The Lost City of Samazinhold

Deep within Ebonhart Forest, nestled against the vast and fish-laden Samazin Lake, lies the ruined city of Samazinhold. Once a thriving human city of great power and prosperity, it stood as a beacon of civilization before the Demonic Wars. The region was rich in resources, with fertile lands surrounding the town and a series of interconnected lakes providing abundant food.

Samazinhold was not merely a city—it was a vast dominion of human ingenuity and strength, its roads paved with stone, its fields stretching beyond the eye could see, and its waters teeming with life. It flourished in trade, agriculture, and magic, attracting scholars, warriors, and mages alike. The city’s people lived in relative peace, harnessing the lakes’ resources while constructing sprawling structures that housed their great populace.

The Fall of Samazinhold

During the Demonic Wars, the city fell under siege by infernal legions. The demon lord Xorithael’Zunathorak, shortened to Xorith, a terrifying and powerful summoner with unparalleled mastery over ripping open portals to the demon realms, conquered and transformed Samazinhold into a stronghold for his abyssal army. His domain became a breeding ground for infernal horrors, and his ability to summon demons en masse turned the city into a vital stronghold for the invasion forces of the demonic armies.

At the core of his power was the Gem of Xor, a ruby-colored stone, the size and shape of a human heart, set within his massive ring. The gem’s magic was tied to his ability to open portals for greater demons and creating thousands of smaller portals for minor and lesser demons, allowing endless streams of demons to flood Anuheim. The war to reclaim Samazinhold was long and brutal, culminating in a decisive battle where Xorith was finally defeated.

The demon lord’s death triggered a massive implosion, annihilating all beings in the vicinity and leaving a scarred wasteland just miles outside the city. The Gem of Xor—the only remnant of Xorith—was lost to time, buried deep within an abyssal crater surrounded by Abyssal Obsidian, a dark, twisted rock infused with demonic energy.

After the Demonic Wars, the rapid spread of Ebonhart Forest overtook Samazinhold, swallowing its ruins in dense vegetation. Though overgrown, the city’s stone roads, shattered towers, and half-buried structures still whispered of its former grandeur.

The Arrival of An’cax

Many decades later, the necromancer An’cax arrived in Samazinhold, drawn by the remnants of its magical power. His goal was clear—he sought to construct his stronghold and embark on the long, arduous path toward lichdom. Though not yet ready for the final stages of his transformation, he recognized that the city’s lingering power would aid his preparations.

An’cax spent years clearing out minor demonic corruption that had persisted since the war, eradicating lesser demons lurking within the ruins. However, as he delved deeper, following trails of abyssal energy, he unearthed something far more dangerous—the Gem of Xor, still buried within its Abyssal Obsidian prison.

The moment the gem was unearthed, the abyssal corruption flared once more, drawing the attention of entities long dormant. One such force was The Hollow Veil, a powerful warlock coven that had took root in the depths of the forest where the gem had been found by An'cax. Recognizing the Gem of Xor’s potential, the warlocks laid claim to it, launching relentless assaults against An’cax’s growing fortress.

The War for Samazinhold

At first, the warlocks were nothing more than a nuisance, but their persistence soon became a true threat. With their abyssal corruption spreading, An’cax was forced to delay his path to lichdom and focus on fortifying his dominion. He began raising a great army of the dead, summoning ancient and powerful beings to counter the warlocks’ demonic beings.

Jugvo, the Deathknight

A once-powerful human king, Jugvo had fallen in the Demonic Wars and was resurrected by An’cax as the commander of his undead legions.

Belesse, the Banshee Queen

From the ruins of the royal crypts, An’cax called forth Belesse, the spectral remnant of a fallen queen whose wails could drive even the strongest warriors to madness.

The Blighted Host

A force of skeletal warriors, rotting abominations, and wraith-like entities, all bound to An’cax’s will.

The war between necromancy blight and abyssal corruption soon led to an unforeseen consequence. The clash of these two dark forces created an Arcane Rift—an unstable magical anomaly that tore through the fabric of reality. These rifts, distorting time, space, and magical flow, have since drawn the attention of powerful arcane mages and other entities attuned to raw magic.

The Present State of Samazinhold

Now, Samazinhold is a battlefield of dark forces locked in a war of attrition. An’cax holds the Gem of Xor, but he is besieged by the Hollow Veil, whose warlocks continue to press their abyssal corruption into his domain.

Ebonhart Forest continues to creep over the ruins, as the necromancer’s blight and the warlocks’ corruption warp the land beyond recognition. What was once a great human city is now a land of the dead, where undeath and abyssal horrors reign supreme.

The Arcane Rifts continue to grow, attracting attention from entities both known and unknown. The fabric of reality is fraying within Samazinhold’s borders.

The war for the Gem of Xor is far from over, and as abyssal horrors clash with legions of undeath, one truth remains—Samazinhold is no longer a city of men, but a monument to darkness.