Rannin Kell

The ruins of Rannin Kell perch on a windswept ridge along the jagged line of hills that mark the entrance to the Vale of Echoes, an eerie valley nestled in the western fringes of the Burning Peaks. Long abandoned, its grim silhouette is now a fading memory of the region’s former glory. From its high vantage point, Rannin Kell commanded a clear view of the Thalis Plains, serving as both a sentinel and a warning to any who dared approach.
Built in the twilight years of the Thalissian Empire, Rannin Kell was intended to be a symbol of defiance against the growing unrest and external threats that assailed the empire’s borders. Its construction, a massive undertaking hewn from the black stone of the nearby peaks, was intended to house a garrison of elite soldiers. However, its isolated position and the treacherous landscape surrounding it meant that supplies and reinforcements were slow to reach the fort. As the empire’s fortunes declined, the tower was abandoned, its garrison recalled to defend more strategic locations.
The watchtower, now a mere shell of its former self, stands in stark contrast to the wild beauty of the surrounding hills. The upper levels have collapsed, leaving jagged sections of wall that rise like broken teeth against the sky. Fallen stones and scattered debris litter the ruins, and what remains of the central keep is half-buried beneath a thick layer of dust and encroaching vegetation. The entrance to the lower levels, which once provided a secure refuge for the garrison during sieges, is blocked by a cave-in, and the surrounding ground is pocked with deep fissures, making exploration hazardous.
Local tribes, including the Monissash and the Henassim, regard Rannin Kell with a mixture of reverence and fear. They tell stories of how, during the fall of the Thalissian Empire, the tower’s defenders made a final stand against a monstrous foe: a nameless horror said to have emerged from the depths of the Vale of Echoes. The few survivors who escaped spoke of a creature wreathed in shadow, its roar echoing through the hills for days after the battle. Though the exact nature of this beast is unknown, the Monissash believe that it still haunts the tower, and they avoid the area, calling it “the Place of the Lost Roar”.

Type

Ruins