Dragonwilds:Fellhollow - Revision history

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	=== [[Dragonwilds:Dragon's Run]] ===		=== [[Dragonwilds:Dragon's Run]] ===
	Is the north western part of Fellhollow that houses a [[Dragonwilds:green dragon]]. The area contains withered ruins, the remnants of settlements consumed by the Withering.		Is the north western part of Fellhollow that houses a [[Dragonwilds:green dragon]]. The area contains withered ruins, the remnants of settlements consumed by the Withering.

			Dragon's Run features an agility course, [[Dragonwilds:Grave Run]].

	=== [[Dragonwilds:Emberwood]] ===		=== [[Dragonwilds:Emberwood]] ===

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	* [[Dragonwilds:Withering Wastes]]		* [[Dragonwilds:Withering Wastes]]

	==~~Concept art~~==		==Gallery==
	<gallery mode="packed" heights="150" style="text-align:left">		<gallery mode="packed" heights="150" style="text-align:left">
	This Month In Ashenfall - June 2025 (2).png\|Concept art of Death's Office in Fellhollow		This Month In Ashenfall - June 2025 (2).png\|Concept art of Death's Office in Fellhollow

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	The Scalesworn, Xikotal's most devoted guardians, fell first. The draconic marks they bore became an entry point for the curse, making them both the first to turn and the first vector through which the affliction spread to others.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Rotsworn Marauder\|quote=They were blessed with the mark of the dragon, granting them some of the power of their draconic masters. These marks would be their undoing, when Imaru refused to stay dead. They became the first of the infected, inflicted with a terrible withering curse that would drag the souls of any they touched into Imaru's hungry maw.}} Necromantic energy washing back through the Blessing then animated the dead throughout the region, filling them with an insatiable hunger that spread further through the population.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Ravanna's Sixth Journal\|quote=The necromantic energies of the Underworld then wash back through the Blessing and into her subjects, animating their bodies and filling them with an unquenchable thirst for more souls.}} Researchers in Dowdun Reach measured the spread at roughly a hectare a day, slowed only by mountains and bodies of water, and projected full contamination of Fellhollow within two weeks.{{CiteJournal\|journal=A Report on the Withering\|quote=It spreads at a significant rate, roughly a hectare a day, and is only slowed or halted by mountains and bodies of water. It is our belief that the subcontinent of Fellhollow will be entirely contaminated in the next two weeks.}} The hunger did not stop at the living. The substance of the region itself was consumed over time: food tasted of nothing, campfires felt cold, and trees were hollowed from within.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Hollow Bark\|quote=Things taste worse in Fellhollow. Dreams are vapid and empty, if you have them at all. A campfire feels colder, even if it warms you just as well as before. Because the substance, the soul of that thing if you will, is being consumed.}}		The Scalesworn, Xikotal's most devoted guardians, fell first. The draconic marks they bore became an entry point for the curse, making them both the first to turn and the first vector through which the affliction spread to others.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Rotsworn Marauder\|quote=They were blessed with the mark of the dragon, granting them some of the power of their draconic masters. These marks would be their undoing, when Imaru refused to stay dead. They became the first of the infected, inflicted with a terrible withering curse that would drag the souls of any they touched into Imaru's hungry maw.}} Necromantic energy washing back through the Blessing then animated the dead throughout the region, filling them with an insatiable hunger that spread further through the population.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Ravanna's Sixth Journal\|quote=The necromantic energies of the Underworld then wash back through the Blessing and into her subjects, animating their bodies and filling them with an unquenchable thirst for more souls.}} Researchers in Dowdun Reach measured the spread at roughly a hectare a day, slowed only by mountains and bodies of water, and projected full contamination of Fellhollow within two weeks.{{CiteJournal\|journal=A Report on the Withering\|quote=It spreads at a significant rate, roughly a hectare a day, and is only slowed or halted by mountains and bodies of water. It is our belief that the subcontinent of Fellhollow will be entirely contaminated in the next two weeks.}} The hunger did not stop at the living. The substance of the region itself was consumed over time: food tasted of nothing, campfires felt cold, and trees were hollowed from within.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Hollow Bark\|quote=Things taste worse in Fellhollow. Dreams are vapid and empty, if you have them at all. A campfire feels colder, even if it warms you just as well as before. Because the substance, the soul of that thing if you will, is being consumed.}}

	The Zamorakian priests of Emberwood developed a temporary remedy, a potion that caused afflicted souls to resist being drawn away long enough to identify and expel the infected before they fully turned.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Wither Reduction Potion\|quote=As Imaru attempted to draw the souls from the bodies of people, they would drink this and then she found this meal much harder to digest.}} As the village fell regardless, priests of all faiths prayed together over the bones of the dead buried beneath the soil, erecting a multi-faith barrier that sealed Emberwood shut.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Priestly Journal\|quote=So we priests prayed together, a union of faith, to erect a barrier of belief to keep the withered villagers contained. Our prayers bound to the icons, and only together will the village be re-opened once more.}} To the east, the Wild Knights held their positions at the village gates before retreating into Silverthorn Keep and sealing themselves inside.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Skeletal Warrior\|quote=They stood at the gates to the village holding back the ravening horde. They walled themselves away in their keep until no one remains alive to guard it.}} Imaru's Tower shattered, and those who had dwelt near it were lost in the lake of grief that formed around it.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Mould-covered Journal\|quote=As for the tower, and those who dwelt beside it, it's shattered. The dragons' disciples lost in a great lake of sorrow and grief. Damned by their own devotion.}} None of these defences held. The Withering eventually claimed those inside the keep, and the defenders who had fought hardest against the undead became the undead themselves.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Skeletal Warrior\|quote=The tragic truth is that many of these people fought as hard as they could against the tide of undead... Yet, now, they are the monsters they fought so hard against.}}		As the village fell regardless, priests of all faiths prayed together over the bones of the dead buried beneath the soil, erecting a multi-faith barrier that sealed Emberwood shut.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Priestly Journal\|quote=So we priests prayed together, a union of faith, to erect a barrier of belief to keep the withered villagers contained. Our prayers bound to the icons, and only together will the village be re-opened once more.}} To the east, the Wild Knights held their positions at the village gates before retreating into Silverthorn Keep and sealing themselves inside.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Skeletal Warrior\|quote=They stood at the gates to the village holding back the ravening horde. They walled themselves away in their keep until no one remains alive to guard it.}} Imaru's Tower shattered, and those who had dwelt near it were lost in the lake of grief that formed around it.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Mould-covered Journal\|quote=As for the tower, and those who dwelt beside it, it's shattered. The dragons' disciples lost in a great lake of sorrow and grief. Damned by their own devotion.}} None of these defences held. The Withering eventually claimed those inside the keep, and the defenders who had fought hardest against the undead became the undead themselves.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Skeletal Warrior\|quote=The tragic truth is that many of these people fought as hard as they could against the tide of undead... Yet, now, they are the monsters they fought so hard against.}}

