As you may know, terra supra, the northern part of Xeryn, is dotted with perilous and deadly places most people tend to avoid. Now, we are going to take a look at these, focusing on the ruined cities of yore. Embark with us upon a dread journey into the most dangerous ruins in the Riven Realms. Be warned, though, they are not for the faint of heart!

Arx Mortis

The Desert of Black Sands is a terrible place where no living thing can exist for more than a few hours due to its life-draining curse. At night, a strange bluish-white, sickly glow can be seen on the horizon: the dread mirage of Arx Mortis, the City of the Dead, and the source of all evil in the region. The place used to be Calderum, and it was the capital of the Sanvorati province. Known as the City of Light, Calderum was turned into its most horrible caricature by the Calamity. These days it is a dead city filled with eerie moaning and groans, cast in perpetual twilight, and beset by bone-chilling cold and a pale, warmthless light emanating from the faded rocks that are almost all that remain from its beautiful buildings and walls. The curse affected the surroundings of the city as well and thus the Desert of Black Sands was born, bereft of life and joy, and light forever.

Rhadamantis

Rhadamantis lies in the ancient valley of the River Lethe. It is known far and wide on the continent that touching the river’s waters will almost certainly erase one’s memory. Constant change storms rise from the valley and strike out north and west. Furthermore, the cursed ruins of the city itself are rumored to change people in even more despicable ways. Everything in the region is considered accursed, and it is said that people exiled from their tribe often wandered up the valley to meet their doom. Still, most travelers maintain that no sane person has any reason whatsoever to venture even close to Rhadamantis, so this region is largely abandoned. Unfathomable dangers lurk in these lands and the shattered city, the gray, broken ruins of which spread out on both sides of the Lethe for miles under strange skies. Is the doom that reached ancient Rhadamantis, oldest of cities, the same as the creeping blight that took over Agathon to the southeast?

Scorponar

The strange desert called the Plains of Bone used to be a place of rolling flats and gentle hills, but now it is a rocky desert region of gray and beige sands, as well as large piles of bones. In its heart, travelers can find the ruins of the once beautiful Madrigos, an Imperial city famous for its wealth, hospitality, and snow-white marble walls. Today it is a forsaken ruin that has become the capital of the Scortaur, a race of scorpion-men who hunt all other races mercilessly and uncompromisingly on and around the Plains of Bone. They call their city Scorponar, and very few can tell the tale of seeing its shattered buildings and crumbling walls. Those who did see it talk about bone scaffolding and fortifications – from ivory taken from the surrounding plains –, flayed bodies hanging from battlements, and banners crafted crudely from the skin of the Scortaurs’ victims. Scorponar is a place of horror and despair, with the old white stone of Madrigos peeking out from under the colorless sands like broken teeth or shattered bones. Much like a dreadful nest of poisonous wasps, Scorponar belches forth vermin when kicked, which has happened whenever someone decided to put an end to the Scortaur threat by attacking the ruins – and failed spectacularly every single time.

These ruined cities are not the only dreaded places in terra supra, by far. As a matter of fact, other horrid places await and will be visited in future voyages. Do come along if you dare!

Stay tuned and conquer the wasteland!

-The Lost Pilgrims team

If you like Vagrus, please consider sharing our pages and posts with your friends through your favorite social media channel(s). It is much appreciated!

 Discord | Steam_Store | GOG.com | Website   Youtube | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Patreon