Canberra Spring Court

From Changeling Venue

You can find the Canberra Changeling page here.

1 Spring Court Wing of the Freehold
- 1.1 Members
2 Court History
- 2.1 Recent Events and Rumours

Spring Court Wing of the Freehold

The East Wing of the Freehold has a worn old Welcome mat lying in front of it, decorated with thorny roses surrounded the now-faded letters. The door is well-polished and made of some kind of fruit tree; perhaps pear or possibly mandarins? It smells different - and even feels slightly different - to everyone, as if trying to entice them to enter and discover what's really happening behind that door. The door is opened by removing one's footwear, wiping one's feet on the welcome mat and breathing a small sigh of relief as one turns the handle.

The Spring Court's wing of the Freehold looks almost like some part of a zoo to start off, with soft dirt trails looping around a large aviary and spreading out in four directions. The aviary looks as though a minimalist designed it, this gilded cage has very few bars to keep the birds in; whether or not they stay is their own choice, but as they often get fed they like to remain where they can find people. The birds will sing to you if you listen, and their song tells of how blissful it is to cast away one's fears, embrace sensuality and forget one's terrible burden. Walking down any one path, one will find they all apparently connect in a circle and loop back to the aviary.

Beginning from the left, the first path will take one to a cliff with a rail along the edge that looks out over a vast quantity of glistening water and a beautifully pink and golden sunset. Casting a pebble off the edge of the cliff casts ripples out through the water as far as the eye can see, and sometimes those ripples even look as though they extend up through the sky and the clouds. The sunset does not burn the eyes, as the real sun does, but instead pours out just the right amount of warmth to make one feel calm and relaxed.

The second path from the left leads to what appears to be the middle of a park, cherry trees blossoming all around and casting their petals down in wondrous cascades as soon as one takes a seat on the comfortable park bench provided. Another favourite area of the birds in the aviary, this park is filled with many trees bearing fruit of various natures. The taste of each is sweet enough to satisfy the taste-buds, but the fruit itself is not filling and begs for more to be eaten.

The third path from the left leads to something like a small encampment. A fire placed at the centre of a ring of tents stays alight constantly, offering warmth to any who come by. The tents each differ in some way; one rustles in a wind that isn't there, one appears to be made of stone, one reflects images like a pool of water and ripples in the same effect, one is almost completely transparent! Upon properly entering any one of these tents, one finds themself either deep underground, or enclosed in a small room with a tent flap for a door. Each room is uniquely decorated, according to its owner's tastes of course, and entering any tent with the right password will take you to the desired Changeling's quarters.

The last path from the centre, the path to the very right, is overgrown with wild plantation. Urging through these protective plants, however, leads to a cold iron door with one large wheel to shut it and one porthole. The porthole has been covered over with black paint, or perhaps something stronger, with a strange message scratched into the metal of the door: "Dare not look into the Crystal Mask, lest ye abandon all grace and glory to it!" A strangely haunting melody, similar to singing glass, can sometimes be heard about this area.

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