Location: Vance Bayou House and Mudwing Healing Center

Vance Bayou Homestead

Though the Vance home was destroyed in virtually every Earth dimension, at some point it has been recreated using Keenan's extensive Vortal power and some liberal use of magic from other sources. As with the Mansion being 'built' in Paragon, the Bayou house is entirely constructed of Vortessence and memories. Its presence on the Rookery dimension is unusual in that it was built physically (well, Vortally) and later actually moved from one dimension to another. Thus it does reside on the Rookery's soil, though it is also duplicated in Paragon and (Repurposed) Xen.

The main reason that this homestead exists at all right now, is that Keenan wanted Eli Vance to have something nice in an apology for... well, having destroyed the world bringing the Portal Storms and later the Combine to it. The memories of Eli's childhood Summers spent in this lovely little home provided for some truly amazing work to be done. However, Keenan had to improvise in certain bits: Eli was only a child, and didn't see the tops of things, didn't really know the exact contents of most of the books on the shelves. Thus some of them are taken from 'era appropriate' research, as well as a little Vortal digging through other non-damaged dimensions.

Though the home is somewhat small (certainly smaller than the Mansion on Lane's grounds) it and the surrounding area are suitable for at least a dozen people - and some number of dragons - to live. While Eli himself doesn't live here, he spends a decent amount of time visiting, and encourages people that have traveled around to bring back books for the library. Those who do reside on site to protect it from the variety of dangers still present, have more than enough to entertain themselves even though there are no electronics or video connections. There is a hidden and powered portal, suitable for use going directly to and from the Rookery, below the home and with a longish elevator trip up to the basement. This trip is often somewhat weird, because somewhere in the middle of it, the ground transitions from 'local New Mexico Dirt' to 'imported Louisiana Bayou', and is thus quite drippy on that latter half. The drippy bits are supported by the water table and caverns below, and there might be a few critters down there - local and imported. There are in fact a few Vorts and a spare dragon or three deep below, along with Antlions for a Nectaruium.

The grounds are narrow, and surrounded by more conventional southwestern hills and scrub. A lot of effort has gone in to making this place look and feel much more 'wet' than the surroundings, but also in hiding it from overhead view. Regular dragon patrols ensure that this place remains secure. While the photos below show the interior as it had been when Lane recreated it, it certainly has gone through a little redecoration, and there are a number of outbuildings available for the quantity of people living there now.

Exterior of the Vance home, set directly on the side of a marshy waterway. The general method for arrival was rowboat, and there is one here as well - though... it doesn't really go anywhere. The 'rebuilt in reality' version does lead into a well-patrolled bit of the Pecos river, on the eastern side of the Rookery, about the same distance north-east as the Ranch is to the north-west. Currently, there are a few people actively living in the home, however it is often a stopover for refugees or riders, and it is always patrolled by a trio of actual-Earth dogs well trained by Jaime to make sure nothing unusual (read: alien unfriendlies) are near.

Though there are 'electric' lights and some radio equipment, the only actual power source is via the underground portal spot, only Lane knows how that's connected to the Rookery's dam and power supply. It needs no upkeep, but the house itself does. Those living on site tend to do this work themselves, much as they would have in its original era in the 1800s. Several people do live permanently here, their dragons nearby.

The history of the home was mostly lost to time, and since Eli didn't really listen in to all the adult conversations, information had to be pieced together from other sources. His grandfather had been a slave, released before the end of the Civil War. Apparently well treated, and obviously quite smart, his grandfather aided his master in helping escaped slaves. Below, the books that Eli's grandfather inherited from his former master, who was a physician and scientist looking into preventitive methods for sickness and injury. Though Eli's father did have a great interest in this subject, he had been an engineer working on mechanical and civil structures, it was his wife that was a nurse in World War 2 and the combination of these things spurred Eli into his life of science.

The warm and inviting, comforting nature of the entire place has meant that both Eli and Lane have spent considerable time here before the fireplace. A great many Vortal ghosts echo in this place, from slaves and runaways, to physicians and scholars. How they managed to remain here even after being recreated by Lane, who knows... Wait, there are a few Pantheon who can communicate with spirits...

And upstairs, while there was a master bedroom (where Eli wasn't necessarily supposed to go... but he did anyway! To look at the books!) Eli and his cousins spent every summer they could in the loft of the place, with a view of the Bayou and the occasional comfort of one of the hound dogs they snuck into the house. This is where the current residents sleep and occasionally lounge, and sometimes sit on the roof easily accessed, to watch the night sky. The temperature of this locale is moderate year round, though it does tend to get much warmer than it might during the day, and a touch chilly at night.

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Currently there are several smaller outbuildings using the same style of construction, one of which is Fantell's Vortal construct where she does her tailoring and silk weaving. A number of the Silkwings contribute to this process, and the interior of this tool shed doesn't lead to her realm unless she opens that door herself (or if you happen to have very strong Vortal powers...).

(picture?)

Also downstream a bit, the Mudwing Sauna - these are common to the Grounds as well as anywhere else that has running water or mud. The healing properties of the Mudwings magic works remarkably well in locations that the Lanes have moved or manipulated, and as such they are in use by the Rookery to help heal injured dragons after battles or patrols.

The Mudwing Sauna was created specifically with dragons in mind, catering to and 'employing' only dragons and a very few humans or Vorts to help. The Checkerboard Ball taps this spot for its event, this is the information from that page:

A location that is both remote and connected to the venue, technically in 'The Bayou' near Black Mesa in New Mexico. For the duration of this event, it is always night time there, and the mudbaths and sauna are positively filled with dragons. There might be humans attending in the structures there but this is a dragon-specific spa day! The Mudwings normally cater to the injured and exhausted members of the Black Mesa Rookery's fighting forces, but for the moment they are very happy to be doing frivolous dragon care instead: preening, scale cleaning, claw and horn maintenance, feather fluffing, any dragon that wishes to 'get pretty' will definitely want to attend. There's room for at least a dozen 16' shoulder height dragons at a time, so virtually any number of smaller ones might be there at once. No booking in advance, no need - the venue's got it sorted.

Worrystone, Mudwing Sauna, here with Hamael Larrabie; this is 'his' venue for the most part, as he constructed the sauna itself. He is enjoying the popularity of the locale as a vacation spot rather than merely emergency healing.
EMD / Racer, Mudwing Healer, here with Leo Brune; among the strongest of the Rookery's Mudwing healers, EMD can take it easier tonight, and actually gets herself pampered a little too!
Violet, Mudwing healer, here with Vance Fettel; mainly doing the heavy lifting and prep work of gathering enough mud for everyone, her magic is touching everything tonight!
Burrow, Mudwing healer, here with Lee Harding; as the clean-up dragon, she makes sure that every bit of mud or dirt is gone before a dragon goes back to the fancy dance hall. But she does leave that dust with a bit of a tingle, even a shine!
Mudpots, Mudwing healer, here with Orlan Holmes; sprinkling a bit of dirt over any wingsail, Mudpots is the one you'll want to make sure that there are no rips or tears in wings and webbing.
Steepside, Mudwing healer, here with Kono; having created the companion piece to Worrystone's Sauna, the 'drive through dragon healing hut' is where the dragons from the Ball will douse themselves thoroughly and then head into the deeper areas.