A CLUE SAGA - Episode #0 - "Prologue"
The driveway to Blackwell Grange is a long, winding gravel road which passes cruel terrain consisting of hills, cliffs, ravines and dense, overgrown black birch trees with thick winding roots. The narrow road, the sharp turns, and the blanket of branches overhead can be intimidating to first-time visitors. A rusting, metal skeleton of a burgundy Rolls Royce rests, nestled in a gorge - a permanent reminded of an accident from days gone by.
Past the turrets of the Gatehouse, the Gothic Victorian façade waits to astonish all who see it. The mansion is a shrine - a monument to the pride, arrogance, and wastefulness it's architect - Benedict Black the First.
Benedict the First - a twenty-seven-year-old orphan new to his parents multi-billion dollar inheritance - filled the grounds of his estate with a serene rose garden, a terrace with a view, a tennis court, a massive swimming pool with a veranda around it, a shaded gazebo, a marble fountain, a boat house with docks to the lake, a large stable accompanied by an even larger carriage house full of buggies, and a crypt to serve as his final resting place - and the future resting place of generations to come.
The the grounds have been mostly maintained throughout the years, the Crypt is now wrapped up in the thorns and brush from the overgrown, adjacent Rose Garden.
Around the estate, several valuable and well-admired garden ornaments can be found - a large lapis orb at the top of the fountain, a golden urn at the crossroads by the Crypt, a sapphire-ruby-emerald-studded bird table in the Rose Garden, and an ivory sun dial at the Terrace.
A large poppy field was planted in the south eastern corner of the clearing, growing alongside the garage, stables, and grazing pasture.
Through the front doors of the manor-house, one may fully embrace the majesty.
2.
The Hall is a long, vaulted room which stretches past every door and every room on the ground floor. The walls are red and adorned with paintings of the previous owners, animal heads, flags, coat of arms, swords, and shields. The furniture in the room is dark, contrasting with the white marble floor. The Hall is open to the floor above it, allowing enough space for a massive chandelier. Murals and tapestries fill the wall-space of the Hall's second-floor chandelier-alcove. A balcony between the two sweeping staircases offers a beautiful view of the stained glass window over the front doors. The upstairs hallways, resident's wing, and guest's wing are separate from the two-story hall and lack windows - being mostly interior - creating a disorienting maze. The upstairs hallways have been explained by servants and inhabitants to be in the shape of the capital letters R in the resident's wing & H in the guest's wing.
The Lounge is a feminine reception parlor with an oriental flare. The sofas, chairs, and cushions are upholstered with detailed pink silk. A white piano glistens beneath a red, gold, and white tiffany style table lamp. A small bridge table is set off to the corner with a deck of cards and a pad of paper at the ready. Along the wall, a mirror vanity offers a cushioned stool and several antique combs, hand mirrors, brushes, nail files, and scissors. The fireplace is bookended by two very green paintings, in gold frames, of countryside nymphs playing and dancing. The painting to the left is slightly obscured by a large fern - which aids in hiding the painting true purpose as a door to the secret passageway to the Conservatory.
The Dining Room was planned to be two rooms- a modest Dining Room and a Gun Room. But when Benedict the First had a wooden feasting table commissioned, he knew he needed a large space to present it. The hand-carved feasting table hosts sixteen chairs, but could easily seat 20 if the chairs were smaller and less grand. The marble floors are complimented by the pale yellow walls and a Persian rug of muted colors. Two massive golden candelabras dominate the southern wall, where a fireplace was once shared with the Lounge.
The Kitchen is a large old-fashion room, with a wide range, a wall length hearth-oven, and a porcelain sink with a water pump. The floor is made of flagstones. There is a wooden table in the center of the room with many nicks and cuts from years of food-prep. A rack of copper pots and kettles hang above the wooden table. The backdoor is secured with a chain-lock, two bolts, and a small hook - due to the concern with burglaries in the past. A pantry and meat locker have been made available to allow quick access to food without needing to take a trip down to the cellar. A false back to the thick, insulated meat locker hides the secret passageway to the Study - activated by turning the sixth meat upward.
3.
The Ballroom is twice as large as the Dining Room. There is no other room in Blackwell Grange that surpasses the Ballroom in sheer spectacle. Tall, imposing statues of Roman Gods and Goddesses are set into the walls and corners. The gold and white color scheme has yellowed a bit over the years but still sparkles brightly when all the lights are turned on and the mirrored-walls reflect the gold and crystal. The domed ceiling is punctuated with a colossal chandelier. At the apex of the room is an instrumental nook with a piano, harp, and chairs for a string quartet. Spotted around the room are chairs, a chaise lounge, and an ottoman - all upholstered in cream-colored fabric. The white marble fireplace surround is supported by carved and gilt figures on each side holding elaborate candelabra.
