"Looming high into the cold night, with gargoyles that watched from eaves, and a pair of sinister-looking, four-story wings that extended off on either side, the place appeared to be exactly like what you'd expect the king of the vampires to live in: spooky, creepy, threatening.
It was all that Halloween shit, except this was for real. The people in there did bite, and not just when they were asked to."
Often compared to the fictional Wayne manor from Batman lore, this expansive mansion atop a mountain was built by the Brother Darius with the intention of serving as a home and headquarters for The Black Dagger Brotherhood. Although he never got to see his dream come to fruition, his daughter, Beth, inherited his estate, which she later shared with her half-brother, John Matthew. Beth and her hellren, Wrath the Blind King, fulfilled Darius' wishes and the manor is now home to the Brotherhood, their families, and their closest allies. The soldier training program is run in their underground facilities, part of which was renovated and expanded to create a state of the art medical clinic complete with surgical suites.
Residents[]
- Autumn
- Bella
- Beth
- Bitty
- Blaylock
- Boo
- Butch
- Fritz
- George
- Glory
- Jane
- John Matthew
- Lassiter
- Layla
- LW
- Lyric
- Manny
- Marissa
- Mary
- Nalla
- Payne
- Qhuinn
- Rhage
- Rhampage
- Tohrment
- Xcor
- Xhex
- Vishous
- Wrath
- Zsadist
History[]
Darius had the mansion built in 1914 and designed for the needs of the Black Dagger Brotherhood with the dream that one day they would all live under the same roof together. Although he never got to see his dream come to fruition, his daughter, Beth, inherited his estate, which she later shared with her half-brother, John Matthew. Beth and her hellren, Wrath the Blind King, fulfilled Darius' wishes and the manor is now home to the Brotherhood, their families, and their closest allies.
Holidays[]
Thanks to the humans and former humans living at the mansion, human holidays have been adopted by the rest of the household.
Valentine's Day[]
The young make cards and Fritz uses the opportunity to make things like red velvet cake.[2]
Fourth of July[]
They have a huge barbecue out back, the kids play in the pool, and Zsadist plays the guitar and sings Americana songs by Bruce Springsteen, Bryan Adams, Billy Joel and John Cougar Mellencamp. The young play with sparklers and set off small ground fireworks, then the males set off the big fireworks.[3]
Halloween[]
The young dress in costumes and trick-or-treat from suite door to suite door. The males joke about scaring the crap out of human trick-or-treaters by flashing their fangs.[4]
Thanksgiving[]
Every year, Rhage gets two turkeys: a traditional one with stuffing and a deep-fried one. He eats both to the bone. Also, he gets three pies with his name literally written on them: Boston cream, apple, and pumpkin. He always starts with the Boston cream first because it's fluffy.[5]
Christmas[]
The stockings are hung around the fireplace in the library until there's no mantel to be seen.[6]
Grounds[]
- If driving from Caldwell, it's a right turn onto a dirt road[7] with another route in the back way that leads to the underground garage near the clinic and training centre.
- The first gate is six feet of barbed wire with a rusted, broken chain link with a camera and on the other side.
- The mhis begins after the first gate and is so thick one can barely see past the front bumper.
- The next three gates become progressively newer and in better condition
- The last gate is set into the wall around the compound.
- A 20' high, 3' thick wall encircles the property[8]
- Vishous installed solar panels on the back of the mountain so they're completely independent of the power grid.[9]
- The house is made of stone blocks as big as a male's torso and has gargoyles all around the roof.
- There are cameras over the doors and under the eaves.[10]
- In the line-up of cars, Manny's Porsche, Mary's Volvo, and V's car tend to be parked together.[11]
- In summer, the males of the household use the driveway for rollerblading.[12]
- There's a fountain on the front lawn with the household's cars parked on the far side.[13]
- Pebbled courtyard
- Forest of maples and pines with a small waterfall, the pool is approximately 9' across[8]
- Training track for new recruits goes into the forest in spots.
- There's an outdoor pool[8], apple and pear trees, and tea roses[14] in the back.
