1. Locations

The Crucible

Demonic Fortress
Plane of Khaos

The Crucible, a fortress of malevolence and dark sorcery, is a testament to Balthazar the Blighted's insatiable thirst for power and cruelty. Floating on an island within the immaterial abyss of the Plane of Khaos, The Crucible is held together by Balthazar's blood magic and the life force of countless sacrifices. While its exterior mimics an opulent manor, a closer approach reveals its true form: a demonic stronghold surrounded by moats of molten magma and chains binding tormented demons for all eternity.

Inside, the fortress serves as both a prison and a power source for Balthazar. Known as the Spawn of Balthazar, his children are confined here, their innate arcane abilities siphoned to fuel his dark ambitions. The air is thick with the disavowed screams of hundreds, victims of Balthazar's sadistic rituals. Key areas within The Crucible include Balthazar's study, where he obsessively works on a replica of the Continuum Crystal Cosmology stolen from the High Elves of Aerenal, and multiple ritual antechambers. In these dark rooms, he imprisoned and later consumed three demon princes, seizing the Infernal Elements they guarded to further his twisted cause.

Crumbling of The Crubible

The Crucible

The Destruction of the Crucible marked a cataclysmic event that followed the defeat of Balthazar the Blighted at the hands of Haellae Colaerth and Guy the Grateful. As Balthazar met his end, a terrifying, reality-shattering screech echoed throughout the Plane of Khaos, emanating from Azhorra'tha, the Watcher in the Abyss. This eldritch echo set off a chain reaction that led to the immediate disintegration of the Crucible. Once a fortress of dark sorcery and unimaginable cruelty, the Crucible was torn asunder as argent purple energy surged through the realm, annihilating the floating island it was built upon and tearing down the very fabric of reality.

The destruction was so complete that not even the screams of the tormented souls imprisoned within could be heard as the chaotic energies consumed them. Once a symbol of Balthazar's malevolent power, the Crucible was reduced to cosmic dust, its dark magic and the life force it had siphoned dissipating into the chaotic void. This event served as a grim reminder of the untold power of Azhorra'tha and the fragile nature of reality when faced with forces beyond mortal comprehension.

August 27th, 2023