The Shattering

Long ago, in ancient days, a tremendous cataclysm shook the land. A vast expanse filled with hills and valleys, cultivated fields and wild woodlands, with isolated hamlets and vibrant cities was transformed into a warped and shattered landscape. Tales and legends of that event are innumerable, but they differ with every teller, particularly on the event’s cause. Was it Wild Magic gone berserk? The anger of the Gods? A fragment of the Celestial Sphere crashing to Earth? But every loremaster has come to name both the event and the blasted land as -- The Shattering.

The long-lived elves, whose memories span millennia, say in ancient days an Elven kingdom rich in wealth, exalted in culture, and strong in magic brilliantly shone in a land filled with beauty and wonder. That land was one among many that disappeared from history, lain to waste by The Shattering. Still, to this day, whisperings among the elves say it is not so. Long have elven adventurers searched, but they have found no evidence of this elven land, or the remains of any of its creations. Did ancient elven wizards, in their arrogance, access powerful energies that utterly consumed them, creating what is now called The Shattering? Or could it be that in some hidden vale shielded by powerful magical wards this Elven Utopia lives on?

The Dwarves, now living in slow decline in their once magnificent Delve, say the Shattering was birthed in an ancient battle between the Dwarven God Lulged and the Primeval Lord of Darkness. When Lulged slew the Primeval Lord the force of his mighty hammer shattered the very bones of the Earth, creating The Shattering. Some say the spirit of the Dark Lord was not destroyed, but only scattered, soaking into the very bones of the ruined land. To this day, the Dwarves shun The Shattering as an evil place. Many believe the Evil One will one day rise again and call forth his dark armies to avenge himself against the Dwarves.

The memories of men stretch back not so far. For them, The Shattering has always been. But they remember those times, not so far past, when The Shattering served as a highway for traffic from many far-off lands, bringing many valuable and wondrous things. This highway was trod and guarded only by the stoutest, most cunning, and most vigilant heroes, for fell creatures lurked throughout the warped and twisted paths of the Shattering. Those days came to an end, but not all at once. The vibrant traffic in goods and people grew weaker, almost imperceptibly. It wasn't due to any calamity, or event. The expense and effort required to maintain the watchtowers that guarded the treacherous passages came to be considered excessive. One community after another dropped their support. The day came when it came to be noticed that more ill than good issued forth from The Shattering. Brigands, goblins, and fell creatures, including the undead, plagued the human settlements, bringing mayhem and death. The passages were sealed shut. Initially, small guard posts stood sentry at the barricaded entrances, and turned back those small number of miscreants who were able to scramble past the barriers. Eventually, even these small guard posts were abandoned, when it seemed the inhabitants beyond had learned not to attempt the passage. People came to regard The Shattering as merely a remnant of the past, and many came to believe any danger beyond was more myth than fact.

But those in The Shattering did not forget the world beyond.

And among those on the outside, there were still those who did not forget. They knew that lost in the myriad canyons, caves and crevices of The Shattering are treasures hoarded and guarded by watchful eyes and unrelenting malevolence. Only those adventurers brave and powerful enough to face such terrors will dare to pass beyond the barriers …