Fellheim, City of the Damned

Ruin, and doom has befallen the city that once a place of wealth and fortune. It is said that the city was formed in 3000EC by a group of settlers from Neundorf after the discovery of a strange small island with the ruins of an old city upon them. The city would grow into a mighty nation, although around the year 3500EC, the city would manage to gain its independence through a very complex use of political marriages and, if rumors are to be believed, a few less then legal backroom deals. Regardless, the city celebrated as it was allowed to exist on its own, and its independent nature drew in many from across the globe to live there, seeking to start a new life. The city celebrated long and hard, and due to the increased tourism trade would skyrocket, turning the city state into a major trade hub. However it is said that due to this the people began to grow arrogant and heavily corrupt from the amounts of money and wealth and decadence that funneled into the city. 
Some within the Church of the Flame say that eventually its greed and corruption became so great, the gods themselves were insulted. Others say that the corrupt nature of the residents would result in the Arch-Devil of Madness, Vezaus, to take notice of such a deliciously rich city. Regardless, a prophecy would form around the year 4198EC of a comet that would eventually crash down into the city like the wrath of the gods themselves and lay waste to the city of Fellheim. These doom criers were mocked ruthlessly, and in some cases even hung for heresy by local chapters of the Church of the Flame, and it became a great joke to them. The prophesized date was 4215, and the city simply went about their way of life. When the date came, a great festival was had, where jesters and bards acted out a comedy of the foolish prophecy and mocked those idiots for believing such a peaceful city could fall. However, the sky would blacken at the height of the comedy. The comet then made impact.
The force of the blow was so great that it is said some on the coast of Neundorf could feel slight shakes in the land, and see a great pillar of strange light shine from across the ocean. The comet hit the poor district, and the death toll was far too high to even attempt an accurate count. What's worse, is the survivors of the blast were then subject to hordes of mutants and even demons as the vile powers of Hell were unleashed upon the city. Before long, the demons mysteriously faded, for now, and the city was a ruin. However, a strange discover was found, in that strange crystals known as Etheanium began to crop up across the city, being a strange purplish glowing crystal that grew in places where a always moving purple mist went. Some warlocks and alchemists did experiment with Etheanium, and though it is incredibly dangerous on its own, if refined it could bring about miracles. It could harness magical energy, cure wounds and ailments, and even some rumored it could turn ordinary metals into the purest gold.
This news spread outside of the island, and it has brought further ruin to the city. Now the greedy, and lowest scum of the world seek to plunder the city for the relics and Etheanium located in it. The Church of the Flame has sent a contingent of holy warriors to there, known as the The Preservers of the Divines, who seek to cleanse the corruption of the city and everything and everyone in it. Mercenaries march in, hired by uncaring masters for what little gold they are offered in order to retrieve these strange stones. Wizards and warlocks go under secrecy to try and take the magical crystals for themselves, and inhuman groups of monsters and undead and even cults of the hells and far worse al rush the large city, battling amongst the ruins of the city of mutants and far, far worse creatures that now call the city home, earning this horrific black comedy of a city the title of: The City of the Damned.

Demographics

There is no known count of total people now living, fighting, and dying within the city, and many of the small villages outside the citys massive walls are now abandoned or simply house the corpses of more victims. Brigans, thugs, and gangsters alike now roam the streets, and all manner of horrific creatures and black hearted zealots and groups now plague the city.

Government

The lords castle, one Lord Altmann Rohrmann, was said to be sacked and ravaged by the unknowable tide of madness and mutants that first cropped up, and the once decadent manor now lies in ruin. Most of the governmental body followed soon after, either dying to the monsters or the panicking and rampaging populace. Some rumors however do exist of a single heir that survived the throne, disguising herself in one of the many small factions that now occupy the ruins of the city. However until this rumor can be proven, or some relic or claim can be found in the ruins, no one rules the city officially.