	Three curse seals, each containing a fragment of Ravanna's curse, were placed across the region in an attempt to provide a future means of challenging Imaru. The curse, which made Imaru powerful, also represented the only way to make her vulnerable, a challenger who gathered all three shards would carry enough of it to overcome her invulnerability.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Ravanna's Seventh Journal\|quote=The seals are in place, but I'm not sure what good they'll do. I have taken the essence of her curse and bound it to the plinths, in hope that someone stronger than me might yet claim them. Without the curse she's invulnerable, but the very same thing that makes her powerful, makes her weak.}} Dowdun Reach sealed all connecting pathways to Fellhollow and posted guards at their crypt as a warning system.{{CiteJournal\|journal=A Report on the Withering\|quote=It is our recommendation that all efforts are made to seal Dowdun Reach. All connecting pathways to the subcontinent of Fellhollow should be severed.}} For centuries afterward the region remained locked in this state, its dead unable to pass on and its souls endlessly consumed, while [[Dragonwilds:Death]] himself found his ability to reap souls in the region entirely blocked.{{CiteText\|source=Withering Heights - Death\|quote=The whole region is infected with a terrible withering. Some dread curse that untethers the soul and drags it to the river Noumenon without ever sailing upon it, preventing the dead from moving on.}}		Three curse seals, each containing a fragment of Ravanna's curse, were placed across the region in an attempt to provide a future means of challenging Imaru. The curse, which made Imaru powerful, also represented the only way to make her vulnerable, a challenger who gathered all three shards would carry enough of it to overcome her invulnerability.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Ravanna's Seventh Journal\|quote=The seals are in place, but I'm not sure what good they'll do. I have taken the essence of her curse and bound it to the plinths, in hope that someone stronger than me might yet claim them. Without the curse she's invulnerable, but the very same thing that makes her powerful, makes her weak.}} Dowdun Reach sealed all connecting pathways to Fellhollow and posted guards at their crypt as a warning system.{{CiteJournal\|journal=A Report on the Withering\|quote=It is our recommendation that all efforts are made to seal Dowdun Reach. All connecting pathways to the subcontinent of Fellhollow should be severed.}} For centuries afterward the region remained locked in this state, its dead unable to pass on and its souls endlessly consumed, while [[Dragonwilds:Death]] himself found his ability to reap souls in the region entirely blocked.{{CiteText\|source=Withering Heights - Death\|quote=The whole region is infected with a terrible withering. Some dread curse that untethers the soul and drags it to the river Noumenon without ever sailing upon it, preventing the dead from moving on.}}

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	=== [[Dragonwilds:Lake of Lost Souls]] ===		=== [[Dragonwilds:Lake of Lost Souls]] ===
	Is the north eastern part of Fellhollow. Its waters are drawn from pools corrupted by the ~~[https://runescape.wiki/w/River_Noumenon~~ River Noumenon], poisoned by Imaru's hunger and carrying the essence of the river of the dead within each drop.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Wither Water\|quote=Drawn from pools of wither-rot water, lakes and streams poisoned by the waters of the river Noumenon – the river of the dead. These waters have become corrupted by Imaru's hunger and each drop longs to devour one's soul.}}		Is the north eastern part of Fellhollow. Its waters are drawn from pools corrupted by the {{RSL\|River Noumenon}}, poisoned by Imaru's hunger and carrying the essence of the river of the dead within each drop.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Wither Water\|quote=Drawn from pools of wither-rot water, lakes and streams poisoned by the waters of the river Noumenon – the river of the dead. These waters have become corrupted by Imaru's hunger and each drop longs to devour one's soul.}}

	=== [[Dragonwilds:Dragon's Run]] ===		=== [[Dragonwilds:Dragon's Run]] ===

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	=== [[Dragonwilds:Lake of Lost Souls]] ===		=== [[Dragonwilds:Lake of Lost Souls]] ===
	Is the north eastern part of Fellhollow. Its waters are drawn from pools corrupted by the [~~[Dragonwilds~~:River Noumenon]], poisoned by Imaru's hunger and carrying the essence of the river of the dead within each drop.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Wither Water\|quote=Drawn from pools of wither-rot water, lakes and streams poisoned by the waters of the river Noumenon – the river of the dead. These waters have become corrupted by Imaru's hunger and each drop longs to devour one's soul.}}		Is the north eastern part of Fellhollow. Its waters are drawn from pools corrupted by the [https://runescape.wiki/w/River_Noumenon River Noumenon], poisoned by Imaru's hunger and carrying the essence of the river of the dead within each drop.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Wither Water\|quote=Drawn from pools of wither-rot water, lakes and streams poisoned by the waters of the river Noumenon – the river of the dead. These waters have become corrupted by Imaru's hunger and each drop longs to devour one's soul.}}

	=== [[Dragonwilds:Dragon's Run]] ===		=== [[Dragonwilds:Dragon's Run]] ===
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	* [[Dragonwilds:Iron Ore Node]]		* [[Dragonwilds:Iron Ore Node]]
	* [[Dragonwilds:Soul Stone]]		* [[Dragonwilds:Soul Stone]]
	* [[Dragonwilds:Blurite Ore Node]]
	* [[Dragonwilds:Stone Boulder]]		* [[Dragonwilds:Stone Boulder]]