- Since the mansion's atop a mountain, there are always sledding routes set up in winter and sometimes Butch and Vishous will ice it down with water to make what Beth calls a "Death Luge."[12]
Mansion First Floor[]
Foyer[]
- The double front doors are an airlock style with a camera inside for easy identification[15]
- Apple Tree glass mosaic [16]
- Red marble columns[8]
- Malachite supported walls with gilt curlicues
- Crystal light-fixtures[8]
- Three-story high ceiling painted with warriors with black daggers fighting on horseback[8]
- The balconies are gold-leafed.[17]
- Staircase with red-carpeting[8]
- There's a hidden 6" steel door underneath the staircase, to the right when facing it from the front door[18]
- The tunnel leads to the Pit and the training centre; the code to the door is 1914.[18]
- The tunnel is concrete and steel and sealed at all ends; it's monitored via cameras and other security devices.[18]
- There's a bathroom with an ornate door and brass knob to the left of the staircase.[13]
- The toilet's in a private stall
- The walls and floor are faced with peach, red and pink veined marble
- Red and peach satin's draped around the mirror over the sink, which has blood-red velvet skirting fringed with gold tassels.
- It's lit with old-fashioned gaslight
- A cushioned bench, also tasseled, is against the far wall.
Billiards Room[]
- Sony plasma screen over the fireplace, pool tables, leather couches, and a bar
- Marissa embroidered a pillow that says "Fangs for the Memories" for the couch.[19]
Dining Room[]
- There's a mural on the tall ceiling and the table is 40' long.[20]
Garage full of 16 coffins[21][]
Kitchen[]
- Amongst the china collection, there are Imari plates[22]
- The sink has a porcelain basin[23]
- There's a butcher block table and the floor is terracotta[23]
Library[]
- A bank of French doors leads out to the back yard.[14]
- There's an antique bombe chest in a corner that serves as a mini-bar.[24]
- A mid-19th century Baccarat chandelier hangs from the ceiling.[24]
Mansion Second Floor[]
Wrath's Study[]
- Located at the top of the stairs[25], there's an ornate bench across from the double doors.[26]
- The legs of the furniture has been reinforced to support the huge bodies of the Brothers.
- Wrath sits in the King's throne behind the hand-carved ebony desk that his father used.[27]
- The set are the only surviving items from the house of Wrath's parents in the Old Country.
- Darius had tracked down the human to whom the lessers had sold them and bought them back, then ensured that they moved when the Brotherhood did.
- Script in the Old Language carved into the chair proclaims it a throne.
- At the top of the tall back there's gold, platinum, diamonds, and a rough uncut ruby the size of a fist.
- The table top is marked with the same symbols of lineage as Wrath's forearm tattoos.
- Three wide drawers sit below the surface.
- The legs of the table are carved statues of males depicting the four seasons of life:
- childhood, young adult, father, and elder
- Done in the style of a Louis XIV salon, it has blue velvet drapes[28] and French blue[25] silk wallpaper
- There's a delicate pale blue silk wing chair by the fireplace and a grandfather clock in the corner.[29]
- During meetings, Zsadist usually leans against the mantelpiece.[30]
- There's a pale blue chaise by the window nearest the fireplace.[30]
- Phury usually sits here during meetings.
- A sofa is upholstered in cream silk[25]
- Butch and Vishous usually sit here for meetings[30]
- A bergère chair sits to one side of the throne[31]
- Rehvenge usually sits here.
Sitting Room[]
- There's a clock on the mantle.[32]
Phury's & Cormia's Room[]
- This room is not their primary residence as a couple and is only occupied when they come to visit.[33]
Hallway of Statues[34][]
- The order of rooms going down is Tohr and Autumn, Qhuinn and Blay, John and Xhex, Z and Bella, and Payne and Manny
- The Greco-Roman statues are all male and have a spotlight set into the ceiling of their alcoves
- The first statue's wearing robes draped from his right shoulder to his left hip
- The eyes are focused on the middle ground, the chest is broad, and the expression's neutral
Doggen Living Quarters[]
- Located at the end of the hallway of statues behind a set of swinging doors.[35]
Movie Theater[35][]
- It's located behind a set of swinging doors at the end of the hall of statues, to right and a padded leather door
- 1940s decor with art deco lotus reliefs, black and silver walls, and ornate gold and silver sconces
- There are 21 large recliners with cupholders set in stadium-style seating
- The steps are carpeted and have glowing strips of lights
- At the back wall, there's a popcorn machine, soda fountain, and a candy counter.
- About half of the thousands of DVD's on the back wall are horror thanks to Rhage.
Zsadist's & Bella's Room[36][]
- In the hallway of statues
- After Nalla is born, a walk-in closet is converted to a nursery.
John & Xhex's Room[]
- He moved in when Wrath forced him to stop sleeping in Tohr's office after his disappearance.
- In the hallway of statues
Blay & Qhuinn's Room[]
- Right above the library.[24]
Autumn & Tohrment's Room[]
- Tohr was given the room upon his return to the Brotherhood.
