Fortress of the Night Rangers

The **Fortress of the Night Rangers** is located deep in the Forest of Getting Lost. It is a decrepit ruin, which is surrounded in a large radius by gloomy, desolate landscape. Shall one enter this once mighty fortress, they will find nothing but twisting corridors and dilapidated stone walls. This is because the truth behind this monstrosity is only unlocked by the Orb of Ping Mi.

## History

The **Orb of Ping Mi** was first discovered by the eponymous Changrilese professor of magical studies, inside a deep cave complex, somewhere around the south coast of Changrila. It had the appearance of a dark, perfectly smooth sphere of crystal, about the size of a human head, perfectly polished to perfection. Ping Mi said it was encased in a metallic frame of pure silver, etched with intricate designs and sigils that he believed granted the Orb its immense power. He said that ".*.when gazed upon, the Orb glows with an eerie red light that illuminates its surroundings, casting shadows that dance and writhe like living things.*"

This mysterious artifact did not stay in the Arcane Library of Fenqui for long, as it was lost during a heist, being the only item to have been stolen. It was found out two decades later, retrieved by a Caprean vigilante, after a raid deep inside the Witch Elves' lands. The Capreans believed they had come across a powerful weapon, and news of this capture soon spread to other parts of Giantstep. Eventually, it reached the ears of a famed Astromancer, named Daniele Zerva.

The Astromancer made the long and treacherous trek to Caprea, passing through deserts and bogs alike. He managed to buy the Orb off them for an extraodinary fee, not trusting them for its protection. He then returned to the Astromancers' Castle, where the Orb was studied in excruciating detail.

   After years of searching, Daniele Zerva's belief that the Orb of Ping Mi was a powerful artifact of old, described in the Astromancers' archives, had finally been vindicated. According to the archives, the orb was believed to have been used as a key by the Khenomerics to seal the evil demon of Gor'GoLeth, worshipped by the Witch Elves for millenia, deep within a fortress. The Astromancers, determined to uncover the truth, scoured the land until they finally discovered the legendary Fortress of Gor'GoLeth, hidden deep within the Forest of Getting Lost. The Astromancers were shocked to find the Fortress of Gor'GoLeth abandoned and in ruins. If the Witch Elves or anyone else in possession of the Orb had discovered its location, nothing would stop them from freeing the evil demon from its magical prison. To prevent such a catastrophic event, the Astromancers formed a team of over a dozen men from Florinth, Kowloon, and Lunatik 9. Their mission was to master the art of stealth and protect the Fortress's entrance, while also safeguarding the Orb. This group and their descendants, known as the Night Rangers, continue to defend the fortress against all potential intruders to this day.

The Orb of Ping Mi constantly exerts its terrible, corrupting power to anyone around it. The presence of the orb has had a profound effect on the surrounding landscape. The once-vibrant forest has become gloomy and grey, and the wildlife has mutated into larger, hungrier, and more venomous versions of their former selves. The mere sight of the orb is also enough to twist someone's minds, filling them with nightmares and dark thoughts beyond imagination.

The Astromancers went to great lengths to ensure that Gor'GoLeth could not be awakened easily. Although the Orb of Ping Mi was indestructible by any known means, they used an ancient spell that dated back to the early days of the Khenomeric Empire to seal its access. This meant that even if one of the Night Rangers were to be corrupted by the Orb's power or Gor'Goleth's lasting influence, it would be impossible for them to unlock the seal of her demiplane alone.