A blazing hearth fire fills the large (forty by forty or so) large chamber with rolling waves of red and amber light. The walls are lined with ancient books and tomes, their leather covers well oiled and preserved through careful use. All is in order here. The stone floor is hidden beneath a luxurious rug of a deep-patterned weave. A large, low table sits in the center of the room, waxed and polished to a mirror finish. Even the poker next to the fireplace is polished and gleaming. Large, overstuffed divans and couches stand in order about the room, and two luxurious chairs face the hearth.
A huge painting hangs over the mantle-piece in a heavy, gilded frame. The rolling light of the fire illuminates the carefully rendered painting. It is an exact likeness of the Burgomaster's daughter, Ireena Kolyana. Though the painting is obviously centuries old, the likeness is unmistakable.