Ah, the Gloam House, perhaps the best place to get away from the hustle and bustle of, well, just about everywhere truth be told. — Jasper Cameron, Leader of The Bronze Ravens
We are hear today to discuss one of the most mysterious, but also most appreciated, magical oddities that exists in the world, the Gloam House. Its descritpions are too consistent across regions and cultures for it to be reduced to the status of "myth." Indeed its existance has been congirmed via methods both magical and divine, with hundreds of partons interviewed over the centuries since its first recorded appearance.
What exactly makes it appear is still a bit of a mystery. It exists outside of the normal laws of space, likely linked in some way to the Fae realm, due to its relation to the twilight hours. Describing its exterior is useless, other than to say that its wooden door is painted the purple of deep twilight. The interior, however, is truly the definition of "cozy."
As soon as you enter the Proprieter will greet you and confirm that your party is spending the night or just staying for a meal. This is just a courtesy, as from all of our research they have never been wrong. As you shake off whatever weather you are entering from, you will be shown either to the sitting room to the left or the dining room off to the right. Both contain numerous private nooks where guests can sit with relative privacy, conversing or eating while looking out over the various twilight landscapes as a gentle summer breeze maintains the room at a comfortable temperature.
Should you be staying the night after your meal, you will be shown to your room (or rooms for larger parties) which are up the stairs located directly in front of the main enterance. In the bedroom you will find any luggage you entered with (though you may not remember it being taken from you) as well as any coat or cloak you had, hanging on a peg by the door. If you are particularry road weary off of your bedroom will be a private bathing chamber with a tub full of water at the perfect temperature.
Regardless of the nature of your stay, whether for just a meal or a nights rest when you leave the Gloam House there is a feeling that a weight has been taken off your shoulders. The trials of the world seem more managable, and the world is just a little brighter. Depending on the person, you may turn back, hoping to thank the Proprieter for the hospitality, but the door will be gone, moved on to offer respite to someone else.
No one is quite sure what the Proprietor gets out of operating the Gloam House. No physical payment is ever taken from the patrons. The current best guess of scholars is that the Proprietor is an Elder Fae that subsists on the emotional stress of mortals. This accounts for the sense of relief that one experiences after a stay there. There are other theories, some casting the Proprietor as a more malicious figure, taking something intangible but valuable. Both of these are conjecture, as even those interested in the answer who have stumbled upon the Gloam House have forgotten to ask until after they leave.
I love this. I would like to visit, please.
Thank you for the read! I'm very glad with how the article turned out, I just wish I had had the time to come up with some art.