After exiting the doors of the box office and passing beneath an exquisite marble archway, you find yourself standing in the most beautiful room in the Durem Theatre... or what used to be. The years have not been particularly kind to the foyer, but if you look past all the dust and rot you can spot traces of its former extravagance. At the head of the room are two gigantic marble staircases which curve elegantly up toward the auditorium’s upper balcony areas. Below them are two curtained-off entrances into the theatre itself, but the once vibrant red velvet has faded and they now give off the faint scent of mildew.
Exactly two huge, golden chandeliers swing gently above you, as well as a space where a third one used to be. Shattered and twisted in all sorts of odd directions, the ostracized chandelier sits in a sad pile on top of an old, dilapidated grand piano. Shards of reflective glass rest in a gleaming circle around the chandelier’s corpse and atop the keys, causing them to glitter with a strange, morbid beauty. The other two chandeliers are looking rather haggard themselves, and their gilded exteriors have become tarnished, but that hasn’t stopped them from being lit up with hundreds of flickering white candles.
There is definitely an ambiance to this place, but you can’t quite tell if it’s magical or eerie. One thing is for sure, though: it certainly doesn’t look very festive. In fact, you can’t even spot a tree—that is, until you notice a tiny potted pine that’s placed on a table near the entrance to the library. A handful of presents wrapped in bright colors are waiting underneath it, but you doubt any of them are for the party guests. Judging by the state of the building, it seems the owner wasn’t expecting any guests at all. Regardless, the party has begun, and there is much to do.
From here, there are many paths you can follow. The foyer is the hub of the building, after all. Straight ahead you can pass through the curtained entrances to explore the theater proper, or you can choose to go up the stairs into the balcony areas. You can also head to your left to enter the library or to your right if you’d like to see the greenhouse. The choice is yours alone, but you had better make one fast… there’s much to do, and so little time!
