AshPhar Hellgrounds

"AshPhar Hellgrounds" is the name given to a stretch of land resting between the countries of Ashbel and Aiphari. Though Ashbel no longer exists in the present day, Aiphari and the Hellgrounds that extend a short distance into it and a long ways into the former territory that was formerly Ashbel still exist.

Though Aiphari has changed with the rest of the world, the Hellgrounds remain the same, as they were never inhabitable by humans since their discovery.

## Location, History, and Overview

The AshPhar Hellgrounds are located near Ashbel-Aiphari Border, stretching several kilometers west into Ashen territory and approximately 0.5 kilometer into Aiphi territory.

The Hellgrounds were mutually named by both Ashen and Aiphari explorers (who had not entered the area themselves, but rather lost crew members who wandered in on their own).

The level of danger of this place was not fully realized until Scryers from Northpass homed in on particular points within the area. What they found was a massive array of malicious entities, physical and nonphysical. It was determined that these entities were to blame for the disappearance (and most likely, deaths) of the many exploration teams tasked with attempting to navigate the area.

The exact number of different entities is still unknown, as hostile forms can range from werewolf packs, to feral vampire clans, and nonphysical threats such as those entities responsible for deforming humans who resort to cannibalism into wendigoes, most victims of which do not survive the massive bodily damage and contortion required to change shape in this way. Those who survive remain a wendigo for the rest of their lives, though they become increasingly difficult to kill.

Wendigoes and Wendigo Converters

* Wendigoes that survive the conversion process are exceedingly rare and have thus far only accounted for three known incidents, all believed to be caused by the same individual.
	+ An Ashen explorer wandered too far into the area, in an attempt to map out internal areas of the Hellgrounds. After a number of days, they were reported missing, and a Scryer was hired to attempt to locate the man. Using his belongings, the Scryers were able to home in to multiple piles of regurgitated bones, and in one instance, a wendigo itself (believed to still be carrying some remains of the man after consuming him). It was concluded that he had been captured and eaten by the wendigo seen by the Scryer.
	+ An Aiphi couple wandered too far into the area, unaware that they had passed the boundary into the Hellgrounds. The same protocol as the initial incident were followed, yielding the same results --- except that no piles of remains were found, and all Scrying attempts only showed the wendigo itself.
	+ A wendigo was spotted far outside the Hellgrounds and in a northern village of pathomancers, where it was seen by villagers climbing into a home and consuming a young boy. Villagers rushed the creature with spears and torches, setting it on fire and killing it. It was reported dead to the Ashen and Aiphi officials.
		- Examinations of the charred bones found inside the creature's stomach found both bones containing no mana (indicating most likely Aiphi descent) and bones containing mana that matched that of the explorer who was concluded to have been consumed by a wendigo. It was declared that the creature involved in the first and third incidents are the same, and that it most likely was also responsible for the second incident.

## Inhabitants

Unknown; hostile entities reported.

Callum also inhabited the area for a short time before his death.

## Trivia

* Callum is the only human known to have been able to enter and leave the Hellgrounds alive, albeit no longer sane.
	+ It was also questionable as to whether or not he was considered to be human at all when he escaped.