Tantallon

Sailing several days out of Dantania we beheld where the ocean just seemed to open up and the Primals themselves beckoned us to this northern bay. After a few days of calm welcoming waters we came to a plain along the coast at the furthest northern point of this bay, sailing past a cluster of islands and with land to the east and west sheltering us. When I saw this plain I knew the Primals had guided us to our new home..Tantallon."

While the town is now a chaotic area of strife and conflict it was not always this way and Tantallon had no defensive wall till around 200 AD. Today Tantallon has a defensive wall thirty feet high and extending from the southern coastline along the west side of the city heading straight up past Aelvius Estates and then moving towards the east and finally moving back down to the east side of the Port. The wall was upgraded with Kardian Gatling Gun Towers in 712 AD when the town was ruled by a joint government of Axius and Kardius. Following Damocles acquisition of the city in 714 after a stand off with Eclipse (A secret organization with Axius) and Jade Falcon (A extremist faction opposed to Damocles expansion) the Gun Towers were upgraded to include Damocles long range magic-firing Artillery Cannons and a rack of six single-fire mini torpedoes. All together there are thirty of these towers with ten each on the east, north and west walls. Tantallon's only southern defense is a sharp fifty foot tall cliff face however that only extends for 3/4th of the southern coast with the rest sloping down to become level with the ocean and becoming the Tantallon Harbor. While this southern wall was critical in defending Tantallon from attacks, now with the use of the airship, it's tactical importance has diminished greatly. The main wall itself is built of stone with a wooden frame and is ten feet thick with no battlements along the top for patrol. The wall was erected in 200 AD following attacks on the city by the Hagrolkh Hobgoblins.

The wall is pierced by two gates along the north and west. On the west is the Gensania Gate which is nestled in the Southern District of Tantallon and the gate heads out towards Gensania, Vulzanix and the deep west of Axius. On the north, within the more wealthy and appealing Northern District, is the Waypoint Gate which heads out to Brookstin, Waypoint, New Brookstin and the heart of the Damocles Empire. Tantallon's size and dwindling population due to several conflicts has created an abundance of housing and real estate for a person to purchase up and settle into. Tantallon's current size can easily support a population between 400-500 thousand however currently it's population is less than half of that due to many casualties and deaths during the Galadore/Rehel Occupation and the Occupation by the Krarthian Union.

An aerial view for any airship cruising in towards Tantallon from the south would be of a plateau with a slight decline of forty to fifty feet along the southeast corner where the docks are however the rest of the city remains perched on this massive field with the ocean fifty feet down the southern cliffs. Lush green fields, suitable for farming, occupy the surrounding countryside with forests beginning several miles out. A few small farms dot the two roads going to the north and west along with the First War Memorial Cemetery & Thuragin's Sorrow Cemetery. (Along the north and east roads respectively). These two Cemeteries lie nearly a mile from the city walls and are the locations for any massive number of burials caused by either war, disease or freaks of nature. No high points of altitude stand out here with most of the city at 50 feet below sea level and any aerial visitors to the area are bound to be stopped and questioned of intent on their approach to Tantallon by one of 10 Aveon class airships of the Damocles Fleet that operate as aerial defense for the city. Any aerial creatures, such as dragons, attempting to attack the city would be in for a deadly encounter from the combined might of the Gun Towers, the patrolling airships and several defensive/offensive weaponry built recently into Tantallon Castle by the Damocles Imperial Military.

Tantallon's strength as a port and harbor is more based on it's location than anything else. The waters just off the cliffs are of a medium depth (60-80 feet deep) and slowly increases by 200 feet every mile out for ten miles where it remains that depth all the way out to the Eradina Sea. Tantallon provides an excellent number of storage facilities for cargo, several repair companies willing to work on damaged ships, a small dry dock and ship construction facility which can build up to five ships at any time and enough docking room and moorings to support up to 150 ships. A few facilities in the town also sell legal airship engines which can be easily converted and added onto the rear of seagoing vessals to boost their speed dramatically. Without such modifications most ships usually do around 50-70 miles in a day however with the modifications the fastest ship is boosted to 45 miles per hour. However these modifications are expensive and require several tens of thousands of silver worth in engine parts, crystals, and an onboard repair specialist. A few tugboat, freighters, passenger liners and tour boat as well as fishing boat companies have set up shop here and offer a wide variety of services. Weather here follows a sub-tropical pattern with heavy rains and storms in the summer months and almost a tranquil mild winter in the colder months of the year. Rarely has a massive storm ever hit that caused much damage to the docks or ships located there so that added safety (Compared to the more stormy ports of Terangoth and the colder ports of Greyhelm) to ships that sail into the city.

Naval defenses are handled by the Damocles Imperial Navy which has a small naval task force, the 8th Armada, assigned to the city. The 8th Armada is lead by Admiral Luldran and comprised of the Battleship D.N.S. Rommeth, the Cruiser D.N.S. Reef, the Frigates DN.S. Kell and D.N.S. Iskener, and the Destroyers D.N.S. Nindryn, D.N.S. Hamder and D.N.S. Kugmol. Assisting the 8th Armada are three Triton class submersible naval vessels, the D.N.S. Barracuda, the D.N.S. Swordfish and the D.N.S. Crab. This combined force of 10 ships is under Luldran's command (Who commands from either the Rommeth or the Swordfish depending on the mission) and is charged with the defense of the waters of Tantallon and the protection of ships entering Tantallon's aquatic borders which begin ten miles out to sea south of the city. These ships are armed with the very latest in Damocles weaponry such as magically guided ballistas, magical pulse cannons, long range magic-based artillery cannons. The Tritons are armed with pulse cannons and torpedo compliment.

Each ship serves a certain purpose in battle formation and while the Armada is at rest the Tritons & Destroyers are usually out on a rotated sea patrol in three separate groups of one Destroyer and one Triton. The Frigates patrol within half a mile of Tantallon at all times in the purpose of battle readiness with the Cruiser floating just outside the docks and the Battleship always docked until a situation demands it's presence. The Navy ships normally dock at the extreme east end of the Tantallon Harbor with around two hundred soldiers assigned to keep any unauthorized people from entering the area the ships use as their exclusive port. Rarely do any small private vessels actively challenge the Navy as no defenses exist to protect them from an underwater attack by the Tritons.

Tantallon is built upon the rocky shores of the coast and as such any underground digging or construction is very time and money consuming. A network of sewers exist within the city and cover every single point of Tantallon's four mile by four mile size. Various drainage pipes empty out along the southwest corner of the cliffs and into the ocean water and a sewer grate can be found within any part of the city. A few tunnels are rumored to exist, some leading to Brookstin and others leading to Mt. Doom however if Damocles has discovered such tunnels they are not discussing it nor are the tunnels common knowledge of the public. The sewer tunnels underneath are 15 feet tall with five feet of that being the waterways filled with slime, sludge and runoff from rainstorms. The tunnels are very narrow with only a foot of platforms on the left and right side of this waterway and the waterway being five feet wide itself. Rumored to be hidden within the sewers are also several hidden bases of the Axius Resistance Movement that rose up during the occupation of Tantallon by the Shadow Knight Empire (lead by Galadore) and the forces of the Wizard Rehel during the years 705-706. No official report exists of these bases however they played a pivotal role in overthrowing the rule of the Krarthian Union (Shadow Knight Empire/Krarth Empire/Verax Empire/Vernalla/Faleril) over Tantallon in 715 AD. As many as ten separate bases are rumored to be hidden among the expansive web of the Tantallon sewers and a few may even have been discovered by monsters and beings that roam the sewers to evade the City Guard. Security around the sewer gratings are lax however any guard would stop a person they see trying to enter them however nothing exists to keep a person from using the sewers as their own form of transportation.

