The Endless Marches

The city of Aynir was once one of the largest and well-developped cities on the face of Ussath Riel. The capitol of the Valmith empire and the powerhouse of the empire in cultural, economical and political affairs. The twin disasters of the Silent Invasion and the Valmith Schism, however, have caused the city to deteriorate into a ruined husk of it's former glory and a tainted, festering scar upon the surface of Ussath Riel that has no real strategic value, but is fought over fiercely nonetheless. The fighting during the invasion and the schism, combined with the demonic influence of the now closed portal to the Abyss has caused the area to degenerate into a foul swamp. The area is covered in a perpetual darkness from the ever present cover of dark clouds, heavy with frequent rainstorms. Much of the ruins that once formed the proud city has been swallowed by the swamp. The ruins that remain are still fought over by the three nations that rose from the ashes of the Valmith empire. The fighting is on a small scale but fierce and regular, giving this bufferzone its name.