The Radana Storme Institute (rædænæ stɔ:me ɪŋstɪʧu:t)
Purpose / Function
The Radana Storme Institute was founded in order to provide psychiatric care to its patients and to cure them of any afflictions of the brain they might endure.
Architecture
Surrounded by tall walls made of stone and reinforced with spikes of iron, the asylum is situated on the western bank of the River Ojo, a location that provided a natural defense against outside attack.
The mansion of The Respected House of Storme is a grand and imposing structure on the north side of the compound, its towering spires and ornate carvings a testament to the wealth and power of its inhabitants. The mansion is surrounded by a high wall made of black stone, with a large wrought-iron gate that is always guarded by armed soldiers.
On the east side of the compound is the penitentiary, an imposing structure, its walls made of thick stone, and its entrance guarded by armed guards. Inside, the cells are small and cramped, with narrow beds and no windows on the upper levels. The only light comes from flickering torches on the walls, casting shadows that seem to dance in the darkness. The lower cells have small windows with heavy iron bars.
The botanical gardens are on the south side of the compound and are a stark contrast to the rest of the compound, their lush greenery and colorful flowers providing a peaceful respite from the otherwise oppressive atmosphere. The gardens are surrounded by a high stone wall and covered by two clear glass domes, with a gated entrance that allows patients to visit during designated hours.
On the west side of the compound, the medical treatment building is a large, two-story structure made of brick and stone. Its windows are small and barred, providing limited natural light to the patients inside. The entrance to the building is flanked by two statues of the Bes, spined wilder-beasts who prowl the wilderness of Lower Mastoria, their fierce visages serving as a warning to any who dare to approach. Inside, the building is laid out in a maze-like fashion, with narrow corridors and multiple locked doors that prevent patients from wandering too far.
In the northwest corner of the compound, an ornate stone mausoleum is built at the center of a graveyard. The mausoleum provides a resting place for those who hold the name of Storme. Around the mausoleum is a field of stone faces, each one chiseled in the likeness of those that are buried beneath them. At the edge of the graveyard lies a wooden cabin which is inhabited by one of the two groundskeepers, this is a newly constructed cabin made from ash wood.
Defenses
High stone walls surround the compound, reinforced with iron spikes to prevent breaches on either side. These walls are augmented by battlements (which are regularly patrolled by the guards), crenellations, and murder holes that provide additional protection against invaders and escaping inmates.
The only method by which to enter or leave the compound is by the harbour, a protruding stone dock that is absent of any ships or boats, save for the first morning of each week when it will receive its supplies from Arkeluw.
All staff are provided with silver keys that are designed to limit access across the facility. These keys are enchanted and will change their shape if they are handled by anyone who is not authorised to hold them. Authorisation is only provided by the Warden or in recent days by Doctor Walmdas Kluw.
History
1st Waldawajeń 117 5E
Radana Storme, the Matriarch of the Stormes of the Sixth Circle. She studied at the Imperator Adam University and there developed a fascination for the mind. Having her own struggles with melancholy, she decided to devote her life to the study of the mind, and a quest to cure others of afflictions not just physical but psychological as well.
On Labour Day in the Year 117 5E, Radana Storme began construction on the Radana Storme Institute, a facility that would tend to those afflicted by mental illness. She hired her own staff of healers and doctors, selecting from religious officials and from fellow academics. She hired a band of mercenaries to act as a private guards under her employ, and she brought in a team of orderlies employed from among the denizens of Arkeluw.
1st Dallarjeń 122 5E
With construction on the Radana Storme Institute concluded, and in order to honour the first day of the new year, Radana Storme announces the official opening of the Radana Storme Institute and accepts its first patients.
1st Skrabarjeń 240 5E
Following the suicide of Arnold Storme, former Warden of the Radana Storme Institute and Patriarch of the Stormes of the Sixth Circle, Petro Storme is selected by the Storme Conclave to take his place. Still, young and grieving the loss of his father, Warden Petro Storme is overwhelmed by depression and struggles to commit to his responsibilities as a Warden. Only when he meets his future match Irena does he learn to manage his trauma.