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	=== [[Dragonwilds:Emberwood]] ===		=== [[Dragonwilds:Emberwood]] ===
	Is the most western part of Fellhollow, home to the village founded by the original settlers. Before the Withering, the region was a kaleidoscopic wonder of colour shaped by the ~~[[Dragonwilds:~~Anima Twist]], its streets filled with laughter and song while Imaru and Xikotal danced across the skies above.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Fellhollow Cape\|quote=Once, long ago, this land was beautiful. A myriad of colours danced in the breeze, the anima twist turning the region into a kaleidoscopic wonder. The now ruined streets were once filled with laughter, joy and song.}} The village is now sealed behind a prayer barrier erected by the priests of Emberwood at the height of the Withering, its icons binding the barrier in place and containing the withered villagers within.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Priestly Journal\|quote=So we priests prayed together, a union of faith, to erect a barrier of belief to keep the withered villagers contained. Our prayers bound to the icons, and only together will the village be re-opened once more.}}		Is the most western part of Fellhollow, home to the village founded by the original settlers. Before the Withering, the region was a kaleidoscopic wonder of colour shaped by the Anima Twist, its streets filled with laughter and song while Imaru and Xikotal danced across the skies above.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Fellhollow Cape\|quote=Once, long ago, this land was beautiful. A myriad of colours danced in the breeze, the anima twist turning the region into a kaleidoscopic wonder. The now ruined streets were once filled with laughter, joy and song.}} The village is now sealed behind a prayer barrier erected by the priests of Emberwood at the height of the Withering, its icons binding the barrier in place and containing the withered villagers within.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Priestly Journal\|quote=So we priests prayed together, a union of faith, to erect a barrier of belief to keep the withered villagers contained. Our prayers bound to the icons, and only together will the village be re-opened once more.}}

	=== [[Dragonwilds:Witchwillow Range]] ===		=== [[Dragonwilds:Witchwillow Range]] ===

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	{{Reflist}}		{{Reflist}}

			{{Fellhollow}}
	{{Ashenfall}}		{{Ashenfall}}
	[[Category:Ashenfall]]		[[Category:Ashenfall]]

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	==Journal==		==Journal==
	{{~~Journal entry\|~~		{{No journal}}
	''No ~~entry yet.''~~
	}}

	==Music==		==Music==

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	Two dragons already inhabited the region: [[Dragonwilds:Imaru]] and her mate [[Dragonwilds:Xikotal]]. Though initially distant, both eventually approached the settlers as neighbours and extended their protection over the community. Dragonkin experimentation had stripped Imaru of the ability to bear children, and the settlers provided both dragons with cause to take on a guardianship role.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Imaru\|quote=Dragonkin experiments had robbed her of the one thing she craved, to be a mother. So when the humans came to the region, she convinced Xikotal that they should take them under their wing, becoming protectors and, perhaps, even parents to the fragile things.}} Imaru's elemental affinity with water brought rain to the region's crops, while Xikotal's influence calmed the winds, resulting in plentiful harvests and a growing population.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Lazilly-penned Diary\|quote=Her magic brought rain and his calmed the winds, so that our harvests were plentiful, and our population bloomed.}} Blessed purifying pools were created across the region to ward off illness and corruption,{{CiteJournal\|journal=Purification Pool\|quote=A long time ago these pools would have been blessed by Imaru and her magic. She created the water as a way to stave off illness and corruption, in the population she protected.}} and a magical Blessing was woven over each settler that bound the people of differing backgrounds together and served as a source of shared health and strength.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Ravanna's Second Journal\|quote=They even give them this weird little thing they call a Blessing, which somehow binds them together.}}{{CiteJournal\|journal=Dragon-embossed Journal\|quote=Gran says that's what the Blessing is, that little dragon magic in our bones. An enchantment woven over each of us, as part of the dance. It makes us healthier, makes us heartier, makes us better than before.}}		Two dragons already inhabited the region: [[Dragonwilds:Imaru]] and her mate [[Dragonwilds:Xikotal]]. Though initially distant, both eventually approached the settlers as neighbours and extended their protection over the community. Dragonkin experimentation had stripped Imaru of the ability to bear children, and the settlers provided both dragons with cause to take on a guardianship role.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Imaru\|quote=Dragonkin experiments had robbed her of the one thing she craved, to be a mother. So when the humans came to the region, she convinced Xikotal that they should take them under their wing, becoming protectors and, perhaps, even parents to the fragile things.}} Imaru's elemental affinity with water brought rain to the region's crops, while Xikotal's influence calmed the winds, resulting in plentiful harvests and a growing population.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Lazilly-penned Diary\|quote=Her magic brought rain and his calmed the winds, so that our harvests were plentiful, and our population bloomed.}} Blessed purifying pools were created across the region to ward off illness and corruption,{{CiteJournal\|journal=Purification Pool\|quote=A long time ago these pools would have been blessed by Imaru and her magic. She created the water as a way to stave off illness and corruption, in the population she protected.}} and a magical Blessing was woven over each settler that bound the people of differing backgrounds together and served as a source of shared health and strength.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Ravanna's Second Journal\|quote=They even give them this weird little thing they call a Blessing, which somehow binds them together.}}{{CiteJournal\|journal=Dragon-embossed Journal\|quote=Gran says that's what the Blessing is, that little dragon magic in our bones. An enchantment woven over each of us, as part of the dance. It makes us healthier, makes us heartier, makes us better than before.}}

	[[Dragonwilds:Emberwood]] grew into a multi-faith community unlike anything else on [[Dragonwilds:Ashenfall]], with Saradominists and Zamorakians living and trading side by side. The villagers honoured their draconic guardians in daily life, weaving patterns of blue and black into their clothing in tribute to the dragons' dances in the sky.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Fine Cloth\|quote=Many of which included patterns of undulating blue and black in honour of the serpentine dances they would watch in the sky, as Imaru and Xikotal swam the air currents together.}} A civilian military force, the hoplites, formed within the village, naming themselves after the legendary Saradominist forces of Hallow and training together each week.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Fallen Hoplite's Chest\|quote=This force of warrior farmers named themselves after the hoplite forces of Hallow, legendary forces spoken of in some of the Saradominist text.}} The [[Dragonwilds:Wild Knights]] established a fortress at [[Dragonwilds:Silverthorn Keep]] to the east.		[[Dragonwilds:Emberwood]] grew into a multi-faith community unlike anything else on [[Dragonwilds:Ashenfall]], with Saradominists and Zamorakians living and trading side by side. The villagers honoured their draconic guardians in daily life, weaving patterns of blue and black into their clothing in tribute to the dragons' dances in the sky.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Fine Cloth\|quote=Many of which included patterns of undulating blue and black in honour of the serpentine dances they would watch in the sky, as Imaru and Xikotal swam the air currents together.}} A civilian military force, the [[Dragonwilds:Hoplite\|hoplites]], formed within the village, naming themselves after the legendary Saradominist forces of Hallow and training together each week.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Fallen Hoplite's Chest\|quote=This force of warrior farmers named themselves after the hoplite forces of Hallow, legendary forces spoken of in some of the Saradominist text.}} The [[Dragonwilds:Wild Knights]] established a fortress at [[Dragonwilds:Silverthorn Keep]] to the east.

