Ralshan Darn
Ralshan Darn was once the formidable stronghold of Dastan, brother to King Tiran III and later himself the monarch of Remon.
Situated on the northeastern edge of the Krund Hills, the fortress stood as a powerful symbol of House Darbun’s strength and vigilance. The thick, dark stone walls and towering battlements protected the vital trade routes through the Plains of Daraneen, and within those walls, Dastan had built a home with his wife Shylla and their newborn daughter Parda.
However, Ralshan Darn's strength was tested when Hormal Jescallar, after murdering Tiran and seizing the throne, sought to eliminate the last threat to his claim: Dastan.
Hormal’s forces marched on Ralshan Darn, determined to crush the resistance before it could rally. At his side was a dark mage of great power, who would be the key to Hormal’s assault. While the castle’s defenders held firm, believing they could withstand the siege, Hormal’s mage unleashed devastating sorcery that shattered the defenses, reducing much of the fortress to ruin in a single, horrific night.
With the walls breached, Dastan's wife, Shylla, was forced to flee. Taking Parda, and accompanied by a small group of loyal retainers, she escaped through the hidden tunnels that snaked beneath the fortress and into the Krund Hills beyond. When news reached Dastan at Arknas of the fall of Ralshan Darn, he rode swiftly to the scene and found his home in ruins, but his family gone.
Determined to avenge his fallen house and reclaim his throne, Dastan pursued Hormal's forces into the hills. It was there, in the rugged terrain of the Krund Hills, that the two forces clashed in the fateful Battle of the Krund Hills. Dastan emerged victorious, slaying Hormal and reclaiming his birthright as king. The daughter who had been hidden in the hills would grow to become Queen Parda, ruler of Remon, securing the Darbun legacy once more.
The ruins of Ralshan Darn, though crumbled and weathered after more than two centuries, still evoke a sense of the power it once held. The fortress's outer walls are now mostly reduced to scattered heaps of stone, with only a few jagged remnants of towers still standing against the winds that sweep across the northern edge of the Krund Hills. A few sections of the once-grand central keep remain partially intact, though they are heavily overgrown with hardy shrubs and mosses. These surviving fragments hint at the castle's former might, with some of the walls still bearing the marks of the dark magic that destroyed them during Hormal’s assault.
While much of the structure has collapsed, the hidden tunnels that allowed Shylla and her daughter Parda to escape still remain, snaking deep into the hills below the ruins. These tunnels, once a lifeline for the Darbun family, have since fallen into disrepair and darkness. Narrow and claustrophobic, the passageways are littered with rubble and debris, making exploration treacherous. Some of the larger chambers in the tunnel network are still accessible, though they are said to house more than just shadows.
Over the years, the ruins have become home to creatures both mundane and monstrous. The tunnels are now frequently used by colonies of Narshax, the massive, burrowing rodents that plague the Krund Hills. These six-foot-long creatures, with their sharp teeth and powerful claws, have transformed parts of the tunnels into their own sprawling burrows. Aggressive and territorial, they attack any intruder who ventures too close to their colonies, making the lower tunnels particularly dangerous.
In addition to the Narshax, rumors persist of more sinister inhabitants within the deeper reaches of the tunnels. Some say that Hormal’s mage, though long dead, left behind strange, lingering magic that has warped the land beneath the ruins. Mysterious lights and eerie noises are often reported by those brave enough to venture close, and a few adventurers claim to have encountered unnatural creatures lurking in the shadows - beasts born of twisted sorcery, guarding secrets yet to be uncovered.
RUINED STRUCTURE
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