The Grey Wastes

The Grey Wastes are a barren stretch of grey dirt and ash, a stark contrast to the green fields it once were. Beyond this, the most striking geographic feature of the Grey Wastes is the volcano known as Ashpeak, which looms over the surrounding lands.

It's said that the Grey Wastes, especially the ruins of Thaolenor, are filled with ghostly activity. Given how many suffered a sudden and violent end during the Ashen Ruin, it shouldn't come as a surprise that many of those who perished would linger here as restless spirits, from the mournful Specters, to the vengeful Wraiths, to the listless Shades. Interestingly, it's said that if one of these spirits is laid to rest, the petrefied remains tied to them crumbles into ash.

In the beginning, the lands that would eventually become the Ashen Wastes were a stretch of green fields not unlike the rest of central and eastern Imera. The history of this area would remain uneventful until the time of the Ithyrian Empire, who would gradually expand into and settle the area. During the Ithyrian War of Succession, the Elves who've settled the area would break off to become the independent kingdom of Saenziath, though this wasn't without its own hardships due to the conflict and the strain it placed on their resources.

This would not be the end of Saenxiaths troubles, as almost a century after the war finally ended, the once dormant volcano of Ashpeak erupted. Within a day and a night, the region was showered in ash and soot, with the city of Thaolanor being absolutely destroyed, buried under molten rock and burning ash, and though a number of the Elves of the region were able to escape into the nearby caverns leading into the Dark Hollows, many would lose their lives in the disaster, their petrified remains still resting within the city. Additionally, the ash cloud kicked up by the eruption resulted in the region becoming much colder and darker, further starving out whatever growth remained, and forced those who remained on the surface to leave for more hospitable lands.

None are willing to venture into the Grey Wastes, with the Dark Elves in particular holding the region, and especially the ruins of Thaolenor, as forbidden ground. The only exceptions to this rule are Grey Seekers (Dark Elf Clerics who've dedicated themselves to laying restless spirits to rest) who've chosen to undertake the Rite of Quieting.