Forgotten City

The Forgotten City is an ancient, buried metropolis that was only recently rediscovered during an illegal mining operation in the Ashen Wastes . The city’s ruins are spread across a vast underground complex, believed to have once housed a thriving civilization. The architecture is unlike anything seen on Acheron Prime, with tall spires and strange, angular buildings.

The Forgotten City has become a target for corporate interests, illegal miners, and archaeologists alike, all of whom are vying for the rights to explore and exploit the site. Rumors suggest that the city contains the advanced technologies and treasures of the Precursors, but it is also said to be cursed, with many who enter its ruins never returning. The Forgotten City is a place of mystery and danger, filled with traps, collapsed tunnels, and strange artifacts that defy explanation.

Purpose / Function

The Forgotten City, hidden deep beneath the Ashen Wastes , was originally a sprawling metropolis belonging to a long-lost civilization that once thrived on Acheron Prime. The city was designed as a major cultural and industrial hub, housing thousands of inhabitants and serving as a center for technological and societal advancement. It was likely a place of great political, scientific, and spiritual importance, though the details of this society remain largely unknown due to the city’s sudden collapse and abandonment.
Over time, the city was buried by centuries of environmental degradation, volcanic ash, and the shifting sands of the Wastes. It is now a ruin of its former glory, forgotten by most of the planet's inhabitants and buried deep beneath the toxic landscape. Today, the Forgotten City is the target of archaeologists, treasure hunters, and prospectors, all drawn by the rumors of advanced technology, ancient relics, and untold riches that lie beneath the surface.

Architecture

The architecture of the Forgotten City is both ancient and advanced, reflecting the height of a civilization that possessed great knowledge of engineering and design. The city was built from a combination of advanced alloys and natural stone, blending durability with aesthetic beauty.

• Material: The buildings in the Forgotten City are constructed from a mixture of high-strength alloys and finely carved stone, much of which has survived the centuries of burial beneath the Ashen Wastes . The metal alloys used in construction appear to have been resistant to corrosion and decay, though much of the stonework has crumbled or been eroded by the harsh environment.
• Design Style: The city’s design is a fusion of functional industrial structures and grand, artistic buildings. Towering spires, intricately carved facades, and massive domes dominate the skyline, while beneath the surface, a network of tunnels, chambers, and industrial complexes suggest a highly organized and efficient society. The architecture is adorned with intricate patterns and reliefs, depicting scenes of mythological figures, celestial events, and technological wonders. These designs suggest that the city’s culture held both scientific and spiritual significance.
• Adornments: Many of the buildings were decorated with complex geometric carvings and embedded with precious metals and gemstones. These adornments, while heavily eroded, still glint faintly in the low light of the buried ruins. The interiors of the structures were once lavishly adorned with murals, statues, and artifacts, though many of these have been stolen or lost over the millennia.

Defenses

The Forgotten City was once heavily fortified, both to protect its inhabitants from external threats and to guard its technological and cultural treasures.

• Walls and Barriers: Surrounding the city are remnants of massive stone and alloy walls, designed to protect the city from invaders or environmental disasters. These walls, while partially buried and crumbled, are still imposing, and in some places, they rise high above the ash-covered ground. The walls are reinforced with defensive towers, though many of these have collapsed over time.
• Automated Defenses: Some areas of the city still contain remnants of ancient automated defense systems. These systems were likely used to protect key buildings or districts within the city, though most of them have long since fallen into disrepair. However, scavengers and explorers have reported encountering sporadic bursts of laser fire or energy fields, suggesting that some remnants of the city’s advanced technology still function in isolated pockets.
• Traps and Security Systems: Deep within the city’s underground chambers, ancient traps designed to protect the city’s most valuable treasures remain active. These include pressure-sensitive floors that trigger deadly mechanisms, hidden Eldritch Energy barriers, and automated sentry devices. These traps have claimed the lives of numerous treasure hunters, adding to the city’s reputation as a dangerous place.

History

The Forgotten City is an enigma to modern scholars, with much of its history lost to time and the shifting ash of the Wastes. What little is known about the city comes from fragmented artifacts and scattered historical records that reference a once-great civilization (rumored to be the Precursors) that flourished long before the rise of modern industrial powers on Acheron Prime .

• Rise and Prosperity: At its height, the Forgotten City was a powerful metropolis, home to a technologically advanced society that wielded considerable influence over the surrounding regions. The city was a hub of innovation, where science, art, and spirituality were intertwined, and its people enjoyed a standard of living far beyond what most of the planet could achieve. Its industrial and technological capabilities allowed it to dominate trade and production, and it became a beacon of prosperity.
• Collapse and Abandonment: The city's downfall is shrouded in mystery. Some scholars believe that a catastrophic environmental disaster, such as a volcanic eruption or severe ash storm, buried the city beneath layers of ash and dust, forcing its people to abandon it. Others speculate that the civilization experienced a technological accident, such as an experiment gone wrong or a power source destabilizing, leading to the city’s sudden collapse. Whatever the cause, the city was left to the ravages of time, and over the centuries, it was forgotten by the outside world.
• Rediscovery: The Forgotten City was only recently rediscovered by scavengers and prospectors searching the Ashen Wastes for valuable minerals and Alien Artifacts. As the ash shifted and ancient tunnels were uncovered, explorers stumbled upon the buried ruins. Word of the city’s existence spread quickly, and it has since become a prime target for archaeological expeditions and treasure hunters, all seeking to uncover the secrets and treasures that lie beneath the surface.

Parent Location

Ashen Wastes