The Conservatory is constructed out of glass panes for the walls and the ceiling - set between highly decorative wrought iron frame-work. There is a bird cage constructed from the same iron frame-work. The bird cage is home to the family parrot, currently Wadsworth IX. Exotic plants line the edges of the room with white and lavender painted wicker furniture filling in the gaps. A telescope is positioned out towards the lake. At the back of the room, there is an elaborate tea set displayed in a white wooden hutch near an equally impressive, extra large fish tank. The white wooden hutch is secured to the wall on one side on a hinge - creating a door for the secret passageway to the Lounge.
The Billiard Room is a warm hunting retreat that smells of whiskey and cigars. There is a large wet bar with a vast selection of liquor. The snooker table is twelve feet long with a classic green felt. A taxidermy grisly bear takes the focus of the back of the room where it is nestled with large, overstuffed leather club armchairs and a leather sofa. The Billiard Room offers a relaxed, casual sense of leisure tht can't be experienced in the otherwise prissy, uptight mansion.
The Library is dark and dusty. Every wall is covered with books. The only window in the room is narrow and the curtains are pulled tight over it. A banquet lamp and tall wingback armchair are isolated alongside a perky fern near the fireplace. A bright, scarlet-colored chaise lounge dominates the room. Off in the corner, a baby grand piano collects dust. The piano strings are loose and out of tune. A writing desk is centered across from the fireplace - cluttered with cigar boxes, liquor decanters, perfume spritzers, books, small statuettes, a large lamp with green glass, and a chess board.
4.
The Study is a comfortable, masculine den. Bookshelves are filled with Egyptian artifacts, Roman relics, Aztec carvings, Tibetan scrolls, Norse runes, Sudanese daggers, German pistols, and countless other gemstones, brooches, figures, and knick-knacks. Beside a tall, upright sarcophagus, taxidermy jungle animals fill the space. The large mahogany desk takes all the focus away from the worldly possessions around the room. The tall, highbacked, leather desk chair is regal in it's own sense. A wide desk lamp illuminates the surface area. There are two large bookcases on the northern wall of the room. The bookcase to the left contains a small hinged portion - commonly known by staff and residents to be the secret passageway to the Kitchen.
The Cellar stretches beneath the entirety of the Hall. It is damp, musky, and cold. The long room is broken into numerous chambers due to the support pillars, wine racks, and build-in shelves. There is an exterior pair of cellar doors beneath the kitchen window near it's back door. A heavy set of chains and a padlock secure the double-hinged cellar doors.
The Master Bedroom hosts a large canopy bed with crimson curtains. The walls are black and the wood is dark. The room exudes sex, power, and irresistible, intoxicating seduction. There is a bear-skin rug in front of the fireplace. The main light source is the large, floor-ceiling length French windows that open out to a Balcony looking over the lake.
The Balcony gives the rear of Blackwell Grange it's unsettling, haunted, gothic appearance - with four gargoyle on the balcony rail ever-keeping watch over the glass Conservatory roof, the Rose Garden, and Boat House.
The Master Bathroom is an oval marble room with a clawfoot bathtub in the center. The room is stark white. There are two sinks across from each other creating infinity mirrors.
The Nursery is a pale blue room with a large play area in the center, a school-desk near the windows, and an arcaded nook with a bed. Eight-year-old Fivel Dove has taken over this room, as evident by the abundance of trains and ships strewn from the toy chest to the carpet in the center of the room. A small rocking horse collects dust beneath a pull-string lamp near the bathroom door.
The Lady's Bedroom is a feminine suite adjacent to the Nursery. There is a small dressing area with a vanity, standing mirror, and round ottoman. The bed is simple, set back into a recessed area across from the windows. A single armchair and side table face the fireplace. Floor-ceiling length French windows open out to the Balcony looking over the lake. The adjacent bathroom is a gentle, ivory color. The mirror's golden frame is embedded with with pearls and opals
5.
The Pink Bedroom is a bedroom in the resident's wing belonging to Rose Black. The room has stayed untouched and locked up in Rose's time away from Blackwell Grange. There are sheets over the furniture, salt covering boxes of tarot cards, rose petals sprinkled over the bed, and a crystal ball underneath a dust-covered velvet cloth.
The Maroon Bedroom is a bedroom in the resident's wing belonging to John Boddy. Under John's orders, the linens are to be washed and changed every single day, fresh flowers put in the vase on his desk, and the curtains are to be opened at dawn, closed at dusk - even when he is away at boarding school. The room itself is almost as extravagant as the Master Bedroom. A large canopy bed and a large writing desk take up most of the bedroom. A large wardrobe and dresser barely fit on one wall. Crammed between the desk and the canopy bed - an antique chaise lounge. At the foot of the bed is a large cedar chest. The windows are tall, narrow slots.