Drinking water comes from a few wells dug along the sewer as well as several water companies who use a massive amount of "Create Water" spells to provide paying customers with cool clean water which is shipped to their homes by workers. The leading company of this "Nectar of the Primals Water Company" has 30% of the city's population as it's customer base and supplies them with water daily. The rest have to make due with the shallow wells dug all over the city which is guarded by soldiers from the Damocles Empire. Poisoning such wells is seen as a criminal offense and is punishable by immediate execution by any armed soldier of the Damocles Imperial Army.

Tantallon's population rarely falls below 100,000 except in the situation of massive executions by a cruel conquering force (Galadore/Rehel, Krarthian Union) or by attacking forces. Population growth is steady with no seasonal shifts and steadily rises each month. As of 717 AD, following the Krarthian Occupation, the population is around 140,000 citizens however at least 20,000 more people who are not citizens of the Damocles Empire reside within the city. The majority of the population (%70) are humans with Elves of various varieties (%10), Dwarves,(%8) Gnomes (%6) and Orcs (%5) making up most of the city population. The remaining %1 of the races in Tantallon are too numerous to make up but they include Krarthian, Dre'ak, Kender, Halfings & Drow.

While this area is graphically covered by the East Axius Map we will go into a better discussion of the places found within the immediate range (40 miles of Tantallon). Tantallon's south is dominated by nothing but ocean frontier for at least 40 miles till you enter Mennald Island with the settlements Port Arennon and Mennald City on them. Lush plains of green stretching out for at least six miles till the fields of grass meet lush warm forests to the east, west and north of the city.

Moving further towards the north one would find a road that snakes up north towards Brookstin, the mine near Brookstin and with a fork in the road with part of the path swerving about to east and then the south and towards Dawnist. This area is mostly lush green plains with a few patches of forests here and there along the road. The east and west however is much more lush and filled with rich green forests and on the west is the road leading up to Gensania with a fork towards Vulzanix. Hunting and timber is very plentiful in these forests and the frequent spots of Rangers, Hunters and various other animals that rely on such wild game for food or business.

The town of Brookstin has been a very beleaguered and troubled town since a standoff between Axius Revoltists and the Damocles Fleet resulted in the town's total destruction by a Justice class bioweapon in 702 AD killing over 30,000 people. The city remained a "ghost town" till it was resettled in 713 AD by order of the Axius Kingdom. Now around 29,000 people, residents of the Damocles Empire, live within this town. As one enters the town from either the east or west they would encounter the checkpoint towers for the town.

A small fishing town of just 21,000 which is found south tip of the harbor leading into Tantallon. Dawnist supplies Tantallon as well as other towns with a nice amount of fish as well as precious jewels harvested from the rich ocean floor. Mostly a peaceful town except for one incident in 714 AD when several hundreds of people died from an assault by the black dragon Chronepesis. This town also has two checkpoint towers/facilities like Brookstin.

A small farming community of around 200 people that's located near the Gensania Road Checkpoint towers and is most memorable as it was founded by the Axius Knight Sir Reynard around 600 AD. His family home can be located here as his family line continues to maintain the farm which sells it's good daily in the Bazaar District of Tantallon.

This farm, while not as old or historical as Reynard, is also vital to the agricultural scene of both Tantallon and Dawnist. This small agricultural community, which was founded in 630 AD, was recently purchased up by Xyris Inc. which is working to increase food production of this area with various magical technologies. Food here is sold daily at the Bazaar District in Tantallon and the Currin Farm's General Store located in the Chandler District in Tantallon. The store there is also owned by Xyris Inc.

Checkpoint Towers are a series of outposts located along various roads and parts of settlements and towns within what was once Axius territory. Such an outpost features a large tower reaching up a hundred feet with a small square keep at the base of it. These outposts were established by the Axius Kingdom in the early 500s to help as a warning post and inspections station for caravans moving along the roads. However since the fall of the Axius Kingdom as it was taken over by the Dorandus Cult these outposts have now fallen into abandonment. While Brookstin and Dawnist have claimed the ones nearest to them, the Towers along the Gensania road near Reynard and those on the roads to Brookstin and Dawnist remain abandoned and not claimed by any nation however many monsters and creatures have claimed them as their own.

Once the Checkpoint Tower leading from Tantallon to Dawnist, in 714 AD the mad wizard Radagast claimed this tower and from here it is rumored he continues his experiments at trying to combine various creatures into bizarre hybrids and freaks of nature.

A rich deposit of coal is mined out constantly by workers hired out by Xyris Inc. who part with a small bit (%20) of their coal to the Damocles Empire for the right to dig at this mine. All coal here is sent directly to Xyris's coal processing center within the Southern District of Tantallon as well as other centers located in Waypoint and Brookstin. While considered owned by the private corporation of Xyris the mine is really the property of the Damocles Empire. Xyris maintains a small defense force of 250 security guards at the mine and each day a thousand pounds of coal are mined out from here and sold all over the region.

Located to the far east of Tantallon and leading out towards Vinader's Tower, this massive forest is mostly unvisited by people and rumored to contain everything from Kobolds to Hobgoblins to various other evil creatures.

Long the stuff of fearful stories and rumors, this forest is beleived to contain several entrances to various underground lairs of Drow and Illithids. A few Illithids have been seen in this forest from time to time and rarely does anyone go venturing into here. This forest is largely unexplored and is located to the northwest of Tantallon and reaches up north towards New Brookstin and Gensania.

Not even a thousand books written by the Primals themselves could describe from every possibile angle the experiences and feelings of those who witnessed the events which have came before us in the history of this town and of this Kingdom. Nor can they even imagine what is to come as our children and grandchildren move forward into the future of Tantallon and the Axius Kingdom."

While not the most colorful or violent history of any town within the region, Tantallon's own unique history has helped to shape it into what it is today. It is seen by many and with such widely varied and opposing viewpoints. Some see it as the very heart of trade in all of the region and an exotic and exciting town where one can take in the sights of the town, see a wide variety of creatures and buy almost any item from any nation of the known world. However others see it as a deathtrap and a dangerous locale filled with monsters, thieves and cutthroats. Where Basillicus is known for it's wondrous magical technology and as the seat of the most powerful military force in the known world, Tantallon is known as the very heart of trade and the pulse from which the economy of Imperia is measured.

Over half a century following the founding of Dantania and the end of the settler's long journey from Aeris to see religious freedom and the right to worship the Primals, several brave explorers and intrepid adventurers sailed forth from Dantania to discover the new lands around them. It was within that era that Tantallon was created and so was the Axius Kingdom as Thuragin Axius set foot upon the soil of Tantallon and he lead his people forth in building a seaport. Construction quickly proceed as timber all around the area was cut and streets were paved from stone shipped in from Dantania. In building this town many scouts were sent out to survey the land and they returned with word of peaceful interaction with Dwarven settlements to the northwest, Elven towns to the far northeast and scattered Gnomish and Orc settlements to the north and east. As Tantallon grew so did it's population as many of these beings came and helped Tantallon in the spirit of peace and cooperation.