Defences

Fellhiem used to have a sizeable force to defend itself, even if the island was peaceful. The great city walls also prevented any attacker from scoring an easy victory upon the wealthy city state. No more is that the case, as most of the surviving military personnel have either ran away or scattered into the ruins. Now petty groups fight across the city, and some even control key gate locations to funnel their enemies in.

Districts

The city was largely broken up into districts:

• The Market District lie nearby the riverway and were home to much of the trade of the city.
• The Noble District was where much of the upper class and wealthy did reside. Upon a small cliff deep in the Noble District was Castle Fellheim
• The Temple Ward was where many of the Churches of various faiths did reside, with the most popular being the Church of the Flame.
• The Upper, middle, and Lower Wards are general areas that alot of the populace lived in, housing all manner of intresting points and sights before the great calamity
• The Sprawl is simply the name for those living outside the city walls in a vast sea of houses that are typically owned by the poor, and many worked as farmers for the city.

Assets

It is said that untold riches still remain inside the city, and if one is brave enough they can claim some for themselves. Luckily for those seeking to enter the city late, most people who go in never return...

Guilds and Factions

Many, many factions now seek to try and profit off of the horrific cataclysm that befell this city. Mercenaries from all over the world come in bands either of their own accord or hired by uncaring masters to retrieve riches for them. There are also a few established groups residing in the city:

• The Knights of the Pure Ladies (or Les Chevaliers des Dames Pures) are a small band of knights from the lands of fair Vebastonne, who seek to purify the city not through fire and brimstone, but through faith. They also seek to rescue those that they can, and though it is a perilous quest, they believe that with Lilia's might, and Morgina's magical gifts, that they will bring an end to this horrid nightmare of a city.
• The Preservers of the Divines are a sanctioned task force from the Church of the Flame purely dedicated to eradicating the corruption of the city. They are comprised of crusaders, witch hunters, and penitent orders who seek to purify the city by burning away the corruption, quite literally. They would see that the city and all its surviving inhabitants, monster or innocent, put to the torch.
• The Forgotten are a irregular militia band made up primarily of those who were in Fellheim's military forces or rangers helping scout the outskirts of the island, and they seek to try and not only save the populace, but stop the corruption and restore a governing body to the city, in the hopes that a powerful voice may end the chaos.
• The Cult of the Falling Star are a strange new cult that are but one of many damnable cults now living in the city. They believe that the comet was not a punishment from the Gods of the Light, nor a hateful creation of Hell, but a sign of a new and more powerful god coming to them. The comet was but prophecy, and the crystal is considered sacred relics. This cult now seeks to spread its faith by any means necessary, and believes that only in banding together for fell rituals will the new god be born.
• The Queens's Wildcards is a collection of thieves, brigands, gangsters, and smugglers who operate in the shadows of the city under the watchful eye of the self proclaimed "Queen of Thieves". She is a mysterious woman who sends her minions to prey upon pilgrims and other people, and extort and rob adventures and mercenaries wandering into the city, and smuggle the vile Etheanium crystals out of the island to wealthy clients in distant lands.
• The Violet Academy is a collection of the leftovers of what was once Tidreth Magic Academy, that house many wizards and mages hiding from preying eyes in ruins, seeking to harness the power of Etheanium. Due to the corrupting and dangerous nature of said magic, they are a prime target not just for those groups seeking to wipe the corruption but also those looking to steal their wealth of crystals.
• The Sanguine Eclipse is a band of vampires from the Crypt Kingdoms led by one Viktoriana Drescher, a cruel and bloodthirsty countess operating on orders from a mysterious leader. Though some of her vampiric band have gone rouge, She still commands teams of undead that seek to kill all who would enter and claim the strange stones for themselves.
• There are unconfirmed reports of a Sketchagin clan named Clan Hiskin, that has somehow showed up there, and are seemingly drawn to the strange Etheanium crystals. They slaughter from the shadows and seek to loot the city for their own unknowable schemes.
• The Aberrant Gnarlspawn are a war-heard of Garuuk Blood that seek to pillage, ravage, and slaughter the city and its inhabitants for the simple thrill of violence and their hunger for flesh to honor the dark gods of Hell.
• The Cult of Possessive Shadows is a heretical cult of devil worshippers, who are made up of degenerates and mutants seeking to gain favor for the dark gods. They even commit fell rituals to let parts of demonic spirits possess and mutate them further to make them even deadlier.
• The Puppet Masters are a macabre order of surgeons and apothecaries that went mad during the mutation waves. They are said to now experiment on the denizens of the city and its creatures by cutting them apart and stitching them together again, and then reviving them with the terrible powers of the crystals. While they provide valuable medical expertise to most factions, pray they do not decide to put you on their experiment tables.  

