The Cursed Peak

Prison of the Mad God

It's just a mountain, you pant-pissing cowards ! Beside, what do you think is going to happen to us, huh ? Full speed ahead, I'm tired of your crying. Hey, what is that shape over there ?

Captain Partos, deceased

Vestige of destruction

On the Shattered Archipelago, many places have legends about it, and most turn unfortunate sailors into snacks for the local monster. But the one with the most infamous reputation is a simple mountain named The Cursed Peak. However, while it seems like a classic monster mountain, the truth is much more terrifying, as it is proof that even the gods have their limits, while other forces seemingly get stronger each day.

Localized Phenomena

Due to Lazarrus's attempts at breaking the seals, magic is extremely unstable there. Magic slowly becomes more corrupted as you approach the mountain and go down it, making it unpredictable and dangerous. Some monks also report dark, ancient voices in their heads questioning them. " Why do you obey them ? What about your family ? How long will your body last ? ". Sometimes, they even offer them to join him, to seek out " the truth ". Such members are closely observed by their elders, as any flaw in the defense might lead to the escape of Lazarrus.

Fauna & Flora

A lot of animals seem to live here, but in reality, they are all guardian spirits tasked with spotting and eliminating intruders. The flora isn't kind either, as you never know what traps it might hide. Many sailors and explorers have been swallowed by the island's vegetation, and never made it out alive, which is why no one in the Shattered Archipelago wants to ever approach it.

Atop the mountain, guarding the entrance to the ever locked temple, is a powerful dragon, incinerating all the fools who managed to get there. However, as time went by, the corrupting influence of the Mad God twisted the dragon's mind into madness. Now, the keeper of the mountain roams the island, a hollow shell of its former self.

History

The mountain is as old as the Archipelago, and the reason is simple, as it was created at the same time.

During the god's epic clash with Lazarrus, an entire continent was the battlefield, and it was a titanic battle indeed. Blasts of destructive magic erased entire towns, and each strike of weapon made the world shake. Despite all their efforts, the gods could not kill the Mad God, as his magic restored his body stronger than before. So Ouranos, The Heavenly Sage, devised a plan that would neutralise him, at least temporarily.

The plan was to trap Lazarrus into a crystal fueled by the Great Forest while his body was destroyed, and it worked. To keep him contained, the gods placed multiple seals on the crystal and Perseus, Shaper of the Earth, made an enormous mountain rise from the depths, and placed the crystal at its center.

Since then, the mountain has been reinforced by gods from every pantheon to keep its unholy prisonner inside. A temple guarded by immortal warrior monks bound to it, a multi-leveled gigantic labyrinth teeming with monsters and an immortal guardian spirit, all do their part in the containment of Lazarrus.

Type

Mountain / Hill