Sunken Ruins

The Sunken Ruins

No one knows when the ruins were born. Not even the elves remember. At their heart lie ancient stones, older than kingdoms, laid by hands erased from history. Whatever purpose they once served has long since faded. Some believe they housed arcane rites—perhaps forbidden ones. After all, what is hidden from the light belongs, eventually, to darkness.

Then came the dwarves. From nearby Karagard they carved a great temple in the shape of a hammer, raising it from polished marble in honor of Saerin, Master of the Soul Forge. It became the resting place of a forgotten hero. However, while tunneling toward Karagard, they pierced a subterranean river. The waters swallowed the old ruins, and the temple was lost.

When the dwarves abandoned the depths, the collapsed tunnel opened the way to a terathan nest. The ant-like arachnids spread unchecked, claiming the caverns for their queen. Only the drowned temple remained untouched, its ancient wards defying both time and the swarm.

Centuries later, a druid found an entrance from the surface by chance—or by fate. Remembered only as the Green Warden, he sought a hidden sanctuary for three enchanted seeds, each capable of bringing life to even the deadest soil. With primal magic and the strength of great beasts, he drove the terathans back into their nest. In the rich earth of their tunnels, he planted the seeds. There now grows an impossible pale forest, within which lies a sacred grove few have found and many have died seeking.

During the Shadowclan Wars, a tribe of ratmen sought refuge in the ruins. They first settled atop the drowned temple, where an ancient evil from the Outer Planes still lingered, waiting in silence. Some escaped its influence and fled deeper into the caverns, where they built a hidden village on stilts above a sea of filth.

Today, the Adventurers faction of the Triune Wayhouse continue to chart the endless labyrinth. Should you lose your way, seek the yellow handmarks they leave behind. They point toward hidden paths, forgotten secrets... and, if fortune favors you, the way home.

Features

A patchwork of caves, tunnels, platforms, underground lakes and forgotten ruins interconnect 6 different biomes sprawling the southeastern underground portion of Regisfall. Each area holds its own inhabitants, dangers and discoveries; each area revealing a chapter of the Ruins' long history. The Gray Lake, the Fetid Nest, the Shattered Peaks, the Pale Forest, the Stilt Village and the Lost Temple of Saerin - collectively known as...

The Sunken Ruins.

Barges

Certain portions of the Ruins are flooded. Use the barge system to cross safely. Mind your footing and be careful not to fall in the foul water!

Drowning

The waters of the Gray Lake are deadly. Stay submerged for too long, and they will slowly claim your life.

Rusty Coins

Gold holds no value in the Ruins. Instead, trade is conducted with ancient rusty coins, believed to date back to the dwarven occupation. Spend them wisely.

Encrusted Trader

No one knows who the Encrusted Trader truly is. Their origins remain a mystery, though a faint Ka'mellan accent hints at a distant homeland. Scavenger, artificer, and a collector of all things, they deal in peculiar gadgets made for those bold enough to brave the depths.

Yellow Handmarks

Yellow handprints left by the Adventurers faction of the Triune Wayhouse. They mark hidden passages, forgotten secrets, or a safe spot for a short rest. Keep an eye out for them.

The Six Biomes

The Gray Lake

The original ruins lie here. Their history is forgotten. Their purpose, unknown. They were flooded after an accident during the construction of the dwarven temple. It is said that a terror from the depths was swept into the caves, its foul presence corrupting the waters forever.

The Fetid Nest

The mindless hordes of terathans claimed this region as their own, where every stream of tainted water eventually drains. What horrors might those corrupted waters have wrought upon the arachnids over the ages?

The Pale Forest

A sacred place hidden within a forsaken land. And, like all sacred places, it has its guardians. Unlike those of the surface, the denizens of this strange forest offer refuge to no one — not even druids.

The Stilt Village

When the mindless hordes were driven back by the Green Warden, the ratmen tribe relocated to a labyrinth of tunnels carved by the terathans. In time, an ocean of filth swallowed those passages, above which the frail kingdom of the Rat King sways and creaks.

The Shattered Peaks

This is where the ratmen first settled after arriving from the surface. There, they discovered an ancient horror, perhaps older than the ruins themselves. Though most of the tribe escaped, some were captured, reduced to little more than puppets of the eldritch aberration.

The Lost Temple of Saerin

A temple dedicated to the dwarven god Saerin, long forgotten in the cavernous depths. The wards laid centuries ago still endure, preserving the inner sanctum against the ravages of time. A dwarven hero of old rests here.

Bosses

(Click on the images for full size)

Aboleth, The Sunken Terror

Many believe the dwarves did not abandon the ruins because of the flood, but because of the menace it washed in. Now the sunken terror lies imprisoned beneath the Gray Lake, its mere presence corrupting the waters and the very minerals of the surrounding caverns.

Qr'zaa, The Hive Queen

They came from the fathomless depths, carving their way toward the surface, driven by an insatiable hunger. Though they are known as the Mindless Hordes, the name is not entirely accurate, for they do possess a mind — one shared by all: the Hive Queen's. What devastation would the terathans unleash if they ever reached the surface?

Skrizz, The Rat King

The ruler of the Stilt Village. A descendant of the first ratmen tribe to enter the ruins, he is rumored to have played a role in the grand escape from the Peaks and the gazers. Over the years, his subjects have amassed an immense collection of trash and debris for him. No one knows to what end. Perhaps not even the rat king himself. But the piling is important and it must continue.

Beholder, The Eldritch Master

The tyrant of the Shattered Peaks. He and his army of gazers bide their time, watching and waiting as they search for suitable vessels to further their machinations. They are rumored to be the source of much of the wild magic that permeates the caverns, and their leader most of all.

The Forlorn Hero of Old

A Champion of Saerin whose spirit was reforged in pure mithril. This was meant to be his final resting place, but the untamed magics surrounding the temple denied him the eternal rest he had earned, as though the ruins themselves commanded him to awaken. Though his name has been lost to the ages, perhaps his might will be remembered once more.

Tips From The Experts

Best Practices While Exploring the Ruins

by the Triune Adventurers' Faction

- Go prepared. A megadungeon is no place for the inexperienced or the careless.

- Tread slowly and carefully. Secure safe spots you can retreat to before pressing onward.

- Use the environment to your advantage. Your enemies certainly will.

- Learn what your enemies are capable of. Use that knowledge tactically.

- Examine every item you find closely. Even the smallest details may reveal valuable clues.

- Over the ages, the ancient magics of the ruins have seeped into many of the objects found within. They will eventually turn to dust if taken too far from that place.

- Should you perish within, rumors speak of a hidden druid grove where an Ankh can be found. Locating it may prove essential.

- Misfortune can befall any adventuring party, but it is far more dangerous to face the ruins alone.

- If you find yourself lost, look for the yellow handmarks. They will show you the way.