Laurentius' Farmstead

The title of this article is conjectural. Although this article is based on canonical information, the actual name of this subject is pure **conjecture**.

## General Information

### Inhabitant(s)

Laurentius
 Lucas

## Behind the Scenes

### Chapter(s)

"The Apprentice"

Situated in the countryside in the Aquitaine region of mid-1300s France, **Laurentius' Farmstead** is the home of a known alchemist and physician named Laurentius as well as that of his pupil Lucas. It serves as a destination for the de Rune child fugitives.

## Description

Located well away from the nearby village and city, the farmstead is a quiet, idyllic place surrounded by expanses of forest and has at least one stream with a stone bridge and a broad river flowing through it. Narrow dirt roads offered passage through the trees, and many large fields covered with wheat or tall grass are lined with short stone walls. A large windmill sits near the river, providing a grinding mill.

Several small structures dot the land, one near a small vineyard, but the two biggest are a large barn, underneath which is a small laboratory, and a two-storied farmhouse where Laurentius and Lucas live. It is likely that serfs lived there and worked the vineyard, raised pigs, and otherwise served Laurentius.

## History

### Background

It is unknown how long Laurentius had held the lands that make up the farm, although he was likely a vassal to whichever lord owns it or he himself may have owned it as a noble under the feudal system. By 1348, Laurentius was living there with his student Lucas, who he was teaching alchemy in light of his fading health and advanced age.

### The Apprentice

In November 1348, Amicia de Rune and her brother Hugo fled from the Inquisition raid on their family estate. Before doing so, they were told by their mother, Béatrice, to find Laurentius at his farm. Before they arrived there several days later, the Inquisition had taken over the outskirts of the property, blockading the bridge, posting guards, and slaughtering most of the magister's pigs in a field near the farmhouse to serve as a distraction for the rats swarming the area. With the coming of darkness, however, the soldiers were forced to flee as the rats began to emerge. In spite of these obstacles, as well as Hugo's worsening condition, the two children made it to the farmhouse and met Laurentius, who was sick with the Bite. Lucas took them to the barn, forced to sacrifice one of the last remaining pigs to distract some rats, and went into the laboratory to make Ignifer.

When they were returning to the magister, disaster struck: a tunneling horde of rats surfaced inside the house and knocked over a distilling tank full of alcohol onto an open flame, causing an explosion and a massive fire that killed Laurentius. A hay bale cart bound to a horse also caught fire, spooking the beast which bolted, inadvertently setting the windmill's arms on fire as well. The three children fled towards the river, finding a small dock with a little boat which they used to escape the property as the farmhouse burnt to the ground.

What happened to the farmstead afterward is unknown as Lucas does not return to it when the plague rats are dispelled. If Laurentius was indeed a vassal, then the land would be returned to his lord and possibly given to someone else once the damage is repaired.

## Layout

### Pig Yard

Immediately obvious to the de Rune children as they set foot upon the farmstead is the fact that Laurentius was quite the successful pig-keeper before the arrival of the plague. By the time Amicia and Hugo reach the farm, however, the poor swine have all been slaughtered, likely by the Inquisition as a means of confining the rats to this area. Entire mountains of bloodied pig corpses fill this area, turning the once-tranquil farmland into a dark and grotesque wasteland.

### Farmstead

#### Farmhouse

A place of temporary refuge, Laurentius' farmhouse is both spacious and welcoming. On the ground floor, the children find a distillery filled with brewing machinery, dried herbs, and shelves upon shelves of bottles. The main area, which includes a staircase leading up, is a rather large chamber for a farmhouse, containing a wooden table and fireplace with still plenty of room to spare.

The second floor contains Laurentius' and Lucas' rooms. While the apprentice's room is the smaller by far, Lucas' talent is already evident in the alchemical drawing of V.I.T.R.I.O.L. that Amicia can find on his desk. Laurentius' room, meanwhile, is far larger, containing books and all other manner of alchemical items.

#### Barn

Once housing Laurentius' animals, this large building now stands empty, its occupants having been claimed by the plague. Despite its humble appearance, however, the barn hides a secret: a trapdoor near the back of the building leads down into Laurentius' alchemical laboratory, where Amicia assists Lucas in crafting the much-needed Ignifer.