History

The opulent structure bore witness to Wilhelm’s flamboyant and controversial life; it was a testament to his gaudy, indulgent, and lucrative lifestyle - a stark contrast to the destitution of his youth. Wilhelm began his life as a humble farm boy in Wall Maria. He learned the tools of his trade through his humble work, which would ultimately grow into an ostentatious and thriving indigo monopoly. Wilhelm relentlessly pursued excess, which manifested in the mansion’s extravagant amenities, from cutting-edge gas stoves to a state-of-the-art air conditioning system fueled by ice from the Northern Mountains of Wall Rose. The home also boasted bedrooms that far outnumbered his family, underscoring the excesses that largely defined his existence.

Yet, behind the facade of prosperity, darkness loomed. Wilhelm’s successes twisted his psyche, rendering him a controversial figure. His boastful claims that his home surpassed that of the Royal Palace attracted unwanted negative attention to him and his family, and incurred the wrath of the Royal Family. Likewise, those in Sina viewed his rise as an affront to their privileged existence - a strange perversion of what it meant to be rich and noble. To them, someone from Wall Maria could not and should not be able to rise to become one of the richest men in the Walls. They petitioned to dismantle his indigo monopoly, which was met with swift compliance by the Royal Family, sowing the seeds of the Wilmhur family’s tragic downfall.

But, despite the aristocracy’s intervention, Wilhelm clung to his decadent lifestyle. Gold statues erected in his and his son Frederick’s honor adorned the estate, while his business gradually crumbled. Wilhelm eventually died in the year of 779 at the ripe old age of 78, survived by his wife and eight children.

Unfortunately, from here the Wilmhur’s family fortunes took a precipitous nosedive. Despite Wilhelm’s efforts to prepare his eldest son, Frederick, for the eventual helm of the family business, Frederick and his seven siblings became ensnared in the same web of decadence that brainwashed their father. Turmoil erupted over control over the family business and, more importantly, their dwindling wealth. Legal battles between siblings unfolded, persisting throughout the remainder of the 9th century. The family fought relentlessly until, much to the amusement of the Sina aristocracy, there remained virtually nothing within Wilhelm’s estate worth contending.

Frederick managed to retain ownership of the Wilmhur Mansion, and what was left of the family’s business. But, the once-prosperous farming enterprise disintegrated, crippled not only by the legal skirmishes, but also by dismal harvests resulting in consecutive years of negative cash flow. Loans were sought to keep the business afloat - loans that could never, and would never be paid off. Wilhelm’s savings were squandered, drained by the children’s lavish lifestyles and the protracted legal battles. What endured was nothing more than the mere shell of a house.

Year after year, the family business faced repeated failures until its inevitable collapse. The family’s valuable farmland was liquidated to settle debts and eventually seized by the Royal Family. Creditors, in pursuit of their dues, went after Frederick’s home. Frederick, for a time, was able to stave off the inevitable, until his untimely death in the year 813 at the age of 61. He was survived by his three sons, who, while valiant in their efforts, were powerless to retain ownership of the mansion. Foreclosed in 815, the last of the Wilmhur’s assets was relinquished to the Royal Government and sold to the Villagers of Stenson.

From then, the mansion remained largely uninhabited. Villagers sporadically tended to its upkeep, and hosted occasional events in the building. Yet, beyond these fleeting activities, the mansion remained dormant until present day. As for the fate of the Wilmhur family, it remains veiled in obscurity. What became of Frederick’s three sons and his other siblings is a mystery, as the indifferent Sina aristocracy neglected to document their history. It is assumed, albeit callously, that the family returned to their modest farmlands in Maria, where they likely met their demise during the breach.

Today, not a penny remains in the estate that Wilhelm left behind. The bloodline is deemed extinct, and all that endures is the hollow shell of their former abode. Perhaps fueled by the vivid imaginations of visitors, whispers persist of the mansion being haunted by the vengeful spirits of Wilhelm and Frederick. These specters purportedly seek retribution against the affluent aristocracy that stripped them of their hard-earned wealth. However, though the family may be gone, Wilhelm’s legacy lives on through the decaying grandeur of the mansion he built over one century ago - a testament to the ephemeral nature of opulence and the unavoidable march of time.

Today, new life has been breathed into the Wilmhur Estate by the Ackerman Bloodline, who won the estate at an auction. The building was purchased for a whopping 445,000 gold, an amount that far surpassed the mansion's assessed value at just 150,000 gold. It is the place where most members of the Ackerman family reside, in addition to other individuals who purchased a stake in the home at the auction. The mansion has since been refurbished, with plenty of changes indicating the mansion's new lived-in status. Time will tell what history develops in this estate while the Ackerman family continues to reside in it.

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