Berbridge Manor

A manor house that was abandoned for some reason during the third age, but is still intact today.

Purpose / Function

The manor was built for a Grand Duke and served as a place to escape the city and to host lavish entertainments. As such it was built to house not jus the Duke and his household, but also to accomodate guests and their entourages. Separate wings provided space for guests and those needed to help the Duke run their territory.
The manor was surrounded by large formal gardens, and a nearby woodland area was set aside to provide an elven advisor with suitable accomodation.

Defenses

The manor and it's immediate grounds sat within a set of 7ft high walls with two iron gates providing access (one for nobility and the other for servants and deliveries. While the Duke was in residence the walls were regularly patrolled, with trained beasts used to sniff out anyone hiding amongst any bushes. Several of the bushes planted near the wall were traps themselves as Protective Roses were planted at various points to scratch the unwary.
The manor itself had magical wards that would sound an alarm if someone tried to break in, and more protective roses were planted beneath windows. The entire building had spells to prevent anyone magically viewing those inside.

History

Third Age

The manor was completed in the 97th years of The Empire and was used regularly for the next 60 years. During their years at the manor, the assorted Dukes had been called away on urgent business many times, so when the latest incumbent suddenly left with most of their staff in the summer of 157 no-one thought much of it. Those living nearby would occassionally be called in to help when the Duke had guests but when it was quiet it was not unusual for there to be little need for anyone to go to the manor apart from deliveries.
The first sign that something was odd was about a week after the Duke's departure when no-one had appeared to buy any food. For another week everyone convinced themselves that this was just because so much had been left behind when the Duke left early, but after two weeks that explanation became a bit strained. A few people went up to the gates and were surprised to find no sign of the guards who were usually stationed there. Looking through the gates none of them could see anyone moving around inside.
After a few more weeks of no activity a few enterprising souls decided to take a look up close to see if there was anything of value left lying around. Of the three that entered the grounds, only one returned. He explained how they had found the grounds in good condition but seen no people. The other two had managed to get a window open and gone inside while he kept watch. After waiting around for several hours he tried calling out to them, but getting no response had returned home.
After a couple of days the two that had disappeared still hadn't returned so the village mayor went up to the main gates to inquire about them. He was surprised to find that there was no-one at these gates either and, despite ringing loudly on a bell, he couldn't get any response from anyone inside. With no options the mayor wrote to the Duke's office in the capital asking about the fate of those who had gone inside. The response he got back was less than helpful.

The Grand Duke has decided that he will not be returning to Berbridge in the foreseeable future. Anyone considering entering the grounds of Berbridge Manor should note that trespassing in the grounds is a crime against the empire which merits the most severe of punishments.

Despite the warning every year a few people would try breaking in. Those that returned reported that the grounds and outside of the building remained in good repair, but that anyone that went inside didn't come out again.

Fourth Age

When people moved back into the area after the second years of darkness they were surprised to find the manor still standing in it's grounds. Every other such building had been destroyed by the demon hordes but somehow this place was still intact. Most realised this meant there was something unnatural about the place and gave it a wide birth, but a few have tried to break in. As in the last age, those that come in don't come out.

This was written for Spooktober 2022 for the Abandoned prompt. Other Spooktober articles can be found in the Tremanac Spooktober 2022 page.

Founding Date

97th year of The Empire

Owning Organization

The Empire

The village of Berbridge benefitted greatly from the construction of the manor and saw a rapid increase in wealth. This came crashing back down when the manor was abandoned and some of the first people to try exploring the manor were those left in dire circumstances when their livelihoods disappeared.