The Database has not been updated for the non-MMO version of the game, and likely won't be.
Highlands
Nestled within the Westreach—a region claimed by both the Avar Imperium and the Maze—The Highlands knew strife long before Gloomfall shattered the rest of Evenor’s lands. In fact it was the Empire which first fortified Skylight and established the Codex Monasteries, whose ruins now litter the region’s mountainside. Rich in the arcanic fuel godsblood and emboldened by the prosperous city of Skylight, the area was once renowned for its Trade Road—a gleaming promise of the prosperity to come. A promise broken by the Fall. Cut off from the rest of the Evenor by the Gloom, the Highlands now subsists as a warren of craters and Gloom Tears alike. What fortune still persists is scalped by the Shrikes, and few wayfarers venturing the region live to see their destination, imperiled by gloomtouched beasts. Only Skylight remains. Our last, dwindling light before the coming end.| Details | |
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Objectives
Phase 1
Lower Skylight
Once Lower Skylight was a welcoming haven for travelers, merchants, and tourists from across the Westreach. The Seekers abandoned it following the Fall, and the ruins have become a haven for wild beasts, Shrike brigands, and others unwilling to live in peace with the people of the upper city. There are valuable resources to be found there, but danger lurks around every corner.
The Barricades
While the Seekers lack the resources to secure Lower Skylight, it's vital for them to maintain control of the area around the Great Lift. Warden Hass and the Watchers have fought Shrikes, goblins, and strange creatures that have crawled from the Gloom, but to date no threat has reached the upper city.
The Pit
Before the Gloomfall, Bal Mol was a thriving godsblood mine—though even then, the frequency of dangerous accidents led to the nickname "The Pit." Following the Fall, the Pit was seized by the Shrike Syndicate. Now the mine has been swallowed by the Gloom and is shunned even by the Shrikes.
Heartwood Tower
Heartwood Tower is a bitter reminder of the impact of the Fall. Though it was only briefly exposed to the Gloom before the Beacon was restored, the structure of the tower was weakened and the young Lord Heartwood was transformed into a feral beast. No Heartwood survived. Other survivors took shelter in the ruin, only to be slaughtered in an assault that destroyed the lower hall; it's still a mystery as to whether this was the work of Shrike bandits or the Geartooth goblins.
The Dolorous Bell
Thirty six years ago, the totemist Hezhala Brimtooth came from the Golden Aerie bearing this bell. The trees twisted at her bidding to bear its weight, and she told the people of the Highlands that the bell would ring of its own accord when the Highlands faced its greatest threat. The Dolorous Bell has remained here ever since, and never yet rung on its own, not even when the Gloom swept across the land. So either Hezhala's magic is not what legends say... or there's an even greater threat still to come.
Codex Halls
This is a section of the vast fortress monastery of Aurelian, which once sprawled across the Highlands. It was the stronghold of the Order of the Silver Codex, a powerful sect within the Avar church. Aurelian was attacked by a powerful force of soldiers and collapsed into the Gloom; this was decades before the Gloomfall, and the nature of the attackers and the cause of the collapse remains a mystery. The Codex Halls were the outermost circle of Aurelian, open to initiates and visitors alike.
Crossroads Foundry
Before the Gloomfall the Crossroads Foundry was an important industrial community, refining ores from the Bloodworks and trading with merchants on the road to Skylight. The Crossroads was devastated by the Fall and the creatures that arose in its wake, but over the last few months a dedicated group of survivors have been working to reclaim the foundry.
Sandhaven Beach
Throughout the history of the highlands, smugglers of all stripes have found Sandhaven a useful port. Following the Fall, the Shrikes sought to continue this practice. But the Gloom has driven fell creatures from the deep waters, and even the Shrikes have abandoned the beaches.
Dalan Bridge
Once Dalan Bridge carried a steady stream of travelers and merchants along the old Avar road to the Westreach and the lands beyond. The bridge collapsed in the Fall, consumed from within by the Gloom. Even if it still stood, no one knows if anything is left of the world beyond the Highlands.
Aurelia's Tears
Aurelia came to the Highlands hundreds of years ago. She tried to convert the local people to the Avar faith, but they had little interest in hearing the word of the Architects. Legend says that she wept for their ignorance, and as she did, water flowed down from the mountains and the land wept with her.
The Tarnstones
These stones were raised by the Woodwen, an ancient people who fled into the Frostmarch when the Avar laid claim the Highlands. Whatever power they once held has long since faded away.
The Undercroft
There was a time when Aurelian was a symbol of Imperial power. The Codex monks weren't just scribes; they traveled the world investigating the mysteries of the Architects. Aboveground, Aurelian was a fortress. This breach leads to what lay below—a maze of arcane workshops and scriptorums known as the Undercroft.
Ironstone Keep
A proud Imperial fortress, Ironstone Keep withstood countless assaults from the Maze during the Thousand Day War. It was a bastion of Avar power for centuries, but it took less than an hour of exposure to the raw Gloom to leave it a haunted ruin. Since the Gloomfall Ironstone has become a haven for the Geartooth goblins, but there may yet be valuable supplies hidden within its walls.
Charred Rise
The scorch marks here don't match any natural patterns, and there is a scent in the air beyond smoke and soot. Elemental energies have been conjured here; someone is experimenting with dangerous and unnatural flames.
Repository of Knowledge
This breach leads to the deepest vaults that ran below Aurelian. We know little about the research that was done here, but we know that the vault was drawn into the Gloom long before the Fall. Whatever powers linger within, they're surely dangerous and unstable.
Remnants of Aurelian
Aurelian was destroyed decades ago. The monks were slain or driven away, and the lowest levels collapsed into the Gloom. The ruins that remained were abandoned and shunned, and nature has slowly been reclaiming the land.
Sundered Bulwark
While it was damaged during the Thousand Day War, it was the Gloom that left this bulwark a ruin. On the day of the Fall, the Gloom swept across the Highlands. By the time the Beacon's light was restored, the soldiers that held the bulwark were gone.
Stone King's Tomb
The Westreach was once home to a loose alliance of clans—the Woodwen, the Stonegren, the Riverden, and more. The last lord of the Stonegren is buried in this tomb. While the customs and history of the Stonegren have long been forgotten, the modern people say that the Stone King guards the world from below; adventurous Reachers used to leave offerings at his tomb when they needed luck.
Seeker's Camp
The Highlands are a dangerous place for anyone, especially a young researcher. It could be sheer luck that Seeker Avala has survived out here... or she could be more capable than she appears.
Umbral Tunnels
The Gloom is hungry, always pressing against the protection offered by the Beacon's light. The Gloom is a palpable presence in these tunnels, a numbing tingle against the skin. It is slowly reshaping the walls and transforming the creatures that live in this place. It may only be a matter of time until it collapses into a breach.
Mottled Hovel
The smells of rot and dried blood hang heavy in the air. The scattered bones feel deliberate; this is an artist signing their work. Something deadly dwells in this place—a creature that feels no need to hide its presence.
The Sword of the Reaches
Avar historians say that this imposing monument was carved by human hands, that this stone sword marks the tomb of a pre-empire Riverden champion. But the local legends say that the tomb was built around the stone sword, that the blade is the weapon of an ancient titan who holds the power of the land itself. These tales say that one day the Reaches will rise up and reclaim their blade, striking down all who have wronged them.
The Bloodworks
Before the Fall, the Bloodworks were a thriving network of mines that kept a steady stream of iron and godsblood flowing to the Crossroads foundry. The Shrike Syndicate seized the mine in the first days after the Gloomfall, and then it collapsed into the Gloom. Its current status is a mystery—but Skylight needs the Blood.
