The Dran & Courtier

Showing of my fandom loyalties here! I've been following the AI crew since way back in their Fallcrest days. Honestly, I can't believe it's taken me this long to realize I could bring my two passions together.

This project was really inspired by the fantastic writerly descriptions of the D&C found in the adventures of the C Team. Props really go out to Jerry Holkins for painting so well in my mind's eye.

I kinda wish that there was a good way to incorporate the letters D and C into the architecture of this building, but everything I tried always just ended up as a bunch of semicircles. I would normally cherish the opportunity to break from the "tyranny of the grid", as they say on cartography Twitter, but then I also couldn't make the D section (the bar & rooms) properly scaled to the C section (the stage). I'd imagine Proffa would want to have all the focus on Audra and with it the proportional floor space.

TOP FLOOR

The original layout of the top floor hewed more closely to the eight doors mentioned in the show, but left out the front balcony featured in the animated recaps. It also featured two sets of the four-rooms-and-group-space layout that is featured on the left wall, both of which had been arranged so that their fireplaces lined up with fireplaces on the ground floor. The communal rooms in this version must settle for warmth from a split chimney.

To my mind, this layout allows for more favoritism; of course the C Team gets the west rooms, they get to share a fireplace (and the fireplace over the ever-busy oven, no less). This layout also gives the stage a much grander audience, and actually has the living space to host some of that audience for a night.

Each top floor layout has its ups and downs; I'm certainly not in the position to say which is right. So, here's the original layout!

GROUND FLOOR

Here we see the ground floor only hinted at thus far from far, far atop...the top floor. My favorite touches are the cauldron touches grouped around the fireplace, the private booth tucked away in the far corner, and the rack of barrels arranged in their tapped formation. For tapping, I mean. There are taps on the bar. IT'S FANCY MAGIC NOT ANACHRONISTIC PLUMBING TECHNOLOGY I SWEAR.

The seating area was originally going to extend around the staircase, but I realized that Proffa would probably want to be able to clap eyes on any of her patrons at any time, so that area was converted into the place she sleeps when Audra isn't around. Of course I am only now as I write this realizing that this thought process did not extend to the balcony areas, so I guess that's a point towards the original top floor layout.

BASEMENT

Always be branding, yo!

As it happens, a good half of this basement goes unused for much of the D&C's operation. While Proffa lowkey has one of the best selections of ales in the Dessarin Valley, and even a healthy selection of wines, she's had to condense her root cellar into a backup space thanks to her son's nostalgia.

In a fit of nostalgia during one of his visits, Omin converted her primary root cellar into a replica of his first corporate headquarters - the basement of the Silver Unicorn in far-off Fallcrest. He even has a barrel of acid kicking around somewhere in case a certain eladrin comes a-calling. Gotta say, I'm also a fan of the Sons of Anarchy vibe coming off the massive table logo.

This area also features Audra's practice area, and a fancier boudoir for when she's in town and can enjoy the company of her wife. It even has a bath - how sumptuous!

And that's the Dran & Courtier! I'd love to hear how well you think I did in transcribing this storied house of rest, as well as any ideas you might have for future revisions!

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