Tower of Insanity

== History ==
The island of Rukan has always been uninhabited, save for the few castaways that were left stranded after being shipwrecked on the island's rocky shores. It is not hard to imagine why; Rukan's barren lands and lack of natural harbors would make it hard to establish both farms and fishing towns. As such, all the regional powers have ignored this island.
However, this all changed less than 30 years ago. With the rise of Avangar and the expansion of the Elyrians, a nobleman of House Yekindar from the city of Marecs in eastern Littlestep got wind of the situation and acted upon it. Gathering his family and the servants of his estate, Lord Yekindar fled to Rukan and built a tall tower that would protect them from any Elyrian invaders.
Many years afterwards, however, the Tower fell victim to a terrible plague, and only the lord's son and a few servants remained. The Tower fell into ruin and the young lord went mad, and it is said that his screams and muffled manic laughter can still be heard echoing across Rukan. No one has seen anyone entering or leaving the Tower ever since.
Spotting the Tower of Insanity is considered a bad omen, and for that reason alone most sailors avoid Rukan, choosing longer routes for their voyages.
== Oral story told by a nursing maid from the Platinum Princedom ==
"Sit tight, children, and let me tell you the story of the Tower of Insanity.
This little island once belonged to a wealthy, noble family from the land that now belongs to Avangar. Seeing their lands being conquered by the zealous legions of Alga, the lord fled with his servants and his family to this little rock, right here.
He built his castle anew, far away from the fanatical legions. The ogres weren't exactly friendly, but they weren't as troublesome as the suicide warriors, either. 
However, the Lord's son quickly grew bored and tired of the castle. He wanted to explore the world, and one day left for greener pastures. His journey took him to the very far Isle of Wizards and the Hithlone Citadel.
The lord's son spent 20 years honing his skills of the arcane amongst illusionists and alchemists. One day, feeling homesick, he decided to sail back to his ancestral home, only to find out that his father and mother had long been dead, only a few servants still residing there.
Rueing the decision to leave his home, the lord's son started casting spells that reminded him of his childhood. One particular spell recounted the childhood tales told by his grandmother. One such tale described a fantastical kingdom to the east of Littlestep, where one could find dwarves, old people eating wolves and little girls ruling over entire countries.
The wizard was so absorbed in these memories, however, that he soon mistook them for reality. Since these waters were explored long ago by Seagardian and Zemylander sailors, no such land ever existed, of course. When his servants informed him of that, the wizard turned mad, killing them all in a raging frenzy. His laughter can still be heard across the halls of the Tower, which none but him and the ghosts of his victims still roam.
This is the tale of a man who let fantasy distract him from reality."
Category:Short Story