Rivenroar Estate
Location
The Rivenroar Estate is located about 5 miles NE of Brindol, just off the road that runs parallel to the Dwarf Road.
Description
The estate was a moderate sized one by Thorast standard, spanning a few hectares, and built upon the parcel of land that enjoyed a southerly facing elevation (perfect for maximising available sunlight). The physical buildings comprised of a standard villa, a series of stone storehouses and the family mausoleum/crypt.
History
The Rivenroar Estate takes its name from the last family to own it, although the land itself passed through a number of inter-related families in the centuries before its demise.
Von Kauthin
The first people to settle on the land was the Von Kauthin family - wealthy Merebians who owned a series of vineyards across Dominus and who wanted to gain a foothold in the Thorast markets. They bought this land shortly after the signing of the Thunder Accords, in around 70 IC. Records show that Von Kauthins were fairly unsuccessful at getting the land to turn a profit and although were wealthy they couldn't maintain an estate that continually turned a loss forever. At some point, in 92 IC, the decision was made to sell the land (at a considerable loss) to the Von Urstadt family, who were related to the Von Kauthins via the marriage of two people at the fringes of the family tree.
Von Urstadt
The Von Urstadt family didn't bother trying to run the estate as a profitable venture. Instead it was more of a 'Summer residence' where parties and trade deals could be conducted, some distance from the heart of the Empire and away from anyone who might take an interest in what can best be described as "mostly lawful" activities. The Von Urstadt family were also keenly interested in magical research, particularly 'summoning', and it was thought that the gaze of the The Cerulean Chancery would not extend out that far. This was to be a tactical error on the family's part.
Although there was never any suggestion that the Von Urstadt family managed to summon anything bigger than a familiar they unwisely boasted that their crypts had been outfitted with enchantments capable of summoning vast powers. This inevitably reached the ears of the Chancery.
In 127 IC the entire Von Urstadt family was executed for treason for a range of crimes, none of which would be considered particularly heinous by today's standards. However it was widely considered, at the time at least, a way for the Chancery to demonstrate their control over the courts and that practising magic without their oversight would be treated in the harshest way possible.
Von Jallach
After this the estate languished for a couple of decades before a claim to the land was made by the Von Jallach family. The Von Jallachs were business partners of the Von Kauthin family and were owed a considerable amount of coin. To pay off the debt the Von Kauthins passed over the deeds to a number of properties, of which Rivenroar was one. The Von Jallachs successfully argued that with the entire Von Urstadt family gone, the deeds to Rivenroar effectively passed back to the previous owners (the Von Kauthins) and so they could claim title over it as part of the debt owed.
Hence, after a short time in the courts, the Von Jallach family took over the estate in 155 IC.
The Von Jallach line was far more ambitious at running Rivenroar as a going concern and commissioned a spur to the Brindol (or Brindford as it was known then) aqueduct to help irrigate the land. Experts in horticulture were brought in and, eventually, Rivenroar tuned a healthy profit. The Von Jallachs desire for profits also extended to the crypts (see below).
Eventually, successive generations of Von Jallachs grew increasingly bored of the effort involved with maintaining the estate and it was given away as part of the dowry of one of the Von Jallachs in her marriage to the Rivenroar clan.
Rivenroar
The Rivenroar family were a proud Chundrite family with an eye on one day having a senator among their ranks and this meant that they needed to expand into areas typically viewed as "Merebian" pursuits - such as running a vineyard - and so were eager to acquire an existing, profitable estate. The Rivenroar family ran the estate from the late 280s IC.
They continued to run the estate until shortly after the attack on Brindol in 312 IC. The Rivenroar family, fearing reprisal for their family in Chundria are alleged to have assisted the non-human attackers against the 33rd Legion. After that group was destroyed, the remaining members of the 7th cohort burnt the estate to the ground.
Since then the estate has remained vacant.
The Crypts
As previously noted, the crypts were originally constructed during the ownership of the Von Kauthin family, probably in around 80 IC. Originally a single level, the crypts were extensively extended with the addition of a second level during the Von Urstadt ownership of land. This newer level sat above, and to the east of, the older level, allowing for a 'sub-level directly leading from the new antechamber. The original entrance was blocked off. As noted above the Von Urstadt line was interested in the arcane and to aid in their studies they invested large sums outfitting the crypt with a small, but allegedly functioning, summoning chamber (which, it is rumoured, still exists).
Later (around 200 IC), the Von Jallach family extensively remodelled the crypts with the hope to turn it into a visitor attraction of sorts (presumably one that they could charge entry to). Along with a set of glowing runes showing the family name (which grew brighter the more people entered, hopefully to encourage people in) they even installed a fountain, fed by a natural spring, which they claimed had 'healing powers'. The idea of crypts as a tourist spot were not to be as popular as they had hoped.
Eventually the Rivenroar family commissioned further adornment with the addition of 'offset' plaster walls to the corridors, added tapestries, and even installed braziers lit with continual flames. The lower level, containing the Von Kauthin crypt, was made accessible again by the introduction of a staircase at the rear of the new crypts.
The crypts show the signs of continual and somewhat illogical, expansion but are otherwise among the most extensive of any in the region and are of great interest to historians.
Acknowledgements
The Rivenroar Crypts was the primary location of the 4th Edition D&D adventure, "Rescue at Rivenroar" (by David Noonan) As such, the maps of the crypts and much of the accompanying information in these notes are based on material which is ©2008-2018 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. The maps have been slightly altered and the background notes have updated to reflect its position in the world of Oberon.
