[Location] The Villa of the West Winds

[Colombina]

The Villa of the West Winds Sprawling peacefully on the northeast edge of Ahnatep, the villa of the West Winds and its surrounding land provide a blissful touch of green amidst the desert's parched gold. Made of adobe and roofed with red clay tiles, the low buildings mimic the desert from which they came. The hallways are mostly external, compelling its inhabitants to enjoy the fresh air and the large courtyard garden. A point of pride, the courtyard is a large rectangle crossed with paths of packed earth that intersect at three separate fountains. Rare trees and plentiful palms cast shade on swelling flower beds. In the spring, a cluster of the trees become violet boughs as small leaves give way to trumpet shaped blooms. These flowered arbors are the delight of sweethearts. Barely hindered, roses overtake whatever space they can and ivy claims walls. The garden is a kind of magic, impossible to sustain without a touch of gnosis and the miracle of water. The main entrance is reached only by crossing the courtyard. It is an unassuming pair of wooden doors, almost always kept open into the round receiving room. Women of the West Winds take turns playing hostess to visitors, so there is ever a sweet face to meet any arrival at any bell. This remarkable courtesy is a trademark of the house. The house is divided into two wings, the personal and the useful. The useful wing of the house has a small brewery for beer, a kitchen, a larder, two long halls for entertaining, a tiny chapel to Bala and an atrium for working with plant strains. Livestock and horses are kept a short walk from the Villa in a separate building. In the personal wing are suites of rooms and a family dining hall. Depending on age and rank, a member may either share a bathroom and study, or possess their own. Very young children of the same gender share bedrooms. The rooms are newly christened with each inhabitant. They are given names, commonly derived from nature, and decorated to reflect personal styles. Common areas share a tone, with an emphasis on the colors of the West Winds: amber and red. Flowers are displayed in every room paired with soft lines and welcoming furniture. The house has more charm than pomp and celebrates beauty over grandiosity. Divisions between nature and artifice are blurred and the lush gifts of nature are ushered indoors. Visitors profess a gentle change of pace in the Villa. The world seems lovelier and full of charms they had forgotten to notice in the hasty accumulation of eras.