Shuf’s Dowment

First Appearance and Context

An ivy‑snarled ruin near the page‑tree coppice on the rise between the Decade and Century gates of the Concent of Saunt Edhar. Approach is by a path that crosses a low stone wall masked by vines; the site stands above a small bridge near the coppice and across the river from the meadow.

Roles/Actions and Affiliations

  • Retreat and shared workspace: Used by the Reformed Old Faanians as a quiet retreat; an open invitation has at times made it a popular shared workspace among avout, occasionally hindering private study.
  • Discreet study site: A light‑tight room beneath the building provides a controlled place for reviewing sensitive material. Simple signals (such as book placement in the bay window, or leaving the cellar‑door ajar at the top of the stairs) coordinate access and can summon collaborators. From sessions here, repeated midday visits by an Ita technician to the rooftop parapet were noted.
  • Collaborative inquiry after Voco: Following a six‑name Voco, a small group convened around the large table and hearth to examine a Praxic‑Age text with spacecraft diagrams and to estimate a rough orbital course‑change angle from a pinholed sheet; the angle was later refined elsewhere.
  • Boundary legacy: A low stone wall and local lore tie the site to Shuf’s Lineage.
  • Legends and rumors: Stories tell of a vaulted sub‑basement where gold was once stored; if any such hoard ever existed, it would likely have been discovered and emptied during the Third Sack. Present‑day exploration aims to dispel such talk by making the empty spaces known.

Descriptions/Characteristics

  • Interior refit: The small stone shell has been refitted by ROF carpenters with wooden floors and paneled walls, a working hearth, a large table, and a north‑facing bay window forming a deep, comfortable alcove. Despite these comforts, the room is described as cold in winter. A back exit leads from the ground‑floor room.
  • Cellars and sub‑basement: Beneath lies a confusing network of cellars accumulated over generations. One chamber to the right of the stair is kept for wine and a silver table‑service used on special occasions; beyond that, most spaces are reclaimed by soil. A tight, vaulted sub‑basement—reached through a rusty floor plate and a short ladder—is notable for near‑absolute quiet and carved graffiti. In the remotest, soil‑filled reaches, loose earth allowed temporary burial of a small object using a shovel kept there.
  • Grounds and approach: A hedge‑like tangle hides the low stone wall that once bounded the coppice. Nearby earth shows signs of gardening (such as freshly dug potato patches), and the open ground around the building sees casual use.

Current Status/Location

A long‑standing site outside the Concent of Saunt Edhar. The refitted upper room functions as a quiet retreat and intermittent shared workspace; during busy periods, heavier footfall makes discretion more challenging. The cellars remain largely neglected except for mapping and exploration.

Summary:

An ivy-snarled ruin near the page-tree coppice by the Concent of Saunt Edhar, between the Decade and Century gates. Refitted within as a quiet retreat, it has also served as a popular shared workspace, with a light-tight sub-cellar used for discreet study; its sub-basement is noted for profound quiet.

Known as:
Shuf’s Dowment