Available Housing

Characters are given free accommodations in the Haven, provided by Parliament. There are a number of sizes of homes available from apartments to large Victorian mansions. Empty houses may be dusty or hastily packed, with furniture left behind, but all of them are well taken care of. **Only the homes in the Haven are free** and Parliament would prefer the Mirrorbound remain there. However, if characters want to live elsewhere they can do so -- provided they have the funds to pay for it.

Some Aristocratic residents were displaced in order to free up housing for the Mirrorbound in the Haven, which used to be part of the Aristocratic District. These residents typically were moved to different areas of the Aristocratic District or the Eastern Residential District, and this reshuffling originally kicked off a trend of wealthier Aefenglom residents regarding the Mirrorbound with dislike or disdain.

## Assignment

There is no official assignment process for claiming a house. Simply add your character to the housing spreadsheet. New rows can be added as necessary by both players or mods, so don’t worry if it looks as if a particular housing unit is out of space -- just add another row in.

However, ICly, it’s expected that the more spacious homes will be occupied by at least 2-3 residents, so keep that in mind when claiming a house! Your character is free to put up a notice seeking roommates should they find they have room to spare.

## Free Housing

Free housing is located only in the Haven. This is where characters will be directed upon arrival. Characters can choose any home that’s unoccupied, based on their needs, and are encouraged to seek out roommates for some of the larger homes.

### Apartments

Simple and coming into fashion more and more as young locals desire a space of their own without the hassle of owning an entire house, the apartment units are generally **one or two rooms, making it suitable for both solo and paired living**.

However, these apartments are really more like dormitories: each complex has communal kitchens, washrooms, and common rooms on every floor. Each apartment complex has five separate floors of ten units each, giving it a sense of community without sparing privacy. The rooftops of these apartment complexes have a space for outdoor cooking and eating, as well as a small greenhouse area for shared gardening adventures.

### Cottages

Small and cozy, these houses are built in a more rustic style that's since gone out of fashion in the architectural world. **They're made for smaller groups of 2 or 3 people**, and to make up for what they lack in rooms they have **a surprisingly large outdoor space**. This outdoor space includes both out and up, as many former residents have enchanted planks and stones to rise in a spiraling staircase above their roofs onto landings made of similar materials. **Walls are generally not included in these landings**, as protection from the elements comes from an enchantment against the weather, like an invisible bubble.

While modest, the cottages still offer a decent amount of interior space. Each home is about two or three stories high, at maximum. The interior is typical for what one might find in the average middle-class home, with perhaps an extra room for an office or a tearoom. Some have a basement while others may have a small attic instead.

Cottages are dotted around the Haven and **many are located close to the Coven** due to their heavy use of magic.

### Ordinary Housing

Ordinary homes are large enough to **hold up to 5 people comfortably**. A less dressed-up option than the classy housing for those who don't need all the bits and baubles of faux aristocratic life, this type of housing resembles what's found most prominently in the Residential District. Reasonably sized, they don't have any special featured rooms, but are easy to keep clean and have a decent amount of yard space for those craving a little gardening -- something that isn't found in the Residential District housing, at least on ground-level.

Like most houses in Aefenglom, there's also a basement and cellar area, typically used to store wood, coal, and wine, but which can be used for more or less anything else. **Ordinary homes are located more around the outer edges past the classier housing, with a few sitting right by the Bright Wall itself**; these ones look less lived-in and have more furnishing that needs to be replaced as a result.

### Classy Housing

Classy houses are similar to that of ordinary homes, being large enough to **hold up to 5 people**, with the addition of some specialized rooms on top of the bedrooms and other usual areas. Classy houses feature:

* a medium-sized music room (instruments not included)
* an indoors kitchen with attached scullery
* an open courtyard with a fountain located in the center of the house
* a basement and cellar area, typically used to store wood, coal, and wine, but which can be used for more or less anything else.

The design is rounder in nature, a contrast to the blockier, more ostentatious fancy housing offered elsewhere. The decoration also errs on the showy side of things, with notably less columns standing around for no reason. **Most classy houses are in the middle of the Haven, just past the fancier houses**.

