The Ghostlands

The Ghostlands was an area on the eastern side of Etera, roughly covering the territory of a nation known as the Renesal Dynasty. After the Verk Empire slaughtered the country's citizens as part of a ritual to create a magical weapon, a member of its royal family managed to get ahold of the weapon and turn its power against the Empire's forces. Shutting themselves away from the world, they were largely ignorant of the passage of time as their powers worked to protect their land. After a group of heroes managed to reach and negotiate with the Ghostlands' creator, the creator willingly eliminated the Ghostlands, concentrating their power inside the newly-reconstructed Renesal City.

When the empire razed the lands of fallen kingdoms, nations were not the only things that fell. Cities, histories, and too many people to count met their ends in a battle of extermination.

One of these fallen kingdoms, located about halfway between the imperial capital and the city of Beacon (to the capital's northeast) is today known only as the Ghostlands. Before its destruction, it was known by most as the Jewel of the Desert, famed for beautiful oasis's, a thriving overland trade, and the production of crafted goods made from raw materials imported to its main city.

Today, its name of the Ghostlands is more literal than metaphorical. In an area approximately 100 miles across, centered on what was once the capital of its kingdom, ghostly knights patrol the land to attack any who dare trespass on the territory of the dead. As if that were not bad enough, desertification has taken hold of the area and there is little food or water to be found on a long journey to the capital.

Adventurers have gotten as far as ten miles into the border, but the depths of the Ghostlands remain a mystery, apparently resistant to even powerful scrying, and all attempts to teleport inside (or back out) have failed. Though a powerful bulwark against anything coming or going from any direction, the inhabitants of the Ghostlands seem disinterested in moving outside of its borders, even to pursue intruders. For now, they simply ride and watch, ever vigilant and apparently able to return from destruction.

Some call for its destruction, for the great heroes of the land to come together and unveil its secrets. Even many righteous folk say the undead must not be suffered to walk the world, and that they must be put back to rest. Others cry out to leave it alone, saying the dead have suffered enough and ought to be left alone so long as they don't threaten those outside their territory.

**Game Masters:** This location has additional lore if you want to conduct games or develop plot in this area. Contact Babel Moderator Rednal for more information.

### The Renesal Crusade

The Renesal Crusade is the name of a joint effort launched by Etera and numerous supporting groups to resolve the Ghostlands once and for all. Notable members include Anubis, a god of judgment, as the head of the Crusader's Council managing the war.

#### Timeline of the Crusade

**13 Erastus, 54 IA:** The Crusader's Council announces itself and declares the start of the Renesal Crusade, petitioning Eterans to provide supplies and money to help fund the effort. Its stated goal is removing the threat of the Ghostlands, then subsequently dealing with the Hollow magic and other powers somehow using the Ghostlands as a shield.

**29 Erastus, 54 IA:** After receiving more than 2.1 million GP worth of donations, the Crusader's Council quickly began organizing the funds and preparing the next step of the war, including setting up a Border Sanctuary as base to operate from near the Ghostlands. The Council dispatched a group of adventurers to scout the area ahead of time and investigate an area known as the Chapel of Solace. The adventurers were able to identify some undead threats, but also discovered some Hollow forces and ended up retreating as their presence became known. Nevertheless, as this was a scouting mission anyway, it was considered a success.

**2 Arodus, 54 IA:** With the Chapel of Solace identified, the Crusader's Council dispatched a team to clear the area and help establish it as a base of operations within the Ghostlands. The strike team was able to destroy several powerful undead lurking in the area and sent a return signal for troops to start moving in forces and supplies with the intent of sufficiently fortifying the area.

**24 Arodus, 54 IA:** After about three weeks of engagements with the undead of the Ghostlands and trying to keep them out of the area, a team of adventurers was dispatched to an area dubbed the Phantom Village as part of a scouting effort to learn more about threats deeper in the area. While there, they encountered what appeared to be the spirit of a priest of some kind, who didn't seem to be under the same control as the other undead. While there, minions of the Fifth Horseman revealed to be Dark Spirits attacked the scouting party, although the team ultimately made it out with an old, sacred tome detailing some of the past of the nation the Ghostlands supplanted.

**15 Rova, 54 IA:** After several more weeks of struggling with the Ghostlands' forces and scouting the area, troops came across a strange, golden magical dome deep in the Ghostlands. Further exploration revealed this to be an undead-destroying barrier surrounding a temple of Iris, which apparently went up when the Ghostlands were first created and has protected a community of several hundred people since. Although limited in size, this is a foothold and a rare place of actual safety within the Ghostlands. Alas, teleportation still doesn't work.

**11 Lamashan, 54 IA:** While the Crusade has largely completed its move to the Temple of Iris as a primary headquarters within the Ghostlands, heavier attacks elsewhere are making things more difficult and even threatening to cut off the temple once again. Numerous scouting parties have been lost, and survivors have seen newer, more dangerous undead roaming the Ghostlands now, including giants far bigger than those previously seen within the area.

**25 Abadius, 55 IA:** After more hard-fought battles against the undead of the Ghostlands, the Crusade finally uncovered information that might help to breach a barrier located around the central area. One of the items necessary, a crown, was retrieved from a fort staffed by undead created from soldiers of the Verk Empire. Further information indicated that a second item, a scepter, was located somewhere with dragons in the northwest of the Ghostlands' territory.

