Artaros

In Illion, past the foothills of Golden Mountains there is a remote an desolate corner of the land. Dark, inhospitable mountains of rock surround the small bay for miles inland, the only accessway there being a small footpath. Crows nest between the crags, knowing there will always be unlucky souls to feed upon. The Ocean below is even more unforgiving, with churning waves crashing onto the rocky shore and treacherous formations underwater that will shred the bottom of any vessel. On a rocky stretch, facing to the Ocean, there is a small stone bridge that spans a small channel to an ominous spire of rock that juts out of the crashing waves. Light can be seen behind small windows that spiral up the pillar, with only bars on each to keep the howling wind out.

Artaros, also known as the Rock of the Damned, is Aenín's most secure prison. As you are dragged with chains to your feet over that stone bridge, as you hear the thick wooden doors slam shut behind you, locking you into the darkness, you know you are doomed, for there is no escape from this place.

Technically Artaros is a temple to Horathis, the god of civilization and order. It is the Paladins of Horathis who keep the prison and serve as its wardens. They say to uphold law and order is divine, and those who stray from that path deserve to be locked away.

## Geography

Artaros is located in the southwest of the county Illion. It lies on the Aegaic Ocean and past the Golden Mountains. The prison itself is built inside a tall, dark spire of rock just of the coast of a small bay. Dark, inhospitable mountains of rock surround the small bay for miles inland, the only accessway there being a small footpath. A small pier and a few wooden buildings sit on the dark beach, but access by the ocean is dangerous.

## History

The land is inhospitable, but not because the desert is not far. In fact, many a palm tree and other vegetation grows between the rocky hills north and south of the prison. But not near Artaros. Here the rock is dark and neither plants nor animals thrive. Only the crows, black as pitch, can make a living here. According to legend, prison is built upon the ruins of the Fortress Thuldarnon, the ancient palace of one of the Dark Gods. During the event known as the Searing it was attacked by the Gods of Light and Life, who lay siege to it for a hundred days and ultimately destroyed it. It broke and crumbled into the sea, leaving only the shattered landscape around it. The spire Artaros is claimed to be the tallest tower of the Fortress, surviving above the waves.

During the Age of Sylvanion the elves did not dare to approach the wasteland, knowing it was cursed. When that kingdom eventually fell, human resourcefulness took over. Early attempts to settle the land inevitably failed, but humans are nothing if not adaptive. Eventually a temple was established to Horathis, the Adamantine Judge who dealt the final blow to Molog in the war of the Gods. In the early days of the Kingdom of Aenín it was only that, a temple. As time wore on and the kingdom grew, it learned about this place. It was during the time of King Trist Ulcer, known as the Cruel King, that Artaros started its life as a prison for Aenín's most dangerous criminals.