The Jungle Deep

Rallen paused at the distant crack of thunder, waiting for an echo that never came. Frowning, he turned his face to the wind and tasted something foul, a faint tang of ash and acid.

Up ahead, Corrick continued striding towards the ruined tower, his cloak flapping madly behind him. This was an abandoned place. Rallen caught up just as Corrick reached the broken archway that led into the tower. The other ranger turned.
 

‘I don’t understand, Corrick. This watchtower hasn’t been manned in decades.’
‘I suspect that is about to change.’

Rallen shook his head. ‘We’ve been at peace with Lorenthia for generations. The king’s sister is married to…’ His voice trailed off as he saw his friend’s pain. ‘Corrick?’

Corrick shook his head slowly. ‘Just follow.’ The ranger turned through the arch, and Rallen quickly followed. Inside, shafts of sunlight reached down through the cracks in the roof to guide their way. They climbed slowly up the worn stairs that still circled around the inside of the tower, spiralling ever higher, until they finally reached the door to the roof. As they stepped out, the tainted wind again assaulted Rallen’s senses, causing him to wince.

Corrick put a hand on his shoulder, pointing into the wind. Rallen turned and gasped, clutching at the parapet for support. Less than a league away, the grassy plains disappeared, replaced by a rolling sea of thick, dark, impenetrable greenery. A fresh and jagged scar of earth was all that marked the end of one realm and the beginning of another.

‘Lorenthia is gone,’ whispered Corrick. ‘The Jungle Deep has swallowed it whole.’

 

Welcome to the dark and dangerous world of the Jungle Deep, a vast realm, covered in a dense and foreboding tree canopy, where evil plots and breeds. Over the passing centuries, the Jungle Deep has slowly expanded by collapsing the kingdoms on its borders and swallowing them beneath its conquering vegetation. Now, a new kingdom stands upon the brink of that sea of darkness.

The king knows it is only a matter of time before his land is also consumed. He has sent out a call
to every realm, a summoning of heroes to come and stand against the darkness. Help, however, is
far away, if it ever comes.

For now, the defence of the kingdom falls upon the Rangers, a band of highly skilled warriors, trained to operate independently or in small groups to track down and fight against the creatures of darkness. It is their duty to descend into the Jungle Deep to gather information, rescue prisoners, launch raids, and fight a delaying action against their foes. Theirs is a war that cannot be won, but every small victory is another day for the people of the kingdom, another day of life and hope.

If the enemy can be kept at bay long enough, who knows what miracles might occur ?