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The entrance to the dining hall is wide open, an archway overhung with squares of Medieval woodwork that curve down to the sides, trimmed with a wrought iron lattice. At either side of the portal, a triad of gas lamps are affixed to the beams, casting a welcome glow and ushering guests in to dine or be dined upon, day or night, rain or shine
Along the wall to the right runs a length of polished cherry wainscoting, bisected only by a small door in the center - one would presume this door to lead to the kitchen, as from behind it come the smells of rich roasted game meats and the sounds of clattering copper, but the servants coming in and out are rarely, if ever, seen.
The far wall plays host to a fireplace wrought in marble and trimmed with ornate carved walnut. Above and to either side of this stately hearth are more displays of master crafted carving - panels as small as dollhouse doors, and some large enough to allow the human form through
and they might be doors, indeed, but that there appears to be no seam between one and the next
rows of arabesques and the curls of thistles, chiseled into the wood and leading straight up the wall, all the way to the moulding overhead.
To the left is a window, a giant square cut from stone and taking up nearly the entirety of the wall, with a deep ledge and narrow stone columns, three in all, providing a barrier between the glass and the lush jungle world outside.
And hanging from the center of the ceiling is the requisite candelabrum, of course, lowered to within feet of the tabletop.
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