Ruins of Amarkesh
Description
The Ruins of Amarkesh lie buried deep in the jungle on the southern shore of Mancay Island. Once the capital city of the ancient Kingdom of Mankerai, very little remains now of this once grand place that once dominated the elevated shores on this part of the island. The city is built up to the edge of a 100 foot cliff that drops into the ocean, and surrounded on the front side by walls that run from cliff edge to cliff edge. Soaring towers and castles, grand cathedrals, and great stone housing is all overrun by vines and trees, and the gate stands open. At the base of the cliff, accessible by a set of winding stairs and a long defunct lift operated by a large, wooden crank and stone cogs, leads down to what used to be a massive array of docks, now marked mostly by what few stone pillars remain sticking out of the water.
All of the land surrounding the ruin is completely overrun with the rampant jungle growth that Kapheira carefully fostered to shelter her followers, but there is a line here, leading up to the walls of the city, where it stops. A smattering of trees, bushes, and vines have spread closer to the ruins, but the same overgerowth was not spread to this city. Kapheira, having felt this area through her connection with the roots, felt a terrible misery here, a bad energy left by the inhabitants and the massacre done to them here, and she left it as it made her uncomfortable.
Inside, everything is worn and decayed. Very little of the material wealth of the people remains, save for the gold that was built into some of the more important buildings. What murals and art remains depict a war-like group of people dressed in warm furs, standing atop rocky fjords, riding large longships, and brutally murdering terrified looking southerners. The destruction of the city is bridging on total, with very few remaining buildings standing.
History
Mankerai was once a rugged, war-like kingdom before the Saikar rose to power. Their island at the time was much like the Fjords of Norway; rocky, cold, and inhospitable. They would conduct raids onto mainland Issylra to collect riches, food, and slaves to sustain their rugged life on the island. When Salemon Saikar approached the Mankerai, as he did with the other human kingdoms, he came with open arms. He offered them freedom from their daily struggles, access to a planet-wide trade network, and advanced technology to simplify their lives. As long as they swore to him, and The Kingdom of Bokkara.
A stubborn and independent people, the Mankerai refused, and turned the emissaries away at the gates. Salemon was not known for asking twice. A few weeks passed, and the Mankerai operated as they always had, hitting a few small coastal villages for supplies. Within days, the full army of what would become known as the The Saikar Empire, with the first generation of Technomantic weapons, arrived at the shores of Mancay Island. The slaughter lasted several hours, and what historical reports remain of it suggest that not a single Saikar casualty was taken.
Locations
Temple of Talos
A ritual area and temple to the god of Talos, this area is filled with offerings, as well as growths of the Godsight Bramble. The building itself is built of a dark grey stone, with no windows. It towers over everything in the area, with a dark, intimidating architecture.
Great Hall
A large stone and wood structured that shared prominence with the temple of Talos at the heart of the city. While much of this has been cleared of anything of obvious value after the civilization was wiped out, it is plain to see that there was much effort made in displaying the ruling family's glory. It was filled with rich taspestries depicting glorious battles, and great works of art and devotion carved into tree trunks placed around the space.
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