The Ruins of Ashenfall

"Ashenfall... what a disgrace. Once a beacon of human achievement, now a festering wound of death and decay."

— Edric Valdor, Commander of Duskvare

Introduction

Long before the age of Agion Condore, the last emperor of a united Kena'an, there existed a city of unparalleled ingenuity and human resourcefulness. Merdia, a city now lost to time, stood as the shining jewel of Kena’an for centuries. Once a small fortress near the edges of the ancient Crimsonroot Forest, Merdia grew into a sprawling metropolis, home to mighty rulers, scholars, and inventors. Its fate, however, is shrouded in mystery, for it fell to the undead forces many centuries ago, leaving only its ruins and the whispers of its former greatness.

The fall of Merdia

In the year 488 A.D.A., the once-great city of Merdia fell- not to a single enemy, but to the combined forces of death and desperation. The city, caught between the human defenders and the orc tribes, had already been torn apart by the War of Nightmares. But it was the arrival of the undead forces, emerging from the earth itself, that sealed its fate.

As the Battle of Merdia raged on, the undead- led by an unseen enemy rising from beneath the ground- breached the city's gates, overrunning the walls and pouring into the streets. With no hope of stopping the relentless tide, the city's leaders made a final, desperate decision. In a last-ditch attempt to halt the undead's march and prevent them from spreading their curse further, the human commanders ordered the burning of Merdia.

The fires were not just meant to destroy the city; they were a desperate attempt to purge the undead forces before they could continue their relentless assault. The humans believed that by burning Merdia and the surrounding Crimsonroot Forest, they could stop the undead from using the land to launch further invasions. It was a hope against hope, that the flames would weaken the undead forces and stem their tide before it was too late.

But despite their sacrifice, the fire proved to be in vain. The undead were not stopped by the blaze, and instead, they surged forward with even greater fervor. The fire did not purge the land- it only accelerated the city's fall, turning Merdia into a burned-out husk. The Crimsonroot Forest, which had long protected the city, was also consumed by the flames, but the undead forces did not retreat. They pressed on, claiming the ruins as their own. The human and orc armies- weakened by years of war and overwhelmed by the undead- were crushed in the ensuing chaos.

In the end, Merdia was lost and the once proud heart of a mighty kingdom became Ashenfall, a grim reminder that desperation inevitably leads to oblivion.

Ashenfall Today

Ashenfall is a place of despair and lingering darkness, where the echoes of its proud past are drowned by the weight of its cursed present. An oppressive, unnatural silence envelops the ruins, broken only by the faint rustle of corrupted vines or the distant moan of restless spirits. To approach Ashenfall is to feel the piercing gaze of unseen eyes, a soul-deep scrutiny that leaves even the bravest travelers unsettled.

The ruins are both a monument to human ingenuity and a warning of the consequences of desperation and war. Crumbling walls trace the faint outline of the city’s original boundaries, their heavy stones now overrun by poisonous vines and jagged thorns. At the heart of the city stands the skeletal frame of the old palace, its once-imposing structure barely holding against time and decay. The emblem of the human empire, etched above the palace entrance, remains visible; a haunting reminder of the city’s glory days.

Among the desolation, one structure defies the ravages of time: an ancient temple, mysterious and untouched. Situated in the heart of the ruins, its incomprehensible markings have puzzled scholars and adventurers alike. Stranger still, the undead that infest Ashenfall appear to avoid this temple, as though repelled by an unseen force.

The streets of Ashenfall still faintly mark the paths of what was once a bustling metropolis, but they now lead only to rubble and ruin. Most buildings have collapsed or burned, their remnants consumed by the swamp and corrupted vegetation. Ethereal creatures and spectral forms haunt the ruins, replaying moments of the city’s violent fall, while mindless undead-zombies, ghouls and skeletons- roam aimlessly through the streets, bound to the cursed land.

The surrounding swamp, born of destruction and decay, continues to claim what remains of Ashenfall. Its blackened waters spread corruption like a disease, warping the land and poisoning the air with the stench of decay and mold. This blight has begun to extend its reach, creeping into neighboring lands such as the Whispering Woods in Keraian, where inhabitants battle desperately to stem its advance.

