The ruins date back to the Age of Ascendance (circa 3,000 years before the present), when the Elderglow Covenant, a coalition of mortal sorcerers, priests, and celestial beings, ruled Skyend. They built grand citadels, temples, and arcane forges, channeling the Aetheric Veins—rivers of raw magical energy that pulse beneath Terra's surface. These structures were not just architectural marvels but living conduits of power, designed to commune with the Starborn, godlike entities said to have descended from the cosmos.
The Covenant's greatest works—such as the Spire of Lyrath, the Hollow Sanctum, and the Vault of Eternal Dawn—were built atop Aetheric nodes, where the Veins were strongest. These sites were both sacred and strategic, used for rituals, crafting relics, and warding off threats from rival planes. The ruins today are what remain after the Cataclysm of Shattered Stars, a cataclysmic event that ended the Elderglow. The cause is debated: some say the Covenant's hubris angered the Starborn, others blame a betrayal by the Netherkin, shadowy entities from a lower plane. Whatever the truth, the Aetheric Veins destabilized, unleashing disasters that leveled cities and left the ruins as haunted husks.
Types of Ruins
The ruins of Skyend vary in purpose and state of decay, each offering clues to the Elderglow's glory and downfall:
Temples of Communion: These domed sanctuaries, like the Temple of Aelthar in the Jagged Wastes, were where priests invoked the Starborn. Their altars, often intact, hum with residual Aetheric energy, but tampering with them risks unleashing spectral guardians or worse. Adventurers report visions of starlit figures when near these altars, though none can agree on what they say.
Arcane Forges: Found in places like the Ironcrag Depths, these workshops crafted relics infused with Aetheric power—weapons, armor, and artifacts that could bend reality. Most forges are collapsed, but their anvils still radiate heat, and rogue enchantments sometimes animate nearby debris into hostile constructs.
Citadels of Rule: Massive fortresses, such as the Skyend Bastion, housed the Covenant's elite. These labyrinthine ruins are riddled with traps and sealed vaults, rumored to contain relics like the Starheart Scepter or tomes of forbidden spells. The Arcanum heavily patrols these sites, claiming to "protect" them, though many suspect they seek the relics for themselves.
Aetheric Wells: Underground chambers built around Aetheric Veins, these wells were used to siphon raw magic. Most are unstable, leaking energy that warps flora, fauna, and even time. The Well of Sypherion, hidden in the Verdant Expanse, is said to slow time for those who enter, aging them centuries in moments.
Mysteries and Dangers
The ruins are steeped in enigma and peril. Scholars believe the Covenant's relics hold the key to restoring or destroying Terra's balance. Key mysteries include:
The Starborn's Silence: Why did the Starborn vanish after the Cataclysm? Some ruins contain glyphs suggesting they fled to another plane, while others hint they were imprisoned within the Aetheric Veins.
The Netherkin's Role: Carvings in the Hollow Sanctum depict shadowy figures sabotaging Aetheric conduits. Were the Netherkin invaders or betrayed allies? Their lingering presence in some ruins—manifesting as wraiths or whispers—suggests unfinished business.
The ruins are not passive relics. Aetheric energy makes them unpredictable: walls shift, rooms rearrange, and spectral echoes of the Covenant attack intruders. The Arcanum, a mageocracy that rose in the post-Cataclysm era, claims jurisdiction over the ruins, but their enforcers often vanish within. Bandits, relic hunters, and rogue mages also vie for the ruins' secrets, making them battlegrounds as much as historical sites.