Ashkavor

Ashkavor is a land in the world of Dota 2. It is home to Grimstroke and his former lover, Yaovhi. The Ashkavorians are known for their Ascended Ones, specially selected individuals who undergo training and ritual to become guardians of their people. Ashkavor has at least one city, with a temple. Ascension rituals are performed here, near the temple's central runestone, which is painted over with a brush to initiate the Ascended's binding spell.

The Ink Tide
Grimstroke was the last Ashkavorian to ascend. In his greed for power, he contaminated the ritual inkpots with a strange ichor. When he dipped his brush, the ink swirled up towards his body, engulfing him entirely in blackness. As an act of desperation, he pushed the corrupted ink into the bonds he had made with his fellow Ashkavorians, instantly transforming all of his kin into cursed shades. This calamity ended Ashkavor as a civilization. Grimstroke fled from the city, only to return later, finding it still and lifeless. A magic brush, made with magic from the ancestral bloodlines of Ashkavor, was kept in the city until it was taken by Grimstroke upon his return.

Only the Ascended Ones before Grimstroke remain, hiding and weakened by the ink tide, biding their time in wait for the opportunity to restore their people one day.

Trivia

 * Ashkavor's culture and aesthetics are similar to that of East Asian cultures.