This suggestion is extremely long therefore I have summorized it for those not interested in listening to me ramble on and on. In short, I travel alot, therefore have never found it to be worth while to buy a house, So I have created an idea to have housing accessible to all major towns. Basically it would have really long stairways from each major town into the clouds, (and no the castles aren't actually on clouds, they just up that high) available to everyone no matter of race, gender, or profession, You receive a token when you reach the top only allowing you to exit to the same town from wince you came. Long round times and fatigue would occur when climbing the awful stairways, but would receive climbing experience, it would limit the village to adept climbers though. ::ducks and hides:: Start off climbing, first you reach a copper platform (with a 20 sec rt, and some fatigue), second you reach the bronze platform (with a 40 sec rt, and tired), silver platform (80 sec, very fatigued), gold platform (160 sec, worn-out), platinum platform (320 sec rt, on the verge of exhaustion) Finally you reach the gate, to Cloud Castle village square, you can go north to your home, or friends home, or you can go to the Village Queen's castle, which you can purchase a wide range of castles ranging from castles ruins, to huge gorgeous castles (each style descripted in tapestries), or you can go shop for your castle for decor, furniture, walls, exteriors, floorings, etc. I know I have a slim chance it getting a place to live for being a traveling barb, but worth a try. Could a GM please respond just to let me know if I am remotely close to what you are looking for? Below is the full description, I left out some of the details cause I didn't want to spend hours doing this, just to be laughed at, or no response at all. If even the slightest bit interested I can do the rest of the rooms, with more details added, etc.
(Cloud Castles, Ratha)
As soon as you arrive on the other side of the arch you see a cloud shaped like hands with whispy tendrils for fingers seem to cradle an elaborate emerald stairway. Rays of light sift through the clouds eminating an eerie glow upon the stairway. Nearby a wary traveler rubbing her feet sits upon an stone bench nestled in some wild berry bushes.
You also see a wary traveler and an emerald arch.
Also here:
Obvious paths: none.
>look stairway
You gaze in amazement of the stairway which seems to go miles up into the skies before it disappears into the clouds.
>look traveler
The wary traveler is short even for a gnome. She has violet eyes which show definite signs of aging. Her silvery hair cropped short with strands of hair going every which way. Obviously she has been in the wind. She is wearing a overdress with a golden unicorn embroidered on it, a worn brown satchel, a brown cape clasped with a mother-of-pearl jadice flower, a brown leather targe which is rather scuffed up, and some brown sandals with straps wrapping around her legs up her knees.
>ask traveler about feet
She responds to you in a weak and haggard voice, "My feet hurt, my legs hurt, everything hurts, from walkin down that stairway. Urrem'tier himself probably built them just to see if some brave adventurer would die tryin to walk up and down."
She shakes her fist toward the stairway then returns to rubbing her feet.
>ask traveler about stairway
She looks up at you gives you a daring grin and says, "Oh, that stairway it leads up to the Cloud Castle Estates. I foolishly bought a small castle there thinking it would be best for me, seeing how much I travel. You would think with my profession I could bare the aches and pains. Just remember I warned you."
She leans over to the berry bush an plucks a berry, pops it in her mouth and appears to be relieved somewhat.
ask traveler about profession (or berry, or bush)
She looks at you with a warm smile and says, "Oh I am a empath, but my skills don't include healing everyday aches and pains. Them berries over there though, you should try them. they seem to refresh quite a bit."
She opens her satchel and pulls out a mother-of-pearl handled brush and begins to brush out her tangled hair, wincing and whimpering throughout the whole process.
>pick berry
The berry squishes underneath you fingertips, the faint scent of ambrosia wafts through the air.
>eat berry
The berry is remarkably juicy with a wonderful flavor that you can't quite place, yet it is familiar to you. (If after climbing the stairway) It leaves you feeling refreshed, almost energized.
>climb stairway
You climb for what seems to be an eternity with no sight of the stairway ending.
(Roundtime 45 sec.)
(Copper Platform, Emerald stairway)
Finally reaching some sort of destination you find yourself standing on copper platform inlaid with a large emerald carving and ornate copper railing. You find yourself peering over the railing only to find out that you can barely make out the ground below. You gaze upwards and see nothing but clouds and the ever continuing emerald stairway.
Obvious paths: up, down.
>look carving
The emerald carving is two hands cradling the estate crest with a castle and clouds in the background.
>climb stairway
You climb for what seems to be an eternity, in the distance you see a bronze platform.
You feel fatigued.
(Roundtime 20 sec.)
(Bronze Platform, Emerald stairway)
Finally reaching some sort of destination you find yourself standing on bronze platform inlaid with a large emerald carving and ornate bronze railing. You find yourself peering over the railing only to find out that you can barely make out the ground below. You gaze upwards and see nothing but clouds and the ever continuing emerald stairway.
Obvious paths: up, down.
>look carving
The emerald carving is two hands cradling the estate crest with a castle and clouds in the background.
>up
You climb for what seems to be an eternity, in the distance you see a silver platform.
You feel tired.
(Roundtime 40 sec.)
(Silver Platform, Emerald stairway)
Finally reaching some sort of destination you find yourself standing on silver platform inlaid with a large emerald carving and ornate silver railing. You find yourself peering over the railing only to find out that you can barely make out the ground below. You gaze upwards and see nothing but clouds and the ever continuing emerald stairway.
Obvious paths: up, down.
>look carving
The emerald carving is two hands cradling the estate crest with a castle and clouds in the background.
>up
You climb for what seems to be an eternity, in the distance you see a gold platform.
You feel extremely tired.
(Roundtime 80 sec.)