The Lilac Room is a bedroom/workspace in the resident's wing belonging to Victor Plum. A small golden sign screwed into the top of the doorframe outside in the hallway reads 'The Professor's Room'. The bed is a small, single mattress in a black metal frame. In the center of the room is a large, long wooden table with chemistry tubes, beakers, and funnels set up. There are many bookcases around the room. Some bookcases contain books, others empty bottles, others bottles full of liquid. There is a gramophone next to the dresser.
The Sky Room is a dark, interior bedroom in resident's wing belonging to Ava Silver. It is named after the mural of clouds around a sun-shaped ceiling light. The bedroom itself resembles a ship cabin - with dark wooden paneling halfway up the white walls, a bed tight against the wall, a wardrobe and dress compacted together, and a small uncomfortable looking armchair beside a table with a washing basin.
The Blue Room is an elegant suite in the guest's wing known and named for the light blue walls. The dark wood of the bedframe, dresser, and vanity is complimented by the baby blue lace that covered the wood, the curtains, and veils over the bed's canopy frame. The adjacent bathroom is also blue, with dark wood paneling and golden fixtures, knobs, handles, and faucets.
The Red Room is a suite in the guest's wing known and named for it's red walls, red carpet, red curtains, and red bedding. The room is bright and warm, mostly for it's color, also due to the close proximity to the hallway radiator. The adjacent bathroom is black, white, and brown with silver faucets.
6.
The Yellow Room is a bedroom in the guest's wing. Michael Mustard took this room as a young boy when his father went off to war. The room always stayed a shrine to Mustard even when he was gone, as the man is quite controlling of his space and belongings. There is a glass gun case beside the bed, a floor-length mirror in the corner, and a writing desk at the window.
The Green Room is a bedroom in the guest's wing known and named for it's connotation to the Green family. The bedroom is not a suite, but is much larger than other guest rooms. There is a table with four highbacked armchairs around it - presumably for business meetings with Black-Gray-Pharmaceuticals or Jasper Import. The king-sized bed is beneath the window. There is a cigar humidifier by the door.
The Gray Room is a bedroom in the guest's wing known and named for it's neutral tones and bare-basic guest room accommodations. There are two twin beds side-by-side separated by a nightstand with a lamp. Two dressers, a wardrobe, and one armchair fill out the rest of the small room.
The Oak Room is a bedroom in the guest's wing known and named for it's beautifully hand-carved wooden walls. The carvings show vines, grapes, and blossoms. Only slightly smaller than the Green Room, the Oak Room boasts size and luxury. The large canopy bed is fitted with cream linens. Two armchairs are upholstered in a warm caramel shade. Th
The Indigo Room is a odd room with midnight blue walls. Two twin beds are positioned on separate walls - one facing the window, the other facing the door. A wardrobe slightly overlaps the window frame. There is no ceiling light, only table lamps and one wall sconce near the door. There is a single Edwardian chair with white painted legs beside a lamp with a wicker shade.
The Attic is large room low head-space and gables to look over the estate for miles. The room is stuffed with possessions hoarded by generations past. An old upright piano, a wedding dress on a mannequin, large wooden trunks, aisles of boxes, sheet-covered sofas, chairs, and tables. There are boards and planks between rafters to hold more cardboard boxes above. On the floor in various spots are damp tin pails - used to catch rainwater from the known leaky spots.
Blackwell Grange is a home of wealth, power, and family loyalty. It was built atop a clearing in a black birch forest on a lake in the Connecticut countryside. The estate is located several miles from farmland crossroads which would develop and grow into the village of Pratton.
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Pratton, Connecticut is a thriving community with it's very own hospital, police department, train station, school district, newspaper, country club, local government, and state-funded penitentiary.
Whether you are visiting Pratton for a sandwich at the Bluebell Café, for Mass at St. Elva's, for Apples at Aubergine's Orchard, or an old game or book at Alabaster's Antiques - you will be treated kindly... and you will be dying to return.
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BENEDICT BLACK the first
"Creating dreams, building rooms, making life - a family. Providing an inheritance worth fighting for... my legacy will not be soon forgotten."
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BENEDICT BLACK THE SECOND
"Our money is like a seed. Plant it and it will keep growing. We have the keys to the world."
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BENEDICT BLACK THE THIRD
"I don't care what it takes or what it costs, get it done. Pay off the mayor, pay off the commissioner, and pay off the judge."
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BENEDICT BLACK THE FOURTH
"Taking a life; it is excusable if it protects us... my great-grandfather's legacy will not be dragged through the dirt."
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BENEDICT BLACK THE FIFTH
"I just have these fits of anger. I can't control myself. Please. Stop. Just stop. Stop!"
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