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Lambton Well (Work in Progress)
Not Common Knowledge Location: Pepperdine (Oceanfront) Predatory Taint: +2 Exterior Channel: None
Atmosphere: Calm
This is a neutral environment. It is not particularly active but not especially lethargic either. It could swing toward aggression or
alarm when given significant impetus, but it remains steady until something pushes it in either direction. Behavior and responses are reasonable, and outsiders are judged on their actions and not their familiarity.
Haven Size 3, Location 3, Security 2, GNP 0
Contents |
Effects
Location
Situated in the north-west corner of Pepperdine, "Lambton Well" is a former Masonic Temple that has been left derilect for years. Long forgotten, it sits on the small bay across from Pappelbon Row and the building physically abutts the old coastal seawall. The surrounding neighbourhood is an ecclectic mix of old indusrtrial warehouses, loft flats and condominiums where persistant attempts at urban renewal have been made. Foot traffic in the immediate vacinity to the house is almost non-existant, as it sits off a small dead-end street; but within a few blocks walking distance things seem to hum along quite well, as artists, shop-owners, pan-handlers and streetwalkers all intermix with the rather bohemian neighbourhood.
Common Local Knowledge and Rumours
Ordo Dracul Knowledge
Appearance / Exterior
The outside of this old building is a quite unkempt, and the grounds appear untended and barren. Humidity from the coast and a lack of maintenance has left a plethora of mosses growing on the cut limestone ediface and the adjoining seawall. Apart from the green mosses, the prevailing colour of the grounds the building sits on is brown and dull. The propery is surrounded on three sides by walls of some sort. To the left is the aforementioned stone seawall dropping down to the bay below. To the rear of the building is a low stone wall, more decorative than anything, overgrown with dense thornbrushes - on of the few things that seem to thrive here other than the mosses. The right of the property is bounded by the red brick wall of an abandoned warehouse. Access to the grounds is down a short dead-end street, leading to a newly repaired 10 foot high wrought-iron spike-topped fence. The only realistic point of entry, other than over one of the three stone walls or short of climbing or breaking through the fence, is a large sliding gate, opened electronically from inside, that opens wide enough for a vehicle to drive through. A battered 'Beware of Dog' sign is affixed visably to the fence.
The driveway is long overgrown and winds around to the right side of the building where the garage doors are. Main access in up a long set of limestone steps leading to a barred gate, the front door, and thus the second floor. The former Masonic Temple stands as a relic of days gone by and a testament to the stout construction of Carcosa's former glory, now long-forgotten - another one of the city's 'abandoned buildings - albeit, one with a very dark and eerie appearence.
One interesting feature of the property is the existance of an old stone well-head that dates back to the early days of Carcosa. It had partially cavediin and was sealed off long ago, and no longer useabe... for now.
Over the entrance is a relief of an ouroboros encircling a death's head moth and enscribed below that, in Latin, is the Phrase "Non sum qualis eram" - ("I am not such as I was").
Interior
Ground Floor
The ground floor houses the garage bays and the workshop / storage area. It is only accessable from either the main (second) floor or through the three heavy garage doors on the right side of the building. The doors are retro-fitted to operate via an automatic door opener, but are fairly noisy and are far from quiet as they grind open or closed. There appears to have once been a large arched doorway in the front, but this has long since been walled in and mortised over.
1. Garage
The garage is a cavernous area, typically set up to be able to easily accomodate two full-sized vehicles, a motorcycle, and room to spare; however the northern vehicle bay is currently occupied with a small assortment of gym equipment and padded floor mats, allowing for an impromptu work-out or sparring match - cutting available parking in half. There is a long workbench with a couple of wooden shop stools along the south wall of the garage. On the workbench, lays an odd array of both hand and power tools and various small projects in progress. The whole area is lit by overhead flourescent lights and despite the aforementioned clutter, give the place a very cold, spartan feel.
2. Laboratory
Entry to the the lab through a large set of metal doors that, while usually locked, swing inwards. Inside, the room is brightly lit by cold flourescent overhead lighting. Work surfaces are cluttered with a wide array of scientific devices, medical tools, occult gadgets, and other paraphenalia that defies description. The shelves and cabinets are lined with textbooks and notepads, various specimen jars filled with strange fluids and bizarre specimens, microscopes and other delicate equipment. All of the equipment is of various ages, some dating back over a century and a halfand resembling something that would be more in line with toture than medicine. In the center of the room appear to be what was once a simple dentist's chair before some deranged tinker got a hold of it, adding restraints and other unspeakable attachments. There is also a metal coroner's table, complete with a drain that feeds into a drainpipe in the floor in the middle of the room. In fact, the entire floor is subltley sloped to the center as to catch any spilled fluids and carry them off. Depite all this, the room is kept diligently pristine and sterile condition.
