The Black Passing
The Black Passing is a colossal and ominous ravine that cuts through the Kartagis Desert, an uninhabitable expanse where the earth seems to bleed noxious vapours. Known as the most perilous location in the desert, it is a place of nightmares and legends, avoided by all but the most desperate or foolhardy. The Black Passing is not merely a geographic anomaly; it is a testament to the Eternal Empire’s catastrophic fall and the dangers of its legacy.
Geography and Atmosphere
The Black Passing spans miles, its jagged edges dropping into an abyss of unknown depth. The ravine’s walls are lined with blackened stone, cracked and warped as if scorched by some immense power. The vapours that rise from the depths swirl and shift unnaturally, creating ghostly shapes that flicker at the edge of sight.
Surrounding the ravine is a desolate wasteland, devoid of life except for twisted vegetation that seems to feed off the toxic air. The vapours, known as the Shroud, are a lethal miasma that corrodes both body and mind, causing white eyes in those who survive exposure.
History and Origins
The Black Passing is thought to have been created during the Eternal Empire’s collapse, when the activation of the Spire of Eternity tore apart the land. Some scholars theorize that the ravine served as a vent for the catastrophic energies unleashed during the empire’s final days, while others believe it to be the site of a failed experiment in harnessing the power of the desert.
Legends among the desert tribes speak of the Black Passing as a cursed wound in the earth, a punishment from the gods for the hubris of the Eternal Empire. These tales, passed down through generations, warn of the spirits said to haunt the ravine, guardians of its dark secrets.
Dangers and Intrigue
The Black Passing is a place of immense danger, where every step carries the risk of death or madness. The Shroud’s vapours are its most immediate threat, inducing severe disorientation, hallucinations, and eventual blindness. Survivors of prolonged exposure develop White-Eyes, a condition characterized by the loss of irises and permanent vision impairment.
Other dangers include:
- Mutated Beasts: Creatures warped by the ravine’s energies, their forms twisted into grotesque shapes.
- Spectral Entities: Ghostly figures that roam the ravine, their origins and intentions unclear.
- Sudden Quakes: Tremors that destabilize the ground, making traversal treacherous.
Despite these perils, the Black Passing draws adventurers and scholars seeking its secrets. Tales of hidden vaults containing Eternal Empire artifacts fuel these dangerous expeditions, though few return with more than scars and haunting memories.
Legacy and Importance
The Black Passing is a scar upon the Kartagis Desert, a place where the past refuses to die. It serves as a stark reminder of the Eternal Empire’s hubris and the enduring consequences of its fall. For Dum Ramil and the nomadic tribes, the ravine is a boundary both physical and symbolic, marking the edge of what is known and the beginning of chaos.
The Black Passing is a wound that never heals, its whispers carried on the wind a warning to all who dare tread near. To look into its depths is to face the abyss within.
Created during the collapse of the Eternal Empire, 4500 BAR
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