Blaylock's Room[]
- Two doors down from John's, it connects with his[18], his room stays empty after he moves in with Saxton.
- In the hallway of statues.
Saxton's Room[]
- He shared it with Blaylock during their relationship.
Rehvenge's Room[]
- In the hall of statues, here he resides with Ehlena. Autumn then moves into it to later at the end of Lover Reborn, moves in with Tohrment.
Trez's Room[]
- This room was originally Cormia's, then Selena's. Selena and Trez lived in it together for a few days, and then it became Trez's room.
- Blood-red colour scheme[34]
Layla's Room[]
- She leaves it for a time until she returns to it at the end of The Beast.
iAm & Maichen's Room[]
Main House Third Floor[]
Wrath, Beth, and LW's Suite[]
- George and Boo stay with them.
- Jewels and precious stones decorate the walls, ceiling, headboard, nightstands, and desk, but thankfully not the toilet seat,[37] which is merely gold.[38]
- Beth and Wrath refer the landline in their suite as the Bat Phone because it's number is top secret and only ever used by the Brotherhood.[37]
- An oil painting hangs over their bed[39]
- The bathroom has four shower heads.[37]
Bitty's Room[]
- Formerly Trez's second bedroom sometime after The Shadows and before The Beast. Trez gave up this bedroom to Bitty and took one of the empty spare bedrooms on the Second Floor by the end of The Beast. It's along the front of the house and opposite the First Family's suite.[40]
Rhage and Mary's Room[]
- Formerly iAm and Maichen's room, they swapped their bedroom on the Second Floor by the end of The Beast. It's along the front of the house and opposite the First Family's suite.[40]
Cellar[]
It's large and mostly empty save for HVAC piping and the old coal boiler.
Vishous' Workspace[41][]
- A 20'x20' room with whitewashed concrete walls and black candles
- An anvil, a stout wooden stool, an old brass pot full of sand, a sturdy oak table, his tools, and blades in various stages of construction.
The Pit[]
The one-story gatehouse on the grounds across the pebbled courtyard from the main house, it's described as if a frat house collided with a locker room and decorated by Derek Jeter.[42] Although it's become less of a bachelor pad and more livable since Butch and V mated.
Kitchenette[]
Living room[]
- Hardwood floor
- Foosball table
- V's desk with 4 computers called the Four Toys running day and night
- 2 black leather couches[43], one with a Red Sox throw blanket on it that Marissa gave to Butch, usually in disarray.[44]
- When Butch is laying on the couch, it's usually with his head towards the kitchen and feet pointing at the hallway so he can better see the TV around the Foosball table.[44]
- Tunnel to the main house with a polished metal floor[45]
- Copies of Sports Illustrated live on the coffee table [43]
- ESPN plays on the plasma TV 24/7, volume set to silent [42]
Butch & Marissa's Room[42][]
- Their en-suite's small and cozy and has a built-in marble bench in the shower.[46]
Jane & Vishous's Room[47][]
Clinic[]
- The medical clinic is about 30 yards down the hall past the gym and training areas[50] and is equipped with state of the art equipment such as CAT scan, digital X-ray imaging, ultrasound technology, and 2 neonatal incubators.[51]
- 3 treatment bays dividing up what used to be an audience hall, can also double as surgical suite
- Physical Therapy (PT) room with a whirlpool bath and steel and glass cabinets.
- Recovery Rooms
Training Center[]
Breakroom[]
- It feels an awful lot like a college dorm common room thanks to the cement block walls and sturdy furniture
- There's a galley kitchen stocked with food, snacks, and drinks
Bunkrooms[]
- A plain room with bunk-beds where the trainees can crash over-day or to recover if need arises. There's a bathroom in the corner.
- There are five single unit rooms, the first two belonging to Craeg and Axe with Paradise occasionally using the third.[52]
Classrooms[]
Garage[]
- A typical underground parking garage where the buses for the trainees are parked
Gym[]
- The honey-coloured wooden floors[50] of the large gym are covered with blue mats.
- Locker rooms
- The room to the right of the locker room has massage tables and a whirlpool bath.[55]
Pool and Sauna[]
Shooting Range[]
- There's a gun range behind the gym[56]
Tohrment's Office[]
- The supply closet has a hidden door that leads up to the hidden door under the mansion's staircase.
- The main door is glass.
