Torbah, once a humble desert settlement on the western fringes of The Sands of Serrakhan, has long since been swallowed by the sprawling, chaotic overgrowth of the Faewylds following the catastrophic Conjunction of the Realms. Once a haven for nomadic gypsies, desert wanderers, and outlaws, Torbah's legacy is now one of eerie silence, shrouded in the creeping vines and vibrant, otherworldly flora of the Faewyld jungle.
Before its obliteration, Torbah was an isolated town, plagued by drought, disease, and neglect from the Serrakhan Sultanate, which saw little value in maintaining its remote borders. Hundreds of miles away from its sister city, Shariz, and separated by an unforgiving expanse of dune sea, Torbah was a place of hardship and secrets. Its desolation, however, made it the perfect breeding ground for corruption and conspiracy.
Shadow of the Snake Cult
In its twilight years, Torbah served as the clandestine hub for the notorious Snake Cult, an insidious organization bent on resurrecting The Great Serpent, an ancient force of destruction. The town elder, Kassim, lived a duplicitous life as "The Eye," a high-ranking member of the cult, overseeing its dark operations. Under Kassim's influence, the town became a sanctuary for the cult’s machinations, hiding their rituals and conspiracies within its dusty, sand-blown streets.
Kassim’s betrayal and the exposure of his involvement with the Snake Cult ultimately led to his downfall. His death marked the end of the cult’s stranglehold over Torbah, but the town’s reputation was forever stained by its association with the dark, serpentine faith (see: Serpents Showdown).
Revival and Ruin
Following Kassim’s demise, Rift Energy briefly revitalized Torbah. Harnessed from trade with the eastern Empire of Bastile, the new argent energy source brought a fleeting prosperity to the settlement, attracting wanderers and adventurers seeking its promise. However, this resurgence was tragically short-lived.
When the Conjunction of The Realms tore through Osira, the boundaries between planes fractured, allowing the Faewyld to spill into the material plane. Torbah, situated near the epicenter of the rift’s catastrophic influence, was consumed in an instant. Its sandy streets were overtaken by creeping roots and glowing fungal blooms. Buildings that once stood against the desert winds were shattered by invasive vines, and its few remaining inhabitants either perished or became lost within the uncharted chaos of the Faewyld.
Legacy
Today, Torbah exists only as a memory. The once-meager settlement is now a haunting testament to the power of the Conjunction of The Realms. The Faewyld jungle that has overtaken the site thrives with strange and vibrant life, yet carries an ominous energy. Whispers of spectral remnants, twisted echoes of its Snake Cult past, and visions of lost inhabitants still haunt the area, making it a place few dare to tread.
Torbah's ruins remain a cautionary tale for the people of the Serrakhan Sultanate—a story of deceit, resilience, and ultimate obliteration at the hands of forces far beyond mortal control. As the jungle grows thicker and its secrets sink deeper into obscurity, Torbah's tale slowly fades into legend, an echo lost amidst the eternal verdancy of the Faewylds.