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House & Neighborhood

• The House that Ur Built

  No one is really sure who the Viscount of Ur was or if he was of any particular infamy but he was one of the first to settle in this section of Fartown. The self-proclaimed Viscount halted in an empty field and declared that he was setting down his "roots".. quite literally as it turned out. The single room shack he planted became the foundation for the vislae legacy that would carry on the Ur name and rise to social eminence. As the family grew, so did the house as it expanded with each generation, additions sprouting on their own in a natural manner (as natural as a magical house-tree can get).
  
  Today the Ur house resembles a cross between a middle sized Edwardian/Victorian style home and an oak tree. Once a hub for socialites, it is now becoming a bit overgrown since the former head of the family perished in the war. Now that the bloodline has dwindled to two, one of which is beyond childbearing age, locals wonder what will become of the house should the Ur family die out. There are rumors that the house contains secrets that are so old they have almost forgotten themselves.
  
  Areas of note:
  
  The foyer - The first thing most people notice when walking into the House of Ur is the large family tree relief inside the entryway. Each member is depicted, seemingly risen from the wood and tracing all the way back to Ur himself.
  
  The mud room - Adjacent to the kitchen sits the mudroom, which normally wouldn't be of note except that this one has been converted to a small atrium containing a surprising variety of plants. Strangely enough, there are no other plants to be seen inside the house except for occasionally one will be brought into the parlor to sit on a lone end table.
  
  House quirk: The magical nature of the house seems to have rubbed off on the furniture or perhaps the pieces are so old that they gained their own autonomy. Some pieces exhibit damage such as holes in table legs or dents where straps have been put from the efforts of previous owners to keep the items in place. Currently, it seems as if no efforts have been made to restrict the furniture in such a way. They don’t sing.

• Neighborhood

  Neighbors:
  
  Ashley Jenks: She looks like a steampunk Viking that is really into cosply but never quite gets rid of her underlying persona. She adopts every stray cat she can find. She then gives them away as gifts (not necessarily that people want) after she has cared for them, the cats become carnivores, and favor eating spiders. She used to be married. She has boyfriends but seems to get a new one every few months (no they’re not eaten by the cats).
  
  Torn: An animate rosebush named Torn lives in a house made of flesh. It pulses and quivers, and opens a great toothless maw to let visitors in and out. Torn used to be a monk in a monastery and is still grasping speech. Torn has a sweet tooth and enjoys candies dissolved in water.
  
  Ittch: An old man sits upon a pedestal 20 cubits high. He sits and observes the passers by on the street. There is a rope ladder he lets down to let any who call to him up.
  
  There is a cat park in the town. It has a double fence which extends into a dome to make sure they don’t escape. Inside are scratching posts, catnip bushes, thoughtform mice to chase, and alternating shady spots and rays of sunlight that beam down.
  
  There is a porcelain shop that serves high tea. They make the most exquisite little finger sandwiches and pink cakes. The liquid flows up, which makes it obvious who ware the regulars and who is there for the first time.
  
  There is a spiral hedge maze that spins up and up like the tower of Babel. It leads to nothing. Or at least nothing anyone can remember.
  
  There is a rumor of a portal to the cat-verse. It is unclear if the cats are coming from it or going to it. The cats, so far, aren’t talking.
  
  The local Garrent holds an extravagant firework display which lasts for at least six hours on his birthday every year.
  There is a group of street sweepers that litter the street rather than clean it. The Garrent’s primary form of punishment is community service to clean it back up.