	Dowdun Reach, a [[Dragonwilds:Children of Shadows\|Zamorakian faction]] based across the mountains, maintained an isolationist stance despite the peace secured by the region's draconic guardians.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Mithril Platelegs\|quote=The Children of Shadows became paranoid about the prospect of attack and betrayal. It did not seem to matter that they were guarded by dragons who manufactured peace.}} Xikotal brought gifts of coal and iron ore to Dowdun Reach, hoping to soften the faction's isolationism. Its lord Rasmodel accepted the materials and used them to arm a new private military force instead.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Mithril Platelegs\|quote=The dragon, Xikotal, had a gift. In one claw, he had coal, in the other iron. He wanted to help the Zamorakians, to bring them an offering that might soften their determination to isolate. In the dragon's optimism, the gift would bring the Zamorakians into the wider Fellhollow community. Rasmodel had his steel. He could outfit his new order. With the misguided dragon's help, he had his knights. They would ensure the rest of Fellhollow would keep their distance.}} The resulting Shadow Knights, established by formal edict, ensured Dowdun Reach's continued separation from Fellhollow, and would in time become the [[Dragonwilds:Black Knights]].{{CiteJournal\|journal=Black Knight Platelegs\|quote=Fellhollow, Imaru and Xikotal were not to be trusted. A new order of knights were to be created, and he was to lead them.}}		Dowdun Reach, a [[Dragonwilds:Children of Shadows\|Zamorakian faction]] based across the mountains, maintained an isolationist stance despite the peace secured by the region's draconic guardians.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Mithril Platelegs\|quote=The Children of Shadows became paranoid about the prospect of attack and betrayal. It did not seem to matter that they were guarded by dragons who manufactured peace.}} Xikotal brought gifts of coal and iron ore to Dowdun Reach, hoping to soften the faction's isolationism. Its lord Rasmodel accepted the materials and used them to arm a new private military force instead.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Mithril Platelegs\|quote=The dragon, Xikotal, had a gift. In one claw, he had coal, in the other iron. He wanted to help the Zamorakians, to bring them an offering that might soften their determination to isolate. In the dragon's optimism, the gift would bring the Zamorakians into the wider Fellhollow community. Rasmodel had his steel. He could outfit his new order. With the misguided dragon's help, he had his knights. They would ensure the rest of Fellhollow would keep their distance.}} The resulting Shadow Knights, established by formal edict, ensured Dowdun Reach's continued separation from Fellhollow, and would in time become the [[Dragonwilds:Black Knights]].{{CiteJournal\|journal=Black Knight Platelegs\|quote=Fellhollow, Imaru and Xikotal were not to be trusted. A new order of knights were to be created, and he was to lead them.}}
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	Following Xikotal's death, a grief-curse was embedded in Imaru by Ravanna, an Emberwood necromancer who had settled in the region.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Ravanna's Fourth Journal\|quote=I offered her revenge. I created a curse within her, using her grief and rage as a focus, so that it might strengthen her against Kuldra.}} The curse was designed to amplify Imaru's power into something capable of destroying Kuldra, but the attempt failed. Kuldra withstood the attack without difficulty and Imaru was struck down.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Ravanna's Fourth Journal\|quote=Kuldra is stronger than I imagined. Her essence more powerful than either of us could have guessed. As Imaru raged at her Kuldra simply laughed and rebuffed her, barely even registering the unholy force hurled against her. So Imaru died. Fell to the ground in a crumbled heap.}}		Following Xikotal's death, a grief-curse was embedded in Imaru by Ravanna, an Emberwood necromancer who had settled in the region.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Ravanna's Fourth Journal\|quote=I offered her revenge. I created a curse within her, using her grief and rage as a focus, so that it might strengthen her against Kuldra.}} The curse was designed to amplify Imaru's power into something capable of destroying Kuldra, but the attempt failed. Kuldra withstood the attack without difficulty and Imaru was struck down.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Ravanna's Fourth Journal\|quote=Kuldra is stronger than I imagined. Her essence more powerful than either of us could have guessed. As Imaru raged at her Kuldra simply laughed and rebuffed her, barely even registering the unholy force hurled against her. So Imaru died. Fell to the ground in a crumbled heap.}}

	Rather than passing into the Afterlife, Imaru anchored herself within the ~~[[Dragonwilds:~~River Noumenon]] using the curse, wedging herself in the passage between the living world and the Underworld. From there she began consuming the souls of the dead to accumulate power, causing the Noumenon's waters to bleed into the living world.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Ravanna's Fifth Journal\|quote=Imaru has somehow wedged herself in there, using the curse I gave her and her own, sheer, bloody-minded rage to stick her in place. She claws at the edge of the Underworld, creating rifts that bleed the Noumenon's waters into our world like some deadly poison that rips out the soul.}} The Blessing, which had bound the community together, was turned into a conduit through which the souls of Fellhollow's living population were drawn toward Imaru.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Ravanna's Fifth Journal\|quote=She uses her "Blessing" as an anchor to her people, dragging their souls to her so that she might feast and grow stronger.}}		Rather than passing into the Afterlife, Imaru anchored herself within the {{RSL\|River Noumenon}} using the curse, wedging herself in the passage between the living world and the Underworld. From there she began consuming the souls of the dead to accumulate power, causing the Noumenon's waters to bleed into the living world.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Ravanna's Fifth Journal\|quote=Imaru has somehow wedged herself in there, using the curse I gave her and her own, sheer, bloody-minded rage to stick her in place. She claws at the edge of the Underworld, creating rifts that bleed the Noumenon's waters into our world like some deadly poison that rips out the soul.}} The Blessing, which had bound the community together, was turned into a conduit through which the souls of Fellhollow's living population were drawn toward Imaru.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Ravanna's Fifth Journal\|quote=She uses her "Blessing" as an anchor to her people, dragging their souls to her so that she might feast and grow stronger.}}