Ashenfall is more than a ruin- it is a festering scar on the face of Kena’an, a cursed testament to the tragedy of its fall. Its desolation is a warning to all who would tamper with forces beyond understanding, and its corruption threatens to consume all who dare venture too close.

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RUINED STRUCTURE
488 ADA

Founding Date

362 BDA

Alternative Names

Merdia, The Jewel of Kena'an

Type

Ruins

Contested By

• Keraian Empire

"We came to Ashenfall because of the rumors. They said there was something in the temple, some cure for the land-a way to stop the corruption, to stop the swamp from spreading. Some of us believed it could work. Some of us just wanted to believe in something. I didn’t. I thought it was madness. But I wouldn't let them pursue this alone.

I should’ve known then, when we crossed into the ruins. Something about the place, the air- it felt wrong, like we weren’t supposed to be there. It wasn’t just ruins. It was a tomb. And we were trespassers.

Fynn... Fynn was the first to go. We found his gear in the morning- his pack, his sword- right where we had set up camp. There was no sign of a struggle, no blood. Just his things. And none of us had hear anything. He was just... gone. I didn’t want to believe it. I thought maybe he’d left on his own but...

Then it was Eva's turn. After Fynn, she wasn't the same. She started hearing things, talking to shadows. She... she ran into the swamp. We couldn’t stop her. We couldn’t find her either. She just vanished, like the mist took her. No trace.

It was just me and Jael after that. We thought we were close, I swear. The temple was supposed to be nearby. We had to get there, to find whatever might help. To make Fynn and Eva's deaths count. But every step we took, the land seemed to push back, like it didn’t want us here.

Jael didn’t last. The shadows... they came for him when we tried to make camp. I heard him scream- once, just once- and then there was nothing. Nothing but a dark, empty street and the sound of his dying breath lost in the wind. I should’ve stayed. I should’ve gone back for him, for Eva, for Fynn. But I didn’t. I ran. And since then I keep running.

I don’t know how, but I’m alive. I don’t deserve to be. Maybe I’m not meant to be. I don’t know. But if anyone reads this... if you’re even thinking of coming to Ashenfall- don’t. It’s a dead place. There’s nothing left but ghosts and shadows...

And a temple that will never be reached.

-Excerpt from the journal of Lorian Hart,
ex adventurer and survivor of Ashenfall"

The Undead

The ruins of Ashenfall are infested with the restless dead, their presence a constant reminder of the city’s violent fall and the curse that followed. Most of the undead roam aimlessly, drawn to the ruins by the dark energy that lingers in the area. These unintelligent undead roam the swampy streets and crumbling buildings without purpose, their forms decayed yet animated by the curse’s power.

Among these lesser creatures, however, are ethereal entities, including shadows and specters, whose intelligence and malevolence far surpass their mindless counterparts. Some of these beings are remnants of those who perished in the Battle of Merdia, their spirits bound to Ashenfall, forever replaying moments of their tragic demise. Others are linked to the grand undead forces of Ebonmarsh; the Grand Necropolis and capital city of Myltery, where the vampire lord Victor rules with a cold and iron will.

The undead are hostile to all living beings who enter their domain, but their rage intensifies in the presence of positive energy, such as that wielded by clerics or paladins. Such energies provoke violent and relentless attacks, as if the undead seek to extinguish the light that dares to oppose them.

Mysterious Temple in Ashenfall

A glimmer of hope lies in the persistent rumor of the strange temple in the heart of the ruins. It is said that the undead avoid the temple entirely, and those who reach its sanctuary find temporary safety. The truth behind this phenomenon remains a mystery, but the temple stands as the only place in Ashenfall where the restless dead dare not tread.

Though many adventurers have braved Ashenfall’s horrors in search of treasure or knowledge, few have returned, and those who do tell grim tales of spectral whispers, shadowy pursuers, and unrelenting hostility. The undead are more than guardians of the cursed city; they are its sorrow, its vengeance, and its legacy.