Welcome to Crumbleden

Region at a Glance

Three Keys to the Kingdom

1. Visit the vast, crumbling tower still standing watch over the area.
2. Investigate the deep, clawlike marks in the stone.
3. Admire the durable construction techniques of a once proud kingdom.

Reaching for the Heavens

This tower once collected energy from lightning in the thunderclouds that constantly swirl here. Some say that it was destroyed by repeated lightning strikes, but others note the unnatural shapes into which the tower crumbled and wonder if it fell into ruin for different reasons entirely.

High Stakes

Amid the ruins, these swords surely stand out. They’re thought to be left over from a large battle here in Crumbleden. One certainly feels a sense of intentionality in the way they’re stuck straight down, as if fallen from the sky.

Some see them not as swords, but rather nails or stakes. Perhaps the eyelets at the top allowed ropes or chains through to anchor something, but it’s impossible to say what.

Ruined Dreams

It’s only because of the people of Crumbleden’s skill in construction that there are ruins left here to see. Their building style was reliable and straightforward, but whatever they’d hoped to accomplish by harnessing the fearsome power of lightning remains unclear. Some have theorized that the circular plaza atop the tower was built for a standoff of some kind.

The Great Altar

It’s thought this altar was built so this former kingdom could communicate with (or perhaps confront) something. This is the only altar built here, and scholars have been keen to discover its intent. It’s also said to be shaped like something in particular. The idea that it was meant to charge lightning has been disproven. The new theory is that it was built to call something down and then restrain the lightning.

Are Those…Claw Marks?

The stone here has numerous large slashes cut through it, often in parallel tracks suggesting giant claws. But that can’t be right—what could claw through stone?