Environment Details: The Abhorsen's House

Outside
It wasn’t a very big island, about the size of a football field, but it rose like a ship of jagged rock from the turbulent waters.

Limestone-white walls circled the islands, the height of six men. Behind those walls was a house. It was too dark to see clearly, but there was a tower, a thrusting, pencil silhouette, with red tiles that were just beginning to catch the dawning sun. Below the tower, a dark bulk hinted at the existence of a hall, a kitchen, bedrooms, armoury, buttery and cellar. The study, Sabriel suddenly remembered, occupied the second to top floor of the tower. The top floor was an observatory, both for stars and the surrounding territory.

It was Abhoren’s House. Home. She could see a sort of wooden landing stage leading up to a gate in the white wall. Treetops were also visible behind the walls, winter trees, their branches bare of green raiment. Birds flew between trees and tower, little birds launching themselves for their morning forage. It was a vision of normality, of a haven.

The gate swung open, pitching her on a paved courtyard, the beginning of a red brick path, the bricks ancient, their redness the colour of dusty apples. The path wound up to the front door of the house, a cheerful sky-blue door, bright against whitewashed stone. A bronze doorknocker in the shape of a lion’s head holding a ring in its mouth gleamed in counterpoint to the white cat that lay coiled on the rush mat before the door.

Inside

A fire burned briskly in a red-brick fireplace and wood panelled walls gleamed with the dark mystery of well polished mahogany. A blue-papered ceiling with silver stars dusted across it, faced her newly opened eyes. Two windows confronted each other across the room, but they were shuttered, so Sabriel had no idea what the time it was.

She was admiring the tiny, repeated silver key motif on the black surcoat in the mirror that backed one of the window shutters.

Dinner was in the main hall of the house. A long, stately room that took up half the ground floor, it was dominated by the floor to ceiling stained-glass window at the western end. The window showed a scene from the building of the Wall and, like many other things around the house, was heavily laden with Charter Magic. Perhaps there was no real glass in it at all, Sabriel mused.

She had no memory of this room, so it was a delight that she saw that it was totally walled in glass, or something like it. The bare beams of the red-tiled roof rested on transparent walls, so cleverly mortised together that the roof was like a work of art.

A large telescope of gleaming glass and bronze dominated the observatory, standing triumphant on a tripod of dark wood and darker iron. A tall observer’s stool stood next to it and a lectern, a star chart still pilled across it. A thick, toe wriggle-inviting carpet lay under all, a carpet that was also a map of the heavens, showing many different colourful constellations and whirling planets, woven in thick, richly-dyed wool.

Extra

Wallmaker\ royal line Surcoat – It had the golden towers of the royal line, but they were quartered with a strange device she had never seen – some sort of trowel or spade in silver.

 Clayr/ Abhorsen Surcoat – On the coat were the golden stars of the Clayr quartered with the silver keys of the Abhorsen.

Things I would like the Diorama to contain

• Sky-Blue Front Door and Bronze Lion Door-knocker
• Red brick path and white washed walls
• Old well sealed by wooden doors
• Stained Glass window, design relevant to story
• Tower/ Observatory (If i have time)