Great Cleave
Great Cleave is a frozen, war-scarred mountain territory that forms a harsh frontier between the more settled regions of Aeternum and the dangers farther north. Snow-covered passes, ruined fortifications, Corrupted positions, and Ancient structures make the region feel like a battlefield that has never truly ended.
Rangers have long fought to contain the Corrupted foothold in the mountains, but the territory’s history extends much further back. Deep within Great Cleave lies the Empyrean Forge, once a major Ancient facility used to construct war machines and powerful constructs. Its fires continued burning long after the civilization that created it disappeared.
Centuries later, the wizard Myrddin entered the Forge to study Ancient engineering. His experiments opened a path to other realms, allowing elemental energies and beings to merge with the facility. The Varangian Knights later sought the Forge’s power for themselves. Great Cleave therefore connects Ancient history, the Arthurian era, the Varangians, and the continuing war against Corruption.