Description:

The Sunken Citadel is a collection of mesas and rocks that - from afar - almost look like its namesake. A citadel. Carved into the rock face that makes up the biggest part of The Sunken Citadel is what loosely looks like a skull, with dark tracks trailing down the eye holes that are often described as 'blood-like'. Over time, The Sunken Citadel has slowly sunk lower and lower - thanks to it being positioned above an aquifer that was once drawn from recklessly. It's thought that The Sunken Citadel will slowly sink as far as it takes to achieve whatever balance it had before the aquifer was declared protected - if not into the aquifer completely.

At the base of the primary rock formation, water dripped down from the eye holes of the 'skull' and created a deep pool of remarkably clear and clean water.

Caverns and passages go through The Sunken Citadel - winding and labyrinthine, though reports have come back about abandoned machinery and strange clicking. Alongside those reports, though, are reports on the impressive pipe system that can draw water up out of the aquifer. It leads directly to the eye holes of that carved skull, giving the impression that the skull is weeping when turned on.

Whoever, or whatever, built this place has long since abandoned it, but it's a good (if creepy) place to stay - for both travelers and smugglers of all stripes. There are old, skeletal Joshua trees and dead saguaro cacti that dot the landscape closest to the Citadel, and are much more frequent inside the arms of the rock formations themselves.

Landmarks:

• The Crown Gardens - The remnants of what once must have been several magnificent gardens. Rumor has it that it's been taken over by a massive pack of raptors, and visitors hear scampering and chittering almost as soon as they step foot into the open air from inside. There's a rusting irrigation system here that still waters the plants, giving the almost surreal experience of stepping into a bog atop the rock formation that makes up the skull while still being surrounded by the badlands of Fosbir.
• The Heart Pipes - Massive, twisting pipes that seem to have been forged in roughly the shape of an anatomical heart. Situated between the eye holes of the 'skull', every pipe in The Sunken Citadel leads back here, and during the heat of the day, the heatwaves almost make it seems like The Heart Pipes are beating. The raptors avoid this place like it's cursed - and based on the old bloodstains, perhaps it is.
• The Pit - Situated as far from The Heart Pipes as possible while remaining in the semi-circle shape of The Sunken Citadel, there's an area of ground that's sunken even deeper into the ground than the rest of the base of The Sunken Citadel. Old and new bones decorate the outside of The Pit, and the sanded ground is a vibrant red inside. Rumor has it that it used to be used for a tokota fighting ring.
• The Precipice - The name given to the sudden canyon which sits unsuspectingly on the edge of the Sunken Citadel. Nobody in history's memory has ever been to the bottom and lived to tell the tale. Locals say that Death Itself rests within this canyon.

Lore:

Once the stronghold of a near-legendary and infamous poacher and their massive gang, The Sunken Citadel has long since been abandoned. Legend has it that the waters are blessed or cursed depending on who you listen to, but the build of the place makes it a safe area to hide from foul weather.

No one's sure what led to the outcry and the battle that consumed the gang was caused by, but many died during the fighting - leaving old blood stains behind.

Rumor has it you'll see the ghosts of those that died here if you stay too long - and that the real reason the pipes still work is because of all the blood that was spilled here…

The night of the Winter Solstice is the one time of the year when it's said lost souls can attempt to climb their way out of the Precipice. Local legend says that it is a spectacular sight to behold, but that being a spectator can yield deadly results: in their quest to scramble out of the canyon, one of the fallen may mistake the spectator for simply another foothold in the canyon wall, and in grabbing onto them, will pull them down to their demise.

Original location inspiration by Glacialis-Quasar and glitterghostie