The growth of the city continued for over a century till disturbing reports came in from scouts sent to survey a valley to the west. There they encountered a fierce band of Hobgoblins known as the Hagrolkh Clan. This century would be witness to Tantallon growing from the conflict with the Hagrolkh Hobgoblins and fighting for the right to expand out towards the west and the far west coast of the lands near Dantania. Conflict with the Hagrolkh made Tantallon focus on defensive and offensive measures as the Axius Royal Army and the Tantallon City Guard and the defensive wall around the city was formed in response to the Hagrolkh's aggression. The Hagrolkh Hobgoblin's had resided for centuries within the valley to the west and were determined to stop human encroachment into their lands. Tantallon did not embrace conflict but it learned from this point that the lands around them were not as peaceful and tame as they had believed them to be. Trade in the area got it's first breath of life as merchants from the area came over to sell weapons and swords which were now in great demand to the forming Army and City Guard. Tantallon entered the next century stronger from the battle at Hagrolkh Valley in which the Hobgoblin Clan was defeated.

With the defeat of the Hagrolkh Clan exploration and expansion now continued unhindered towards the west as Axius grew ten fold in size with the settlement of several new towns from Tantallon and on west towards the coast. Tantallon was now becoming an even more popular port as the daily Trade Fair in the Bazaar District is started with new merchants arriving after the success of those merchants who sold weapons and materials to help create the Axius Royal Army. Also with new expeditions leaving out everyday a demand was rising for goods needed for the long journey. Merchants came from all over to take advantage of this large demand for goods and many skilled workers also traveled to Tantallon to sell off their services as well. Tantallon's rise as the trade center of the region grew by leaps and bounds year to year and even more creatures soon traveled over from further lands and Kingdoms which were being founded by others following in the footsteps of Dantania, Damocles and Axius. However during a storm one night Tantallon would learn that it would attract unusual and sometimes dangerous beings.

As the winds and rains of the gale receded a lone boat was found drifting upon the waters. Within this boat, weakened and starved, was a human of an unusual appearance. Many thought that he was an odd variant of Elf however when they were able to communicate with him they learned he was as much human as they were. His language was strange and his mannerisms even moreso as his actions were bound by a strong code of honor to a being he called the "Daimyo". This man called himself a "Samurai" which seemed to be an odd form of Warrior and he claimed to hail from a far off land called Kyuichi Saeken. He could not give good details on how and where to find this land for his trip here was as mystical as the lands that he spoke of. This man soon revealed his name to be Sureiko Yobikuji and he spoke of a grand battle in which his "Daimyo" was killed by evil spirits serving a beast called the "Krakentua". Upon the final moments of the battle Sureiko yelled up to the monster and vowed to avenge his fallen Lord regardless of how long it took. He swore that before his life was over he would bring about the very end of the Krakentua. The Krakentua then laughed and cast him off to the seas to drown yet in a manner unknown to even Sureiko he survived and was sent to Tantallon. Sureiko settled among the people, feeling a sense of grief at the failure of his vow and seeking only to be left alone. He thought that he would one day die and his Lord go unavenged yet that was not what fate had in store for him and the city of Tantallon.

Ten years since his arrival to the city a grand beast was seen making his way across the lands of Axius. He ignored all towns and attempts to approach him and continued without stopping towards Tantallon as he walked across the entire reach of the Kingdom. This being stood ninety feet tall and had a body of a man yet the head of a monstrous squid. Riders managed to reach Tantallon weeks before the being's arrival and warn the King of the situation. As the Rider was beginning to tell the King of this beast, the Samurai Sureiko Yobikuji broke his long isolation by making his way into the Castle and forcing his way directly to the throne room. There he spoke of a dream in which he saw the Krakentua walk across the vast oceans and lands on his way to insure Sureiko's death and cleanse himself of the insult that Sureiko had placed upon the Krakentua by escaping a watery grave. Sureiko pleaded with the King to let him lead the forces of Tantallon in battle against this beast. The King agreed and charged the Samurai with marshalling together the City Guard and Army and preparing them for the battle. As Sureiko moved to depart from the throne room he encountered the Damocles SwordMage Edamin Windfire who had arrived in Tantallon only hours ago after getting visions from the Primal Mezul of a great threat headed for the lands. The Samurai Yobikuji and the SwordMage Windfire swore to be brothers in arms and stand together to destroy this creature. After a week of preparing the guard the Krakentua finally neared the city of Tantallon. He demanded the surrender of the city and for Sureiko to accept his fate as a dishonored samurai and to finally die as he was intended to a decade earlier. For two days and nights Sureiko Yobikuji and Edamin Windfire lead the forces of Tantallon in a bloody battle against the Krakentua. As the sun rose on the third day the beast lay dead upon the western fields outside of the city and sadly the Samurai lay dieing yet his death would be an honored one as revenge was his and he died a man of honor. A Shrine was erected in his honor and it remains there to this very day within the Tantallon Cemetery where his body and his weapons remain buried with him. Edamin Windfire would go forth to honor his fallen comrade by naming his next son Sureiko Windfire.

Having grown from the ordeal of the Krakentua and Sureiko's sacrifice, Tantallon proceed forth with a restored vigor and determination to grow and settle the lands around them. Yet as the nation around them grew strong many of the people of the city became weak as a rampant surge of poisoned water weakened the city. Many became fatally ill and died for several years till finally clerics and priests of the church to the primal Lothos were able to create a counteragent to this poison. While the ones behind this attack were never found many found the events of the following year to be an eerie and damning coincidence. A large band of Sahuagin marched forth from the harbor and into the city in several brazen and violent raids. Many goods and lives were taken by the raiders as they hammered into the city relentlessly with raid after successful raid till finally Tantallon mustered up the Axius Royal Navy and went forth in a counterstrike against the Sahuagin. This attack would prove to push back the Sahuagin yet it would not be the last, or worst, attack they would ever commence on Tantallon.

As life within the city finally quieted down, life in the sea lanes that boats sailed daily coming and going from the city became much more violent. Many ships observed battles between the Sahuagin and a new aquatic race called the Tritons. These skirmishes went on for several years with many ships getting caught in the center of the conflict and being destroyed. However Tantallon did not enter this aquatic war fearing more strikes by the Sahuagin. That decision would be the nail within the coffin of the Tritons as they were wiped out a few years later by the Sahuagin. Many still feel that the decisions by Axius cost the Tritons their very existence and that one day Axius would regret not aiding the Triton in destroying the Sahuagin. That day would come over two centuries later.

