A dark and desolate place.
The grey ash that covers the land makes no exception here. The buildings were all made of strong stone and cement design, but that did not seem to prevent their destruction.
A ruined city exists in the center of the Ashen Plains. All of the buildings and structures within, or what remains of them, are arranged in an organized, grid-like fashion and are made of carved stones and cemented minerals. Closer study of the buildings' design suggest the involvement of many different architectural styles, making this the likely site of the ancient city mentioned by the pharaoh Sekhemkhet where the varied races lived in harmony. A golden gate in the shape of a pair of dragons marks the entry into the city, and the end of the Lost Highway. Further conversations have revealed that the city was once known as Wyrmstad, and a map of the city as it was has been obtained from an artifacts dealer.
Ruthea and Gorgoroth discovered the city through the use of the portal in Sosostriss' Tower. Upon arrival, they encountered a fiery salamander, who wished to sacrifice them both to "Amurru", which was interpreted as either a volcano-god, or the creature in the volcano. Not wishing to engage it directly, they fled without exploring further.
When visited a second time, investigation revealed a large number of dark folk living in, or possibly directly under, the ruins, as well as many fire giants and salamanders. Dark creepers were seen tied to a pole, obstensibly being prepared as a sacrifice by some dark stalkers to the volcano-god, who, according to Sosostriss, is a very old, very cruel red dragon.
A third expedition visited the large church which had been sighted on the second trip. This church stands at the city's edge, the only building that appears to have escaped ruin. It is dedicated to Abadar, the god of law and civilization, and functions as a shrine to him. The Pathfinders retrieved Abadar's Suit from the church.
A fourth and final expedition saved two dark creepers and a batlike creature from being sacrificed to two of Amurru's children, young red dragons. They then entered the volcano, Mount Wyrmstad, slew Amurru, and captured his hoard. Amurru's wives were told to take their children and go. It remains to be seen whether the dragons will take this advice, and whether their absence or the volcanic eruption accompanying Amurru's death will have any effect on the denizens of the Ruined City.
Portal[]
The basement of a ruined building in the city holds an arcane portal made of stone. It is fully functional and has been used several times to create two-way portals. The building that contains it also houses a crude shrine-like idol in reverence to a dragon.