	The Scalesworn, Xikotal's most devoted guardians, fell first. The draconic marks they bore became an entry point for the curse, making them both the first to turn and the first vector through which the affliction spread to others.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Rotsworn Marauder\|quote=They were blessed with the mark of the dragon, granting them some of the power of their draconic masters. These marks would be their undoing, when Imaru refused to stay dead. They became the first of the infected, inflicted with a terrible withering curse that would drag the souls of any they touched into Imaru's hungry maw.}} Necromantic energy washing back through the Blessing then animated the dead throughout the region, filling them with an insatiable hunger that spread further through the population.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Ravanna's Sixth Journal\|quote=The necromantic energies of the Underworld then wash back through the Blessing and into her subjects, animating their bodies and filling them with an unquenchable thirst for more souls.}} Researchers in Dowdun Reach measured the spread at roughly a hectare a day, slowed only by mountains and bodies of water, and projected full contamination of Fellhollow within two weeks.{{CiteJournal\|journal=A Report on the Withering\|quote=It spreads at a significant rate, roughly a hectare a day, and is only slowed or halted by mountains and bodies of water. It is our belief that the subcontinent of Fellhollow will be entirely contaminated in the next two weeks.}} The hunger did not stop at the living. The substance of the region itself was consumed over time: food tasted of nothing, campfires felt cold, and trees were hollowed from within.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Hollow Bark\|quote=Things taste worse in Fellhollow. Dreams are vapid and empty, if you have them at all. A campfire feels colder, even if it warms you just as well as before. Because the substance, the soul of that thing if you will, is being consumed.}}		The Scalesworn, Xikotal's most devoted guardians, fell first. The draconic marks they bore became an entry point for the curse, making them both the first to turn and the first vector through which the affliction spread to others.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Rotsworn Marauder\|quote=They were blessed with the mark of the dragon, granting them some of the power of their draconic masters. These marks would be their undoing, when Imaru refused to stay dead. They became the first of the infected, inflicted with a terrible withering curse that would drag the souls of any they touched into Imaru's hungry maw.}} Necromantic energy washing back through the Blessing then animated the dead throughout the region, filling them with an insatiable hunger that spread further through the population.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Ravanna's Sixth Journal\|quote=The necromantic energies of the Underworld then wash back through the Blessing and into her subjects, animating their bodies and filling them with an unquenchable thirst for more souls.}} Researchers in Dowdun Reach measured the spread at roughly a hectare a day, slowed only by mountains and bodies of water, and projected full contamination of Fellhollow within two weeks.{{CiteJournal\|journal=A Report on the Withering\|quote=It spreads at a significant rate, roughly a hectare a day, and is only slowed or halted by mountains and bodies of water. It is our belief that the subcontinent of Fellhollow will be entirely contaminated in the next two weeks.}} The hunger did not stop at the living. The substance of the region itself was consumed over time: food tasted of nothing, campfires felt cold, and trees were hollowed from within.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Hollow Bark\|quote=Things taste worse in Fellhollow. Dreams are vapid and empty, if you have them at all. A campfire feels colder, even if it warms you just as well as before. Because the substance, the soul of that thing if you will, is being consumed.}}

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:07, 7 August 2026
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	The Scalesworn, Xikotal's most devoted guardians, fell first. The draconic marks they bore became an entry point for the curse, making them both the first to turn and the first vector through which the affliction spread to others.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Rotsworn Marauder\|quote=They were blessed with the mark of the dragon, granting them some of the power of their draconic masters. These marks would be their undoing, when Imaru refused to stay dead. They became the first of the infected, inflicted with a terrible withering curse that would drag the souls of any they touched into Imaru's hungry maw.}} Necromantic energy washing back through the Blessing then animated the dead throughout the region, filling them with an insatiable hunger that spread further through the population.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Ravanna's Sixth Journal\|quote=The necromantic energies of the Underworld then wash back through the Blessing and into her subjects, animating their bodies and filling them with an unquenchable thirst for more souls.}} Researchers in Dowdun Reach measured the spread at roughly a hectare a day, slowed only by mountains and bodies of water, and projected full contamination of Fellhollow within two weeks.{{CiteJournal\|journal=A Report on the Withering\|quote=It spreads at a significant rate, roughly a hectare a day, and is only slowed or halted by mountains and bodies of water. It is our belief that the subcontinent of Fellhollow will be entirely contaminated in the next two weeks.}} The hunger did not stop at the living. The substance of the region itself was consumed over time: food tasted of nothing, campfires felt cold, and trees were hollowed from within.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Hollow Bark\|quote=Things taste worse in Fellhollow. Dreams are vapid and empty, if you have them at all. A campfire feels colder, even if it warms you just as well as before. Because the substance, the soul of that thing if you will, is being consumed.}}		The Scalesworn, Xikotal's most devoted guardians, fell first. The draconic marks they bore became an entry point for the curse, making them both the first to turn and the first vector through which the affliction spread to others.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Rotsworn Marauder\|quote=They were blessed with the mark of the dragon, granting them some of the power of their draconic masters. These marks would be their undoing, when Imaru refused to stay dead. They became the first of the infected, inflicted with a terrible withering curse that would drag the souls of any they touched into Imaru's hungry maw.}} Necromantic energy washing back through the Blessing then animated the dead throughout the region, filling them with an insatiable hunger that spread further through the population.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Ravanna's Sixth Journal\|quote=The necromantic energies of the Underworld then wash back through the Blessing and into her subjects, animating their bodies and filling them with an unquenchable thirst for more souls.}} Researchers in Dowdun Reach measured the spread at roughly a hectare a day, slowed only by mountains and bodies of water, and projected full contamination of Fellhollow within two weeks.{{CiteJournal\|journal=A Report on the Withering\|quote=It spreads at a significant rate, roughly a hectare a day, and is only slowed or halted by mountains and bodies of water. It is our belief that the subcontinent of Fellhollow will be entirely contaminated in the next two weeks.}} The hunger did not stop at the living. The substance of the region itself was consumed over time: food tasted of nothing, campfires felt cold, and trees were hollowed from within.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Hollow Bark\|quote=Things taste worse in Fellhollow. Dreams are vapid and empty, if you have them at all. A campfire feels colder, even if it warms you just as well as before. Because the substance, the soul of that thing if you will, is being consumed.}}

