Esnian Dungeons

"This place saw countless friendly battles between some of the best warriors in the world in their time. And we intend to keep that legacy alive!"

-A mage instructor working in the dungeon near the city of Kynmar, in the kingdom of Kinvalia.

Dungeons are dangerous, usualy underground training facilities, which used to be the main training ground for The Esnian Empire.'s Elemental Mage soldiers.

Architecture

The dungeons usualy have 1 main entrances, and up to 3 side access points, most of which are hidden to the outside and only used in case of an emergency evacuation. Since most dungeons are located at least partialy underground, stairs connect the entrances down to lobby rooms, which themselves are connected to multiple interconnected chambers, with high ceillings and thick walls. In some of those rooms, stone or wooden platforms and walls were constructed to simulate different environment, like cities blocks, fortress walls, ship decks and other locations.

History

Between the 6th and 2nd centuries of the Second Age, the Esnian Empire started building large underground millitary complexes for a few different reasons. The most important was the invention of the Winged ships. These vehicles allowed enemies to target soldiers from above by dropping bombs and arrows onto their target. By moving the training facilities underground, the empire could more efficiently protect its most valuable soldiers.   Another important reason was the fact that magic is dangerous, and Elemental Mage training grounds were notorious for that. By moving the training underground, mages could let loose their true power more easily, without having to worry about any collateral damage. In total, the location of 28 dungeons is known, but it is estimated that the empire built at least double that amount. Most known dungeons are located in Enaskia and Samyria, but a few were also built in western Arros.   However, with the fall of the Eastern Esnian Empire, most of those dungeons were abandoned and sealed off. A few in Enaskia and Samyria welcomed refuges during The Fall, with one in northern Samyria being infamously taken over by the blight. In Arros, the dungeons remained active, and served a crucial role in the war against the blight. Until the last centuries, most countries actively prevented people from exploring them by stationing soldiers at the entrances. Eventualy, starting with the Kynmar dungeon in eastern Kinvalia, some dungeons were unsealed and reactivated, either for their innitial use, or were repurposed.

Current Uses

These days, most Esnian dungeons are either abandoned or their locations have yet to be rediscovered. However, many have been reopened since the start of the Third Age and are used in a variety of ways. Some of them have kept their original vocations as training grounds for various local armies, while others are used as prisons or storage areas.