**17 Desnus, 55 IA:** After significantly more battles, the Crusade finally managed to obtain the items necessary for getting rid of the Ghostlands. They also obtained some information about how the land had been prior to the creation of the Ghostlands. It was ruled by King Harold the Good, who ascended to the throne in his 30s. He focused on managing the kingdom and improving the overall standard of living among the peasants. Not all of the nobles liked his reforms, but he rarely got angry unless his people were hurt and pushed most of his ideas through. Improved tax revenues largely satisfied the more reluctant nobles. Although not fundamentally combative, Harold was known to enjoy war games and especially liked complicated, large-scale games with lots of strategy across multiple fronts. Younger nobles from neighboring countries occasionally stopped by to enjoy such games. He was also extremely loud about loving his family.

Queen Marissa was Harold’s wife, having come in through a political marriage to a neighboring kingdom that had existed in the area at the time. Although the marriage itself was mainly political, she was widely known to have grown at least moderately affectionate towards the King over time, though not totally smitten. She interacted with the nobles more than the peasants, hosting social events, gathering funds for the nation’s endeavors, and working with her home country to manage trade.

First Prince Samizin was the first child of the royal couple, and thus the crown prince of the kingdom. He was well-known as an avid swordfighter and casual dabbler in magic, with a bit of a temper when prodded too much. He was known to be quite fond of his sisters, however, and regularly engaged in duels with nobles and the occasional talented commoner.

First Princess Imara was the second child of the royal couple. A talented bard, she often performed in concert halls and traveled much of Etera to visit various royal courts and support diplomatic functions on behalf of Renesal. She also supported efforts to expand literacy among the people, in part by spreading songs and encouraging people to learn and sing them.

Second Princess Porphima was the third child of the royal family. Although not quite as popular as Imara, she spent time painting and studying mercantile matters to help support the rest of her family. Her primary goal in life was to essentially duplicate her mother and marry into another kingdom, helping there and supporting her home with favorable trade agreements. She was known to be somewhat impish and impulsive, running away from her guards and generally being a free spirit to balance out her expectation of being locked up later in life.

Second Prince Elric was the older twin of the royal couple’s family last children. He was on especially good terms with Porphima and had a lot of freedom since he was far back in the line of succession. Elric was also close to his twin sister, spending a lot of time with her. Although not quite an adult at the time the Ghostlands were created, he spent a lot of time riding horses and exploring the outdoors.

Third Princess Ephemera was the darling of the citizens. The youngest child of the royal family and Elric’s twin, she was generally doted on and famous for loving both her family and her people, and spent more time than anyone else traveling around the country. She was known for her sewing and dabbled a little in cooking, but had no major political roles and was expected to eventually marry into another royal family somewhere.

The family was protected by the Royal Guard, who were unable to protect them when the Verk Empire started the massacre. It was led by Captain Jerald Dorrikson, a human warrior famous for his extreme devotion to the royal family. He often said he would guard them with his life, and in the end, he did - none of the royals were killed before he was.

**Endgame:** After finally collecting relics and preparing strategies, a strike team managed to penetrate through the heart of the Ghostlands, constantly beset by ever-increasing numbers of even more dangerous undead. In the end, they managed to reach the center and find the creator of the Ghostlands - Third Princess Ephemera, who had acquired and used a powerful artifact created when the Verk Empire slaughtered the citizens of Renesal as part of a ritual during its final war. Apparently unaware of all that had been going on, Ephemera was eventually convinced to shrink and end the Ghostlands, reducing its presence until it only covered the Capital City. Today, Renesal City is her domain, welcoming those in need but enforcing peace aggressively within the city limits.

### Exploration Progress:

This map shows currently-explored areas and points of interest within the Ghostlands.

### Known Threats

* Divination and Teleportation magic do not function inside of the Ghostlands (inc. planar travel, bags of holding, etc.)
* The Ghostlands is patrolled by many different types of undead
* Combat attracts more undead, apparently with no limit on the number that can show up
* Domination effects do not seem to work on the undead within the Ghostlands
* The undead get significantly stronger ~10 miles in

### Points of Interest

#### The Shrine of Pharasma

This shrine, located close to the border in the southwestern part of The Ghostlands, is located in a small cave. A small altar in the back is hidden from mindless undead. A sign is posted outside the cave with the following:

0) Under no circumstances should you sleep in the shrine or cave. You can and will be found by patrols.

1) Do not enter the shrine if being followed.

2) Do not take anything from the shrine not specifically designated as loaner equipment. You are responsible for the replacement of lost or damaged loaner equipment, and by entering this cave, you agree to said legal contract.

3) Do not harvest from the birch tree for risk of killing it. Tenders already regularly harvest from it.

4) [Instructions on how to use the ritual book and prepare the tea from the birch tree, and explaining what each does]

5) Any and all donations are accepted for the shrine's maintenance and expansion, and if you found the shrine to be useful, please share any information you come across with the shrine’s proprietor, Siras, in Babel. Any large donations will go toward the commission of additional loaner gear for the shrine.

The altar in the back holds a ritual book with the Keep Watch ritual, a tea set, and a collection of medicinal tree bark collected from the Restful Birch tree planted at the entrance of the cave.