13th Alwarjeń 264 5E
Irena Storme is killed in a raid orchestrated by the Kraven tribe and the Warden's daughter Nadia is kidnapped. This causes Warden Petro Storme to once again succumb to his depression, and he allows the Radana Storme Institute to fall into disrepair.
3rd Skrabarjeń 269 5E
Wlad Mulkwast and his daughter Walerija Mulkwast arrive at the Radana Storme Institute, adopting the false identities of Doctor Walmdas Kluw and Nadia Storme. Walerija poses as the long-lost daughter of Warden Petro Storme, and Wlad Mulkwast as her rescuer. Elated by her rescue, Warden Petro Storme names Doctor Walmdas Kluw as Head of Psychiatry at the Radana Storme Institute and gives him full managerial authority.
Shortly thereafter a series of murders begin. These murders cost the lives of patients and staff in a seemingly indiscriminate fashion. The only common factor between each of these killings is a Zmumadian symbol carved into the left arm of The Victim.
20th Skrabarjeń 269 5E
As the situation at the Radana Storme Institute grows more serious, and death becomes more frequent and gruesome, the asylum is thrown into a state of anxiety. Captain Myron resorts to attempting to execute Zmumadian natives on mass, however he is talked down from this drastic action by other members of the faculty including Doctor Ada Arztin and Sister Prudence.
21st Skrabarjeń 269 5E
Captain Myron is savaged by a Lycanthrope and torn in two, further alienating the guards from the patients and radicalising them against them. Around this time, many guards began to speak with Sir Bellinor and started to learn about his worldview, believing that all the patients are impure and need to be violently cleansed of evil.
22nd Skrabarjeń 269 5E
After the murder of a patient named Lenni, Sister Prudence is captured and wrongfully accused on serial murder, and imprisoned in Anti-Magic Cells to await judgement.
24th Skrabarjeń 269 5E
A night of chaos ensues at the Radana Storme Institute, during which floods of patients escape their confinement. The Anti-Magic Cells are forced open and Wild Sorcerers cause an explosion which sets the Penitentiary ablaze. Doctor Ada Arztin likewise sets fire to the psychiatric building. A group of patients storm Storme Manor and kill multiple patients before engaging in an attack on Doctor Walmdas Kluw. Sir Bellinor, Ajax Wursor, and Sylwester are all killed in the riot, and it is widely believed that Sister Prudence perished as well.
When the sun rises, the Konstat arrive and details of the last few weeks are brought to life. It is discovered that the serial murders were committed by Doctor Ada Arztin, who was a victim of magical manipulation by Doctor Walmdas Kluw, who was committed to a program of unethical research. They also hold Warden Petro Storme responsible for many other patient deaths. A full investigation is mounted against the faculty of the Radana Storme Institute and the asylum is closed for the forseeable future.
Those patients who both survived and did not successfully escape captivity were rounded up and imprisoned in the Deep whilst both Doctor Ada Arztin and Warden Petro Storme are imprisoned as well. Doctor Walmdas Kluw, Doctor Wiliam Wosow and Doctor Redna Hennigar escape capture and flee.
Founding Date
1st Dallarjeń 122 5E
Type
Asylum
Parent Location
Owner
Owning Organization
Characters in Location
Related Report (Primary Locations)
- The Last Storme: Session 1 - The Skirmish of the Stew
- The Last Storme: Session 2 - The Spider and the Wolf
- The Last Storme: Session 3 - The Captain of the Guards
- The Last Storme: Session 4 - The Sixteen
- The Last Storme: Session 5 - Lenni's Secrets
- The Last Storme: Session 6 - The Invisible Stranger
- The Last Storme: Session 7 - A Shadow on the Mind
- The Last Storme: Session 8 - Fishbowl
- The Last Storme: Session 9 - Subject Three
