The Great Rift and Devori Cataclysm

The Great Rift, and The Devori Mountains, both make up the impassable region separating The Sea of Grass from the Thavan city states. In order to pass this region one must either go far south and cross the foothills or plains there, where the coastal trade road meets the northern border of Farundia. Or they can travel north and sail around the cape of dragons to the port city of Svilvhof. There may eventually be another route directly to the city state of Sophene, though many think the endeavor foolhardy, the Bagdhasaryan family has been building a bridge across The Great Rift for generations.

This region was said to have been passable, and in fact used for trade, eons ago. Though the name was ominous, Devori translates to demon or devil, the mountain range was still traveled frequently. One can still see the remnants of a large road traveling north among this region through the Sea of Grass. At this time The Great Rift did not exist, it was only The Devori Mountains.

Stories say that there was a great cataclysm, something dark that involved magic, dragons, demons, or maybe all of the above. In this instance even common folk know that something did indeed happen, because one can easily see the result. The Devori Mountains have been split down the middle by The Great Rift. A massive chasm that smells of strange things, glows even stronger colors, echoes with the roars of beasts, and is deeper than one can see from its edge.

The Great Rift is completely impassable. Nearly every traveler who tries is never what's from again. There used to be small towns near its rim but they have been destroyed by unseen forces over the centuries, some would say by the very monsters one can hear within. There is one exception to the general rule of staying away from this mysterious deathtrap. A small town named Rokthag, or Rocktown, several days north of the coastal trade road.

Rokthag is right on top of The Great Rift's rim, very much on purpose. This small town is how a group of lunatics know as The Rifters Guild, and their leader Merrick Slean. These madmen purposely go into The Great Rift in search of magical gems, beast hides, and whatever else they can find. These rare good are the taken south to Farundia, and into Thavan, to be traded. The scarcity and unique properties of these items make them worth more than their weight on gold marks.

What other secrets lie within this deadly ancient chasm? What actually happened long ago? What are these beats and monsters Innatraeans can hear from outside The Great Rift? Iw whatever caused the cataclysm truly in Innatraea's last or will it come to play a part in The future?