Raven Blackwell
Mongoose
Dion Pirenus’s Villa
Long before the unification of Aquilonia the various provinces of that nation were smaller warring nation fighting with each other for mastery. In those times Poitain was among the greatest of those countries, having the most fertile land, borders defended by nearly impassable mountain ranges in west and south, doughty and fierce knights. It was the last to be incorporated into the larger Aquilonian empire and was a matter or statecraft, not war. Its absorption was rather recent in terms of that nations history. Some Poitainains still believe that Poitain should have remained a separate kingdom and await an opportunity to divide from Aquilonia safely.
In those troubled times before unification, the Poitainains warred also with the Zingaran. At that time the Zingaran forces occupied land far west of their current borders into land now occupied by the Poitainains. After cementing their alliance with the Aquilonian empire Poitain turned its full attention to the Zingarans and drove them back beyond the Alimane river. The land was resettled by Poitain lords and became part of the larger nation.
In the process of this shifting of borders a number of fortifications of both Poitainain and Zingarain make that once occupied strategic points along the former front were now within the nation’s borders. These structures were no longer important to Poitainains and were abandoned to the decline of the ages. Generation later a shrewd merchant named Dion Pirenus purchased one of the fortifications of Zingaran make from a rather impoverished noble family. Though Dion has several houses within the important cities of Poitain, his dealings with rather powerful individuals- the most dangerous being the sorceress known as the Bone Woman- made the possession of a defensible structure a wise investment.
Dion had the structure refurbished and redesigned it with an eye to the aesthetic. Thought still defensible it lacked the dour lines and forbidding air that many fortifications possess. He also has the fortification manned with a number of sentries to keep out undesired visitors. The villa however could hold over ten times the men Dion could afford to hire and could not withstand a true siege or assault in it’s current state. Its walls are seemingly sheer to eyes of men such as Dion but are filled with cracks and seams that could utilized easily by a skilled climber. The villa contains several towers and domes that are lightly furnished with some of Dion’s prized works of art and oddities acquired in his life.
After failing the Bone Woman, Dion retreated to his with as many men as he could hire to protect himself from the coming of her assassin Janissa the Widowmaker. The villa was no deterrent to a person as skilled as Janissa. Dion Pirenus’s life was measured only in the time it took Janissa to reach his villa.
Adventure Hook: Hearing of the death of Dion Pirenus and his men, a party of PCs may be tempted to raid the villa for the treasures of Dion ere his heirs arrive to take claim of the villa themselves. Though Janissa slew all the men within the walls of the villa what else might have also arrived? Ghouls are know to stalk the wilds in that region and other more foul things may be attracted to the smell of carrion. Rival thieves might also have had the same idea. The heirs might show up as well, with forces of their own to secure the villa for themselves. A bandit chief might fancy to turn it into his base of operations. Dion and his men spirits might not rest so easily and haunt the halls of the villa n undying bodies or spirit. One or more of his objects d’art may be a sorcerous and/or cursed. The Bone Woman, eager to display her own powers might have left a curse to linger at the villa and its future inhabitants.
Long before the unification of Aquilonia the various provinces of that nation were smaller warring nation fighting with each other for mastery. In those times Poitain was among the greatest of those countries, having the most fertile land, borders defended by nearly impassable mountain ranges in west and south, doughty and fierce knights. It was the last to be incorporated into the larger Aquilonian empire and was a matter or statecraft, not war. Its absorption was rather recent in terms of that nations history. Some Poitainains still believe that Poitain should have remained a separate kingdom and await an opportunity to divide from Aquilonia safely.
In those troubled times before unification, the Poitainains warred also with the Zingaran. At that time the Zingaran forces occupied land far west of their current borders into land now occupied by the Poitainains. After cementing their alliance with the Aquilonian empire Poitain turned its full attention to the Zingarans and drove them back beyond the Alimane river. The land was resettled by Poitain lords and became part of the larger nation.
In the process of this shifting of borders a number of fortifications of both Poitainain and Zingarain make that once occupied strategic points along the former front were now within the nation’s borders. These structures were no longer important to Poitainains and were abandoned to the decline of the ages. Generation later a shrewd merchant named Dion Pirenus purchased one of the fortifications of Zingaran make from a rather impoverished noble family. Though Dion has several houses within the important cities of Poitain, his dealings with rather powerful individuals- the most dangerous being the sorceress known as the Bone Woman- made the possession of a defensible structure a wise investment.
Dion had the structure refurbished and redesigned it with an eye to the aesthetic. Thought still defensible it lacked the dour lines and forbidding air that many fortifications possess. He also has the fortification manned with a number of sentries to keep out undesired visitors. The villa however could hold over ten times the men Dion could afford to hire and could not withstand a true siege or assault in it’s current state. Its walls are seemingly sheer to eyes of men such as Dion but are filled with cracks and seams that could utilized easily by a skilled climber. The villa contains several towers and domes that are lightly furnished with some of Dion’s prized works of art and oddities acquired in his life.
After failing the Bone Woman, Dion retreated to his with as many men as he could hire to protect himself from the coming of her assassin Janissa the Widowmaker. The villa was no deterrent to a person as skilled as Janissa. Dion Pirenus’s life was measured only in the time it took Janissa to reach his villa.
Adventure Hook: Hearing of the death of Dion Pirenus and his men, a party of PCs may be tempted to raid the villa for the treasures of Dion ere his heirs arrive to take claim of the villa themselves. Though Janissa slew all the men within the walls of the villa what else might have also arrived? Ghouls are know to stalk the wilds in that region and other more foul things may be attracted to the smell of carrion. Rival thieves might also have had the same idea. The heirs might show up as well, with forces of their own to secure the villa for themselves. A bandit chief might fancy to turn it into his base of operations. Dion and his men spirits might not rest so easily and haunt the halls of the villa n undying bodies or spirit. One or more of his objects d’art may be a sorcerous and/or cursed. The Bone Woman, eager to display her own powers might have left a curse to linger at the villa and its future inhabitants.
