Narona
During the chelish civil war 4608-4640 AR, Narona managed to stay mostly neutral. The Paaneshi, a democraticly elected council, hoped for independence and beloved freedom but when the war finally ended, house Thrune and their army gave an ultimatum to any chelish city not yet sworn to them.
Narona and its citizens, fearing the violent destruction that happened during the war to befall their beloved city, tentatively swore allegiance to the infernal majesty of the Thrice Damned house of Thrune.
The queen at the time, Abrogail I, was satisfied with the oath but when queen Carellia Thrune drowned in 4697 AR and the de facto queen Abrogail II was only five years old, Narona saw an oppurtunity to throw of the shackles of house Thrune and become free after all.
Infrexus, governor until Abrogail was old enough to rule, did not hesitate to send out the chelish royal navy, the infamous black armada. They arrived at Naronas shores in the dead the night and unleashed fiery siege weapons without a warning. Only few of the citizens managed to escape and the ruins are littered with the corpses and skeletal remains of those that perished in the flames, serving as a grim reminder of what is to happen to those that betray the chelish crown.
What the black armada and chelish army did not manage to destroy though was the strange, magical repository the city was built upon. It appeared in local folklore here and there but it has been lost to time for the most part.
Shortly after its destruction, the ruins became a site of interest for many different factions, demons, hags, cultists and more in hopes of uncovering artefacts and understanding the strange magic in the area.
Most notably is the collection of 14 locked doors constructed of a red-tinged alloy that resembles no known metal and inscribed with an unrecognizable script that defies all efforts to decipher it. When the doors are touched, the metal begins to emit an eerily beautiful ringing noise that shifts in pitch and volume. Anyone within hearing range who speaks before the resounding tones fade is instantly rendered deaf and mute until the doors fall silent again. Magical effects go awry while the doors reverberate: weapons enchanted with holy power may burst into flame, potions may change their consistency, and wands may gain or lose charges.
The doors’ muting effect makes attempts to magically investigate their nature more difficult, as it prevents spellcasters using spells with verbal components from completing their incantations. The doors appear to be impervious to nonmagical force, resisting any attempts to force them open, blow them up, or bore through them, and the walls around them seem to be similarly reinforced. In the past few years, Hellknights from the Order of the Pyre have trekked across Cheliax to unearth the secrets that lie beneath Narona and protect the Chelish populace from any lingering threats. The Hellknights brought along several contingents of Chelish archaeologists to dig up relics from the destroyed city and its ancient underpinnings in hopes of understanding more about the area. They have discovered a few implements with unusual powers, which the Hellknights guard carefully until they can be taken back to Citadel Krane safely. The artifacts lying within Narona could well prove of great use to anyone who gets their hands on them but getting past the Hellknights would be a suicidal task for all but the most capable adventurers.
Most notably is the collection of 14 locked doors constructed of a red-tinged alloy that resembles no known metal and inscribed with an unrecognizable script that defies all efforts to decipher it. When the doors are touched, the metal begins to emit an eerily beautiful ringing noise that shifts in pitch and volume. Anyone within hearing range who speaks before the resounding tones fade is instantly rendered deaf and mute until the doors fall silent again. Magical effects go awry while the doors reverberate: weapons enchanted with holy power may burst into flame, potions may change their consistency, and wands may gain or lose charges.
The doors’ muting effect makes attempts to magically investigate their nature more difficult, as it prevents spellcasters using spells with verbal components from completing their incantations. The doors appear to be impervious to nonmagical force, resisting any attempts to force them open, blow them up, or bore through them, and the walls around them seem to be similarly reinforced. In the past few years, Hellknights from the Order of the Pyre have trekked across Cheliax to unearth the secrets that lie beneath Narona and protect the Chelish populace from any lingering threats. The Hellknights brought along several contingents of Chelish archaeologists to dig up relics from the destroyed city and its ancient underpinnings in hopes of understanding more about the area. They have discovered a few implements with unusual powers, which the Hellknights guard carefully until they can be taken back to Citadel Krane safely. The artifacts lying within Narona could well prove of great use to anyone who gets their hands on them but getting past the Hellknights would be a suicidal task for all but the most capable adventurers.
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