Alchem Clan Estate

The Alchem Clan Estate is the portion of Iwagakure No Sato cordoned off for the Alchem Clan. To describe it as extensive would be an understatement. It extends from one edge of the village out several miles to the cliffs and crags which border the village on all sides. The grounds were razed by the Akatsuki during the Akatsuki Invasion, and they remained mostly untouched for some time after. As of present day, it has been taken over by a dense woodland.

The Forest

The only path into the forest from the village.

The forest was created by Alchem Sanji's experiments with Mokuton ninjutsu, specifically by the Art of the Grand Forest, and, as such, began its life as a dense but otherwise mundane forest, populated only by plants and pollinating insects. However, it has, over time, become a good deal more than that, and mundane is the last word that one might use to describe it. Once described by Hyuuga Yatako as "The Mortal Forest", the woodland exhibits a vitality which is not fully explained by its origin. Certainly, Sanji, and, to a lesser degree, Syaoran, are able to commune with it on some level, due to the jutsu used to create it. At some point, the forest acquired a full ecosystem of its own, with animals of all kinds, from doves to caribou, inhabiting it. How these animals - many of which are not native to Tsuchi no Kuni at all - arrived in the forest is a very good question.

It is watered by a system of brooks and streams which have their origin just below the Treehouse, in an alchemically-created spring - which makes the presence of fish further down in the stream system even more perplexing. There are abundant water features, some of them the natural result of erosion and some of them little pieces of Sanji-art, including a waterfall into a large, deep pool, which is on the path system and treated by the clan-members and their guests as essentially a private swimming pool.

There is a system of paths running throughout the forest, upon which the forest does not impinge, and which anyone can follow - these paths lead to the village, the Treehouse and the waterfall, with the Treehouse being the hub. To stray far from these paths is ill-advised; it is very easy to get lost. This is the last and greatest mystery of the forest - while one is on the beaten path, this fact is well-hidden, but Sanji's forest is bigger on the inside than the outside.

The Treehouse

The house itself is within a large clearing, and is built within a large and thick tree. The tree house begins its first floor 100 feet in the air, and is easily accessible by an elevator. The fourteen floor mansion is yet another creation of the youngest of the clan, Alchem Sanji. On the first floor are common rooms and baths, on the third and fourth floor are the library, and on the fifth and sixth floors are guest dormitories.

.:The Common Room & Baths:.

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1A
The common room, a large, wide open area with couches, chairs and tables. The walls are decorated with sparse artwork and the occasional bookcase with a few novelty books and items, usually the latest readings of one of the Alchem. There are windows lining the walls, giving the room an open feeling. The floor is a hard wood, spaced out by an occasional rug.

1B
A large open porch with polished wood railings. The floor of the porch is made of carefully fit wooden planks, and there are a few patio furniture items set up, including some lounge chairs and a single hammock to the side.

1C
This small quarter of the first floor contained a bath house for the guests. Being that this is a private residence, the bath house is gender neutral, but usually times will be allotted for members of the opposite sex when there are a large amount of people in the house. And then again, sometimes not. This room can only be accessed by a stairwell on the second floor. There are no doors on it otherwise.

1D
A small platform greets you as you exit the elevator, on the left was a staircase that spiraled out of sight upwards. Stepping out of the elevator, if you were to look straight up you would be able to see far up the staircases, two of them apparently, spiraling upwards counterclockwise, and at the top a large glass dome which allowed a small amount of light to penetrate the stairwell. There seems to be a hold cut in each floor all the way up to allow you to see upwards.

1E
The Alchem's kitchen looks like something out of a catalogue - which is appropriate, because it is. It is built mostly of white marble, with decorations and some surfaces of oak, with accents in mahogany and ebony. It contains virtually every cooking appliance one can imagine (along with some that one probably would not imagine) and enough cutlery and china for dozens. There is also a single cabinet containing a set of extremely fancy and expensive-looking crystal cutlery, plates, bowls, and cups. The walls which face the common room are all bar-style counter tops, styled with the same white marble that is featured throughout the kitchen.

.:The Library; I:.

