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Spooktober 2022
Generic article | Jan 29, 2023
Prompt: Ruin
 

Even I haven't traveled into the ruins. Paid some sprightly young leekling to run in and report back. It sounds beautiful!
— 'Ma' Bonnie Appetit, Culinarian Explorer

Centuries ago, a large city of inhabitants lived within the Promised Land. They built temples dedicated to fruits and vegetables and left behind lush, succulent terrain. It's unknown when or why they disappeared.
Location: The Promised Land
Population: Unknown
Founding Date: Unknown,
Centuries Old
Ruined Date: Unknown,
At Least 200 Years

Silence Within the Ruins




Traveling Inside

  Very few are knowledgable about traveling around or through the ruins. Maps of the area are vague and sparse without dedicated cartographers passing through. Thankfully, brave explorers have put their lives on the line to provide more detailed information about the ruined city.   The city center was once around a large section of the Sacchariver (sak-uh-riv-er), utilizing the water to move goods through the streets via a gutter rail system. Small temples and shrines to the agricultural Gods spatter the city with miniature gardens around nearly every building.

 

The only remaining partial map of the ruined city center, created by Unknown.
 

Geography Around the Ruins

  Located at the center of the Promised Land, the ruins are surrounded by rolling hills and expansive plains blanketed in wild fruits and vegetables. They sit equidistant between The Sugarcanaan Isles, Pollenesia, and Herbacium.
  The Ruins of the Promised Land are hidden within the shallow valley of the Sugar Lumps. They're a wide range of hills known for their oddly sweet collection of critters believed to have originated from the Sugarcanaan Isles. Now overgrown with flora, the Sugar Lumps lead to dangerous, dense forests and intoxicating fields of flowers. The Sacchariver cuts through the hills and runs down the center of the ruined city, bringing water to the inhabitants.
 

A Mystery History

  Despite best efforts, much of the ruins' history has been lost to time. Perfectly preserved, it appears as if the inhabitants simply disappeared and left behind all of their possessions.
  From the few successful excursions, some details have been observed. It's widely believed the inhabitants were avid farmers who worshipped the agricultural pantheon of deities. Most bones discovered seem to be a mix of humans, dwarves, elves, and other humanoid species. The only ones found within the communal ovens were elven. Although the inhabitants were capable of metalwork, many tools were made strictly of bones, especially those used in food production.

 
Past Inhabitants
Very little is known about those that lived in the ruins. Archaelogical digs have been attempted but none have been successful. Relics from the ruins have made their way through Culinaria via tomb raiders.
Current Inhabitants
Although the ruins are officially considered empty, there are souls that thrive among the forgotten buildings and decayed roads. Thieves, loners, and the odd traveler call the ruins their home, fiercely defending their lands.


The Communal Kitchen
Inside a massive, stone building sits the Communal Kitchen, a public cafeteria once believed to be open 24/7. Fires were staffed by citizens and food was shared with anyone who came by.
 
Storage Caverns
Deep within the ruins are hand-carved caves filled with magically preserved fruits and vegetables. Jams made with these are some of the most prized goods in Culinaria. Thousands have died trying to obtain these preserves and fare.
 
The Fungal Fields
Wafting their stench for acres, the Fungal Fields are a vast territory covered in microbes and blight. It is rare to find anyone in these lands despite rumors an ancient cult once worshipped here.
All images created by Emily Armstrong using wombo.art AI.

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