Ethium

The whole plateau is Ethium — not a settlement on the high ground, but a huge ancient city that once covered it.

What travellers see

• From Fallcrest: only a faint pale shelf on the horizon when the haze lifts — not individual ruins
• On the plateau: foundations, roads, walls, and rubble in every direction — the city’s bones under grass and vine
• Royal castle: ruins on the largest hill, ringed with cliffs — the grandest structure still standing

What the party knows (published chapters)

• Tobbs (Ch. 2): the plateau was the city; vast, abandoned, stones waking
• On arrival (Ch. 4): they are walking through Ethium itself, not approaching a single ruin
• They see the castle from the plateau but do not yet know it was the king’s home

DM note — future reveal

The cliff-crowned hill held the royal seat. Save that for when lore, maps, or Garnel’s grandmother’s research pays off.

DM note — secret (do not publish yet)

Emerging theme: mountain water feeding Ethium has changed; a great demon is coming to those mountains; residual magic on the water is stirring the Ethium Stones. Full detail: secret-demon-and-the-water.md.

Related: ethium-stonework.md · ethium-maps.md · healing-pool-ritual.md · garnel-stoneblender · tobbs · plateau map ethium-plateau.jpg