Nearly 800 years ago something went wrong with the weave. Perhaps the Gods of magic lost control, maybe the weave pulled away, or maybe a god from beyond the dark tapestry dipped its filthy influence on it. But something went desperately wrong. Magic went awry and rampant. Mountains were leveled, valleys were raised, and the skies boiled.
When the dust was settled and the weave began to knit away like nothing happened the worlds - perhaps the entire multiverse - was forever altered. In some lands new races appeared from the Feywilds, in others magic fled altogether. Spells classified beyond level 9 were now things of legend, and wild magic was prevalent. The Lost Lands everything changed.
Once great civilizations are now gone, towns are now empty as nature reclaims them. The earth itself was shattered and rebuilt, slotting together like pieces from different puzzles forced into one another. A desert may sit only inches from an arctic tundra, the clouds may stop in a line as if respecting territory lines. At the epicenter of this shattering sits a quaint town called 'Heathwell'.
Heathwell is guarded by walls both physical and arcane; a bubble of magic domes the area protecting it from the strongest of magics and invaders. Those without ill intent can come and go at will, but no harmful outside force can. And the few people who now live there know: Anything beyond the barriers is certain death.
The town is no bigger than 100 houses, but it contains all amenities you might need. There are small farmsteads that produce more food than they should, the livestock are unusually fertile and plentiful, and the weather within the bubble seems to rain and shine on a set schedule. At the center of town is the Mage's Mill. It's a large tower, many stories tall, with a windmill that turns without stop regardless of the weather. It's power source is unknown but it is ceaseless - some people theorize it may power the magic bubble itself.
The tower is home to various libraries, laboratories, crafting rooms, and other things. Once an eccentric wizard likely lived here, and the smells of ozone and wood permeate the wood and paper pages on each floor. Around the tower are various districts just as any other town; a small market, an area for agriculture, and residences. There is a guard house patrolling but it's not heavily manned. Crime is fairly low here.
This city was discovered when the magic circle was nearly a century ago. The town was pristine and in the same condition it's in today, but empty. It was as if everyone got up and left in the middle of the night leaving everything behind. Since then various kingdoms and companies have sent scouts, warriors, and adventurers across but few returned at all. Some came back with old magics that have never before been seen, but over the years the well of easy goods has dried up. And now they have opened the portal to all adventurers. But nobody in their right mind would try this certain death.
...right?
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Outside Heathwell there are a few zones and they are referred to loosely as these given names:
- The Gloom - To the southeast, anything that grows here is twisted and gnarled. Trees reach their naked and distorted limbs to the sky that barely cracks to give sunlight. The things that skitter in the litterfall are warped dark little things with beedy glowing eyes and vicious teeth. This area inspires fear and dread. Sometimes guards from the walls say they see the dead rise and walk further into those dark woods...
- Cold Snap - To the northeast the weather bites at your skin and the wind freezes you with its caress. It's little more than an endless walk of snow and ice spanning as far as the eye can see, sometimes broken up by snow-covered trees. Any water you find is likely frozen or too cold to drink. Generally this place seems perilous if you're not ready for it.
- Creakwood - To the northwest, the land would be idyllic were it not for its residents. Fey, fauna and beast all seem predisposed to dislike outsiders. Rivers snake between alder trees where animals may drink, wolves prowl at night and retreat to their dens, and perhaps if you are unlucky you may stumble on an ogre that made an old ruin their home.
- Sand fields - To the southwest the sun beats down on sparkling yellow sand. It's hot here, and anyone not used to this environment would likely immediately start to perspire. Bulettes stomp across the dunes, and camels make long treks between oases. Prepare well, or the vultures that circle the sky might land by your corpse.