Geographies of Doaden: The Ashen Wastes (Patreon)

Hey Everyone!

We're taking a closer look at one of the most feared and revered places within Doaden, the Ashen Wastes. Home to the Eternal Legions, and all manner of arcane phenomena, it is a wound in the flank of the Holy Western Empire.

We've got a few cool updates to share in this post too - 

- We're sharing this 8K resolution copy of the Holy Western Empire map – updated to include all the locations of our RPG Adventures, including this month’s Lord of War adventure.

You can download the full-resolution map direct from this post, and we’ve added it to the Welcome Pack for good measure.

- Environment Presupports are ready and will be on SYNC very soon!

The Ashen Wastes

The Ashen Wastes are a surreal hellscape of endless nothingness. The land is warped, corrupted by unbridled chaos energies. Geometric structures rise from the dust, cuboid and pyramidal, formed by unknowable magics and geological phenomenon. Ever-shifting dunes cover the crumbling ruins of ancient temple-cities and mega-cathedrals. The sky is distorted, twisted, bizarre, as if drawn from another world. The laws of nature are bent and altered here, in this place fit only for the dead.

These lands were once the fertile heart of the Empire. But now, they are a sterile desert marred by the skeletal remains of the past. A million souls perished here, incinerated by the cataclysmic weapon known as the Demoncore. A blinding flash as the white flame of heaven spilled from the sky. In an instant, nothing was left but death and ash. A thousand years later, seething discharge remains trapped in the earth and the air, warping, and mutating the land, and afflicting the skies with suffocating arcane dust storms. This is the epicenter of devastation. The source of Doaden’s suffering. From these lands, corruption spills, the creeping malignance, the blighted earths and the darkened skies, the festering scar, the unhealing wound of decay that eats away at those who are left behind.

Where are the Ashen Wastes?

The Ashen Wastes lie on the Eastern Edge of the Holy Empire, home of the Emperor and the Azerai Church. The border between the two realms is bulwarked by a great Wall manned by the Penitent Crusade. Protection of this border is critical, for should the Eternal Legions spill forth into the lands of Azerai, they would wreak untold havoc.

Here's that 8k map we mentioned! (Downloadable at the end of the post too!)

The Eternal Legions

The Legions are a skeletal army that wanders the Ashen Wastes. Always marching, always searching. They are risen and warped by the energies of the Wastes and driven by the will of the mysterious being known as the Eternal Mother. The armies traverse the vast expanse in endless retinues, accompanied by giant harvesting columbines that gouge the earth with enormous teeth, dredging up the buried bones of those that perished here long, as they churn up enormous columns of dust behind them. These vast troves of bones are recycled and reformed into new warriors and bizarre constructs, ever swelling the ranks of the Legion.

The Black Fortress

To stem the threat of the Eternal Legions, the Penitent Crusade mans the Black Fortress, a large bastion of sprawling walls, heavily defended towers, and outposts. This fortress spans the length of the border between the Western Reaches and the Ashen Wastes, keeping the evils of the Wastes at bay. Yet it is only a matter of time before the Black Fortress falls and when the day comes, there will be nothing left to stop the apocalypse.

The Obelisk Valley

A comparatively small area within the vastness of the Ashen Wastes. Within the valley is the pyramidal structure the Penitent Crusade has named the Twilit Obelisk. The Obelisk thrums with magical energies and is somehow able to interface with a mysterious Cypher, decoding it through a strange ritual process.

The Cathedral of Bones

A long-lost cathedral, an old place of adoration, a center for the devout and faithful to commune in their prayers for the old Emperor. Beneath the surface, are hidden catacombs, extensive galleries, and chambers where the bones of old priestesses, bishops, heroes, and other figures of importance to the Old Empire were buried.

Among the heroes interred here was the feared general that stood at the forefront of the Emperor’s armies, General Kourrakas. The Legion has attacked the location to revive him and add this once-great leader into their ranks.

The party has arrived too late though, as he now has left the cathedral and marches among the army of the dead…

Recreating the Ashen Wastes

To help you recreate the Ashen Wastes on your own tabletop, we've got a huge set of themed terrain in our Eternal Legions Part 2 release this February. With over 20 STLs in the set, from Strange Cuboids, to the massive Twilit Obelisk, this set contains all the tools to create some truly mind-bending boards.

The presupports have just gone up on Sync so you can dive into printing these wyrd pieces right away!

Hope you enjoyed this closer look at the Geographies of Doaden, let us know if you enjoyed the spotlight and we’ll do more in the future!

Cheers,

Bestiarum Team