Over the years the various guilds of the city managed to exist peacefully but only cause the land was new and there was much room to expand. However soon the Thieves, Mage and Fighters Guilds began to look inward for expansion and saw the city as the last great frontier to be claimed. Their own skills and abilities were put forth to destroying and ruining their opponents and soon the matter came to the attention of the Magistrates of the city. Yet under the promise of gold for their cooperation and the threat of death for their lack thereof, the Magistrates began to turn a blind eye to the transgressions of the guilds and also they became very lenient to those who were brought before them in the Tantallon Court. This alarmed the Chief Magistrate and he ordered the investigation and arrests of several found guilty of corruption. Yet before those accused could divulge the names of those they were protecting to try and gain mercy from the Chief Magistrate they were all found brutally murdered. Before the Chief Magistrate could aggressively pursue an investigation into the rumors of a brewing guild war and their connection with the corruption and deaths of the other Magistrates, he was found killed within his home. His investigation died with him on that very day.

No peace came for the city as the war between the three guilds only grew like a wildfire. The year after the murder of the Chief Magistrate, an argument within the Town Square between a Mage and a Fighter turned into a confrontation as more of their guilds came to assist in the battle. Several Thieves joined into the fray as well as they saw this to be a perfect chance to rid themselves of their hated rivals. The battle moved forth into the Eastern District as the Mage attempted to flee from the Fighter after seeing many of his comrades struck down by their blades. In a last ditch move the Mage summoned forth a rain of fire upon his attackers. In his panic he made several mistakes in the chanting of his spell and the fires rushed over his own body as well as several houses around them. Fifty people died in the resulting fires which took hours to be extinguished. Being outraged over such a pointless loss of life over a minor squabble King Roragin issued a proclamation that an investigation lasting a year would be set into motion on this matter and that by the end of that year the rights of the guilds would be suspended. His proclamation came to a sudden end a week later as King Delchvan Roragin was found poisoned in his home alongside his own family. The blame for this matter as tossed about as the guilds all blamed each other for this act. Amid the chaos King Roragin's death would go unsolved.

The Guilds stepped up their aggressions as they now engaged in constant battles amid the streets of Tantallon with little regard for those they kill in the process. The numerous fights soon erupt into a five day long constant battle that rips the Eastern District apart and kills countless men, women, children, Thieves, Fighters and Mages. On the fifth day Captain Vaerrell of the Tantallon City Guard decided that enough was enough and he took his men into battle against the three guilds where the guild members were arrested or killed in battle. The Tantallon City Guard then closes all guilds within the city and brings a close to the seven year long bloody battle of the Guilds. Peace and quiet eventually returns to the city till one day scouts bring forth bizarre news from the Hagrolkh Valley. They speak of now finding the valley a lake after a sudden and unusual downpour of rains along the southern tip of the valley. The rains eroded away a river linking the valley to the ocean and within days the ocean waters rushed in to fill up the entire valley. Explorers now call this area Hagrolkh Lake and no explanation can be found for the sudden freak storms that caused this incident yet a few priests and sages do claim that a band of fairies may be responsible yet this theory is never proved nor accepted by the general populace. Following the creation of the lake a new type of creature soon approached the city of Tantallon in droves. These odd goblinish creatures, called the Sharga, claimed to have traveled to this world from another land in which they were attacked by a fearsome force. They spoke of arriving by various portals and even claimed that several died within the floods of the Hagrolkh Valley. Soon other reports soon come into Tantallon of other Sharga appearing within Dantania, Damocles and Dewwillow. The Sharga bring with them a cheerful if not simple nature and also an annoying pest called the Crata yet they are welcomed into society and everyday life in Tantallon. While Sharga speak fearfully of the force that drove them from their world, Axius does not deem this to be of any importance to them however it is rumored that Damocles conducts extensive questioning of the Sharga on this hostile force that the Sharga refer to by the force's name the "Shadow Knight Empire". Damocles is rumored to be preparing for the chance that they should ever encounter this force however those rumors remain just the whisperings of travelers within Tantallon.

Traveling far from the lands of Damocles comes the Mage Dreanis Vinader. Known in the area as a powerful mage with a passion for knowledge and reading he is welcomed warmly by the King of Axius. Vinader gathers an audience of townsfolk within the town square and makes the daily Trade Fair there a memorable one as he entertains the children and merchants with feats of might and magic as he summons forth wondrous and peaceful creatures and entertains the people with illusionary magic that is a treat for the eyes and ears. He finished the festive event by making the waters of the Town Square's fountain flow a water of glimmering light and summoning forth a rainbow to grace the city for ten days. From there he went to have an audience with the King in Tantallon Castle. Seeking quiet solitude for his studies Dreanis Vinader requested the King's wishes to construct forth a Tower deep in the Aldreir Forest and a Castle along the far western bank of Lake Hagrolkh. The King willingly agrees to the request and within a few years Dreanis Vinader's Tower and Castle are completed. In celebration he created another rainbow over the city with which to usher in the new century.

With trade in the Kingdom growing a way was needed to help facilitate the influx or caravans coming and going from Tantallon as well as maintaining their protection along the various roads they traveled towards the distant points of the Kingdom. These Checkpoint Towers are established the Kingdom over as well as on the main roads leading to Gensania and Brookstin. With Vinader's Castle completed several Mages began to travel there from Tantallon to study under his guidance, their skills having been on the decline following the disbandment of the Mage Guild during the Guild War of the 5th century. It is there that among those halls of learning during a reception several members of the ruling council of Damocles and the King of Axius begin to discuss events and matters and the starting bonds of friendship between Damocles and Axius are forged. This happiness was not shared by all as a Mage, Altmos, became very jealous of Dreanis Vinader. He sought permission from the King of Axius for his own castle and tower yet his request was denied for the King felt that granting land just to satisfy one's own greed was a foolish reason indeed. Altmos would not let this insult go unchallenged as he summoned forth a Beholder by the name of Zonglorall and set him forth upon the city of Tantallon with a vengeance. Zonglorall moved forth among the city as he used his powers to cause people to turn to stone, disintegrate and to die suddenly. No one within the city could stand up to this monster and Altmos demanded that the King surrender forth the city to him to settle the insult he felt he incurred when his land request was denied. The King knew he had only one hope so he sent a rider out towards Castle Vinader.

Dreanis Vinader arrived to find much of the Bazaar District and Castle District in ruins as Zonglorall had rampaged for a week within the city with minimal resistance. Calmly did the Mage Vinader go forth into the city to face down the Beholder and only by using his powers to their very limits did he manage to trap the Beholder within a crystal prison. Dreanis Vinader then set forth towards Tantallon Castle to end this matter once and for all. It was there he found the Mage Altmos poised and ready to end the King's life, demanding of him to sign forth a surrender document in his own blood. Vinader and Altmos fought a battle of intense power and magic in the courtyard of Tantallon Castle and when the battle was over Altmos lay dead upon the soil. The town of Tantallon was forever in the debt of the Mage Dreanis Vinader however fate would not have a happy ending for this noble Mage. Vinader presented the crystal containing Zonglorall to the King, bowed before him then calmly set back towards his castle content to continue with his studies. Several years after that a rider came from Castle Vinader with a gruesome tale. He spoke of an experiment gone wrong in which Dreanis Vinader attempted to harness the energy and knowledge of the Primals. In the massive energies of this spell it backfired and his body was altered into that of the most powerful and fearsome form of undead the Lich. Vinader's students and castle staff also befell a similar fate as they were rumored to have been turned into vampires, zombies, wraiths and even spectres. The King of Axius remembered Vinader's assistance years back with the beholder Zonglorall so instead of ordering forth an army to destroy the Lich he merely ordered that no one approach the castle and to keep an area of twenty miles clear for their own personal safety. The King stepped down years later happy that he had honored the debt of helping a Mage who once helped save the entire Kingdom however those following the King would not have as strong of a sense of honor.