### Fancy Housing

Fancy houses are large enough to **hold up to 8 people**, or grouping that adds up to that (two groups of four, a group of three and a group of five, four groups of two, etc.) These are usually on the mansion side of things and include:

* an attic space
* a ballroom
* an outdoors kitchen on the second-floor balcony
* a large room with bookshelves for a library
* other specialized rooms such as a music room, a sunroom, a sewing room, etc.
* a basement and cellar area, typically used to store wood, coal, and wine, but which can be used for more or less anything else.

The house itself is extremely decorated with columns, patterned wallpaper, and has plenty of space for storing things or having one's own space -- it seems to have been built specifically for a wealthy family and their servants' family to live with them. Most often, **these are closer to what would have been considered the de facto "center" of the Aristocratic District** prior to the formation of The Haven.

### The Barracks

Unique in that they were once used solely for storage and temporary living, the barracks are a communal living experience similar to the apartments on the south side of The Haven, but with the allowance of significantly more space for larger animals; they're also more simplistic, being more bare-bones in terms of furnishing and amenities.

While they're likely best used for storage, the Barracks do all have simple cots, and each set has its own mess hall. The washing and toilet situation is a little more difficult, with both located outside of the Barracks proper. **Closest to the Slums and, by extension, the Cwyld**, those who take up residence here will have a front seat to studying the world's circumstances, for the price of comfort and privacy.

## Paid Housing

If your character decides not to live in the Haven for whatever reason (for example, they open a business and have decided to make a home in the upper floor of that space), they’re welcome to move to the other districts. However, they will be expected to pay rent or purchase the home, their furniture, and maintain upkeep to their residence all on their own. Those living outside the Haven will receive no support from Parliament regarding their accommodations.

### Residential District

Houses in the Residential District can be categorized either as "Ordinary Housing" or "Apartments." They often have greenhouse gardens which can be managed, either on top of their roofs or protruding from the side of their homes.

The Eastern half has a heavier human population and enjoys a better general upkeep to their homes, roads, and so on, while the Western half has a heavier Monster population and are lacking in the same upkeep. Those in the Western half come off as friendlier and more of a community than those in the Eastern half, however.

### Entertainment District

While generally filled with buildings more meant for entertaining and pleasure, some people have made homes in old brothels or theaters that have been petitioned for housing use. Others own businesses and simply live above or under those for easy access, particularly those whose business run late into the night and early morning.

Former brothels can hold up to 20 people, while abandoned theaters are meant more for a population of 10 people. Despite their monikers, both are well-kept and have all amenities you might expect for inner city living. Homes with a business are usually just one room, meaning a maximum of 2 or 3 people.

### Shopping District

More suited to living with your business than the Entertainment District, the Shopping District offers a number of opportunities to stay with native families and apprentice in their crafts -- blacksmithing, cooking, needlework, and more -- with space enough for 2 people maximum.

Otherwise, an unoccupied-by-local-residents shop usually has a few rooms above the main shop proper that can house up to 4 people comfortably. Those seeking to live on their own and not with a local family in the Shopping District require a business permit and license from the Parliament and the Guilds to do so, though it isn't terribly hard to do so provided the paperwork is legitimately for a business.

### The Harbor

Housing here is very shanty-ish, accommodating up to 3 people comfortably, and the smell of the sea and drink permeates the air. Inns and taverns are a fairly common sight here as well, and their rooms are able to comfortably fit 2 people, but they come at a nightly-price -- so it isn't ideal for permanent living.

Some ships and boats are also available for onboard-living, accommodating anywhere from 4 people at smallest and 6 people at largest. The weather and sea aren't quite forgiving though, and those with weak stomachs are cautioned away from staying on the water proper.

### The Slums/Outside the City

Inarguably the worst living conditions, the Slums are located outside of the Bright Wall and are prone to attacks from Shades, particularly those closest to the north side. The people there are poor and generally sick, either with infection of the Cwyld or with ordinary illness, and oftentimes their minds aren't exactly in the right place.

Still, being outside of the city means there's plenty of room to build the house one wants to see and live in, with room for growth and the chance to be much closer to a part of the city needs help. As such, there are no restrictions of accommodations, but it is encouraged to live in pairs or groups due to the dangerous conditions, if one doesn't have a familiar or something similar to stay with them.