Location
The manor was situated on a hill near the Mere of Dead Men just off the coast of the Sea of Swords. The location was accessible via Wolfhill Way, a small access road that provided access back to civilization via the High Road. Eventually the swamp encroached on the home, and by the mid 14th century DR, it was well within the of the Mere.
Structure
When first built the structure was immaculately grand. A solid brick edifice and columned entryway look out over Wolfhill Way, the small road that connects the manor to the High Road. The home had two main floors, an attic and cellar.
Interior
The three story home was complete with master and servant quarters along with the normal rooms you'd expect; kitchen, dining room, etc. Notably the manor also contained a museum, hall of honor, menagerie, library, and conservatory.
- Museum: on display were taxidermied animals including apes, elk, tigers, and most notably an entire elephant.
- Hall of Honor: full suits of plate armor from Aglarond, Cormyr, Calimshan, as well as some oddities from Maztica were displayed.
- Library: a two story room with spiral stairs connecting the upper and lower levels. By the 14th century DR, the once elaborate library only contained the decaying remnants of thousands of books, atlases, and other tomes.
- Conservatory: An octagonal room with with vaulted ceilings that rose the entire three floors. The conservatory contained gardens, stained glassed windows, the skeleton of a sperm whale hanging from the ceiling, and an 12 foot tall statue of Blibdoolpoolp.
Atmosphere
What was once a grand interior had fallen into disrepair and decay. Chipped friezes and gold painted cherubim decorate the rooms, though age and lack of care have not been kind to them or the house. Most ceilings were 12' high, but the ceilings themselves were sagging in many areas.
The creatures of the swamp made their home in the abandoned home, including scorpions and giant wasps. Jermlaine that were captured and kept as "odd pets" by the Wolf's escaped. They remained in the home, and set traps for those who were in search of treasures the late Wolf's treasures.
History
The manor house was originally built by Hezekiel Wolf, who thought the location was a perfect place to build a manor home. Wolf made the home as a residence for himself and his wife, Rebekah Wolf, and to show off his collection of treasures from distant lands. [1]
The home and its inhabitants were doomed from the beginning, some of the servants fell victim to the Giant spiders and giant ticks inhabiting the area. Rebekah died during the childbirth, the baby too big to carry to term. Rumors circulated that the home was cursed and eventually the remainder of the servants abandoned the home. Hezekiel lived out his life in the manor isolated and alone, but unwilling to leave. [1]
Some time during the 14th century DR, Yuan-ti began using this house as a laboratory. They left the upper floors to be guarded by the insects and jermlaine. They added onto the cellars creating a network of tunnels and rooms that would act as a laboratory for the yuan-ti. Sissiska the commander of the Yuan-ti forces here, was in charge of the lab. He was performing various experiments with cloning creating megalomen and Histachii, attempting to use the giant growth properties of the surrounding area to his advantage. Esau Enoch fled here with Domino and Shan Hsi after they were removed from Iniarv's Tower by forces led Justin Melenikus.[1]
Rumors & Legends
The area immediately surrounding the manor home was filled with mega-fauna. Giant spiders, ticks, and other insects were extremely common. Plant life in the vicinity tended to grow larger than elsewhere in the swap. Rebekah Wolf went into early labor died during the birth of her daughter who was said to be as large as a one-year-old.[1]
Inhabitants
- Mid-12th century DR
- Hezekiel Wolf
- Rebekah Wolf
- Petrov - servant to the Wolf household
- Giorgi - servant to the Wolf household
- Jermlaine - taken as captive "pets" by Hezekiel, kept in the menagerie
- Mid-14th century DR
- Jermlaine
- Sissiska
- various giant insects
Appendix
Notes
Appearances
- Adventures
- Dungeon #69: "Slave Vats of the Yuan-ti"
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Jason Kuhl (July/August 1998). “Slave Vats of the Yuan-ti”. In Christopher Perkins ed. Dungeon #69 (Wizards of the Coast) (69)., pp. 10–27.