King Alain Linald, eager to make a name for himself, ordered forth a band of knights to march forth into Castle Vinader and purge if of the evil that now infested it. Giving the knights very little time to prepare King Linald ordered them to depart quickly for he was eager to reap the benefits that would come from the defeat of such a powerful undead being. However the thirty knights of that party were killed in their charge into the castle and condemned to become undead servants of the Lich Vinader. Vinader sent forth one of those knights, now a decaying zombie, to deliver a message to King Linald. There in the throne room the zombie told the King that if he was to ever again send an army into Vinader's domain that Vinader would see to it the King would not live to regret his foolishness. King Linald did not back down from such threats and he demanded the remaining knights go forth with a new group to finish the job the others had started but the knights were wise and they refused the King's order. This defiance sent forth a discord among the kingdom and city. This discord only grew as, during a diplomatic gala, King Linald openly and rudely insulted the King of Muldune who had approached Axius with an alliance treaty. The Herald of the Castle protested such foolish actions yet King Linald would not listen to him and had him imprisoned for his opinions. This action disturbed the city greatly and it was then that a longtime enemy of Tantallon resurfaced.

Sahuagin Raiders, two hundred strong, rushed forth from the harbor and onto the docks in a brutal assault. Now unchallenged in the ocean depths following the defeat of the Tritons the Sahuagin were able to prepare for a much larger and more organized assault. They killed several dockhands and sank many ships residing with the port and as they fought townsfolk in a brutal massacre along the docks another battle was being waged within Tantallon Castle. King Linald's arrogance outweighed his own military prowess as he refused the words of his advisors only on the grounds to openly defy them and create his own solution to the problem so he and he alone could claim fame for his idea. As the King continued his bickering one of the remaining knights of Axius and Captain of the Tantallon City Guard, Edgar Drake, rallied his men and drove back the Sahuagin from the city. While praised as a hero by the townsfolk, the King only sought to punish Captain Drake for stealing the fame he felt should be his. Sir Edgar Drake was ousted from his position within the Axius Royal Army and stripped of his command of the Tantallon City Guard, When Linald demanded that Drake kneel before him and denounce his title of Knight Drake refused and before the king and gathered audience he said "I shall not forsake my home as you have. I shall continue to be a Knight and serve the kingdom that you abandoned. Axius shall soon know true rule of a true King and I fear that true King does not stand before me." Linald was outraged and a year later he and Sir Drake clashed in a duel with the very crown as the prize to the warrior who won that day. Linald's own sword skills were outdone by his emotion as he made many costly mistakes in his attacks and several lapses in judgment. At the end of the battle Sir Edgar Drake was victorious and proclaimed the rightful King of Axius. It was on the battlefield that Edgar Drake had a chance to avenge the fallen knights by taking Linald's life yet he gave him mercy in the hope that Linald would see the folly of his ways. Edgar Drake the 1st was the beginning of a line of Kings who's rule would stretch from 589 AD to 705 AD and the strength of the knight infused the kingdom and Tantallon with a new sense of strength and stability. The Drake line would be destined for a happy ending. Sadly however that was not the case for Alain Linald. Jealous of Edgar Drake's success and seeking only to regain the throne and his own fame he set forth with a small band into Castle Vinader to slay the Lich. Yet Vinader made good on the vow delivered from the lips of a zombie and Alain Linald did not live to regret the foolishness of his charge into the lair of the Lich. Alain Linald's fate is uncertain as rumors persist of just what horrid fate befell him when he was faced down by Vinader and surrounded by fearsome undead within the remote castle however what is certain is that Linald's fate is was one so unspeakable that it should remain a mystery.

Edgar Drake's rule was a peaceful and tranquil one as several new towns and settlements were established in the land and he sought to better the lands that he fought so hard to protect. Soon Edgar Drake the 1st stepped down and handed the throne to his son, Edgar Drake the 2nd, who went forth to rule Axius as fairly and justly as his father did. Sensing that many new warriors and adventurers were needed Edgar Drake the 1st established the Ranger's Guild. This adventurer's guild was built to provide training to a wide variety of people from Mages to Thieves to Fighters to Clerics and to assist the Tantallon City Guard in the defenses of the city and in fending off attacks by unusual creatures such as the Sahuagin and Undead. This goal would soon come into effect as in the middle of the century Tantallon saw a great rise in vampires. The undead, who were seeking to create their own niche as opposed to Vinader, moved forth into Tantallon on an agenda of embracement and a lust for blood. Several officials within the city were killed and claimed by the vampires and they made several failed attempts to corrupt King Edgar Drake the 2nd and his wife with their dark temptations and seductions. The Axius Vampire Hunters were formed and charged, along with the Ranger's Guild, to fight off this new threat. While the battle was a costly one it was a very successful one and soon Edgar Drake the 2nd proclaims laws to reward those who catch and kill a vampire within the lands of Axius. This incentive along with the well armed Vampire Hunters and warriors of the Ranger's Guild manage to reduce vampire numbers and keep them down for the next four decades. Following his success at fending off the vampire menace Edgar Drake the 2nd steps down and hands over the throne to his son, Edgar Drake the 3rd. This event is celebrated within the Tantallon in a week long feast and several tournaments and festivals are held in honor of the coronation. The festival is attended by many warriors and nobles of the land including the elven King of Damocles Senchant Peralay.

Tantallon continues to grow as it enjoys peace and prosperity brought to it by the just rule of the Drake family and it's growing peace with the nation of Damocles. Among these newcomers and visiting merchants a person who many felt was greatly undesirable establishes himself within the city. The infamous pirate Zarak Scythe, who long plagued the seas near Terangoth, builds an Inn within the Southern District. This Inn, the TwistedBlade, is viewed by many as nothing more but a scam by the well known pirate yet many back down as Zarak Scythe seems to have the support of various established nobles and warriors of the land such as Seamus Ulric of the Ranger's Guild, former Damocles King Tristam Windfire, famed Vampire Hunter Char Clefton and current General of the Axius Royal Army Redrick Turgon. This century also bore witness to a threat greater than any previously known as the Shadow Knight Empire rushed into the lands with the intent of conquering all who opposed them. The forces of the Damocles Empire, lead by General Baiganx Windfire, valiantly stand forth against the Shadow Knight Empire and following a five year war the Damocles Empire insures the safety and survival of the entire world as Baiganx Windfire foils an attempt by the Shadow Knight leader Galadore to move the entire planet closer to his world of Sirius to make the conquest of Imperia move more swiftly. Baiganx Windfire is heralded as a hero to the entire world and his deeds will have immeasurable effects on Tantallon.

