Evenshade Manor

Evenshade Manor serves as both ancestral home and seat of authority for House Evenshade. Perched on a gentle rise, its pale-stone façades and dark-wood half-timbers evoke a balance of strength and scholarship, mirroring the family’s dual devotion to Oghma and civic stewardship. A sweeping walled garden descends toward the village below, while an attached council wing hosts deliberations on matters of lore and law.

History

• Founding (1040 DR): Built by Lord Aeric Evenshade after his pilgrimage to Candlekeep, the original manor was a modest two-story hall flanked by a single tower.
• Expansion (1125 DR): To accommodate growing political duties, Lord Orin Evenshade added the east wing—today’s Council Hall—complete with a vaulted debating chamber.
• Golden Age Renovation (1373 DR): Under Baron Corbit Evenshade , the gardens were terraced in concentric rings, and the façade was refaced in pale limestone quarried near the River Chionthar.
• The Night of Silent Flames (1426 DR): During the conflagration that killed all but one of the Evenshade family, the eastern wing was destroyed. Though the fire was quelled by townsfolk and the Watch, the roof and upper gallery required a decade-long restoration. The eastern wing was rebuilt, along with a new Council House and connecting structure.
• Modern Era: Baron Edric Evenshade and Lady Marlena Thryndel Evenshade oversee the manor today, blending tradition with subtle modern comforts—such as hidden lantern slots and reinforced vault doors beneath the crypt.

Architecture

Drawing on classical symmetry and Elizabethan half-timber accents, Evenshade Manor presents a stately yet scholarly visage that reflects House Evenshade’s dual devotion to strength and learning.

Exterior Façade

• Materials & Form:
• Pale ashlar limestone dressings frame reddish-brown brick walls, creating crisp quoins and window surrounds.
• The central three-bay block rises two full stories beneath a steep slate roof punctuated by four tall brick chimneys.
• Windows & Openings:
• Evenly spaced rectangular sash windows with slender mullions and transoms admit ample light to the great halls within.
• A round-headed Palladian window crowns the central axis on the second floor, echoing the Temple-Library’s arched motifs.
• Entrance Portico:
• A small classical portico with Doric pilasters supports a triangular pediment carved with the Evenshade owl-in-flight sigil.
• Broad stone steps lead to a heavy oak door inset with studded ironwork.

East & West Wings

• East (Council) Wing:
• Extends in matching brick and stone, but with slightly lower roofline to distinguish the debating chamber within.
• Mullioned windows flank a secondary entrance where emissaries convene.
• West (Timber) Wing:
• A nod to vernacular craftsmanship: half-timber framing infilled with white plaster, housing private family quarters and the West Study Tower.
• The tower’s small leaded-glass casements offer 360° views over the terraced gardens below.

Roofscape & Chimneys

• Steep Slates: Durable gray slate tiles shed rain and snow, each slope intersected by slender dormers that light attic studies.
• Chimneys: Four substantial rectangular stacks mark the great hall, library, and kitchens—each topped with a carved stone cap bearing the family crest.

Formal Gardens & Grounds

• Terraced Parterres:
• Laid out in geometric rings descending from the façade, edged by low box hedges and punctuated by cone-shaped topiaries.
• Gravel paths converge on the central Fountain of Pages, a shallow basin where ceremonial offerings float.
• Boundary Walls & Gatehouse:
• Low ashlar walls with wrought-iron gates define the immediate precinct, separating the manicured lawns from the village road.
• Signature Plantings:
• Rows of silver-leafed sage and blue-flowering rosemary—herbs sacred to Oghma—line the terraces, perfuming morning air.

Subterranea

• Family Crypt: Vaulted chamber beneath the manor, lined with effigies of past Lords and Ladies.
• Hidden Passage: Narrow, book-lined corridor descending from the study tower that (it’s whispered) once linked to the Temple-Library’s Forbidden Archive.

Function & Use

• Residence: Private quarters for the Evenshade family and their household staff.
• Governance: Weekly council sessions in the Debate Chamber; monthly “Feast of the Scroll” receptions.
• Hospitality: State dinners and scholar’s symposiums in the Great Hall.
• Ceremonies: Oath renewals, investitures, and seasonal blessings led by the Baron/Baroness.