	The Zamorakian priests of Emberwood developed a temporary remedy, a potion that caused afflicted souls to resist being drawn away long enough to identify and expel the infected before they fully turned.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Wither Reduction Potion\|quote=As Imaru attempted to draw the souls from the bodies of people, they would drink this and then she found this meal much harder to digest.}} As the village fell regardless, priests of all faiths prayed together over the bones of the dead buried beneath the soil, erecting a multi-faith barrier that sealed Emberwood shut.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Priestly Journal\|quote=So we priests prayed together, a union of faith, to erect a barrier of belief to keep the withered villagers contained. Our prayers bound to the icons, and only together will the village be re-opened once more.}} To the east, the Wild Knights held their positions at the village gates before retreating into Silverthorn Keep and sealing themselves inside.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Skeletal Warrior\|quote=They stood at the gates to the village holding back the ravening horde. They walled themselves away in their keep until no one remains alive to guard it.}} Imaru's Tower shattered, and those who had dwelt near it were lost in the lake of grief that formed around it.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Mould-covered Journal\|quote=As for the tower, and those who dwelt beside it, it's shattered. The dragons' disciples lost in a great lake of sorrow and grief. Damned by their own devotion.}} None of these defences held. The Withering eventually claimed those inside the keep, and the defenders who had fought hardest against the undead became the undead themselves.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Skeletal Warrior\|quote=The tragic truth is that many of these people fought as hard as they could against the tide of undead... Yet, now, they are the monsters they fought so hard against.}}		As the village fell regardless, priests of all faiths prayed together over the bones of the dead buried beneath the soil, erecting a multi-faith barrier that sealed Emberwood shut.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Priestly Journal\|quote=So we priests prayed together, a union of faith, to erect a barrier of belief to keep the withered villagers contained. Our prayers bound to the icons, and only together will the village be re-opened once more.}} To the east, the Wild Knights held their positions at the village gates before retreating into Silverthorn Keep and sealing themselves inside.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Skeletal Warrior\|quote=They stood at the gates to the village holding back the ravening horde. They walled themselves away in their keep until no one remains alive to guard it.}} Imaru's Tower shattered, and those who had dwelt near it were lost in the lake of grief that formed around it.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Mould-covered Journal\|quote=As for the tower, and those who dwelt beside it, it's shattered. The dragons' disciples lost in a great lake of sorrow and grief. Damned by their own devotion.}} None of these defences held. The Withering eventually claimed those inside the keep, and the defenders who had fought hardest against the undead became the undead themselves.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Skeletal Warrior\|quote=The tragic truth is that many of these people fought as hard as they could against the tide of undead... Yet, now, they are the monsters they fought so hard against.}}

	Three curse seals, each containing a fragment of Ravanna's curse, were placed across the region in an attempt to provide a future means of challenging Imaru. The curse, which made Imaru powerful, also represented the only way to make her vulnerable, a challenger who gathered all three shards would carry enough of it to overcome her invulnerability.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Ravanna's Seventh Journal\|quote=The seals are in place, but I'm not sure what good they'll do. I have taken the essence of her curse and bound it to the plinths, in hope that someone stronger than me might yet claim them. Without the curse she's invulnerable, but the very same thing that makes her powerful, makes her weak.}} Dowdun Reach sealed all connecting pathways to Fellhollow and posted guards at their crypt as a warning system.{{CiteJournal\|journal=A Report on the Withering\|quote=It is our recommendation that all efforts are made to seal Dowdun Reach. All connecting pathways to the subcontinent of Fellhollow should be severed.}} For centuries afterward the region remained locked in this state, its dead unable to pass on and its souls endlessly consumed, while [[Dragonwilds:Death]] himself found his ability to reap souls in the region entirely blocked.{{CiteText\|source=Withering Heights - Death\|quote=The whole region is infected with a terrible withering. Some dread curse that untethers the soul and drags it to the river Noumenon without ever sailing upon it, preventing the dead from moving on.}}		Three curse seals, each containing a fragment of Ravanna's curse, were placed across the region in an attempt to provide a future means of challenging Imaru. The curse, which made Imaru powerful, also represented the only way to make her vulnerable, a challenger who gathered all three shards would carry enough of it to overcome her invulnerability.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Ravanna's Seventh Journal\|quote=The seals are in place, but I'm not sure what good they'll do. I have taken the essence of her curse and bound it to the plinths, in hope that someone stronger than me might yet claim them. Without the curse she's invulnerable, but the very same thing that makes her powerful, makes her weak.}} Dowdun Reach sealed all connecting pathways to Fellhollow and posted guards at their crypt as a warning system.{{CiteJournal\|journal=A Report on the Withering\|quote=It is our recommendation that all efforts are made to seal Dowdun Reach. All connecting pathways to the subcontinent of Fellhollow should be severed.}} For centuries afterward the region remained locked in this state, its dead unable to pass on and its souls endlessly consumed, while [[Dragonwilds:Death]] himself found his ability to reap souls in the region entirely blocked.{{CiteText\|source=Withering Heights - Death\|quote=The whole region is infected with a terrible withering. Some dread curse that untethers the soul and drags it to the river Noumenon without ever sailing upon it, preventing the dead from moving on.}}

