Ruins of Thorn 2013-10-14

The Ruins of Thorn
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In a bygone age, the wealthy king Thorn had a beautiful dream. In his dream he saw a shining castle made of gold, a symbol of his power and greatness that would last forever. A fire lit in his once quiet heart and with surprising vigor he began the construction of this beautiful golden keep. But despite his legendary wealth even his coffers did not contain enough to fulfill the dream. Against all advice he continued the work until his funds were gone and no debtor would even think of lending him more. Consumed with desire he turned greedy and cold. He ordered his troops to march through the homes of his own subjects, taking whatever valuables they could find. For many years his once opulent kingdom became a burning nightmare but Thorn did not once spare a thought to them, still obsessed was he with the castle in his dream.

Somehow, over the bodies of his people and the ashes of his kingdom Thorn eventually completed the construction of the magnificent palace. He stood upon the tallest tower, a spire of the purest gold, and he basked in his accomplishment. He remembered his dream of many years ago and shouted to the heavens that finally his greatness will be remembered forever. But having finally accomplished his life's work he had a moment to think clearly, no longer blinded by his obsessive pursuit. From his golden spire he at last saw clearly the ruins that stretched before him in every direction. The howling winds carried to him the anguish with which his whole kingdom cried out. In an instant his moment of joy was gone and he plummeted into the deepest despair. He tore out his eyes so he could not see, and he ripped out his ears so he would still not hear, but in his heart the knowledge of what he had done still burned. He flung himself off the tallest tower of the most magnificent tower of gold, making a gruesome but comparatively minuscule mess on the hard stone below.

Shortly after his death many factions within the kingdom appeared, all seeking to take power and salvage something of the homeland they loved. Bitter civil wars were fought but before any kind of resolution could be found foreign armies appeared, all having massed with the goal of taking this legendary golden castle.

The site of constant conflict, the golden castle began to waste away, all of its intricately worked splendor destroyed or stolen by siege or looters. But to this day the ancient feuds begun by the golden castle still rage as young warriors still fight the wars of their ancestors, all fighting for their claim to the rubble of Thorn's castle.

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Ok so tbh the actual map isn't so groundbreaking visually or mechanics, for the most part it's a fairly plain flat TTH map with 5 halls and a lot of resources. I didn't really put that much time or thought into it's construction but I had this idea for a place with a bit of history that I wanted to get out there. Still, it's a simple enough map and should be fairly playable. Kudos to anyone who gets what I'm paying homage to and I of course welcome any feedback on the map or story.

Enjoy