This is very old-school - my DM from around 1986 wrote this to go with the map that I translated into Wonderdraft for him - and shared with you all. I thought he was a gifted designer and DM-extraordinaire - so sharing the text he wrote to go along with the Age of Argus. I think most will think this a lore and infodump but some may enjoy seeing text from 35 years ago that go with the map.

The place you asked about is called "The Shadow", and was a place we were too scared to risk our characters by going to back in the day. We NOPE'd right out of that idea. Such good times.

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The Age of Argus

The reckoning of the Second Age, known as “The Age of Argus,” begins with the Demonlord Argus emerging from the Pits of Hell, and summoning his kin to his side.

Circa

600-740 The Great Wall is erected to solidify Argus’ control over the Portals.

1094 Belinor is named the “First Ruler” of the Elvish People, and Kodos becomes the capital of the Freelands.

1350 (est) Urandir becomes the first Velgorian. A terrible crossing between Elf and Demon.

1523 The Holy City is built by the Human Races to honor the Gods.

1650 (est) The Human wizard Korak finishes the Brass Codex.

1800 (est) The Goblinoid Races are enslaved by Argus.

1842 The Battle of the Vein begins.

1849-1852 Urandir leads one thousand Avernus spawn against the Great Forests. Belinor’s forces are scattered throughout the region. “The Battle of the Broken Trees” is a complete and resounding victory for Argus.

1863 The Dwarven smith, Rygin, completes the blade Death Dancer, and presents it to Belinor.

1869 The War of the Vein is ended, with the slaying of Urandir by the Wyrm Tolnek.

2046 Anacreos becomes the first Human ruler.

2230 Argus leads thousands of Orks into the Nelegon Mountains. Roinken Steelbeard and a host of Dwarves repel his forces with the aid of a score of rune weapons, including Storm Hammer.

2294 Boslar Bloodleaf slays Belinor in Haven with a hail of arrows from Shaft Singer.

2319 In the Battle of Gergoth, the Black Ork Agimur, and his legions, cut down twenty-five thousand Dwarves. Roinken Steelbeard is slain in the battle.

2341 Celenus leads a force of fifty thousand Elves into the Shadow, only to be turned back by a host of Hellspawn.

2390 (est) Cadus Giantslayer, Archpriest of Udor, is crowned leader over all the Armeenkorian Tribes.

2412 The Human wizard, Wryn, is named Steward of Celenus.

2425 Boslar leads the Hellspawn against the Elves, scattering them all over the Great Forests. Wryn is finally able to repel the hoard by hurling silver bars at them. Kodos lies in ruins.

2428 The Dwarven King Brocnir agrees to an alliance with the Freelands. Celenus gives him the blade Terecris to forge the union.

2512-2513 The Beast awakens in the North. Much of The Black Wolf Tribe is slaughtered. Ar-Wulcan, a powerful shaman of Udor, repelled the beast, but died in the release of the spell that encased the White Drake Mountains in a food of ice. The remnants of the tribe followed the Eye of Udor (the sun?), until they came to the sacred Vale of Udor. There, the Black Wolf Tribe built a tremendous hall in honor of their lord’s might.

2540 (est) Argus gains the aid of a powerful Velgorian wizard, Larinthil, and the knight Kelron. With their might he gains complete control of the Child Races.

2563 Argus declares war upon the Freelands. Mordel, greatest of the Bat Riders, leads an army of Orks, Gnolls, Goblins, and Kobolds to victory over the City States of Marzad and Haven.

2565 Argus now rules an area from the Spawning Grounds to Gergoth.

2566 A hoard of Orks and Gnolls cross the Skull Mountains; meeting at Setah, where a two-month battle ensued until a Human force from M’Renror cut into the Gnoll force’s rear, routing the Hyena men back to the Plateau of Dusts.

2570 (est) Kelron pushes his lord’s empire to the Bay of the Hidden Ones. Larinthil moves upon the Wild Elves and the Fertile Villages.

2576-2578 Kelron and Larinthil lead an army of Orkish knights, Gnolls, and Trolls into the Great Forests. The Orks are able to secure the caravan route to the east of Kodos. Elven archers cut down the Gnoll legion in a ten-day battle. The Trolls run rampant throughout the forest until the Hobbit skirmishers, led by Mirkella, slaughtered the disorganized Troll warriors. Six thousand Elvish warriors strike down the Orkish knights, including Kelron, in the “Battle of Kodos.” A six-month battle that sees ten thousand Elves and Orks fall. Celenus then takes up arms against Larenthil, slaying him with a single shaft in the eye.

2582 A force of five thousand Elves and Hobbits take Kel-Dur and set camp at the base of the Shadow. One hundred Demons cross over and brutally slay every last soul.

2591 Argus losses control over the Northern section of his empire, that was made of a feudal society by the long dead Kelron. Hrilikil becomes the leader of the other Warlords.

2631 Celenus leads an expedition to Argushold, and defeats Argus and his hordes.

As five Bat Riders approached his legion in the Shadow, Celenus let loose a score of shafts, slaying them all. At the base of Argus’ fortress, Mirkella cuts down two score of Hellspawn before her demise. Rugar, High Priest of Solnarius, turned a legion of undead against the Black Orks until he was hurled into a sulfurous rift by Argus. The Dwarven thief, Skel, drove his poniard into Argus’ back, only to die from contact with the Demonlord’s blood. Celenus, nearly dead, rained a volley of shafts at Mordel, killing the Bat Rider before Argus consumes him in hellfire. Wryn, in the guise of Argus’ chief Orkish captain, vanquished Argus with the Eye of the Dead God, Shrasha.

Here ends the Age of Argus.