[POI] The Forgotten Manor

[Naitome]

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Atop the highest peaks of Kaminari no Kuni-- and under conditions that would categorize it as the epitome of secluded in any dictionary-- there exists a large, bygone manor. Built into the side of a mountain, only miles away from its frosty summit, this elegant super-structure overlooks a vast tapestry of clouds on a daily basis. Its architecture, though archaic in appearance, has proven to be very resilient. Like the lord (or lady) who once lived here, however, knowledge of this pre-war palace has been lost to time. Serving as one of a handful of top-secret facilities for interrogations, imprisonment, high-risk surgeries, and witness protection, the government of Kumogakure no Sato have long since laid claim over this old world estate, which has slipped into and out of the control of many a Raikage in its time.

At the center of this manor house is a beautiful atrium, the large open space it creates allowing the rainfall of the colder seasons to ritually fill the decorative pool below. Rectangular in shape, this pool is surrounded by many intricately carved statues, each of them depicting a different armored angel. Attesting to the sheer enormity of this palace, the atrium is surrounded by elegant foyers at all directions, which precede the plethora of rooms, dining halls, and stairways in the rest of the structure.

Long hallways on the ground floor precede doorways into rooms such as parlours, libraries, and studies. Thick ivory pillars border these hallways, as do wooden benches, and ornate pieces of furniture are placed against the walls, overlooked by beautiful paintings-- and sometimes even entire murals. Some of the doors on the ground floor lead into mysterious places, with a few of them granting access to stairways that lead into the dungeons underground. Others lead to entrances into tunnels-- that burrow into the depths of the very mountain this manor is built upon, and lead to even larger chambers.

Although the exact scope of these underground facilities is yet to be truly known (by anyone who isn't the Raikage, at least), the upper levels of the palace are a different story. There are three stories in total, each with as much space and complexity as the ground floor, and their own plethora of rooms. The second floor specializes in housing medical equipment, surgery rooms, and interrogation chambers. The third floor is reserved solely for debriefing rooms, high profile meetings, and temporary housing for any form of detainees (not including prisoners). Of course, detainees are nowadays all too scarce - the manor has been abandoned for as long as anyone can remember.

One interesting fact about the manor: for a place once seen as ideal for festivals and luxurious parties, there is absolutely no way to get there by any standard means. No paths, or massive stairways, built along the mountain to speak of. No elevators, or tunnels, available for passage. The lack of human presence can create a substantially peaceful and serene setting - or one more reminiscent of a ghost town.

Outside of the manor, small plots of land were devoted to pleasures such as small gardens, conservatories, sunrooms, and outdoor shrines. Majestic statues, much larger than those found in the manor, also graced these recreational areas-- their artistic beauty only in competition with the glistening water fountains scattered throughout. All this has collapsed, lost to the procession of time, covered in dust that outweighs the few strangers lurking through bramble and vine to look up in awe at what once was. At the edges of the property, the only thing keeping someone from falling off the edge-- and to a seemingly endless drop downward-- is an ornately carved stone wall, reaching up to the mid-torso. Like the rest of this palace, the stone has an ivory shade, and depicts images of war amongst the clouds.

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