I remember a loud bang, and a flash of crimson light, then nothing... Darkness... It felt like days but may have hours. Sticky black moss covered my body, searing disfiguring scars still show the outline. I can still hear people crying out for help, buried under rubble. People looked like ghosts, bleeding, stumbling, trying to walk before collapsing.
Charred bodies everywhere - filling the rivers - limbs littering the streets like stones.
I will always see this image. I hope no one else will see it again.
— Rasteag Noblebringer, Cleric to the Dwarven God of Hunt and War,
Last survivor, age 322
Council Gathering
During the second age, three
Shards of the Elder One united, releasing a minor demon of the
Elder One. After a mighty battle banishing the demon, the surviving paladins recognized the true nature of the shards. The group hurried to a local temple, located a few days away from
Saltmarsh.
Within hours, a great council of the sentient races gathered, bringing together many of the paladins of the Gods of Alignment. Tasked with a hefty decision, they debated between destroying the shards, or locking them away deep underground. Battered and bruised after battling the demon, and weary of a repeated event, the council unanimously decided to protect the future and destroy the shards.
Shattering of the Shards
United in prayer, divine magic swelled from the holy defenders and filled the temple room, with blazing holy light. The shards pulsed a dark and murky maroon, and upon shattering, released the terrible energy and magic of the elder one. A writhing black and maroon blaze decimated the surrounding area. Rivers became canyons; forests became deserts. A few shrines survived, likely due to the divine protections embedded into them.
Devastation
The few surviving records fail to describe the exact geographical scope of the damage. The nearest settlement, Old
Saltmarsh was a days journey from the temple and still suffered immense devastation. Only three buildings were somewhat recognizable after the wave: the city gates, the local jail, and the current
council hall.
Survivors
The few survivors of the great devastation were easily recognized due to their immense scarring and physical deformations. Because religious leaders feared any reference that might even indirectly strengthen the Elder One, sketches of survivors were banned.
Legacy
Only a handful of council members survived. The true nature of the great devastation was hidden from the public. Several paladin orders started campaigns to locate the other shards and lock them deep in the sealed vaults, away from civilization. Of the 63, only twelve were found. Over time, the significance of these shards has faded from memory. Few have access to the records, and even fewer seek them out. Several shards have since been found and sold as desirable gems.
Creation and Corruption of the Hool Marshes
The three kingdoms in the area pooled their resources together to create the sacred vaults. The rulers agreed to minimize the exposure the shards would have in the surrounding areas by creating deep vaults outside of the destruction radius. One such vault was past the Dunwater river. Because of it's remote location, it became the primary vault for the Shards of the Elder One. To the paladin order, guarding this place was considered a high priority, though most of the individuals guarding the vault did not know its purpose.
During a great war centuries later, the Keoland King called the Paladins away to defend the kingdom. Without their magic to reinforce the seals, the sacred protections faded. Bandits eventually raided the vaults, and the corrupting essence which the vault contained for centuries seeped into the surrounding area. The previously lush green hills turned brown, the trees turned grey, and the once clear waters hid dangerous creates in the murky shadows. Today, the
Hool Marshes are known for their deceptive pools of water that seem easy to cross but hide deep wells and layers of mud. The area is full of tall, sickly trees and great swarms of biting insects.
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