The Ruins of Serralon

We could barely make out any details in the twilight, but as we stood there defying the cold chill in the air, the sun started to peek over the horizon. I stared in awe as the ruins of Serralon were slowly revealed to us. No book or manuscript could have prepared me. The sheer size of the decrepit buildings is dazzling. Some towers still stand, others have fallen and lay in crumbles on the streets of old. I can not wait to see it all up close. In the background looms Mystwood. I feel unease when looking at the towering trees. Back in Mehrula I heard tales about this ancient forest. I try not to think of them. It’s just a wall of greenery embracing the old ruins. As if it were trying to keep Serralon safe from the outside world.

— Excerpt from a diary found in the Forbidden Library of Sajhdula

Serralon is an expansive ancient metropolis on the south coast of West Eghea, 42 km east of Mehrula. The ruins are almost entirely bordered by Mystwood. Only one overgrown road leads west following the coastline. There is still much debate about the original inhabitants of the city. Some scholars think the city was built by The Forgotten. Others claim that an unknown human civilization were the ones who constructed the metropolis.

History

Most archeologists believe Serralon was once the biggest city in the world. It is estimated that at its largest the city had a population of 200.000 people. Remains of an extensive network of roads have been found all over West Eghea. They once connected Serralon to the Seven Ageless Towers. This led to the belief that the original inhabitants of Serralon were The Forgotten. No one has ever been able to prove this however. Because of the difficulties that come with studying these ruins, we know far less about them than we should. Scholars assume though that the city was an important port and trading hub before it was abandoned. In more recent years attempts have been made to create a map of the city by a team of cartographers. Instead of setting up camp in the ruins, like previous expeditions did, they travel between Serralon and Mehrula six days a week. Spending their days in the ruins, and their nights in the safety of Mehrula. So far none of them have gone missing.

Aging Tower

In the centre of the city stands a tall tower. Some scholars claim this tower might have been originally intended to be part of the Ageless Towers dotted along the coastline of West Eghea. But for some reason, whatever makes these buildings Ageless did not take proper effect on the tower in Serralon. Therefor it shows signs of erosion and damage. The tower seems to have been created for the study of geography, which fits within the purpose of the Ageless Towers. We know little about the tower, but we do know that inside is a room with a large map of the world as it was thousands of years ago. It is not a mere hand-drawn map though. It is a large model of the world using rocks, sand, moss, and other materials. Those who have seen it, and could report about it, speak of the awe they felt when looking at the exceptional craftmanship that went into its creation.

Black Pile of Stones by Pixabay

RUINED SETTLEMENT
1362 BP

Founding Date

Unknown

Type

Metropolis

Location under

West Eghea

Lost Expeditions

In the last 2000 years many expeditions have set out to explore Serralon and discover what secrets it might hold. Only few have ever returned from such an expedition however. Mystwood gets blamed for this as it has a habit of making anyone who gets close to it disappear. A team of cartographers attempting to map out the ruined city reported a strange inexplicable desire to walk into the forest. Perhaps this explains why so many explorers have gone missing in the past.