Far to the southeast of Mythea, beyond the fertile lands of the Velvet Sultanate and south of the great forests of Sylvarana, lies a region known simply as the Dusklands.
A harsh and unforgiving wilderness of jagged stone, barren valleys, twisted canyons, and monster-haunted wastes, the Dusklands are considered one of the most dangerous regions in the known world. Few governments claim authority there, fewer still can enforce it.
Civilization ends at the Dusklands' borders.
Beyond them, only strength determines survival.
For centuries the region has served as a refuge for exiles, warbands, monsters, and dark races driven from more civilized lands. Countless tribes, clans, and creatures compete for territory amid a landscape shaped by violence and hardship.
Most travelers wisely avoid the Dusklands.
Adventurers do not.
The Dusklands consist of:
Rocky badlands
Wind-scoured plateaus
Volcanic foothills
Deep ravines
Barren deserts
Ancient battlefields
Ruined fortresses
Monster-infested caves
Little fertile land exists.
What resources can be found are often fought over relentlessly.
Massive thunderstorms, dust storms, and unnatural weather phenomena are common throughout the region.
Throughout Mythea, the Dusklands are feared as a land where monsters outnumber civilized folk.
Many maps simply label large portions of the region:
"Here Be Monsters."
Even experienced adventurers understand that entering the Dusklands means accepting extraordinary danger.
Few novice adventurers survive long.
The Dusklands are home to countless hostile peoples and creatures.
Among them:
Numerous competing warbands dominate much of the region.
Some seek conquest.
Others simply fight because conflict is all they have ever known.
Cunning, opportunistic, and endlessly adaptable.
Goblin settlements can be found hidden within canyons, caves, and ruined fortifications.
Perhaps the most feared inhabitants of the Dusklands.
Savage warbands roam the wastes hunting prey and raiding settlements.
Entire frontier villages have vanished beneath their assaults.
Scattered enclaves of dark elves occupy hidden strongholds within the deepest reaches of the region.
They rarely interact with outsiders unless it benefits them.
Several giant clans inhabit the northern plateaus and mountain ranges.
Many travelers never see them coming.
The Dusklands support an astonishing variety of dangerous creatures, including:
Wyverns
Manticores
Hydras
Trolls
Chimeras
Basilisks
Dragons
Giants
Aberrations
Undead
Many species thought extinct elsewhere still thrive here.
Scattered throughout the Dusklands are the ruins of civilizations long since destroyed.
Some fell to war.
Others vanished mysteriously.
Many predate recorded history.
These ruins attract adventurers, scholars, treasure hunters, and fools in equal measure.
No region outside the Blood Seas contains more Lost Age ruins than the Dusklands.
Ancient towers rise from barren valleys.
Massive stone roads lead nowhere.
Forgotten vaults lie hidden beneath the earth.
Many believe the region was once home to powerful Lost Age cities before some ancient catastrophe shattered the land.
A vast region controlled by numerous Orc clans.
Constant warfare has turned the landscape into a graveyard of fortresses and battlefields.
Territory dominated by Gnoll warbands.
Travelers often report hearing distant laughter carried by the wind.
Few remain long enough to investigate.
The ruins of an ancient fortress-city.
Many treasure hunters seek its legendary vaults.
Few return.
A colossal canyon said to descend deep into the earth.
Numerous monsters lair within its depths.
Entire adventuring companies have vanished attempting to explore it.
A volcanic mountain range inhabited by giants, dragons, and creatures adapted to extreme environments.
A region of black volcanic glass stretching across the horizon.
Many believe a great magical catastrophe occurred here during the Lost Age.
An enormous underground realm rumored to house dark races, forgotten cities, and creatures never meant to see daylight.
The Dusklands are considered a proving ground for experienced adventurers.
Common pursuits include:
Monster hunting
Treasure hunting
Lost Age exploration
Tribal diplomacy
Mercenary work
Dragon slaying
Artifact recovery
Frontier defense
Escort missions
Ancient ruin expeditions
Recommended Adventurer Levels:
Border Regions: Level 5+
Interior Wilds: Level 10+
Ancient Ruins: Level 12+
Legendary Sites: Level 15+
Deep Dusklands: Level 18+
The strongest monsters in Mythea can often be found here.
Stories told throughout Mythea claim that:
Dragons rule hidden kingdoms beneath the mountains.
Entire Lost Age cities remain buried beneath the wastes.
A forgotten god sleeps somewhere beneath the Dusklands.
Ancient weapons of unimaginable power lie hidden within ruined vaults.
The Hollow Kingdom stretches beneath half the continent.
A gateway to another world exists somewhere within the region.
Whether these tales are true remains unknown.
But among adventurers, one saying is nearly universal:
"The Dusklands will either make your legend... or become your grave."