Rhea's Folly

Amidst the Land of storms lies the ruins of what was once the most ambitious project of a mad king, now pitiful tomb. An edifice whose construction was nearly finished, built just above the sand as a display of pride and power. Despite providing a robust protection against the many sandstorms that cross the region, travelers avoid it like a plague, driven away by the ghosts haunting the halls.

Visionary project

Originally named Tera Kassa, the beacon amidst the storm, the ruin earned its new name after its second and ultimate failure. It was a grand project, meant to house the royal capital, with unshakeable foundations and metal panels that would seal off the construction entirely during the worst sandstorms.

The first major incident happened after the first floor was nearly finished. A violent sandstorm engulfed the building, trapping the workers and architects inside. When backups finally reached the construction site, they discovered hallowed halls clad with corpses. Those that did not suffocate from the sand had been torn apart in a gruesome fashion.

The construction was almost halted, but Rhea Tarik, king of the land, pushed through and forced the workers to continue, under the direct supervision of the royal architect. While other incidents occurred after that, including one where the appointed royal architect lost her life, none was as bad as the first one. The high death toll only worsened the already poor reputation of Rhea as a king with no consideration for his subjects.

Tragedy

After years of slow progress, the building was finally nearing completion. As soon as the metal panels were installed and functional, Rhea Tarik decided to move the royal court and nobles inside, abandoning the previous capital. Taking with them only the bare minimum of servants and menial workers, they lived in a relative abundance, with most of the treasure and relics inside the deep vaults of Tera Kassa.

Two years before the estimated end of the construction, another massive sandstorm hit the fortress. It was orders of magnitude stronger than the first one, powerful enough to make the heavy walls shiver. This time, the protection mechanism was in place and shielded the inhabitants from the flaying sand.

The phenomenon lasted a day. Then two. Then an entire week. By the end of the storm, the building was buried beneath a large dune. Under the heavy pressure, the mechanisms gave way and the panels were unable to be opened, even the ones are the top of the structure. The dignitaries and government were imprisoned in a gigantic tomb, unable to leave.

Collapse

It is impossible to know exactly what transpired inside Tera Kassa during the three months before another storm washed away the dune and for the fortress to be accessible again. When the rescue party finally breached open an entrance, they were met with a pervasive smell of rot. Just like the first time, everyone inside the walls was dead, unless the causes were less clear. Traces of fights and famine were all over the place, and most corpses had died from strangulation, hazardous cuts or from having their skulls bashed in.

One team reported to have been attacked by a group of humanoid monsters donning the clothes of the royal family. They were easily repelled and went back into the darkness, never to be found again, dead or alive.

To complete the dreadful situation, the vault chamber had collapsed by unknown means, letting the royal treasure, the entire wealth of the kingdom, sunk into the sand below. Deprived of leaders and riches, the kingdom could not hold itself together and collapsed a few months later, its name lost to history.

Alone remains the name of the mad king, its unfinished grand project, and the howls of the monsters haunting the passersby.