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:01, 10 May 2026
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	Two dragons already inhabited the region: [[Dragonwilds:Imaru]] and her mate [[Dragonwilds:Xikotal]]. Though initially distant, both eventually approached the settlers as neighbours and extended their protection over the community. Dragonkin experimentation had stripped Imaru of the ability to bear children, and the settlers provided both dragons with cause to take on a guardianship role.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Imaru\|quote=Dragonkin experiments had robbed her of the one thing she craved, to be a mother. So when the humans came to the region, she convinced Xikotal that they should take them under their wing, becoming protectors and, perhaps, even parents to the fragile things.}} Imaru's elemental affinity with water brought rain to the region's crops, while Xikotal's influence calmed the winds, resulting in plentiful harvests and a growing population.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Lazilly-penned Diary\|quote=Her magic brought rain and his calmed the winds, so that our harvests were plentiful, and our population bloomed.}} Blessed purifying pools were created across the region to ward off illness and corruption,{{CiteJournal\|journal=Purification Pool\|quote=A long time ago these pools would have been blessed by Imaru and her magic. She created the water as a way to stave off illness and corruption, in the population she protected.}} and a magical Blessing was woven over each settler that bound the people of differing backgrounds together and served as a source of shared health and strength.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Ravanna's Second Journal\|quote=They even give them this weird little thing they call a Blessing, which somehow binds them together.}}{{CiteJournal\|journal=Dragon-embossed Journal\|quote=Gran says that's what the Blessing is, that little dragon magic in our bones. An enchantment woven over each of us, as part of the dance. It makes us healthier, makes us heartier, makes us better than before.}}		Two dragons already inhabited the region: [[Dragonwilds:Imaru]] and her mate [[Dragonwilds:Xikotal]]. Though initially distant, both eventually approached the settlers as neighbours and extended their protection over the community. Dragonkin experimentation had stripped Imaru of the ability to bear children, and the settlers provided both dragons with cause to take on a guardianship role.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Imaru\|quote=Dragonkin experiments had robbed her of the one thing she craved, to be a mother. So when the humans came to the region, she convinced Xikotal that they should take them under their wing, becoming protectors and, perhaps, even parents to the fragile things.}} Imaru's elemental affinity with water brought rain to the region's crops, while Xikotal's influence calmed the winds, resulting in plentiful harvests and a growing population.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Lazilly-penned Diary\|quote=Her magic brought rain and his calmed the winds, so that our harvests were plentiful, and our population bloomed.}} Blessed purifying pools were created across the region to ward off illness and corruption,{{CiteJournal\|journal=Purification Pool\|quote=A long time ago these pools would have been blessed by Imaru and her magic. She created the water as a way to stave off illness and corruption, in the population she protected.}} and a magical Blessing was woven over each settler that bound the people of differing backgrounds together and served as a source of shared health and strength.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Ravanna's Second Journal\|quote=They even give them this weird little thing they call a Blessing, which somehow binds them together.}}{{CiteJournal\|journal=Dragon-embossed Journal\|quote=Gran says that's what the Blessing is, that little dragon magic in our bones. An enchantment woven over each of us, as part of the dance. It makes us healthier, makes us heartier, makes us better than before.}}

	[[Dragonwilds:Emberwood]] grew into a multi-faith community unlike anything else on [[Dragonwilds:Ashenfall]], with Saradominists and Zamorakians living and trading side by side. The villagers honoured their draconic guardians in daily life, weaving patterns of blue and black into their clothing in tribute to the dragons' dances in the sky.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Fine Cloth\|quote=Many of which included patterns of undulating blue and black in honour of the serpentine dances they would watch in the sky, as Imaru and Xikotal swam the air currents together.}} A civilian military force, the hoplites, formed within the village, naming themselves after the legendary Saradominist forces of Hallow and training together each week.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Fallen Hoplite's Chest\|quote=This force of warrior farmers named themselves after the hoplite forces of Hallow, legendary forces spoken of in some of the Saradominist text.}} The [[Dragonwilds:Wild Knights]] established a fortress at [[Dragonwilds:Silverthorn Keep]] to the east.		[[Dragonwilds:Emberwood]] grew into a multi-faith community unlike anything else on [[Dragonwilds:Ashenfall]], with Saradominists and Zamorakians living and trading side by side. The villagers honoured their draconic guardians in daily life, weaving patterns of blue and black into their clothing in tribute to the dragons' dances in the sky.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Fine Cloth\|quote=Many of which included patterns of undulating blue and black in honour of the serpentine dances they would watch in the sky, as Imaru and Xikotal swam the air currents together.}} A civilian military force, the [[Dragonwilds:Hoplite\|hoplites]], formed within the village, naming themselves after the legendary Saradominist forces of Hallow and training together each week.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Fallen Hoplite's Chest\|quote=This force of warrior farmers named themselves after the hoplite forces of Hallow, legendary forces spoken of in some of the Saradominist text.}} The [[Dragonwilds:Wild Knights]] established a fortress at [[Dragonwilds:Silverthorn Keep]] to the east.

	Dowdun Reach, a [[Dragonwilds:Children of Shadows\|Zamorakian faction]] based across the mountains, maintained an isolationist stance despite the peace secured by the region's draconic guardians.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Mithril Platelegs\|quote=The Children of Shadows became paranoid about the prospect of attack and betrayal. It did not seem to matter that they were guarded by dragons who manufactured peace.}} Xikotal brought gifts of coal and iron ore to Dowdun Reach, hoping to soften the faction's isolationism. Its lord Rasmodel accepted the materials and used them to arm a new private military force instead.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Mithril Platelegs\|quote=The dragon, Xikotal, had a gift. In one claw, he had coal, in the other iron. He wanted to help the Zamorakians, to bring them an offering that might soften their determination to isolate. In the dragon's optimism, the gift would bring the Zamorakians into the wider Fellhollow community. Rasmodel had his steel. He could outfit his new order. With the misguided dragon's help, he had his knights. They would ensure the rest of Fellhollow would keep their distance.}} The resulting Shadow Knights, established by formal edict, ensured Dowdun Reach's continued separation from Fellhollow, and would in time become the [[Dragonwilds:Black Knights]].{{CiteJournal\|journal=Black Knight Platelegs\|quote=Fellhollow, Imaru and Xikotal were not to be trusted. A new order of knights were to be created, and he was to lead them.}}		Dowdun Reach, a [[Dragonwilds:Children of Shadows\|Zamorakian faction]] based across the mountains, maintained an isolationist stance despite the peace secured by the region's draconic guardians.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Mithril Platelegs\|quote=The Children of Shadows became paranoid about the prospect of attack and betrayal. It did not seem to matter that they were guarded by dragons who manufactured peace.}} Xikotal brought gifts of coal and iron ore to Dowdun Reach, hoping to soften the faction's isolationism. Its lord Rasmodel accepted the materials and used them to arm a new private military force instead.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Mithril Platelegs\|quote=The dragon, Xikotal, had a gift. In one claw, he had coal, in the other iron. He wanted to help the Zamorakians, to bring them an offering that might soften their determination to isolate. In the dragon's optimism, the gift would bring the Zamorakians into the wider Fellhollow community. Rasmodel had his steel. He could outfit his new order. With the misguided dragon's help, he had his knights. They would ensure the rest of Fellhollow would keep their distance.}} The resulting Shadow Knights, established by formal edict, ensured Dowdun Reach's continued separation from Fellhollow, and would in time become the [[Dragonwilds:Black Knights]].{{CiteJournal\|journal=Black Knight Platelegs\|quote=Fellhollow, Imaru and Xikotal were not to be trusted. A new order of knights were to be created, and he was to lead them.}}
Line 30:		Line 30:
	Following Xikotal's death, a grief-curse was embedded in Imaru by Ravanna, an Emberwood necromancer who had settled in the region.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Ravanna's Fourth Journal\|quote=I offered her revenge. I created a curse within her, using her grief and rage as a focus, so that it might strengthen her against Kuldra.}} The curse was designed to amplify Imaru's power into something capable of destroying Kuldra, but the attempt failed. Kuldra withstood the attack without difficulty and Imaru was struck down.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Ravanna's Fourth Journal\|quote=Kuldra is stronger than I imagined. Her essence more powerful than either of us could have guessed. As Imaru raged at her Kuldra simply laughed and rebuffed her, barely even registering the unholy force hurled against her. So Imaru died. Fell to the ground in a crumbled heap.}}		Following Xikotal's death, a grief-curse was embedded in Imaru by Ravanna, an Emberwood necromancer who had settled in the region.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Ravanna's Fourth Journal\|quote=I offered her revenge. I created a curse within her, using her grief and rage as a focus, so that it might strengthen her against Kuldra.}} The curse was designed to amplify Imaru's power into something capable of destroying Kuldra, but the attempt failed. Kuldra withstood the attack without difficulty and Imaru was struck down.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Ravanna's Fourth Journal\|quote=Kuldra is stronger than I imagined. Her essence more powerful than either of us could have guessed. As Imaru raged at her Kuldra simply laughed and rebuffed her, barely even registering the unholy force hurled against her. So Imaru died. Fell to the ground in a crumbled heap.}}