Weight Room[]
- This room is 40'x60' and pretty typical other than the fact that the bench-press might be set to 600 lbs.[57]
The Tomb[]
The Tunnel[]
- There are two gates that are kept locked and their mechanisms well-oiled.[58]
The Ante-Chamber[]
- It's filled with thousands of jars of Lesser hearts on shelves some 20' high
The Cavern[]
- This room is where the Brotherhood initiations[58] and funerals for their shellans take place.[60]
- The floor is smooth, black marble floor
- The wall behind the altar contains the names of every Brother who ever lived, carved by Vishous with his hand [58]
- The altar is a lintel atop two squat posts.[58]
- Their most holy relic is the skull of the first Brother, which is set with a silver cup and rests on the altar.[59]
- Hundreds of black candles are lit whilst in ceremony[58]
- Daggerlike stalactites hang from the cave's ceiling.[59]
Staff[]
- Fritz
- 20 doggen
References[]
- ↑ Lover at Last, Ch. 72
- ↑ Beth. "Missive From the Mission." Caldwell Courier Journal. Vol II, Issue 2. February 4, 2020
- ↑ Beth. "Missive From the Mission." Caldwell Courier Journal. Vol 1, Issue 4. July 2, 2019
- ↑ Beth. "Missive From the Mansion." Caldwell Courier Journal. Vol 1, Issue 8. October 1, 2019
- ↑ Beth. "Missive From the Mission." Caldwell Courier Journal. Vol 1, Issue 12
- ↑ Beth. "Missive From the Mansion." Caldwell Courier Journal. Vol 1, Issue 12. December 3, 2019
- ↑ Lover Unleashed, Ch. 5
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 8.7 8.8 Lover Unbound, Ch 10
- ↑ Beth. "Missive From the Mansion." Caldwell Courier Journal. Vol I, Issue 11. November 6, 2019
- ↑ Lover Enshrined, Ch. 28
- ↑ The Beast, Ch. 34
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Beth. "Missive From the Mansion." Caldwell Courier Journal. Vol 1, Issue 4. June 4, 2019
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 The Shadows, Ch. 38
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Lover Enshrined, Ch. 1
- ↑ Lover Awakened, Ch. 49
- ↑ Dark Lover
- ↑ Lover Enshrined, Ch. 22
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 Lover Enshrined, Ch. 30
- ↑ Lover Avenged, Ch. 52
- ↑ Blood Kiss, Ch. 3
- ↑ Lover Mine, Ch. 11
- ↑ Lover Unbound, Ch. 12
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 23.3 Father Mine
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 24.2 Lover at Last, Ch. 8
- ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 Lover Enshrined, Ch. 8
- ↑ The King, Ch. 39
- ↑ Lover Avenged, Ch. 74
- ↑ Lover Revealed, Ch. 34
- ↑ Lover Unbound, Ch. 38
- ↑ 30.0 30.1 30.2 Lover Avenged, Ch. 35
- ↑ The King, Ch. 43
- ↑ Lover at Last, Ch. 38
- ↑ Lover Enshrined
- ↑ 34.0 34.1 Lover Enshrined, Ch. 7
- ↑ 35.0 35.1 Lover Enshrined, Ch. 15
- ↑ Lover Awakened
- ↑ 37.0 37.1 37.2 Beth. "Missive From the Mission." Caldwell Courier Journal, March 2019
- ↑ The King, Ch. 41
- ↑ Lover Avenged, Ch. 40
- ↑ 40.0 40.1 Lover at Last, Ch. 77
- ↑ Black Dagger Brotherhood: An Insider's Guide
- ↑ 42.0 42.1 42.2 Lover Unbound, Ch. 1
- ↑ 43.0 43.1 Lover Revealed
- ↑ 44.0 44.1 Blood Kiss, Ch. 32
- ↑ Lover Unbound, Ch. 18
- ↑ Blood Kiss, Ch. 43
- ↑ Lover Unbound
- ↑ Lover Unbound, Ch. 11
- ↑ Lover Unbound, Ch. 16
- ↑ 50.0 50.1 The Shadows, Ch. 53
- ↑ The Beast, Ch. 25
- ↑ Blood Kiss, Ch. 36
- ↑ Blood Kiss, Ch. 23
- ↑ Blood Kiss, Ch. 25
- ↑ Lover Mine, Ch. 44
- ↑ Lover Unbound, Ch. 15
- ↑ The Shadows, Ch. 42
- ↑ 58.0 58.1 58.2 58.3 58.4 58.5 Lover Revealed, Ch. 48
- ↑ 59.0 59.1 59.2 Lover Unbound, Ch. 49
- ↑ Lover Unbound, Ch. 50