Brigid’s Apartment

Practice Area  and Tatami Room

This room is a martial arts practice and meditation room with a tatami room behind a painted paper screen on the east side. The practice floor is covered with cork; the wall to the north is mirrored while the west and south walls are whitewashed and hold racks for an assortment of martial arts weapons from various cultures around Shadow. Among the weapons resting here there is a strange preponderance of weapons that stun, entrap or entangle.

There is also a small shrine set into the south wall, holding a strange assortment of icons and memorabilia including a rack holding a pair of samurai swords, with a low meditation bench resting before the shrine. Among the icons are several newspaper clippings and photos of a masked and caped figure, part of a metal mask, and two halves of a broken silver dagger.

The tatami room is elevated and the walls are covered with lacquered wooden masks and silk hangings showing historical and mythical Japanese scenes. There are a number of woven pillows strewn casually around the floor. A lacquered cabinet holding an antique tea ceremony service rests against the north wall, and a low lacquered table is in the center of the room. (Both the tea service and table were given to Brigid as presents when she worked a case in Japan.) The separating wall is painted with scenes of the legendary inari or fox women: Japanese shapeshifter spirits. Brigid was nicknamed “Inari” when she worked on a case there.

When Brigid started learning the sorcerous arts, she began using this room for meditation and sorcery practice: she, with Fiona’s advice and assistance, has warded the walls, floor, and ceiling against unwanted influences. It is also warded against spying or intrusion beyond what the walls have been warded.

Recording Studio

The northeast room is soundproofed, with draped walls and cork floors. Brigid arranged for a professional sound stage designer from her home Shadow to come to Amber to oversee the installation: she is investigating on getting a professional sound studio installed. Presently there are only a couple of metal stools and (vacant) instrument racks in the room.