Folding House
The Folding House is a building and maze located on the furthest southern reaches of Tiger Lily Road, past the Tail Club.
Puzzle
| OOC: The House |
| So far, no one has been able to find any secrets hidden within the Folding House. It is quite certain that there is no spring there (as all available springs have been located elsewhere), and Ruriko denies having put a tarot-card dispenser there. Yuriko simply smiles and doesn't say anything when asked. If there is anything, the staff are doing a remarkably good job of keeping it secret. But then, they would, wouldn't they? |
The House is not, in fact, actually a house of any sort (or at least of any conventional sort); rather, it is a puzzle-maze, originally crafted by Yuriko in a fit of whimsy. It contains rooms of eight colors which connect to each other in an unusual fashion (sometimes described as Escherian). Compasses and other means of orientation do not function properly in the House, as they are no longer able to access the concept they embody. Visitors to the Folding House will have to rely on their own personal directions: forward, backward, left, right, and of course up and down — all of which are always available.
Once entered, there is no obvious means of exit; however, the house can be teleported out of easily enough, or one can simply tell the house itself you want out.
Thalamasa has determined many of the Folding House's secrets, and was said to be willing to part with them, if the price is right. The only person to have acquired these secrets is Kumiko, who if asked about the circumstance mumbles something vague 'cabbits', 'science' and 'failure'.
By early 2009, Kumiko had spent several months of her own time on expeditions within the House, compiling her own notes on the strange place. Kumiko managed to ascertain several clues about the house that coincide with Thalamasa's, and confirmed them after she managed to convince Thalamasa into giving her the coveted Folding House Solver, which appeared at the time to be nothing more than a rock on a string.
Neither have yet to find whatever is hidden within its walls, though, so there's still time to be the first.
References
- Danielewski, Mark Z. House of Leaves. Pantheon Books, 2000.
- Heinlein, Robert A. “—And He Built a Crooked House—”. Astounding Science-Fiction February 1941.