Off the main part of the lab is a small powder room, consisting of a sink and toliet and nothing else. There is also a large walk-in cooler / freezer where more perishable samples and specimens are kept. Along one wall, several large thick metal foot lockers have been welded together to form a half-dozen compartmentalized man-sized vaults - sort of a make-shift morgue.
3. Storage
Entry to the storage area is through a set of metal swing doors, similar to the lab, although they are rarely locked. The walls and floor are bare concrete, much like the garage. The south end of the room houses the building's hot water tank, electrical panel, boiler, and a small incinerator. The center of the room contains a few crates, cardboard boxes, and a couple of shelves containing lab supplies, chemicals, and the occasional unidentified forgotten work in progress.
The north end of the room houses four military cots with a foot locker at the end of each. There are all separated by medical privacy screens, making the cramped quarters seem even more so. Three of the cots appear neatly made, but one closest to the doors looks unkempt and in use. As a disturbing reminder as to the true purpose of this rooms potential, each 'cell' has iron rungs bolted into the wall and manacle chains attached to them.
Second Floor
The "main" section of the building; the entrance to the actual Chapterhouse leads to a small corridor, which links to the main staircase and three of the larger, more open rooms, in the building. There is certainly a lack of glamour about the way in which the entrance is arranged; it is very straightforward, organized and somewhat inhospitable.
4. Study
5. Main Room
6. Meditation Room
Located on the second floor, the mediation room was originally part of the old dining room/kitchen but was converted, with the open space now walled up to create a more enclosed environment.
There are several sets of lighting, depending on the need of the user, but under bright light the room reveals the majority of the floor covered in a dark blue flat mats. The walls are lined with several wooden sword-sticks, as well as protective head-gear, and a CD player rests on a table, along with portable speakers.
Third Floor
The third floor contains a couple of interesting features, beyond the two rooms here. The first is that a large portion of the space opens up over the main (Caucus) room on the second floor, allowing anyone on this level to be able to gaze down from above to oversee the proceedings. The second is what can only be called the 'door to nowhere' or the 'smugglers' door'. Situated on the west side of the building, it is a door that leads to a small rickety balcony on the other side of the seawall, some eighty feet above the choppy waters of the bay below. It it believed the door was put in place during Prohibition, so that illicit goods could be hoisted above from small boats, but the archtitecture suggests it predates that. While obviously not a realistic point of entry, it could be used in a pinch as an exit, if one didn't mind getting a little wet.
7. Main Office
In the Northeast corner, is the private office which is shared by the Grand Wyrm or Kogaion. The room has piles of various papers stacked about, as the room is far from orderly. Books on various esoteric subjects line the shelves and maps of varying ages of Carcosa are pinned to the walls. All but the most trivial of papers being locked away securely in the large oaken desk against one wall. A large overstuffed leather couch and matching armchair complete the decor.
Originally remodelled to be a master bedroom, this room has an ensuite bathroom that is rarely used, and a large walk-in closet. In the back of the closet its a small bed allowing some simple comfort when this office is used as a second haven.
8. Castellan's Office
Directly to the right of the stairway stands the large door, which leads into the Castellan's office. Once inside the first thing to note is the rather dim, dark atmosphere due mostly to only one or two lamps being on at any given time. Those more comfortable being half-covered in shadow might actually disagree, calling the ambience "comfortable".
The room is split into two parts. On immediate observation one would notice a small wooden desk sitting in the middle of the room, with a single laptop computer placed on top along with a lamp, showering its electronic glow onto the leather chair seated behind the desk. The desk itself has several draws, all of which are locked. Immediately in front of the desk are two smaller, wooden chairs. Directly to the left of the door see’s a closet converted into a bookshelf, with an assortment of books lining its shelves pertaining to biology, psychology and several general books on the occult as well as ‘lighter’ reading materials. Just to the right of the book case sits a single, but large, chair. Another green tinted lamp rests on a simple, small coffee table to its immediate left.
Furthermore, on closer inspection one would notice the faint outline of a former window, bricked up long ago by its previous owners perhaps.
Behind the desk stands a portable divider. If one were to look behind it they would see a single bed, immaculately made, with a tiny, square bedside table and yet another lamp. This was obviously a bedroom, as there is a bathroom door directly opposite the small, closed area, however this too appears to be locked.
Floor Plan / Layout
 Ground Floor |
 Main Floor |
 Top Floor |