Rastilius' Folly
Few landmarks better illustrate the dangers of combining immense magical talent with questionable judgement than Rastilius' Folly. Rastilius was a gifted Half-Elven wizard, renowned more for his curiosity than his common sense. Possessed of considerable magical ability and an insatiable desire to explore the world, he grew tired of travelling from inn to inn and sleeping beneath canvas whenever his studies took him beyond the great cities. His solution was characteristically extravagant. Rather than journeying to distant lands, Rastilius decided to take his entire home with him. After years of experimentation he constructed a vast enchanted stone platform capable of levitating high above the ground. Upon it he built a comfortable two-storey manor complete with library, laboratories, gardens and servants' quarters. Four teams of powerful oxen, each accompanied by experienced drovers, slowly hauled the floating mansion across the countryside whilst the wizard enjoyed all the comforts of home.
Should danger threaten, the animals would simply be brought aboard before the platform rose safely beyond the reach of brigands, monsters or wild beasts. Any airborne enemies, Rastilius confidently declared, could easily be dealt with by his own considerable magical abilities. Against all expectation, the scheme worked. For almost five years Rastilius wandered across Warlderia, becoming one of the great curiosities of his age. Villagers travelled for miles simply to witness the floating mansion passing overhead, whilst nobles eagerly competed for invitations to dine in the extraordinary travelling house. Inspired by his apparent success, more than one wealthy mage began planning similar magical residences of their own. Then came the day that gave the mansion its name.
Whilst travelling through a remote wilderness, Rastilius found himself attacked simultaneously by enemies upon the ground and by a great flying creature descending from above. As his servants hurriedly gathered the oxen onto the platform, the wizard concentrated upon lifting the mansion into the air whilst unleashing devastating spells against the aerial attacker. Distracted by the battle and buffeted by unusually strong winds, Rastilius failed to notice that the platform was rising at a dangerous angle. The creature finally fell,but its enormous body crashed into the edge of the floating platform. The impact was slight. The timing was catastrophic. A powerful gust of wind caught the already tilting mansion, rolling the entire platform over in mid-air. Witnesses claimed the great house seemed almost to turn in slow motion before crashing to the ground with such force that the surrounding woodland shook.
Remarkably, Rastilius himself survived. His guests, servants and household did not. Overcome with grief and blaming himself entirely for the disaster, the wizard gathered what little he could salvage before sealing the shattered mansion with powerful wards. Abandoning both his magical experiments and his dreams of exploration, he disappeared into obscurity. No reliable account records what became of him. The mansion remains exactly where it fell. Upside down. Today the roof forms its foundations, whilst chimneys disappear into the earth and the great cellar hangs improbably above the upper floors. Staircases lead in impossible directions, doors open onto ceilings and furniture still clings to walls and floors according to whatever magical forces survived the crash.
Treasure hunters have long sought the fabulous magical collection said to remain within Rastilius' abandoned home. Many enter hoping to recover enchanted books, curious artefacts or the secrets behind the levitating platform itself. Few return with more than a handful of odd curiosities. The interior has become a bewildering maze of collapsed rooms, lingering enchantments and unpredictable magical effects. Strange creatures have made their homes within the overturned mansion, whilst some claim the invisible servants still dutifully continue their daily routines, blissfully unaware that their master's house has been upside down for centuries.
Among adventurers there is an old saying: "Every wizard believes his plan is foolproof. Rastilius merely proved that gravity disagrees."
To this day the broken mansion remains one of the most unusual sights in Warlderia—a remarkable monument to magical ingenuity, human curiosity... and spectacular overconfidence.