The Sundered Veil

Antigonos sighed heavily, glancing back up at the sky as the storm bore down on him. There was no way around it, the Shard Storm was forcing him into the Lower Veil. He quickly fastened a rope around a nearby stone and descended down the cliffside into the depths. A hundred feet down he went before his feet met solid ground. He'd need to find a place to hole up for the night or else he'd get drowned out by the floods that would inevitably follow the storm along with the high-powered winds that would sweep through the cracks in the Veil. He tied off the rope, fastening it to a protruding rock, before moving into the narrow canyon before him. All manner of vegetation grew around him. Whereas above the ground was dry and dead, here moss and fungi and other fauna grew in abundance, coating the walls and ground in swathes. He kept his eyes peeled, watching for the various monstrosities that could be stalking the depths with him. He didn't see anything though and continued onwards until he spotted a cave above, just over 20 feet up the wall. Fastening several pitons into the wall, and using his climbing gear, Antigonos scaled the wall until he was able to climb into the cave. The cave beyond was dark, so Antigonos lit a torch and stared in wonder at the strange writing that covered the tunnel walls. Symbols of twisting shape and design surrounded him, covering the floor, ceiling, and walls of the hole. The cave stretched onwards, as did the symbols, so Antigonos followed torch extended and hand on his gladius. He followed the tunnel for about fifty feet before the tunnel opened up into a room. On the wall opposite the entrance, a huge door made of some strange metal rose high above Antigonos's head. The door was covered in similar symbols and had no obvious means of handle to pull or push the door open. He stared at the thing in fascination. Was this one of the remnant temples of the Silent Speakers, an artifact of the bygone era of the Empire of Cir. He approached cautiously, placing a hand against the cool metal and stumbled back in surprise as the door flashed suddenly, glowing brightly now with ghostly light. Antigonos turned and hurried away, rushing back up the tunnel before coming to a stop at the cave's lip as the wind pushed at him and sheets of water fell, turning the Lower Veil's floor into a river. He turned back to the tunnel, watching in horror as a figure slowly made its way towards him. It did not walk, did not speak, but held a lantern of a teal hue in its hand. The light illuminated faintly the face of nightmare. A Cirruan, Mind Flayer, moved towards him, its tentacles drifting gently below it. A voice entered his mind, relaxing and calm. Fear not, cattle, your purpose is to be fulfilled this day. Antigonos watched in stunned silence as the creature drifted forwards, its tentacles raising and wrapping around his head, pulling him in.

Geography

The Sundered Veil is a dry and barren land of cracked cliff-like mesas that fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. Here, skilled guides are needed to navigate the dangers of this land and mobile bridges are used alongside permanent structures to travel over the deep gaps in the land. Many people try to avoid these parts altogether if possible, however, they are the most direct route to Alexaria and Nesseta in the North. The Sundered Veil is split into two portions, the Upper and Lower Veil. The Lower Veil is a vast network of canyons and cracks stretching deep into the Earth. Here, travelers must worry about flash floods, predators that prefer the darkness such as giant insects, snakes, and other beasts, as well as strange tentacled abominations known as Cirruan, that stalk these damp depths. Here, the ground resembles swiss cheese with its many holes and caves where anything could be lurking. In the Lower Veil ruins abound of ancient forgotten civilizations, the Cirruuans are believed to emerge from these hidden tunnels and ruins, but they also tempt treasure hunters and archaeologists alike. The Upper Veil harbors its own dangers. Here, the sun beats down mercilessly upon a land with very little shade or protection. Here, various other predators stalk the plains, though they are much easier to see coming. That, however, does not make them any easier to avoid. Roaming the Upper Veil are creatures such as Rocs, Air Elementals, Sand Elementals, Giant Scorpions, Bulette Herds, and other dangerous creatures. Also, dangerous storms called Shard Storms are known to scour the Upper Veil, lifting large rocks and sand and creating a shredding maelstrom.