So far all that has occurred to Tantallon seems to have been a mere preamble leading up to this very century. To many events have occurred to properly describe them all but just in the first fifteen years of this century Tantallon has changed hands from the Axius Kingdom to the Shadow Knight Empire to the Damocles Empire then back to the Axius Kingdom to the allied forces of Axius and Kardius then back to the Damocles Empire and then to the Krarthian Union and now once more in the hands of the Damocles Empire. Battles have been witnessed between heroes, villains and the Primals themselves. Many great men have died such as Char Clefton, Eric Grayson and Hokwing Sufan along with many villains such as Mordroc, Galadore and Bludgeon and even a Primal, Vertax, was slain. People have died from Acidhammer overdoses to executions by brutal overseers to Illithids and Tantallon has been ruled over by several respectable men such as Seamus Ulric, Kal Olden and Richtous Bale and a few not so respectable men such as Adun Baultgon and the very religion of the lands was brought to it's knees as Axius is now under the sway of the Dorandus Cult. Many new creatures have been encountered such as the Dre'ak, Verax, Swarm and the Tsunomysh and we have witnessed the fall of Dewwillow, Dren'gal, Ven'Tul, Muldune and the rise of the Verax Empire, Kardius and the new march of the Shadow Knight Empire. Damocles has been forged by the fires of armageddon and continues to be the very savior of this world as Emperor Baiganx Windfire guides it ahead just as he guided troops during the First War to defeat Galadore. While many great events have come before us in the history of this town I can assure you that this is only the beginning.

The AD (After Damocles) Calendar dates back to when Cortras Damocles established a new calendar a decade after the founding of the Kingdom of Dantania. The calendar is used by all the lands of the region with the exception of the Shadow Knight Empire and the Verax Empire who use their own established calendar system.

49 AD: Inspired by hearing of the success of the settlement Basillicus, founded by Cortras Damocles in 13 AD, Thuragin Axius gets permission from the King of Dantania, Catron Dantania, to organize his own colony mission out towards the south. After amassing up a group of ten ships and four thousand people the small fleet sets sail from Dantania due south to curve around the mainland towards the east just like Cortras Damocles did decades earlier.

50 AD: After sailing many days along the Eradina Sea, the party of Thuragin Axius follows the bay between what is now southeast Axius and western Vernalla up to the present day location of Tantallon. Upon landing on the shores Thuragin Axius claims the area in his name as King and dubs the town to be built there "Tantallon". A name in which he claim came to him in a dream in which he was visited by Krondor.

90 AD: The city begins to grow as the Tantallon Harbor, Tantallon Castle and most of the districts and their streets are constructed. The population rises quickly, now already to 40,000, as Tantallon & the Axius Kingdom manages to establish peaceful relations with nearby Dwarf, Elf, Gnome and Orc settlements. Also as new towns are established to the north of Tantallon more and more colonists arrive to the area.

170 AD: Explorers set out to visit the deep valley to the west, the forest to the north and east. During this time of exploration and growth in which the town of Brookstin is founded disturbing rumors arise of a fierce band of Hobgoblins to the west and Dwarves and Elves to the north. While the initial encounters with the Dwarves and Elves go rather peacefully, encounters with the Hobgoblins of the Hagrolkh Clan, are nothing but bloody. Explorers are killed during each voyage out to the western valley.

180 AD: Tantallon's tranquil time and steady growth are suddenly shattered when the town is besieged by forces of the Hagrolkh Clan. Several hundred are killed, warriors and peasants, in the fighting as Tantallon is attacked by numerous Hobgoblins. The King of Axius forms the Axius Royal Army and the Tantallon City Guard.

195 AD: Forces of the Axius Royal Army and the Hagrolkh Hobgoblins meet in battle in the western valley, called Hagrolkh Valley, and fought for several days till the Hobgoblins were killed by the Knights and Soldiers of the Axius Kingdom.

200 AD: Tantallon constructs a wall around the outer perimeter of the city, giving the small town a comfortable four by four mile area for future growth. Dwarves from the northern mountains and Elves from Dewwillow assist in the construction and also fending off sporadic attacks by the remains of the Hagrolkh Clan.

210 AD: Following the defeat of the Hagrolkh Clan, exploration moves forward with a vengeance as Axius claims forth all lands west from Tantallon and straight towards the far western coastline of the Kingdom. Tantallon becomes a popular trade spot and soon the daily Trade Fair is opened up in the Bazaar District.

220 AD: A massive gale blows into the city of Tantallon and as it clears a small boat is discovered with a single human occupant dressed in unusual armor and brandishing a sword. Many weeks go past till Clerics are able to decipher the man's odd language. He reveals himself to be of an odd group called "Samurai" named Sureiko Yobikuji. All that is learned from him is that he hails from a distant land called "Kyuichi Saeken" and was banished from there when the ruler he served was killed by cruel spirits. He manages to blend into society yet keeps isolated from most of the townsfolk.

230 AD: A large beast standing over ninety feet tall is reported moving towards Tantallon from the far west. The appearance of this massive being, with the body of a man and the head of a squid, strikes fear into the entire city. Sureiko Yobikuji however claims the creature is a Krakentua and has come to enslave him as well as all of the land. In a battle lead by the Samurai Sureiko Yobikuji and the Damocles SwordMage Edamin Windfire along with the assistance of the entire Tantallon City Guard they manage to defeat the Krakentua in a battle lasting two days. Sadly however Sureiko Yobikuji is defeated in battle and buried alongside the former Kings and Knights of Axius in the Tantallon Cemetery.

317 AD: A sickness hits the city as several wells appear to have been poisoned. Several parts of the city are quarantined and water shipped in from Gensania, Waypoint and Brookstin as the deaths

319 AD: A cure is finally created for the poison and sickness by clerics from the church of Lothos. The sickness claimed over a hundred thousand people across the entire Axius Kingdom and had taken the life of the Axius King Thamest Androrn. No evidence is found to identify who was responsible for such a well planned attack upon the Kingdom.

320 AD: While still weakened from the widespread poisoning of the Kingdom, Tantallon is attacked by a large force of Sahuagin from the southern seas of Tantallon. The force of Sahuagin continue to attack Tantallon in constant raids which go on for months till they are finally driven off by ships of the Axius Royal Navy and by soldiers of the Axius Royal Army. While not killed off, the Sahuagin do quiet down their activity for a half a century.

373 AD: Ships coming and going from Tantallon report witnessing skirmishes between the aquatic races of the Sahuagin and the Triton. These battles continue over the course of the next decade till, with the Triton seeming to vanish from the oceans, the Sahuagin appear victorious.

403 AD: Several members of the Axius Royal Courts are accused of taking brides and turning a blind eye to a recent surge of murders of members of the local Mage Guild and Fighters Guild. The tensions only seem to increase after those accused are found assassinated on the same day they were to testify about possible involvement with the local Thieves Guild.

404 AD: The tension between the Thieves, Mages and Fighters Guild grow as battles are witnessed in the Southern, Bazaar, Chandler and Eastern Districts of the city. One such battle causes the destruction of several homes within the city when a Mage, in his last desperate moments, unleashes a firestorm spell upon his attackers. Fifty civilians are killed and the King of Axius Delchvan Roragin demands a year long investigation into the matter. A week after issuing his proclamation King Roragin is found dead in his home. All other Guilds blame the others in having involvement behind this tragic death.