	Rather than passing into the Afterlife, Imaru anchored herself within the ~~[[Dragonwilds:~~River Noumenon]] using the curse, wedging herself in the passage between the living world and the Underworld. From there she began consuming the souls of the dead to accumulate power, causing the Noumenon's waters to bleed into the living world.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Ravanna's Fifth Journal\|quote=Imaru has somehow wedged herself in there, using the curse I gave her and her own, sheer, bloody-minded rage to stick her in place. She claws at the edge of the Underworld, creating rifts that bleed the Noumenon's waters into our world like some deadly poison that rips out the soul.}} The Blessing, which had bound the community together, was turned into a conduit through which the souls of Fellhollow's living population were drawn toward Imaru.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Ravanna's Fifth Journal\|quote=She uses her "Blessing" as an anchor to her people, dragging their souls to her so that she might feast and grow stronger.}}		Rather than passing into the Afterlife, Imaru anchored herself within the {{RSL\|River Noumenon}} using the curse, wedging herself in the passage between the living world and the Underworld. From there she began consuming the souls of the dead to accumulate power, causing the Noumenon's waters to bleed into the living world.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Ravanna's Fifth Journal\|quote=Imaru has somehow wedged herself in there, using the curse I gave her and her own, sheer, bloody-minded rage to stick her in place. She claws at the edge of the Underworld, creating rifts that bleed the Noumenon's waters into our world like some deadly poison that rips out the soul.}} The Blessing, which had bound the community together, was turned into a conduit through which the souls of Fellhollow's living population were drawn toward Imaru.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Ravanna's Fifth Journal\|quote=She uses her "Blessing" as an anchor to her people, dragging their souls to her so that she might feast and grow stronger.}}

	The Scalesworn, Xikotal's most devoted guardians, fell first. The draconic marks they bore became an entry point for the curse, making them both the first to turn and the first vector through which the affliction spread to others.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Rotsworn Marauder\|quote=They were blessed with the mark of the dragon, granting them some of the power of their draconic masters. These marks would be their undoing, when Imaru refused to stay dead. They became the first of the infected, inflicted with a terrible withering curse that would drag the souls of any they touched into Imaru's hungry maw.}} Necromantic energy washing back through the Blessing then animated the dead throughout the region, filling them with an insatiable hunger that spread further through the population.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Ravanna's Sixth Journal\|quote=The necromantic energies of the Underworld then wash back through the Blessing and into her subjects, animating their bodies and filling them with an unquenchable thirst for more souls.}} Researchers in Dowdun Reach measured the spread at roughly a hectare a day, slowed only by mountains and bodies of water, and projected full contamination of Fellhollow within two weeks.{{CiteJournal\|journal=A Report on the Withering\|quote=It spreads at a significant rate, roughly a hectare a day, and is only slowed or halted by mountains and bodies of water. It is our belief that the subcontinent of Fellhollow will be entirely contaminated in the next two weeks.}} The hunger did not stop at the living. The substance of the region itself was consumed over time: food tasted of nothing, campfires felt cold, and trees were hollowed from within.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Hollow Bark\|quote=Things taste worse in Fellhollow. Dreams are vapid and empty, if you have them at all. A campfire feels colder, even if it warms you just as well as before. Because the substance, the soul of that thing if you will, is being consumed.}}		The Scalesworn, Xikotal's most devoted guardians, fell first. The draconic marks they bore became an entry point for the curse, making them both the first to turn and the first vector through which the affliction spread to others.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Rotsworn Marauder\|quote=They were blessed with the mark of the dragon, granting them some of the power of their draconic masters. These marks would be their undoing, when Imaru refused to stay dead. They became the first of the infected, inflicted with a terrible withering curse that would drag the souls of any they touched into Imaru's hungry maw.}} Necromantic energy washing back through the Blessing then animated the dead throughout the region, filling them with an insatiable hunger that spread further through the population.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Ravanna's Sixth Journal\|quote=The necromantic energies of the Underworld then wash back through the Blessing and into her subjects, animating their bodies and filling them with an unquenchable thirst for more souls.}} Researchers in Dowdun Reach measured the spread at roughly a hectare a day, slowed only by mountains and bodies of water, and projected full contamination of Fellhollow within two weeks.{{CiteJournal\|journal=A Report on the Withering\|quote=It spreads at a significant rate, roughly a hectare a day, and is only slowed or halted by mountains and bodies of water. It is our belief that the subcontinent of Fellhollow will be entirely contaminated in the next two weeks.}} The hunger did not stop at the living. The substance of the region itself was consumed over time: food tasted of nothing, campfires felt cold, and trees were hollowed from within.{{CiteJournal\|journal=Hollow Bark\|quote=Things taste worse in Fellhollow. Dreams are vapid and empty, if you have them at all. A campfire feels colder, even if it warms you just as well as before. Because the substance, the soul of that thing if you will, is being consumed.}}