(Gold Platform, Emerald stairway)
Finally reaching some sort of destination you find yourself standing on gold platform inlaid with a large emerald carving and ornate gold railing. You find yourself peering over the railing only to find out that you can barely make out the ground below. You gaze upwards and see nothing but clouds and the ever continuing emerald stairway.
Obvious paths: up, down.
>look carving
The emerald carving is two hands cradling the estate crest with a castle and clouds in the background.
>up
You climb for what seems to be an eternity, in the distance you see a platinum platform.
You feel worn-out.
(Roundtime 160 sec.)
(Platinum Platform, Emerald stairway)
Finally reaching some sort of destination you find yourself standing on platinum platform inlaid with a large emerald carving and ornate platinum railing. You find yourself peering over the railing only to find out that you can barely make out the ground below. You gaze upwards and see nothing but clouds and the ever continuing emerald stairway.
Obvious paths: up, down.
>look carving
The emerald carving is two hands cradling the estate crest with a castle and clouds in the background.
>up
You climb for what seems to be an eternity, in the distance you see a platinum platform.
You are verge of complete exhaustion.
(Roundtime 320 sec.)
(Emerald Gate, Emerald Stairway)
Standing before a massive gate made of platinum inset with intrigutely carved emeralds, you find yourself completely worn out with fatigue, now you fully understand the aches and pains that the wary traveler spoke of. Luckily you spot a hammock with a hallowed out stump next to it.
Obvious paths: down.
>look gate
The gate was perfectly forged in platinum each side resembling hand, the two hands cradle the Estate Crest which is set with a large emerald carved into a castle with mother-of-pearl clouds in the background.
>Go hammock
As you sit in the hammock it sways underneath you, you suddenly realize you feel quezy being so high up, not to mention the long journey up here. All your mind can think of is the traveler warning you, and you are beginning to wonder if it was worth the trip up here.
>look in stump
The stump has been purposely carved out into a bowl, in it someone has kindly put some of them delicious berries.
>go gate
(Cloud Castles, Village Square)
The village square is filled with travelers of all diffirent races, professions, none of them even seem to dress alike. Some are obviously from the islands, some from the mainland, it is an astonishing site to see so many diffirent people in one place. Massive gates surround you, all are forged in platinum but each one has a diffirent precious jewel carved into a castle on it. Marble tiles dyed in various colors create a mossiac pattern of diffirent types of castles upon the square floor.
You also see a Emerald gate, a Ruby gate, a Sapphire gate, a Diamond gate, a Tanzanite gate, a Jade gate, a Jasper gate, a Onyx gate, a town crier, and an enormous castle made of black marble.
Obvious exits: north.
The town crier runs up to you and hands you a emerald token. Then, goes on to speak to you, "Greetin's Mi'lady Travelersname, you must have this token to go back to town and you must go back through the same gate from wince you came, the emerald one, which matches your token. Also, please remember to visit the Village Queen in her castle before leaving."
He bows and gesters towards the Black marble castle.
>look castle
The castle has been painstakingly carved from black marble with coral streaks, each block is etched with the estate crest. Even the steps leading up to the castle's entrance is carved of marble though it is white marble accented with coral streaks in it. The entrance is a huge white marble arch carved in a flowery filagree design.
>climb steps
You hesistate slightly before climbing the steps, remembering the agony you were in before. You sigh in relief for there were just three small steps that you had to climb. Just as you reach the top, a young lass ushers you through the arch before you could even say thank you she vanished out of sight.
(Castle Foyer, Cloud Castles)
The interior is breathetakingly beautiful, the walls are black marble with the coral streaks, the flooring is coral marble with black streaks. A white marble desk with coral streaks is in the corner of the room, with two very large matching chairs next to it. The chairs are cushioned with coral velvet and appear to be quite comfortable despite being made of marble. White tapestries embrodiered with beautiful castle scenes line the walls, each one apparently modeling the selection of diffirent castles available. A white arch and a coral arch mirror each other to each side of the foyer.
You also see Tannayesha, the village queen sitting behind the desk.
Obvious paths: out.
>look on desk
On the desk you see castle floorplans, estate housing contracts, and a exquistly carved coral marble frame.
>look frame
Within the frame is a black parchment painted with gold lettering:
Welcome future castle owners!
Do not let our need for extragavagance scare you off. We here at Cloud Castle offer a wide selection of castles, from a castles in ruins, to... well, you can't have a castle better than mine, but many ranges to make the poorest commoner, to the richest trader proud. If you take a look at the various tapestries they will give you a brief description of what we offer and the name of style is embrodiered at the bottom of each. Just ask me about a specific style and I shall quote you prices for such. After purchasing a castle, don't forget we do carry a range of decor and furniture through the coral arch. Flooring, Walls, and exterior artisianship, may be found through the white arch.
~Tannayesha (The Village Queen)
*As if you needed more to read :) Footnote!
Each town would have a diffirent entrance to the stairs with diffirent description, the platforms would actually have diffirent descriptions but similar, and each time you climb you would actually get a diffirent messaging, I just used basic idea of things. The scenery around the castles would vary depending on the style of castle you choose, Such as: If you chose a castle in ruins obviously the surrounding area would not be in the most pristine condition, it might however be beautiful in a old historic type of sense. The most elaborate of castles might even have multi rooms, like dining room of sorts with huge table for guests, maybe a entertainment room with a dance floor, and a bedroom with balcony of course. And the decor etc, should have to match the castle, you wouldn't put a fine delicate vase in a castle in ruins, you might not even have a roof over your head, just some walls in various states of ruins.
Feeenyx Ryzing
(on the verge of exhaustion just from typing)