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3A
The Library, the heart of the Alchem Estates. This room stretches up two stories, and is one of the only floors without balcony access. The walls in this room are reinforced from blast impacts by sheet metal within the walls. Each of the tall twenty foot windows that line the walls, separating bookcase after bookcase, is thick pressure glass, as well as impact proof.

The library itself houses more books than one can imagine, on numerous topics. The shelves stretch from the floor to the ceiling, and are packed with books from all around the continent. Anything that one may need to read about could arguably be said to be found here. It was rumored that the Alchem clan library was once only rivaled by the library within Kumogakure no Sato itself, but that was before the disaster which left Syaoran and Sanji the soul remainders of the clan. They have tried to rebuild the library to its former glory, but it is only a fraction of what it use to be.

The doors and staircases within this room are a deep mahogany, and built thickly, giving off a feeling of impassable knowledge. Throughout the room are large, comfortable chairs and a few desks to sit at. When walking into this room, there is an enclosing silence to it. No sound travels well within the donut shaped room, being swallowed up by the rows and rows of books.

.:The Library; II:.

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4A

This loft sits on the second story of the library, propped above the height of most the bookshelves, save for the ones against the walls which came higher than those which stood int he middle of the room. There are three chairs here and a small table large enough to sit around. A few more bookcases with assorted maps and atlases make up the back wall of this room. The sides are lined with elegant wooden railings which prevent people from accidentally tumbling to the first floor. The staircases which lead up to this room are made of an excellent wood, carved and polished smoothly. On the ends of the railings of each is a raven statue, accenting the room slightly.

4B

This small loft is much like the others in design, except the only entrance to it is a spiral staircase from the third floor library. There are two chairs up here with a chess board placed between them on a marble table. On the side farthest from the staircase is a hammock for unknown reasons, and a series of short, reclined chairs only a foot or so off of the ground. A short three foot bookshelf lines the far wall, with small statues and decorations sitting upon the top of it.

4C

This is nothing more than a balcony to look out over the library. On the wall directly across from the railings are two large windows which give an excellent view of the forest. On a large plaque, propped up in the middle of this balcony upon a marble pillar is an inscription which reads,

Alchem Clan Library
"Rebuilding what was once thought to be lost one page at a time."

.:Guest Dormitories; I:.

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5A

The dormitory common room is spread out with multiple chairs and coffee tables across the room. There is a small wall kitchen on the southern wall, including a sink, fridge and small stove/oven. The actual room is two steps lower than the hallway which leads to it and the balcony outside, causing the entire room to feel as if it is lower in the ground. The floor is made of wood with rugs spread out between the room, and the ceiling extends up to the sixth floor, where there is a railing and staircases for the upper dormitories to easily come down. The far wall is lined with windows of glass to give an excellent view of the forest.

5B - 5G

These are the guest bedrooms, or more commonly called the dormitories. Each room, though changing in style as each guest occupies it or whenever Syaoran or Sanji become bored and decide to change it, comes with two queen size beds, two desks and full size wardrobe dressers for storing gear and clothing. There is a window and patio door on each leading outside to the circular path that wraps around this floor. There is a bathroom connected to each room and is shared with one other room from the opposite side.

5H - 5J

These are the bathrooms for the dormitories, including a single large shower and other necessary utilities. The mirror spans the far wall, along with two sinks within the counter top. There are cabinets and drawers in each as well. As with the dormitories, the style of these rooms change at a whim.

5K

A wooden balcony which wraps around the entire floor. There are some chairs and tables on the extended part, but the rest is devoid of furniture.

.:Guest Dormitories; II:.

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6A - 6F

These are the guest bedrooms, or more commonly called the dormitories. Each room, though changing in style as each guest occupies it or whenever Syaoran or Sanji become bored and decide to change it, comes with two queen size beds, two desks and full size wardrobe dressers for storing gear and clothing. There is a window and patio door on each leading outside to the circular path that wraps around this floor. There is a bathroom connected to each room and is shared with one other room from the opposite side.

6G - 6I

These are the bathrooms for the dormitories, including a single large shower and other necessary utilities. The mirror spans the far wall, along with two sinks within the counter top. There are cabinets and drawers in each as well. As with the dormitories, the style of these rooms change at a whim.

6J

A wooden balcony which wraps around the entire floor. There are some chairs and tables on the extended part, but the rest is devoid of furniture.