Nestled deep within the valley where the Iron Mountains clash against the jagged Flintcliffs lies Tol Fallent, the lost city of the Ssthessic Vrasa. Once the crown jewel of their civilization, this vast metropolis was reduced to ruin nearly a thousand years ago by the armies of the Sunderking. Now, it remains an eerie and desolate expanse of broken stone and hidden histories, largely avoided by travelers and scholars alike. Yet, despite its apparent desolation, the city is not entirely abandoned. Beneath the fallen towers and sunken streets, a secret enclave of yuan-ti has endured, carrying on the traditions of their ancestors in the labyrinthine tunnels beneath the surface.
When the Sunderking’s armies marched upon Tol Fallent in 21BE, the city was already besieged on all sides. The Ssthessic defenders knew they could not hold indefinitely, so they devised a grim plan: provisions were gathered and sent below, a small number of their women and children hidden within a network of underground chambers while the rest prepared for battle. When all was ready, they opened their gates and fought to the last. Sunderking’s forces, finding a small group of survivors beneath the palace, assumed they had uncovered all who sought refuge and swiftly executed them. In reality, deeper tunnels remained untouched, their entrances carefully concealed beneath the rubble.
Over the following years, the true survivors of Tol Fallent emerged from hiding. They cautiously reclaimed their subterranean city, living in secrecy and avoiding the surface except when necessary. Hunting and foraging in the shadows, they built a life within the tunnels, crafting a hidden sanctuary beneath the ruins of their former empire.
On Arrival at Tol Fallent
Approaching the ruins of Tol Fallent, one finds a landscape both serene and unsettling. A lake now covers much of the city’s former expanse, formed where once three clear streams met. The land is strangely furrowed, the buried streets and buildings creating unnatural rises and depressions in the earth. Patches of forest creep through the rubble, their roots winding through shattered stone and forgotten pathways. The air is heavy with silence, save for the occasional rustle of unseen creatures. To the untrained eye, it appears that time has erased the city’s scars, but to those who know where to look, the remnants of a great civilization still whisper from the depths.
Despite the passage of centuries, the yuan-ti of Tol Fallent have preserved their culture. Their archives of blood magic remain among the most extensive in the known world.
The Ruins Above
Though much of Tol Fallent has been reclaimed by nature, its ruins still tell a story of destruction. Tower foundations and crumbling walls break the surface, remnants of a grand city built on stone and magic. The roads, once paved in polished obsidian, now lie hidden beneath moss and dirt, but their patterns can still be traced in the hills and gullies they have left behind. The ruins are largely uninhabited, save for the occasional scholar or treasure-seeker, though even they tread cautiously, for stories abound of disappearances in the night.
The Palace Isle
In the heart of the lake, where once the Emperor’s palace stood, a single ruined tower remains. The land has been swallowed by the water, leaving the structure standing alone like a broken tooth in the lake’s still surface. Though seemingly abandoned, the Isle is of great significance to the hidden yuan-ti. Beneath its crumbling remains, a passage still leads to the Temple Halls, the most sacred space of the surviving Ssthessic.
The Three Districts
The underground city of Tol Fallent is divided into three major districts, each reflecting a different aspect of its forgotten past. These hidden settlements aremeticulously guarded, accessible only through secret entrances known to the yuan-ti alone.
Lethell. Lethell serves as the primary residential district. Its winding tunnels house the bulk of the yuan-ti population, with chambers carved into the rock forming homes, communal gathering places, and training halls. The stone walls are etched with the histories of their people, preserving the memory of a civilization lost to the world above.
Svarsis. Svarsis is the heart of Tol Fallent’s knowledge. Here, the yuan-ti store their records of blood magic, their preserved histories, and their collections of ancient texts. The underground archives are among the most complete remnants of Ssthessic culture, and their guardians are fiercely protective of their secrets. It is said that the knowledge kept here could rival even the greatest libraries of Endon—if one could gain access to it.
Thlassa. Thlassa is the hidden city’s point of contact with the outside world. The yuan-ti of this district are the ones most likely to venture to the surface, whether to hunt, gather resources, or occasionally trade with the rare outsiders who prove trustworthy. Concealed pathways lead from Thlassa to hidden exits throughout the valley, allowing the yuan-ti to move unseen when necessary.