Moonlight pours down softly from a cathedral-like dome. You hear the murmur of cool water and the howl of a lone wolf. The scent of old incense lingers in the air.
You are in the Night Palace.
The Night Palace floats serenely on a rocky, cloud-draped island, three kilometers above the earth. It is Damien Draegonne's oldest, and best loved, residence. Though he spends most of his time in Draegonne Tower, which also serves as the headquarters of the Brethren of E, it is to the Night Palace that he retires when seeking solitude. Few outside his circle of intimates have seen what lies within.
The Night Palace was conceived of and built by master architect Grey Kurka, a true Second Life visionary whose designs evoke a haunting, "storybook" feel. Kurka's shop, "The Curious Prim" in Mythopoeia, is an experience not to be missed. One feels almost as if he is wandering about inside the illustrations of Maxfield Parrish, and there is a real sense of childhood wonder around each corner. The Night Palace is without a doubt the most "gothic" of Kurka's designs, but true to this artist's dreamlike style it resists the trap that so many Second Life gothic structures fall into. It is not a vulgar black building, adorned with skulls and fountains of blood. It is not some medieval castle lit by flickering torchlight. Instead it is a Regency Era palace, lit by a wide shaft of swirling moonlight that pours down through the massive central dome. A lone wolf howls periodically from a distance, and the immense diaphanous drapes that line the pool at the heart of the structure billow lazily in the breeze. That pool itself is fed by three wolf-headed fountains, the water murmuring gently. The colors of the Palace are soft grays and lusciously textured, and though the massive edifice is made of stone, it has a lightness about it, as if carved from half-remembered dreams. Part of this effect comes from how open it is; the interior of this 50m x 50m structure is a single massive room, broken into separate spaces by low stone walls and two second story lofts. From nearly every angle the wide views are cyclopean and magnificent, dwarfing the avatars within.
For privacy Damien raised the Palace to its current height, placing it on a jagged island of stone hovering in the sky. Within the cavernous halls the traveller will discover the Audience Chamber, dominated by a stone carved dragon throne. A red carpet leads away into a dark Chapel, with high-backed yew pews, a pipe organ, and a demonic guardian staring down from above the altar. Just beyond the stairs the air grows warmer, and you enter the Parlour. A grand piano is here, and a massive Turkish rug with soft cushions. Regency Era furniture huddles before the fireplace for warmth, and a bronze statue of Adam--brother to the one of Atlas looking down from above the main entrance--smiles at you. In the shadows you glimpse a large, carved wood bar and perhaps help yourself to a drink.
Through a doorway you enter the Dining Hall, the long polished table surrounded by twenty high-backed chairs. There is a harp in the corner, waiting to be played while guests feast. Beyond this steps lead down to the great pool with its wolfish fountains. The statue of Atlas, heaving aloft a bowl of flame, watches you from above. You have come full circle, and must now pass back to the coiled twin staircases to reach the upper galleys.
To your right is the Library, shelves lined with dusty tomes and ancient grimoires. There are several tables strewn with alchemical and occult mysteries...be careful what you touch! An innocuous looking desk with books and a typewriter sits under a glass Victorian lamp, and beyond is a globe that opens into a bar. Perhaps another drink to steady your nerves? You are comforted by the warm fire here, the comfortable looking ottoman and leather armchair, the sofa near the edge of the rail. The ticking of a grandfather clock keeps time with your heartbeat. But wait...just beyond painted on the floor is some sort of conjuring circle and triangle...what goes on here? And what is that suspended in the shadows of the corner? A cage?
Fleeing the library you cross the the opposite galley, but beside a candelabra are confronted immediately with the disturbing--and erotic--art of Nobeast. Who is the master of this place? For beyond another warm fireplace there is a great canopied bed, and twisted ornate pillars of wood near the foot of it, hanging with chains and shackles. Is that blood on the floor? Rushing past the bed you are confronted with silk-painted dividing screens around an ornate bath. You are in the uppermost corner of the house. Then you hear the doors open and slam below. The Master of the House has returned.
There is no escape. You are in the Night Palace.
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