Vor Rukoth
Vor Rukoth was one of the jewels of the empire of Bael Turath. Sometimes called the City of Forges, it was ruled over by the emperor’s sister, a human named Lady Najala. During the long and violent war with the empire of Arkhosia, the powerful humans of Bael Turath – nobles, wealthy merchants, spellcasters, and priests – underwent a sinister transformation through diabolic pacts. Among the first to swear the oaths to devils and become a tiefling was Lady Najala. Seeing her power and influence grow as a result of her oaths, many of the other nobles of Vor Rukoth lined up for the opportunity to participate.
As the threat from Arkhosia grew more imminent, Lady Najala became suspicious of everyone and began scouring Vor Rukoth’s population for traitors. She called out those nobles who had refused to take infernal oaths, believing they conspired against her, and she erected a gate to Hell to ensure her hold on power. Ultimately, it proved her undoing. As an Arkhosian host marched on the city, she desperately threw open the portal to any creatures that would aid her. On what came to be known as the Day of Devils, legions of fiends spilled out from the Nine Hells. They repelled the enemy host on the outskirts of Vor Rukoth, but they also slaughtered the thousands who inhabited Vor Rukoth. Najala’s victory meant little, for the city was shattered and left a ruined vestige.
Centuries after its fall, Vor Rukoth remained lost to civilization, inhabited only by wrathful spirits, monstrous beasts, and devils trapped by ancient bonds with its undead queen. The human empire of Nerath came and went, never realizing the potential wealth that lay within this remote ruin. Then, a couple of decades ago, a company of halfling explorers discovered the remnants of an ancient road. They followed it to the ruined city and began exploring, discovering much wealth but also many dangers within. Only one survived. This halfling, who later came to be known as the Coyote, established a small outpost just beyond the gates of Vor Rukoth. He spread the word of the ancient city and helped guide others there. The highway leading to it came to be known as the Ruby Road, both for its crimson cast and for the wealth it brought to those who managed to pull treasures from the ruins.
The halfling’s outpost was called Coyote’s Refuge (“the Refuge” for short), and it attracted all manner of folk. Adventurers came in search of treasure; divine agents sought to cleanse the ruins of their evil; criminals came looking for a base of operations, and outcasts to find sanctuary and solitude. Coyote’s Refuge became a jumping-off point for anyone entering Vor Rukoth, supplying the essentials to those with the audacity to venture within.
