The splendour falls on castle walls
And snowy summits old in story:
The long light shakes across the lakes,
And the wild cataract leaps in glory.
Thornbriar is a chantry born from the age before the Industrial Revolution. America would prove to be a new ground for the magi to consider and take moving forward into the wars against the Technocracy and their own influence between traditions.
The chantry closed its doors in the mid 19th century, and has recently reopened during the war effort.
Chantry - ThornbriarHistory of ThornbriarJames Lynch built a house on a 100-acre farm north of Syracuse when he came to Onondaga County from Ireland in 1835. The house and farm passed through three families before the Army Air Corps built the Mattydale Bomber Base around it in 1941. It was home to a succession of commanders at Hancock Field. The changing of ownership was due to a series of undefinable hauntings. The prime real estate did lead to a number of purchases, buildings, including the base.
The house and farm and later air base were simple an illusion and cover for the true palatial house and gardens in the heart of the property. The central house is a chantry built by Mr. Lynch for a fellow Heremetic named Alfonzo Basso. Alfonzo was a master of House Bonisagus, focused entirely on the study of magics. He wished to live a solitary life in the wilderness, surrounded by a forest, near the great lakes, with the few friends he had made over the years.
The chantry is a masterfully created palatial mansion, steeped in artforms. Italian fabrics don the walls with massive oil paintings displayed upon it. Tapestries act as thick drapes, histories woven within them. Over the years, he welcomed a few other magi to join him in his studies, including a rather young Verbena named Cassandra Melbourne. She had staunch views on proper decorum and wished nothing more than to garden, take care of other magi, and study her own forms of magic. The two became fast friends, deeply in love but never straying to actually admitting them. When the world wars came, he left to aid the front, providing the keys and secrets of the chantry to her. When he returned, they would marry. He never did.
Thornbriar in the 2000sThe chantry remained closed after the loss of the chantry master. Taking up the position of leadership, Mistress Melbourne has prided the chantry in only accepting exceptional students or those specifically sent from chantries requiring aid with a hard case or mage in true distress. One of these mages was Rainier of the Celestial Chorus. Painfully marked and in dire need of healing, the priest had nearly died from a dreadful attack by demon or vampire the chantries were not sure. It was during his time there he came to understand Melbourne and promised to keep her chantry quietly lost.
With the coming wars, he no longer hold that promise. After considerable discussion, she finally opened her doors to other magi.
The Chambers of ThornbrairThe chantry building is a massive structure in baroque architecture and art, with vaulted ceilings, palatial rooms. Everything down to the silverware and throw pillows are rich in design, fabric, and wealth. But such a beautiful home requires a great deal of work to maintain.
The entire chantry includes the following:
- Chantry Library – An astounding library mainly in the depth of knowledge if not the amount of books. It is far from a large library. But the books within are rather rare.
- Private Library of the Master – A larger library of restricted texts, the journals of the Hermetic line, and personal works of the mistress Melbourne are kept in a private chamber.
- Hidden Passages – A number of passages run through the chantry, hidden by touching parts of the walls and art, behind paintings, through solving puzzles. Even the chantry mistress does not know all of the passages or secrets laid by masters Lynch and Basso.
- Mazes – Odd mazes exist through out the house.
- The Drowned Chamber is a hall of constantly flowing fresh spring water with books floating on water.
- The Endless Spiral is a spinning carousel of horses painstakingly detailed in a revolving room of mirrors.
- The Sculpture Garden is a strange chamber of sculptures in partial carving, animals and people, all in different poses, none complete.
A Hedge Maze surrounds a good part of the near lands, a woodland in the middle, some of the edges ending into the dark forest.
Lost Sections – Many areas within the house are lost, hidden, or simply unknown. Many secrets are within the walls and rooms, halls within halls. The most private quarters of the Hermetic Basso have never been found.Members of ThornbriarCassandra Melbourne, VerbanaShe has lived and worked in the chantry Thornbriar for many years, taking over from the last keeper, a Hermetic. With the rapidly changing world and painful increase in technology with a sharp decline in manners, Cassandra locked down the entire chantry. She only welcomed very selective members that showed a love of art, literature, the finer and far more traditional things in life.
Edwin Chaskel, NosferatuLibrarian of Thornbriar
How long has Edwin been in the chantry? Running from old fears, Edwin met the past Chantry keeper Alfonzo Basso, Order of Hermes. He was a vampire and woodworking craftsman seeking the Americas during the Victorian period, seeking New York and continuing past the city to find a place much smaller and more his speed. In Syracuse, Alfonzo met the vampire when he was crying over a young woman that he nearly killed and embraced. The sight baffled the mage, and led the two to talking often. Soon he was welcomed into the chantry, crafting new rooms and a fine library at the mage’s side. He uses a Mask of a Thousand Faces usually, though his vampiric form is rather drawn and wrinkled to barely having beady eyes from the folds, with mottling and lumpy fleshy bits all on his head and shoulders giving a weird sort of look to him.
The Good KidsRalston Chambers, VerbanaThe Gardener
Ralston is a farmer’s son that was known for his prized giant vegetables. Born and raised in Louisiana, he is a bayou boy that has enjoyed the quiet and gardens offered by the chantry. He tends to shy away from others, speaking only openly to the plants.
Philip Pemberley, Order of HermesHouse Bonisagus
There is always a member of Bonisagus within the chantry. Philip is a silver spoon American who sees and believes everyone else is underneath him. He is of course the Mistress’ protege. They are often in company together, drinking tea, discussing magic. But she keeps a rough, cross control on his attitude.
Chantilly Hyperion, DreamspeakersHer real name was lost long ago, supposedly when a demon claimed it while having sex with her. But in truth, it was decided at a Kettle all night restaurant over a short stack of pancakes between gigs at a Renaissance Festival and a crystal shop. She has always played around with tarot cards, feeling strange affinities around graveyards and very wild places. Spirits tend to come to her, always waiting to be heard. The moment the cards starting talking back, she knew something was wrong. They kept directing her, speaking through others, through cards, through menus in restaurants, anything to get her someplace safe. She arrived curled up in a ball on the front lawn of the chantry weeping and nearly mad from the voices. Mistress Melbourne has helped ever since.
The Problem ChildrenEmily Fairchild, Cult of XEmily is a bright girl but rather wayward. She was accepted into the chantry on request by Boston, Boston from LA. She hates living a sedate, quiet life, especially out here. She is a scene kid, living it up at raves, dabbling into everything day glo and frightening. It was that hunger that got her in trouble and sent out fast to get away from California. Even she doesn’t know why. Mistress Melbourne has been working to make her ladylike while keeping her safe.
Dr. Perry Mulberry, Virtual AdeptsHandle: JoeN3rdy
Dr. Mulberry is a brat through and through, but his skills are second to none. He tends to stay in the chantry when he absolutely has to, usually when he crashes asleep for a couple days in the huge comfy beds and eats as much food as possible. Otherwise, he is set up in coffee shops throughout Syracuse, coding, digital net hopping, seeking to rewrite reality.
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