Reaping Pits of Athanthar

Wherever there is open water, pirates are abound. Throughout all of history, seafaring reavers have been the bane of many a maritime community, and many ambitious figures have sought to curtail the plague. Unfortunately, most struggle to recognise any modicum of success. Whilst expanded naval forces and severe penalties for those found guilty are the usual strategies employed in the battle against piracy, there have been some more peculiar approaches. One such example are the Reaping Pits of Athanthar.

Constructed nearly a millennium ago, this vast structure is as genius as it is ridiculous. It was designed and engineered by Lyrian the Mad - a highly skilled mage whose mind began to decay after years of exposure to cursed artefacts. His intentions were simple: devise a trap that lured in pirates, and ensured that they would never leave. On the island of Athanthar, Lyrian buried myriad priceless treasures and a bounty of powerful magical relics in titanic vaults. Then, he built a great dungeon upon them. Twisting passageways, infuriating dead-ends, and hidden passages infest this labyrinthine gauntlet, though it is not the tangled floorplan that it is most notorious for. Every corridor and threshold is rigged with an arcane snare, patiently waiting to spell the undoing of another optimistic plunderer. Every corner and chamber conceals a vicious monster that is yearning to be unleashed. Every treasure carries a fateful curse.

Lyrian never intended for anyone to escape. In his mind, the promise of great treasure in a secluded locale would entice every pirate from across the known world to investigate, and each would fall afoul of the Reaping Pits. Unfortunately for him, the piracy dilemma is not so simple. Many corsairs preferred easier and less threatening voyages where, although the rewards paled in comparison to those at Athanthar, they were far more likely to emerge unscathed. Furthermore, the majority of those who did assault Lyrian's contraption were not pirates at all, but foolhardy adventurers. The Reaping Pits did not distinguish between the two, and none were spared.

Whilst Lyrian did not achieve the legacy he had hoped to secure - that of extinguishing the blight of piracy - his name will not easily be forgotten. Even now, many years after the Enmanari's invasion, the Reaping Pits of Athanthar survive in folklore. Bards and poets recount epic tales of intrepid dungeon delvers who plunged into the depths of Lyrian's death-trap and emerged victorious, their coffers overflowing with gold and gemstones. Every child has heard such stories, and most have been enraptured by the mythos. This has, however, led to fact and fiction becoming muddled. Since the mortality rate of those who entered the Reaping Pits was so high, credible information regarding them is difficult to locate. The fanciful storytelling has, from time to time, influenced academic works. This has caused some scholars to doubt every detail about Lyrian's grand machination, with some believing that the entire place was never real to begin with.