Lost Hope

Deep within the Lost Mountains at the northern end of the Shattered Sea lie the remains of a lost civilization. This unnamed city is believed to have been one of the largest built during the Age of Ice and was so prosperous that it was able to expand from beneath the mountains to atop them -defying the unrelenting frost. Now, it is nothing but a twisted maze of ruins where very few structures remain intact and much of the city above has fallen through the earth into the city beneath. This unforgiving realm is known as the Lost Labyrinth. Apart from structures built into the pillars and walls of the mountain itself, only one structure remains: the Sanctum. Here, a group of lost adventurers has made a home for themselves, standing hopeful and proud amidst a realm of ruin.

For the first few hundred years of the Age of Reclamation, very few ventured into this part of the world. Those that did often fled, narrowly escaping with their lives, or were claimed by the Labyrinth. However, as the new world slowly began to piece together the puzzle of what happened to the old world, more and more adventurers entered this region in search of the Lost City of Pallium, believed to have been the technological capital of the Age of Ascension. Many fell to the hazards of the region, but enough possessed the abilities, instincts, or luck to survive. Over time, these survivors found each other and formed a community. Many attempts were made to escape the Labyrinth, but it became clear that the risk was far too great, so the Lost Hope was formed.

The founder of the Lost Hope is Naloi, a Dryn-Goatkin Bryd from Novad. Being an outcast most of her life, she often found herself in the company of misfits wandering from one city to the next hoping to find a warmer welcome or at least stumbled across the good fortune of an unraided ruin to give them knowledge or treasure to trade for moderate accommodations. When she eventually found herself lost in the Labyrinth and came to the realization that she and her comrades were unlikely to leave alive, she felt called to rally the lost and hopeless. Perhaps, in this forgotten pocket of the world, she could provide a place of belonging to those with nothing but their lives left to lose.

Over the years, the Lost Hope grew. At first, the growth was slow as few were compelled to venture into the Lost Mountains as it had claimed the lives of countless before. This allowed the Lost Hope to find refuge in the more intact structures of the Labyrinth, moving from one to another to avoid the Deepfolk, Sect, and predators of the region. Outside of hunting, Combat was avoided at all costs and deaths among the Lost Hope were few with most occurring during the Dark Days.

However, this changed when a new, more reliable path into the Lost Mountains was discovered and adventurers far and wide answered the call of a renewed search for the Lost City of Pallium, the Mantle of the Fallen World. Initially, it was believed that the increase in adventurers in the Lost Labyrinth would reduce the populations of Deepfolk and monsters, but the opposite occurred. The Labyrinth became a battleground as more Deepfolk, Sect, and creatures both new and old emerged from the depths of the earth to feast on the new surplus of lost adventurers. Naloi did all she could to forge alliances with the various factions and parties, but distrust and pride prevailed too often and many were torn apart from all sides by swarms of enemies.

All hope seemed lost until a new faction entered the fray.

-Naloi's recounting of the day the Rising Heirs arrived in the Lost Labyrinth.

This new faction, calling themselves the Rising Heirs, consisted of Varyn -a rare ancestry often mistaken for Lizkin or Scalefolk and rarely encountered in the company of each other. They had come searching for the Lost City of Pallium and saw the inhabitants of the Lost Labyrinth as an obstacle to be conquered or subjects to be put to use. Initial negotiations were tense as it felt as if the Rising Heirs were not more than a moment away from deciding the Lost Hope was just another obstacle to be cleared, but Naloi was able to come to an agreement with their leader, Kalah. The Rising Heirs would help the Lost Hope clear a path to one of the most intact structures in the Labyrinth, called the Sanctum, which was serving as the headquarters of Deepfolk operating in that portion of the Labyrinth. In exchange, the Lost Hope would use their knowledge gained from their many years in the Labyrinth to help the Rising Heirs find a way deeper into the mountains. The battle was quick and neither the Lost Hope or Rising Heirs suffered many casualties.

It didn't take long for this new alliance to find a path forward and the Rising Heirs moved on with their quest. The Lost Hope considered accompanying them, but the Rising Heirs were likely venturing into greater danger, so they chose to remain at the Sanctum. Here, they would withstand nearly any attack and were able to thrive. They were also better able to assist adventurers traveling through the Labyrinth and continued to grow in number, this time in safety.

The Lost Hope continues to thrive in the Lost Labyrinth from within the Sanctum, led by Atalos, a Foxkin from the forests of Sonata. Naloi continues to serve as the emissary of the Sanctum, welcoming newcomers and helping them find their way forward if they choose to do so. A series of alchemical torches circumference the middle levels of the Sanctum, shining as beacon to all that find themselves lost in the Labyrinth.