Karse

Karse was a city in the High Forest that became a ruins shortly after its founding.

Notable Locations
By 1358 DR, the ruins of Karse were overgrown with dark forest. In the midst of this forest was the Black Glade, a ring of thirteen massive dire oak trees. These strange trees were somehow connected to the thirteen red, pentagonal pyramids found at the center of the ruins of Ascore.

History
Karse was founded by the Cult of Karsus shortly after Karsus's Folly in -298 DR. It was located in the High Forest at the base of a "tall butte of red stone" which was thought by the cultist to be the remains of Karsus himself.

The city of Karse was reduced to rubble by the Cult of Karsus itself just ten years after its founding due to internal strife sown by the lich, Wulgreth of Netheril, as revenge against Karsus for transforming him into a lich. Wulgreth then moved into the remains of the city to ensure that it would not be rebuilt.

Around one thousand years later, a wizard, ironically also named Wulgreth, from Ascalhorn fled to the ruins of Karse as demons destroyed Ascalhorn as well as the nearby kingdoms of Eaerlann and Ammarindar. He only brought along his man-at-arms, Jhingleshod the Iron Axeman. Once Jingleshod found out that Wulgreth intended to summon an army of undead from the ruins of Karse to battle the demons he attacked Wulgreth. Unfortunately, Jingleshold's timing could not have been worse as Wulgreth was in the midst of casting a powerful spell. The necromantic energy released by the spell not only transformed Wulgreth into a lich, but also infected the surrounding forest which came to be known as the Dire Wood. Wulgreth of Ascalhorn's essence was contained in the item later known as the Karsestone as his phylactery.