OverviewThe Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters is located in Westchester County, approximately forty miles north of New York City. While technically within the city limits of Salem Center, it is three miles outside of Salem Center proper at 1407 Greymalkin Lane.
The estate upon which the School is situated is very large, extending approximately two miles from Graymalkin Lane in the south to Breakstone Lake in the north and just over 5 miles east-west. At the western edge is a small range of mountains known as Devil's Rock. With the exception of the area around the Mansion itself, it is wooded, in some places heavily so, though hiking trails run throughout.
The property was originally acquired by a Dutch ancestor of Charles Xavier and has been in his family for ten generations. Possessed of a smuggling bent, the Xavier's made considerable use of the extensive naturally-occuring cave network beneath the property. In the 1800s, the complex was expanded and modernized with gas lighting to serve as a stop on the Underground Railroad. With the advent of mutants and the formation of the X-Men, it has been further upgraded to its current high tech status.
Security around the School is formidable and ranges from the obvious 12' high wall that extends around much of the property to discreetly placed cameras and motion sensors. The front gate is equipped with a biometric scanner as well as a voice and vision intercom. It is reinforced to be resistant to ramming.
Around the MansionFrom the front gate, a tree-shaded drive runs to a circular courtyard before the mansion. In the center of the courtyard is a grassy area surrounding a fountain and a reflecting pool. Casual visitors park in the courtyard while residents and long-term guests may store their vehicles in the 20-car garage located to the left. To either side of the Mansion are open, grassy areas and to the rear are tennis and basketball courts, an open sports field, a 1-mile running track, and an Olympic-size swimming pool.
The X-MansionThe Mansion itself has two wings and consists of three main floors, an attic, a basement, and two sub-basements. The sub-basements are 'X-Men territory' and off limits to visitors and even students without their express permission.
* First Floor: Other than Professor Xavier's office in the front potion of the west wing, the first floor consists of common areas. To the east are the kitchen, dining room, and day room. To the west is the huge library where many classes take place. From the entry foyer, stairs and an elevator ascend to the upper floors and two doors give access to the arboretum at the rear of the Mansion which, in turn, opens out onto the rear patio.
* Second Floor: The second floor holds teacher suites and offices along with some specialized classrooms such as the chemistry lab and art studio. Guest rooms are also located here.
* Third Floor: Student dorms and day rooms.
* Attic: Storage and Storm's suite.
* Basement: Gymnasium, locker room and showers. Infirmary. Wine cellar and larder. Laundry room, furnace, and auxiliary generators.
GardensEast of the Mansion are extensive gardens, including a hedge maze and Japanese garden. Cobblestone paths wind through flora both exotic and mundane and there are many benches and fountains scattered throughout. One of the escape tunnels from the main house runs to the center of the maze.
StablesLocated northeast of the Mansion, just inside the treeline, is a large stable, big enough to house 25 horses. Adjacent to it is a 40-acre fenced-in pasture.
Breakstone LakeForming the northern border of the estate is Breakstone Lake, also known as Neversink Reservoir. The lake is very large, with various properties on the remainder of the shore. Along the estate, it features a beach with a scattering of snug, comfortable cabins. It also features Spuyten Dyvel Cove, a small bay shielded from the lake by a heavily-wooded promontory, where the X-Men and x-students are afforded the rare opportunity to cut loose outside the Danger Room.
With thanks to
Scott's X-Mansion Layout Page,
RPCommunity.com, and
WishWorlds Nexus.
