Gilladian
Adventurer
Actually, Whizbang, I know a lot more about it than I wrote, because I didn't figure it was all germane to the discussion. 400 years ago, this whole region was part of a very successful empire. However, the empire was failing, and kingdoms were breaking away, civil wars were occurring, and this castle became the headquarters of a rebel wizard. Why a clay golem? meta-game, because I like the stats/description in the MM. In-game history - the wizard had a companion/spouse who was a cleric of Aragh, the god of death and war, who was the emperor' personal deity. The wizard rebelled against the Emperor, his spouse rebelled against him, and he was defeated. However, the cleric went off to join the Emperor to defeat other rebels, and died in the cause. The castle was sacked by armies on various sides of the civil war, and eventually abandoned. The dungeon was never searched by any of the sackers, and has laid undisturbed ever since. The prisoner in the cellar either dates back to the wizard's time, or perhaps to a time before him, though I really doubt that. I suspect the prisoner was either, as Alkavian suggested, a person being used as an experiment by the wizard for some reason, or maybe was a hostage in the war.
Previous to the empire that fell, which was known as the 2nd Miraborian, there was a FIRST Miraborian Empire. It was present in the region some 1500-1,000 years ago (vice 400-800 years ago for the 2nd Empire). At that time, this area was a bit more on the edges of the Empire, and never as civilized. This region had a semi-barbaric tribe of dwarves residing in it, who built many small semi-underground keeps and fortresses. This was one of them. Most of it was totally demolished by war and age, but when the 2nd Empire came back into the region, they built on the same spot because of its strategic importance overlooking a major navigable river. When they dug the foundations of the castle, they found the old dwarf ruins and attached them to the castle's dungeon. A later resident, long before the wizard and cleric, sealed over the old dwarf-tunnels, and put in a secret entrance. The wizard never knew they existed.
Previous to the empire that fell, which was known as the 2nd Miraborian, there was a FIRST Miraborian Empire. It was present in the region some 1500-1,000 years ago (vice 400-800 years ago for the 2nd Empire). At that time, this area was a bit more on the edges of the Empire, and never as civilized. This region had a semi-barbaric tribe of dwarves residing in it, who built many small semi-underground keeps and fortresses. This was one of them. Most of it was totally demolished by war and age, but when the 2nd Empire came back into the region, they built on the same spot because of its strategic importance overlooking a major navigable river. When they dug the foundations of the castle, they found the old dwarf ruins and attached them to the castle's dungeon. A later resident, long before the wizard and cleric, sealed over the old dwarf-tunnels, and put in a secret entrance. The wizard never knew they existed.
