[Maplore] Ilharcress

[BobBox 3798]

Sinister land of the east.

 

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"I could feel their infectious breath upon my neck, and hear their scurrying below my feet."

A former miner from Ilharcress.

 

 

When someone speaks of the easternmost part of Azuras, they are most likely referring to Ilharcress, where dark grass covered with trees stretches toward the ocean with rocky outcroppings that discourage ships from arriving. Here, tiered mountains dot the land, which is split by deep rivers and draped in a seemingly endless coat of leaves. Some plants struggle to grow beneath the large trees, while others thrive due to the intense rainfall and shade. 

 

The land of Ilharcress is divided into two regions.

 

The northern part is filled with lush grass, mostly covered by large trees, except for barren patches where mushrooms and vibrant flowers - golden, white, and red - appear. Mossy stones rest at the bases of tall mountains, once dislodged by ascending travelers and now firmly at rest. The centerpiece of the northern landscape is a large lake that nearly forms a circle, yet is paused in its efforts by a land bridge leading to a central island. While nature's beauty can be appreciated in the sunlight, even the most unimaginative child wandering through the dense forest would see monsters lurking behind every shadow cast by the trees, which grow aggressively out of the ground in relentless hunger for sunlight, and which hardly permit any to touch the ground.

 

The southern portion is characterized by a darker palette, with grass of a deeper hue and more sunlight filtering through. The trees here are more consistent, but they are less fervent in their quest for sunlight. Instead of large patches of grassland, there are areas of mud and loose soil covered by low bushes. When color appears, it’s only because a few blue flowers or a particularly hardy berry bush have managed to establish a permanent place.
 

 

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Rats plagued by Kholidav.

 

 

Ilharcress is not just a land where fear is only a shadow in the mind or where traveling merchants tell ghost stories around an open fire. Instead, the land itself has witnessed great horrors over the ages. Initially, there was little to truly fear. Merchants reported of rogue bands of Ratiki that sometimes appeared from the hillsides and ran into the forest shadows where they could operate in low visibility. These were little more than a nuisance and were often dealt with by setting a trap or with a quick slash of one's sword. But times changed.

Long ago, Ratiki bands in Ilharcress fought each other mercilessly, both in the surface shadows and beneath the rocky exterior of the world. Each band fought for control without fear of death or repercussions, and their actions caught the attention of sinister forces. After a period of observation, when the Ratiki bands were especially weak, Kholidav swiftly allowed sickness to spread among them. Soon, The Crow began to take control, and it wasn’t long before the warbands united under the singular banner of pestilence.

As the Ratiki forcefully put aside their differences under the iron grip of the pentacle, their forces grew significantly stronger. Where rats had fought needlessly and died, they now festered and became more toxic, like a harmful disease. Beneath the surface, warriors and spellcasters equipped themselves with stronger armor and dark powers. It wasn’t long before they were unleashed.

 

A depiction of the rats stealing a relic of Goldleaf Gap.

 

 

Kholidav grew tired of the paradise of Goldleaf Gap, free of disease and evil. The rats were released, and they began to storm into the holy lands from the nearby mountain. War machines launched boulders and spells of sickness across the border, and an army of thousands of Ratiki quickly overwhelmed Amara Veythiel. Many fell, but the rats were undeterred. They eventually killed the mighty paladin and quickly looted whatever artifacts they could - of course, the rats remained skilled at looting. After this, they retreated to their land, and the written history fades away.

 

Perhaps they still fester beneath the rocks, or maybe pestilence got the better of them. Who knows if the story is true at all, rats are not always the most accurate sources of information.

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