410 AD: Following years worth of bloody skirmishes, the warring Guilds declare outright war on each other as they maintain a constant battle in the Eastern District of the city as Fighters, Mages and Thieves clash in a battle for supremacy. On the fifth day of fighting, Captain Vaerrell of the Tantallon City Guard, orders his troops into the District where the combatants are either killed or arrested. After this event Captain Vaerrell has the Fighters, Mages and Thieves Guildhalls closed down in the city. No Guilds for adventurers exist within Tantallon for two hundred and fourteen years following the end of this seven year long Guildwar.

440 AD: Explorers now report the Hagrolkh Valley has suddenly filled in with water as an unusual torrent of rain seems to have created a river flow south of the valley in which ocean water rushed in. A few priests of Lothos claim that fairies may be responsible for the incident but no evidence is found to support such a claim.

455 AD: A new type of creature is encountered as they move in droves from the western lake, now called Lake Hagrolkh. These odd goblinoid creatures refer to themselves as Sharga and have already established a small settlement along the northeast bank of Lake Hagrolkh. These creatures are welcomed into the city of Tantallon and into the Kingdom. Other nations also report similar incidents of these creatures, a few claiming to have been forced from their home by a powerful force.

497 AD: The Damocles Mage Dreanis Vinader arrives into Tantallon and is greeted at a royal reception by the King. After entertaining a gathering of townsfolk in the town square of the city, he seeks permission from the King to build a Tower in the forests to the east and a stronghold on the west side of Lake Hagrolkh. The King more than amiably agrees to his request. Construction on Vinader's Tower is completed two years later.

500 AD: Construction begins on a series of Checkpoint Towers, various outposts designed to be waystations and check areas for caravans moving into several critical Axius towns and cities. Well over fifty of these outposts are constructed all over the territory of the Axius Kingdom.

Construction on Dreanis Vinader's castle is completed along the western side of Lake Hagrolkh. The Castle becomes place for various Mages all about the area to study and the Mage also takes on several apprentices. Several members of the Ruling Council of Damocles and the King of Axius are guests at his castle for a reception and it is here that the relations between Axius and Damocles begin to grow into a close brotherhood.

505 AD: A Beholder, Zonglorall, is summoned forth by the Mage Altmos who's request for a similar tower was refused by the Axian King. Zonglorall begins a week long rampage into the city of Tantallon as he kills several townsfolk, guards and officials. Dreanis Vinader is summoned by a rider from his Castle to the west and he manages to seal the Beholder away in a crystal and kill the offending Mage Altmos in a duel of sorcery and power. The crystal was then given to the King of Axius for safekeeping within Tantallon Castle.

512 AD: A rider from Castle Vinader reports the horrid news that in an experiment gone fatally wrong Dreanis Vinader was turned into a Lich and his former pupils and staff have also been turned into undead servants. The King of Axius orders that no one approach the Castle and keep an area of twenty miles around it clear for fear of the Lich's powers.

585 AD: People across the city as well as the Kingdom become increasingly unhappy with the current King of Axius, Alain Linald, following a botched mission to Castle Vinader in which thirty valiant knights were killed or captured and turned into vampires. The remaining Knights of the Axius Kingdom refuse an order by King Linald to go in and attack the Lich Vinader and the defiance of these Knights sends shockwaves throughout the entire Kingdom.

587 AD: While being visited by the King of Muldune, King Linald manages to insult the King and thus ruins relations between Axius and Muldune. As the Herald protests such an outrage King Linald has him imprisoned on charges of treason.

588 AD: Due to indecision by King Linald, Tantallon suffers major and extensive damage from a raid by Sahuagin as two hundred of the creatures pour out from the Harbor and kill several dockworkers and destroy several ships resting within the port. As King Linald bickers with his advisors over his course of action, Captain Edgar Drake leads the Tantallon City Guard in a daring counterattack on the Sahuagin Raiders. Despite his heroic deed Captain Edgar Drake is reprimanded and stripped of his rank and command by King Linald who is outraged over being embarrassed. Sir Edgar Drake clings to his title of Knight as a protest and open defiance to King Linald and Linald's public opinion falls to an all time low.

589 AD: Sir Edgar Drake challenges King Alain Linald to a duel on the grounds of Tantallon Royal Castle. The 32 year old Knight manages to defeat the King in battle and is proclaimed the new King of Axius. The Drake Dynasty begins as Edgar Drake's family will go on to rule over Axius from 589 AD till 705 AD and their rule brings a new sense of strength and stability to the Kingdom.

590 AD: Shamed after losing the throne to Sir Edgar Drake, former King Alain Linald leads a last ditch charge into Castle Vinader to try and reclaim his former glory and hopefully the throne. His party is never heard from again and he is presumed dead yet several rumors persist from his being either turned into a Lich, a Vampire or some other hideous form of undead.

600 AD: The Farming community of Reynard is established just west of Tantallon along the main road to Gensania.

624 AD: At the age of 67 and after a reign of 35 years, Edgar Drake the 1st steps down and hands the throne to his son, Edgar Drake the 2nd upon his son coming of age on his 18th birthday. Edgar Drake the 1st then goes on to found the Ranger's Guild that very same year.

630 AD: The farming community of Currin is founded along the road to Dawnist just between Tantallon and the Arldeir Forest

655 AD: Reports of Vampires increase dramatically as several key officials within the city are either found murdered or turned. Several vampires also attempt to assassinate King Edgar Drake the 2nd. Upon his orders the Axius Vampire Hunters are created and the Ranger's Guild is also called into action to help combat this new menace. Over the next five years they fight a bloody, but successful battle, against the vampires.

660 AD: Following the Vampire menace, King Edgar Drake the 2nd creates the Vampire Control Laws in which a bounty of five thousand gold is paid to any warrior who brings in a dead vampire slain within the boundaries of the Axius Kingdom. This decree sends the population of Vampires into a steep decline for which they don't recover from for at least four decades.

673 AD: King Edgar Drake the 2nd steps down and hands the throne over to his son, Edgar Drake the 3rd as he comes of age at 18. Edgar Drake the 2nd's 49 year rule was a very prosperous one just like his father's reign was and the declaration of Edgar Drake the 3rd as the new King is meet with warm reception all across the Axius Kingdom. A week long feast and holiday is held to celebrate is coronation.

678 AD: The notorious pirate Zarak Scythe claims to have left his old trade and career behind and establishes an Inn within the Southern District called the TwistedBlade. While many officials protest that he is using the Inn as a front for his operations many within the Tantallon City Guard willingly turn a blind eye to these accusations.

690 AD: The Axius Kingdom is shaken by news of the First Damocles-Shadow Knight War as the planet conquering nation of the Shadow Knight Empire eyes the planet of Imperia for conquest. King Edgar Drake the 3rd swears his support to the Damocles King Senchant Peralay to help drive this menace from the soils of the planet. The war, which will continue for five years till 695 AD, becomes a very fight for the survival and fate of the planet.

693 AD: The Shadow Knight Empire, after conquering the planet of Sirius, finally appears on the planet of Imperia. Tantallon increases the size of it's standing army and city guard to prepare for any such attacks from the Shadow Knights and their leader, the Titan/Troll, Galadore.

694 AD: The Shadow Knight Empire sends forth a force of over seventy airships to attack the city of Waypoint and then Tantallon. Captain Avery Marshall in the Axius Airship A.R.A. Dominance leads a small force of forty Axius airships to keep the Shadow Knight forces at Waypoint distracted for ten hours till twenty five ships lead by General Baiganx Windfire in the D.I.S. Victory manage to assist Axius forces in defeating the Shadow Knight Fleet. While this battle is not the first of Shadow Knight incursions into Axius it does manage to greatly deflate a planned Shadow Knight offensive into Axius during the First War and Tantallon is spared from the planned assault.

