Infobox
The Ashen Maw
Population: Large
Obsidian Dragonborn 60% Tiefling 20% Fire Genasi 10% Kenku 7% Other 3% Information
Laws Very Strict Wealth Loaded Government Draconic Rule Civil Unrest Low Aligned None Resources High Magic High Danger High
All flora withers and dies upon nearing the lands of the Ashen Maw — a desolate, cursed expanse said to border the very essence of the Underdark. Towering, jagged black cliffs surround and protect the city of Zultharune, standing like obsidian teeth against the sky. The city is fiercely guarded, with watchful eyes stationed in towers scattered throughout the region. A series of imposing walls and a massive river of lava serve as both defense and warning. Very few outsiders are ever granted access.
Despite its isolation, Zultharune thrives. Its proximity to the Shimmerstone Isles, rich in rare minerals and magical resources, has made the city incredibly wealthy. The people of Zultharune are known for their unyielding nature and serious outlook on life — shaped by centuries under the rule of Druvakar, the Hollow Flame, an ancient and terrifying obsidian dragon. Dark magic is not only permitted within the city, it is openly encouraged, forming the backbone of Zultharune’s culture and power.
To the human kingdoms of Drucia, Zultharune is a place of nightmares. The Ashen Maw is believed to be cursed — a realm forever tied to the Underdark, long after the rest of the world was freed. According to legend, the world once belonged entirely to the Underdark. Those who aligned themselves with the “good” gods were blessed and lifted into the light. Those who pledged themselves to the god Kaelos, He Who Wears a Thousand Faces, were cursed to remain below.
Zultharune is Kaelos’s stronghold. His followers embrace darkness, deception, and forbidden knowledge. As a result, exiled dark mages and practitioners of lost magic from across the realm have fled to Zultharune in search of freedom.
Druvakar, their draconic ruler, is the harshest of all remaining dragons. Even his kin fear him. When the Drucian kingdoms began their campaign to exterminate the dragons, Druvakar struck back with fury. He led a devastating assault that destroyed the city of Proteus, before narrowly escaping defeat at the hands of the human champion Warrior Keno of Steel Run. Druvakar vanished into the shadows of the Ashen Maw — wounded, but alive.
Hidden deep within the Maw is a dungeon of immense danger and mythical wealth. It is said that the greatest secrets and spoils of the old world lie buried there