Murkys
Murkys is one of the Seven Kingdoms of Apa Axas. It is most notable for its golden age, followed quickly by a fall into an Undead curse.
Geography
The landscape of Murkys is now completely altered after the Curse afflicted the region. Once-beautiful cities are now cursed ruins, and former areas of natural beauty are now stinking or barren swampland. Examples include:
- Halu; the former capital, now a zone of eternal twilight, shrouded in thick mists that distort time and space. It is said that the Mortal Sword’s essence still lingers here, and those who enter rarely return.
- Kerrath’s Wastes; Once the breadbasket of Murkys, now the plains are cracked and lifeless, dotted with the skeletons of beasts and humanoids. Occasionally, phantasmal echoes of farmers can be seen tending to invisible crops.
- Sekak's Bloom; a cursed woodland that is said to 'bleed' red sap from its trees.
- Tynelion’s Shattered Peaks; a group of mountains that were split during the Mortal Sword’s arrival, creating jagged cliffs and rivers of poisonous ichor.
History
Murkys was a jewel of Human civilization, known for its fertile plains, deep forests, and strategic coastal cities. The continent was divided into five major kingdoms: Sixis, Bruith, Kalan, Suvak, and Wulag, which shared an uneasy alliance. These kingdoms thrived on trade, innovation, and the arts, bolstered by Suvak’s village of Cliffant, a population of Stone Goliath and their mastery of rune magic, a discipline that allowed them to enhance crops, strengthen fortifications, and imbue their weapons with divine power.
The Covenant of the Five Crowns ensured stability, with periodic councils to resolve disputes and promote unity. The capital city of this alliance, Halu, was an architectural marvel: a sprawling metropolis with towering spires and rune-carved bridges that glowed faintly at night. Murkys’ prosperity also drew the attention of the divine. The Ancient Natural Spirit, Vana the Fast, was revered as the patron deity of the continent, blessing the land with abundant harvests and granting Clerics and Paladins the ability to channel her power of speed and light to protect the realm. However, with prosperity came hubris. The people of Murkys grew over-reliant on magic, and many began to experiment with forbidden forms of it, delving into necromancy and dark summoning arts. A secret cabal of mages called The Veinglorious emerged, lured by the promise of immortality and the power to rival the gods. They operated in the shadows, their experiments hidden beneath the bustling cities of Murkys.
The calamity began during the The Festival of the Footfall, an annual celebration honoring Vana the Fast. On this day, the Veinglorious enacted a ritual to summon an entity known as Yayla, the Mortal Sword, the First Lich. Their intent was to siphon its power, but the ritual went catastrophically wrong. The First Lich unleashed a curse that blanketed the entire continent. The Curse of the Mortal Sword stripped the souls from the living, binding their consciousnesses to their decaying bodies. The once-thriving cities became tombs overnight as the population transformed into intelligent undead, their minds intact but their flesh rotting. Clerics and paladins of Vana the Fast tried to reverse the curse, but their divine magic faltered under the overwhelming despair radiating from the Mortal Sword’s presence. Halu, the heart of Murkys, became the epicenter of the curse, its grand spires now home to ghastly wails and eternal darkness. The Veinglorious, instead of perishing, ascended to Lichdom, taking control of several cities and proclaiming themselves rulers of the new undead dominion. Civil wars erupted as some undead sought to embrace their fate, while others resisted the Veinglorious' rule.
The survivors of Murkys—those who managed to flee before succumbing to the curse—scattered across neighboring continents. They became refugees, mistrusted by other nations for their association with the cursed land. Meanwhile, Murkys became a desolate wasteland, its once-lush fields now barren and lifeless. The undead who remained struggled to find purpose. Divided into factions, they fought for dominance or desperately sought a way to reverse their fate. Organisations such as The Murkys Dominion and The Fetid Horde seek to expand the power of the undead, while factions such as The Pilgrims of Vana and The Moon Knights of Compassion seek to release their grasp on the continent.
Alternative Name(s)
The Lost Kingdom
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