The Devouring Ruins

Past Crowald, there are no settlements. You see lights ahead, be it camp or anything, turn away. If it ain't Dwyrsport near Lake Dŵr, there ain't any settlements, only ruins. And these ruins will try to eat you. Don't even think finding any treasure. You'd have to bring an army with siege weapons before you could even dream of excavating anything of value. Those haunted ruins are as much alive as is everyone who ever fell victim to it. So just stay away, no matter how desperate you think you are. - Bartender in the Wolfs Inn (Crowald)

There are countless reasons for why exploration into the Black Forest is dangerous. The devouring ruins are a perfect reminder of this. Located hundreds of kilometers up till north, it is almost an enigma for most. Its location is constantly shifting and most accounts of it come from raving madmen who managed to make their way back through The Black Forest back to civilization.
These survivors often included hunters of the Snow Honey, bandits, deserters and other explorer. Often lured to a town, thinking it was an actual settlement only to be devoured alive by ruinous buildings and by its victims turned into undead. Given the nature of The Black Forest, House of Acedia has decided that it is best to not do anything about the haunted town.
The people in Crowald know it as the Devouring Ruins. Large deposits of Ghost Iron run as the veins of the former buildings that have fused together, mixing together soil, bodies and surrounding nature with the architecture of old marble. It is believed that the Devouring Ruins is parts of the city that used to be located around the shores of Lake Mare before disappearing. The buildings have markings in them that would link them to House of Acedia. However, no record exist of this era due to the actions of Marianne Von Acedia.
It is unknown whether Crowald was founded before of after the Devouring Ruins came to be. And no one knows the real name of the settlement. While there have been attempts to study the ruins, even the most seasoned parties have failed.
The Devouring Ruins have been given a danger level of Demon Lord, and all active attempts of subjugating it have long been discontinued. Its existence has been hidden in the adventurer guilds for all branches excluding the one in Crowald, in where it serves as a cautionary tale for anyone who would do tasks in The Black Forest.

RUINED SETTLEMENT
Not known

Location under

The Black Forest