are not built around a courtyard or a central area. This house, which belongs to the governor of Belar, sits in the middle of the city and is equipped to handle not only the governor and his family but also a small compliment of men-at-arms and numerous guests.
The main entrance to the house opens on the great hall, which is used for all meals among the family and their guests. The massive fireplace is kept lit year round - while it never gets especially cold in the lowlands, it's never hot, either. On the other side, the kitchen fireplace is also kept lit; this is where the servants eat. The pantry, to the left, contains both long shelves of preserved goods and a trapdoor to the cellar. Because the manor is in the city, most of the staff live elsewhere in the city- with the exception of the cook and some of the housemaids, who sleep in the rooms off the kitchen.
The additional set of rooms, accessed through the great hall, are occupied by a constant rotation of visiting nobles, men-at-arms, and other hangers-on. The more private rooms contain beds, while those that see more traffic - occupied by people of lower status - merely contain sleeping mats.
Upstairs is the domain of the family and of the most important guests. The largest room belongs to the governor and his wife; the rest are rooms for their offspring and for high-status guests. in the top left corner of the house are two small sitting rooms. One belongs to the governor's mother, who lives with the family and occupies the second-largest bedroom (dark green bed), and one is kept for important visitors. If someone especially important came to visit, such as a member of the extended royal family, the governor's mother's would temporarily move into another room; if the visit was from the King himself or a member of his immediate family, the governor and his wife would offer their personal rooms, including his office and her solar (top right).
The rest of the upstairs consists of bedrooms and a library, which is probably fairly well-stocked - the second printing press, after all, exists in Belar.
In addition to the lack of courtyard, there are two features of northern housing that don't typically exist further south. First, the flooring is made of wood, which retains heat better than stone and thus is the material of choice in northern provinces. Second, all bedrooms have closets instead of chests or wardrobes, which is unique to the north - though it has spread southwards in recent years, to the extent that some rooms in Castle Myrelyr have been fitted with them.
Many thanks to Governor Hagalu and his family, particularly his eldest daughter, who drew the plans for this house herself.
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