Kleukrith

Kleukrith is a land shrouded in perpetual darkness and ruled by the undead. Once a flourishing land, it is now a bleak wasteland dominated by necrotic energies that sustain the undead rulers and their decaying domain. Foul swamps, twisted forests, and barren plains make up the landscape, while ominous mist veils the land, limiting the light of day. Kleukrith is a realm of unending decay, where life struggles to survive against the relentless forces of death. Those who dwell here adapt to the harsh conditions or are bound to serve the undead lords.

The Peoples of Kleukrith

The Undead Aristocracy

Kleukrith’s ruling class consists of powerful liches, death knights, and vampire lords who govern the land from shadowed fortresses and mausoleums. This aristocracy enforces strict control, with each lord ruling over territories populated by the undead and enslaved living inhabitants.

The Necromancer Orders

These sorcerers and necromancers wield dark magic and are highly valued in Kleukrith. Many serve the undead aristocrats, honing their skills to raise, control, or empower the undead. Skilled necromancers are respected, while novice practitioners often serve as apprentices, conducting dangerous experiments in service of their masters.

The Forsaken Tribes

The few living mortals are part of resilient tribes that survive by scavenging, hiding, or serving the undead. They are typically bound to the land through ancient curses, barely tolerated by the undead rulers who see them as expendable labor or resources for dark magic.

The Revenant Wanderers

These undead roam the lands, driven by unresolved desires or unfulfilled vows from their mortal lives. Some serve as mercenaries, assassins, or guides through the hostile terrain, while others wander aimlessly, haunted by memories of their past.

Geography

Landmarks of Kleukrith

The Obsidian Spire

A towering fortress of black stone and bone, this spire serves as the central seat of power in Kleukrith. It is ruled by the most powerful of the undead aristocrats, who convene here to make decisions and manage the dark affairs of the continent.

The Pools of Eternal Rot

A vast swamp teeming with necrotic energy, the Pools are where necromancers harvest reagents and materials for their rituals. Thick, black sludge bubbles up from beneath, with creatures long-dead revived in unnatural forms.

The Forest of Withered Souls

This forest is a twisted labyrinth of skeletal trees and gnarled roots, filled with spectral apparitions of those who died in anguish. It is said that the forest binds their souls, making it dangerous for the living and even some undead to enter.

The Necropolis of Gritraven

A sprawling city of tombs and mausoleums, Gritraven is a gathering place for undead of all types. Each mausoleum houses ancient nobles and warriors, rising periodically to engage in ritual combats or to answer the call of their masters.

The Valley of Bones

This canyon is filled with bones stretching as far as the eye can see. It is both a burial ground and a place of resurrection where the undead gather bones to create new minions. It is also believed to be a sacred place where the undead are “reborn.”

The Ebon Veil Monastery

An ancient structure where monks and necromancers study dark arts. It is said to contain forbidden tomes that hold the secrets of controlling life and death, and only the most skilled are granted access.

Ecosystem

Kleukrith’s ecosystems are largely composed of fetid swamps, haunted forests, and barren plains infused with necrotic energies. These environments favor the undead, with plants and animals that are either dead, decaying, or sustained by dark magic. Any semblance of life is warped, creating twisted creatures and plants that thrive in death. Natural cycles are disrupted, and decay permeates every aspect of life, making Kleukrith an ecosystem of perpetual death and rot.

Ecosystem Cycles

The land is cursed, with necrotic energies that disrupt natural cycles. Seasons of death are marked by increased necromantic energy, where decayed animals and plants regain a twisted semblance of life. During this time, necromancers harvest undead materials in abundance. Living creatures experience a weakened state, and even the undead gain increased vitality, making this a time of heightened activity for Kleukrith’s inhabitants.

Localized Phenomena

The Mist of Souls

An ominous mist that rolls across the land at irregular intervals. It is believed to contain the souls of those who have died violently, causing hallucinations and despair to any living creature caught within it.

The Black Sun Eclipse

An irregular phenomenon where the sun is obscured, casting the land into an even deeper darkness. During this time, the undead grow stronger, and necromantic energies peak, empowering dark rituals and allowing certain forbidden magics to be performed.

Climate

Kleukrith’s climate is cold, damp, and perpetually overcast, with rare sunlight piercing the thick clouds. The air is heavy with decay, and temperatures remain low, supporting the presence of the undead and making it challenging for most living creatures. Rain falls as an acidic drizzle, harmful to the living, and fog is frequent, cloaking the land in an eerie silence.

Fauna & Flora

Flora and Fauna of Kleukrith

Flora

Death’s Bloom

A black flower that grows only in graveyards and areas of intense necromantic energy. Its petals are used by necromancers in rituals to increase the power of undead creatures.

Gravevine

A twisted vine that clings to tombstones and mausoleums, its sap is toxic to the living. It can be distilled into a powerful poison or used as an ingredient in dark potions.

Corpse Moss

A pale moss that grows in the Forest of Withered Souls. It feeds off necrotic energy, creating a thin, ghostly glow. It is often harvested as a reagent in necromantic spells.

Veilweed

A dark, translucent plant that appears almost ghost-like. It only grows in areas under constant shadow and is rumored to be sentient, binding itself to those who attempt to harm it.

Fauna

Necrowolves

These are twisted, undead wolves that roam the forests and plains. Their rotting bodies are unnaturally strong, and they are often summoned by necromancers as guardians or hunters.

Gravebats

Large, silent bats that dwell in caves and abandoned ruins. Their bites cause rapid decay, making them formidable foes to those who stray too close.

Soulleeches

Spectral creatures that drain the life force of the living. They are incorporeal and difficult to kill, often found unting areas rich in sorrow and suffering.

Skeletal Crows

These creatures are bound to the undead and serve as messengers, scouts, or spies for the undead aristocracy. They are reanimated birds stripped of flesh, bound by dark magic.

History

Kleukrith was once a thriving land until a cataclysmic curse transformed it into the realm of death and decay it is today. Ancient scholars suggest that a powerful necromancer cursed the land, binding the souls of the dead to this realm and corrupting its natural cycle. Over time, liches and undead rulers rose to power, establishing a hierarchy that would govern Kleukrith for centuries.
In its early days, necromancers from across the world journeyed here, drawn by the powerful energies of death. Wars were fought as undead lords vied for control, eventually establishing a council of rulers to maintain order. Over time, Kleukrith has become a stronghold for the undead, with its history etched in blood, dark magic, and the unbreakable bond between the dead and the cursed land. It is now a place of relentless decay, where the living are few, and the dead are legion, eternally bound to the dark legacy of Kleukrith.