.
The labels are in german:
1st floor
1. Entrance Hall: The only room with expensive marble flooring. Most servants are not allowed in here (for fear of damaging the precious stone) and have to enter the Great Hall through the kitchen. The hall has a high ceiling and a gallery which leads to the second floor of the different wings.
2. The Great Hall: This is where everyone living on the estate (there are quite a few from humble servants to several craftsmen and their families) has dinner. In rare cases this room can double as a Dance Hall but greater festivities and balls have to wait until the manse proper is finished.
3. The Office of Nellens Natano: Elena's husband is a successful diplomat in service of the Realm and because of this rarely at home. If he is present he works and receives guests in this room.
4. The Cloakroom: This is where guest of high or noble rank can keep their cloaks and travel clothes.
5. The Library: Between Elena's fascination of history and Natano's collection of laws from the near 100 Kingdoms the couple has accumulated a proud number of books which are kept in this two-story room.
6. The Kitchen: The food for servants and nobles alike is prepared here. This room doubles as the servants entrance to the Great Hall.
7. The Common Room: This is the living room for the the lower servants employed in this manor (The majordomus and the cook live elsewhere on the estate).
8. Servant's quarters: This is where the lower servants sleep. The lord and lady's maidservants live upstairs to more easily heed the call of their masters.
9. Storage: Food and other supplies are brought in through the Common Room and stored here.
2. Floor:
1. The Gallery surrounds the Entrance Hall and grants access to the rest of the upper floor.
2. The Office of Mnemon Elena: Being the mistress of a large estate and the surrounding lands while simultaneosly commanding a border fortress (floorplan very likely to follow) as well as overseeing the complex construction work taking place near this estate needs a lot of work, a lot of which is done in this room.
3. The Quiet Room: A place for meditation and sometimes prayer. It is forbidden to speak between these walls.
4. A Shrine to the Elemental Dragons: In every home of the Dragon-Blooded nobles one can find a shrine to the Five Immaculate Ones and Elena and Natano are no exception.
5. The upper part of the two-story high library.
6. Elena and Natano's bedchamber. Their marriage being founded more in politcal reasons than romantic ones this room often is almost as quiet as room number 3...
7. The Bathroom: As is prudent this room can only be reached and left through the changing room.
8. The maidservants' chambers: This is where the personal servants of Elena and Natano sleep. Only they and the majordomus are allowed here and in the surrounding rooms and even he only when invited.
9. The Changing Room: Appearance matters in the politics of the High-Born. This room sees a lot of use.
10. The Salon: This is guest of higher standing are received.
Well that's it. What do you think? C&C is appreciated.
Also after reading Sigurd's signature it became apparent to me that I am suffering from a severe case of Dollhouse Syndrome which clearly is evident in this map as well as my map of Brysis. I'll try to shake it though...
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Unless you consider her to have an outhouse even when she has an upstairs bathroom - which I think unlikely in itself if there is no plumbing. Even the richest people are not inclined to let their servants haul lots of hot water upstairs from the kitchen, if it is only because it means additional waiting time and chances for accidents. In all the old houses I've seen and partially lived in, even up to the middle of this century, the bathrooms are all downstairs next to the kitchen. 
Originally Posted by Lwaxana
