Veryne, Capital Forgotten

Veryne was once the capital of the Vhalurian Empire, a small yet prosperous empire on the eastern continent Lyrathil. After 150 years of steady, if not complacent, rule by House Ludremon, an unfortunate cosmic accident brought about the city's immediate destruction.
On that fateful night, enormous fragments of a fallen star rained down upon Veryne, devastating the city and contaminating its residents, causing them to mutate in gruesome eldritch ways. Now, multiple factions gather outside the ruins of Veryne, holding expeditions into the hostile ruins in search of knowledge, wealth and answers.

The Blister

The fallen star that desecrated Veryne broke into multiple pieces as it fell, collapsing buildings and leaving enormous craters across its ruins. As its chunks lie in the earth, eldritch leakage cascaded from the crystallized rock remains, forming a dense fog known simply as the Blister.
As the Blister slowly expands over the crumbling districts of Veryne, billowing above like purple and teal haze, it twists the ruined landscape and living organisms caught within. At dawn, the Blister dampens sunlight, shading Veryne from the light of Ikaram the Sun and keeping the world beneath it in constant dim light.

by Dean Spencer

When sunlight turns to moonlight, the Blister seems to fade, pushed down and thinned, allowing the moon’s luminescence to briefly brighten the fallen city until dawn returns.
Some areas are so pervaded by the Blister that mere exposure can be fatal or force life-altering mutations. These areas are generally in the vicinity of fallen star debris. Vhalurians, unfortunate enough to be close to where the fallen star fragments came to rest, have been lost to madness and cursed with horrific mutations.
Others present during Veryne’s fall, and lucky enough to be farther from impact points, have mutated but still retain much of their sanity. Enough so to try and form chaotic communities with other refugees away from the dangerous amalgamations that prowl.

Fall of House Ludremon

The last monarch of Veryne, Armel Ludremon IV, inherited Veryne from his father during a time of peace and prosperity. Thanks to his father’s work in safeguarding the city from outside threats, Ludremon IV ventured deeply into safer interests such as architecture, education and historical religion. He was not a beloved or ambitious King, but he was fair, and the Vhalurians were satisfied.
King Armel Ludremon IV married a Nolimon bride, Camille, and had two children: son Alric and daughter Violaine. Unfortunately, King Ludremon IV was only 20 years into his reign when the fallen star destroyed his empire. Since the cosmic anomaly, King Armel, Queen Camille, Alric and Violaine have not been seen and are all presumed dead.
King Ludremon’s brother Atavast Ludremon was lucky to escape the horrors of Veryne while away serving as an emissary to Queen Gwenor Esmeril, Elf Queen of Cendelius. Atavast would spend a small fortune commissioning mages and priests for help, nearly bankrupting himself and what remained of the Vhalurian Empire in the process.
As the Vhalurian Empire and Atavast Ludremon descended into political and financial ruin, Atavast was found dead, assassinated by an unknown assailant. Since Atavast’s death, none remain to carry the Ludremon bloodline, and with no clear successor, the Vhalurian Empire lies divided into small city-states.

Outskirts and Sinfall

The feylin river divides the ruined city into two distinct areas: the Outskirts and Sinfall. Sinfall lies west of the river, encompassing the falling star's largest impact sites. Here, the Blister is the thickest as Ludremon's Castle and the remains of upper-class districts are swallowed beneath its eldritch haze.
The Outskirts lie to the east, accompanied by a slight reprieve to the Blister. Thankfully, the crumbling city ruins are not as contaminated, so much, in fact, an infamous community of thieves, cutthroats and the slightly insane have come to call it home. The Outskirts is also the site of one of the continent's largest Chapels to the Illuminated Church, where the service bell still rings at 3:00 PM on the third day of the week to notify everyone service has begun.

Maps

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  Veryne Ruins

RUINED SETTLEMENT
Year 625 EoIF

Alternative Name(s)

Sinfall

Type

Large city

Population

Unknown

Order of the Empty Sky

As the Vhalurian Empire disintegrates into a kingdom of fractured nobility, the small faction hopes to restore their nation by freeing Veryne from the Blister. The Order of the Empty Sky is patriotic Vhalurians and volunteers from across Erenel who have come under the leadership of Cedric LaRue, a former Lord Commander and advisor to the late Atavast Ludremon.
The Order of the Empty Sky is supported by wealthy nobles who wish to restore proper Vhalurian tradition and learn King Ludremon IV's true fate. The order currently holds two key positions; a watchtower outside Veryne’s city walls acts as a stronghold, and an impressive stockade within the city itself insulated from the Blister. Thanks to their fortified locations, the Confessors risk life and limb to infiltrate Veryne using guerilla tactics.