- Intent: Further develop the lore of Ryloth and the Mandragora influence there.
- Image Credit: Monastery by jonone | CIS Factory/Codex headers by
Scherezade deWinter
- Canon: N/A
- Permissions: N/A
- Links: Vureshakkairn Castle | Mandragora
- Structure Name: Caer Badru
- Classification: Laboratory (Botanical and Alchemical Research)
- Location: Ryloth
- Affiliation: Confederacy of Independent Systems
- Accessibility: Situated kilometers afar from the nearest settlement or village, the greenhouse lies at the foot of the waterfall that extends down from Vureshakkairn Castle. As such, approach by ground is treacherous because of the wild terrain and rapidly flowing river. The greenhouse is best accessed by air, though there is a boathouse that leads to a pathway inside the waterfall, with a lift to the castle complex above. Because of its proximity, the greenhouse benefits from the magical wards guarding the castle, which disorient those who do not recognize the Spirits of Ryloth or are not recognized by the same as their invited guests. This disorientation can cause those uninvited to wander aimlessly in the wilds of Ryloth's brutal environment.
- Description: Rising from above a rocky outcropping in a broad river, at the foot of a massive waterfall, the Mandragora greenhouse is an enigmatic structure obscured by the thick mists that surround it. With sweeping arches and large windows, the greenhouse enclosed an alchemical laboratory that was dedicated toward botanical research on behalf of the Witches of Ryloth. A small landing pad was available for rapid transit to or from the greenhouse, along with a boathouse that offered passage up to the grounds of Vurenshakkairn Castle.
- Research Facility. Combining the cutting edge technology of the Knights Obsidian with the customs and traditions of the Mandragora, the laboratory inside of Caer Badru boasts an array of both scientific instruments and magical implements.
- Arboretum. The internal structure of the greenhouse is styled as an arboretum, with trees rising from floor to ceiling. The hallways through the structure are not straight, but rather wind as paths through the cultivated gardens that display various cultivars of interest to the Witches' study of both magic and healing.
- Meditation Pond. Located at the center of the arboretum, the meditation pond is a small reflecting pool.
- Botanical Gardens. The grounds surrounding the structure are carefully maintained, even though the craggy fixture gives little in terms of both soil or space.
- Landing Pad. Located on a small stretch of rock that is frequently above the river's waterline, the landing pad provides the easiest access to the facility.
- Boathouse. Located toward the waterfall, the boathouse leads to a path into the waterfall itself, which reveals a lift that can ferry one to or from the grounds of Vureshakkairn Castle above.
Low. The greenhouse relies on location as its greatest defense. Largely inaccessible by land, any approach by air is likely to be detected by the Knights Obsidian operating from nearby Vureshakkairn Castle. Additionally, the mists of the waterfall obscure the greenhouse's location, so that even the Mandragora in the castle may forget that Caer Badru is there. The various familiars of the Mandragora also patrol along the river banks and wilderness, including Talay Krayt Dragons, Wee Dragons, and Ouborous Krayt Dragons, which may further discourage trespassers. In terms of active security measures, miniaturized surveillance droids are deployed in the arboretum and gardens, blending in as mere insects. Intruder detection is reported back to Vureshakkairn Castle for response.
Originally a temple constructed for use by the Witches of Ryloth during the early period of what would become the Mandragora, Caer Badru was constructed around the same time as the Book of Power and Book of the Briar. It is believed that the copy of the Book of the Briar that is present inside of Caer Badru is the original manuscript that was penned by the witches studying the verdant powers of nature from within the gardens of Caer Badru. Then, as with the history of those tomes, the greenhouse fell into obscurity and was forgotten when the Four Hundred Years Darkness overshadowed the planet.
The facility was re-discovered during construction of Vureshakkairn Castle, when it was realized that there was a structure at the foot of the waterfall that ran underneath the castle. Physically restored, the facility was retrofitted with Knights Obsidian technology and the gardens re-sowed to new life. Today, Caer Badru once again serves as the pinnacle of botanical research for the Witches of Ryloth. Obscured in the mists, hiding its secrets from all but the Nightmother.