There are many more groups within the vast city, and many are constantly dying, rebuilding, and many are wiped out every day.

Points of interest

The Crater or Impact Zone is a blighted place where the corruption of the crystals is strongest, it is warned to never, under any circumstances go there for the corruption is so great that mortals simply go mad from the exposure or mutate into horrifying creatures.
Fellhiem Castle was the capital of the city, that now lies in ruin. However, some say that deep within the crystal contaminated walls and rooms, lie the treasures of the previous lord yet to be plunded. However the castle is brimming with monsters and other such horrifying creatures.
The Blood Bath Square is a ill-named area for due to its location at the center of the city, it was the area where many executions were held. It is said the executioner now wanders the square killing any who get close. What's worse is under the square is the foul Corpse Cistern that is filled with the waterlogged corpses of the executioners many victims, leading many cults, undead, and hateful creatures to live in there.
The Cathedral of Saint Ziher was said to be a incredibly holy place to the Church of the Flame, for Saint Ziher was a dragonborn who was said to have a lineage traces back to Heymon. What's more, he was accredited with many miracles, and as such decided to make Fellheim his home in order to teach the people of the godly ways of the Flame. Overtime the cathedral grew into a massive and opulent location, but after the impact, it now lies in ruin, with lights and sounds of hateful rituals being preformed there. What's worse is the catacombs deep below the cathedral are also in no better state, as the once holy crypt of ancient heroes of the Flame now are full of vile monsters.

Tourism

Most nations have wisely agreed to simply discourage any and all travel to there. The Church of the Flame is putting pressure on a blockade to be formed around the city, and while the idea is gaining ground is unliekly to happen. Regardless, only the insane, greedy, or down right stupid go to the city of Fellheim, all in search of loot to plunder.

Geography

The island, which simply does not have any name, is a forested one, with the city being built with a river running through it and a small cliff that Castle Fellhiem sits upon. The island resides a little north of the Deadlands, and west of Neundorf.

Natural Resources

Besides the ever valuable and mysterious Etheanium, one can find all manner of material and resources scattered about the land. It is also said the wood and metals of the island are of remarkably high quality.

The Unknowable Ruins

When the great comet hit, a few chunks of it broke off before impact. Some of these break away pieces are said to contain strange ruins of an unknown nature. In fact, if the rumors are too be believed, the ruins are not of a single design native to this planet, which could imply that these ruins are not native to this world. However, no intelligent life is known to exist in the reaches of space, so the mystery of these ruins were sadly remain forever a mystery.

RUINED SETTLEMENT
4215EC

Founding Date

3000EC

Alternative Name(s)

The Ruined City

Type

Large city

Population

Unkown

Inhabitant Demonym

Fellid

Strange Tidings West

A strange occurrence of late is an influx of warriors from the far west to Orliea, more specifically Catai. They seem to have a very special interest in the crystals, although none but them know what. However, some have pointed out that the strange purple crystals, and the fabled Jade of Catai are similar. Both are strange arcane materials that can channel magic and provide healing, and are both incredibly dangerous on their own. One wonders what the Cataians know that they aren't letting others on.