The Isles of Ruin

"Husks of a time long since past lie crumbling in The Isles of Ruin. While we may not even know the name of this ancient civilization, we do know one thing: what's left of it is not friendly to us. Whether cursed or haunted, the remains should be left well alone."
-Yalshtock The Wise

Remnants of The Ancient Civilization

Before even Timberwelsh or Nihakeshi, there was an ancient civilization which took root in The Six Seas. We know very little of it - its culture, advancement, and even the race of its people are all lost or debated in the modern-day. One thing that is known, though, is that the civilization was deeply magical in nature. Trinkets both mundane and incredibly powerful can be found within the ruins of the civilization.
The Isles of Ruin were once the centre of the civilization's power, and demonstrate how powerful the civilization must have been at its prime, boasting impressive infrastructure and beautiful artistry on many of the more significant structures (the ones still standing, at least). The civilization fell over 4000 years ago for unknown reasons, but it's suspected it wasn't war, as even less of the ruins would be intact.

Cursed, Haunted, or Just Plain Unlucky?

The Isles of Ruin are believed by many sailors to be either cursed or haunted. Strange happenings are reported around the region, and anybody in their right mind would prefer to stay away from them instead of going to find out what's going on. Those that do often disappear, or return traumatized and battered.
Proponents of the idea that the islands are cursed cite the fact that the civilization fell in inexplicable circumstances. Perhaps bringing ruin to these islands was the true first among The Curses of the Six Seas.
Proponents of the haunted theory point out that the strange occurrences are not consistent; they are seemingly random and impact people in different ways. Hauntings could explain this, and that might also explain how some people are able to simply waltz into the islands and leave unaffected - the ghosts, for some reason, might be ok with them.
Another theory has begun to circulate - perhaps the islands are karmically unlucky. It's not unheard of, and followers of Arket have begun to flock towards the island in droves since this theory arose, potentially making it eventually true whether or not it initially was.

Sorrow's Bridge

A massive stone bridge towers above many of the isles, running west to north. The bridge is broken in many places, and the remnants can often be found crushing ruins on the islands below. The bridge, dubbed Sorrow's Bridge, once served as a causeway for the ancient civilization, presumably providing fast transport. Now, however, it is a haunting sight which reminds many of the impermanence of life. The islands surrounding it are eerily quiet.

Arket's Lost City

The largest among The Isles of Ruin, the city found here is one of the most intact relics of the ancient civilization. People know to stay clear of here, however, thanks to the supposedly horrid creatures which skulk the streets at night, filling them with terrible screams, enough to drive any man mad. Any who venture into the city are known to bring terrible misfortune upon themselves, even beyond the reaches of whatever lives there, giving the city its name after Arket, Goddess of Misfortune.
Even knowing the dangers, many a young treasure seeker will venture here - for the city is filled with treasure and magical items, and perhaps of even more value, lore on the ancient civilization and their arcane traditions. These treasure seekers, who almost never return, are honoured by locals to The Ancient Sea.

Location under

The Ancient Sea