701 AD: The city is hit by a wave of addictions from the drug Acidhammer, created by the Necromancer Cronyx Ravage. The drug, in a blue powdery form, creates an intensely aggressive surge within the person as well as a strength enhancement. While the City Guard begins to crack down on the drug and start arresting those in possession of it they are not successful in removing the drug completely from the streets of Tantallon.

702 AD: Several Temples to the Primal of Chaos, Death & Evil Vertax report suddenly losing contact with him. It is learned that he has been killed in battle by the Necromancer Cronyx Ravage. Soon the Primal Oblivious appears and announces his taking Vertax's place within the Ten and as the new Primal of Chaos, Death & Evil.

Contact with Gensania is lost for four weeks. After a rescue party is sent to reestablish contact with the town they discover all 12,000 citizens of the town are missing. While no hard evidence is found except for a logbook from the Captain of the Gensania Guard many suspect Illithids are behind this unusual incident. The city is repopulated a year later by the Axius Kingdom.

703 AD: Several fights break out along the city as several famed heroes and villains are seen clashing. While this situation was a short and furious one many priests of the Primal temples claimed a war was underway between the Primals for dominance. This matter seems to be settled within a week and is called the Primal War of the Regalia.

A large five-mast galleon, The Storm Giant, belonging to the pirate Jonas Simbacca engages in a brief standoff with Tantallon City Guard. After encountering a fierce and relentless assault from the pirates of Jonas Simbacca, Tantallon City Guard back down to him in a surprising display of cowardice.

Following the Primal War of Regalia several people begin to speak rather openly against the Primals. A new religion devoted to the elements (Earth, Wind, Fire, Water) with an Elemental Mage Dorandus at the top begins to soar thru the Kingdom like a wildfire.

705 AD: Tantallon is occupied by a united force of the Shadow Knight Empire lead by Galadore and the forces of the wizard Rehel. During this occupation General Redrick Turgon, King Edgar Drake the 3rd and Admiral Avery Marshall are believed killed. Before the occupation is brought to an end a year later in 706 AD well over two hundred thousand people are slaughtered by Lord Galadore of the Shadow Knight Empire.

Following the capture of Tantallon by the Shadow Knight Empire, Seamus Ulric steps up to the mantle of King of Axius and declares the city of Waypoint the new capital following the death of King Edgar Drake the 3rd.

706 AD: A force of three hundred Damocles airships lead by General Baiganx Windfire strike at Tantallon and manage to drive the forces of Rehel and Galadore from the land. Damocles establishes a two year rebuilding rule over the city at which in the end of it the city is given back to the Axius Kingdom.

707 AD: The Elemental Mage Dorandus is killed gruesomely in a surprise fight with the leader of the Shadow Knight Empire, Galadore, in the TwistedBlade Inn within the Southern District. Before Tantallon City Guard can respond Galadore has already fled and Dorandus is found dead.

708 AD: The west coast of Axius is invaded by a hostile force calling itself the "Bartian Empire". No previous records exist of this Kingdom and no reason can be found for their hostile march into Axius territory. Troops are deployed from Tantallon to assist in the fighting against the Bartians and the Empire of Damocles is approached to assist as well.

709 AD: Several Verax airships appear on the coast of Tantallon as remains of the Verax forces from the destruction at Daguenet during the Damocles/Verax War seek asylum in Tantallon. This group is lead by the Battlelord Cusxaer of the V.I.S. Retaga and soon the ten thousand Verax relocate to the newly established Axius town of Vulzanix by permission of King Ulric from the capital in Waypoint.

Following the end of the Axius/Bartia War the troops and airships engaged in the fight return home to Tantallon and a celebration is held as they are heralded as war heros. The week following their arrival is a holiday within the entire Axius Kingdom to celebrate the end of the war.

711 AD: Tantallon is attacked by a joint force of militants within the nations of Damocles and Kardius. The city barely manages a defense thanks to help from the Dineeran Empire. Damocles and Kardius later officially deny any knowledge or involvement in the attack.

712 AD: After Seamus Ulric steps down from the throne of Axius, Tayurial Drevtori is elected King. His first act is to proclaim Tantallon the capital of the Axius Kingdom once more and Tantallon Castle is cleaned up and reopened having been abandoned since Damocles withdrew from the area in 708 AD.

King Drevtori manages to secure an alliance between Kardius and Axius as well as trade and a mutual defense pact. Kardius forces are sent to Tantallon to assist in it's defense where they help Tantallon by upgrading it's defensive wall with Gatling Guntowers and assigning Kardius troops to the area

714 AD: Vampire Hunter Char Clefton is killed in a fight with the Shadow Knight minion Raidiel in the middle of the Bazaar District. His death was a great loss to Tantallon as soon after the vampires became more united under the rule of the Lich Vinader and went on the offensive against the remaining vampire hunters of Tantallon.

In the midst of a year long drought over the nation of Axius, Tantallon is attacked by an aquatic force known as the Tsunomysh. The entire Harbor District is flooded, countless ships are destroyed, and the land around the city just outside the walls is broken away creating a moat around the city. No reason was ever found for this sudden attack however the Shadow Knight Empire was rumored to be behind the matter. Bridges are constructed in the weeks following to link Tantallon back with the roads to Gensania and Brookstin.

The Black Dragon Chronepesis, responsible for "Dragon's Tooth" in the 680s, attacks the city of Tantallon. While he is repealed damaged is caused along the Southern and Chandler Districts and several hundred are killed.

Following the ousting of King Drevtori by the militant Kardius faction Grey Haven, Kardius forces withdraw from the city of Tantallon and claim the city of Waypoint. This move sends the Axius Kingdom into chaos momentarily till followers of the Dorandus Cult manage a religious coup and seize control of the Axius Kingdom from the new capital city of Gensania. Tantallon is then claimed within the same week after a standoff by a coaltion of Damocles, Vernalla, Dineer and Dantania against the secret Axius organization Eclipse and the anti-Damocles militia of Jade Falcon. Eclipce and Jade Falcon flee from Tantallon after the tense but calm hours long standoff and Tantallon becomes a city of the Damocles Empire. Damocles General Kal Olden (Olordrin) is named Governor of the city of Tantallon

A fight erupts in the Harbor District as the brothers Baiganx and Shadow Windfire face off. After Shadow, a former assassin & spy for the Shadow Knight Empire, manages to knock out his brother he is then killed by the famed Krarthian warrior Olordrin. The remains of Shadow's body were sent to Basillicus to be laid to rest in the Windfire family cemetery.

715 AD: Workers from the Damocles Engineering Corporation (DEC) refill up the moat around Tantallon that was caused a year ago by the Tsunomysh. Following this the bridges that were used to link Tantallon to the Gensania and Brookstin roads are dismantled.

The Hunter's Guild is acquired by Lord Derian Fenthoden who renames it Certus Services and carries forth in the same purpose the Ranger's Guild had years earlier.

General Kal Olden steps down from the seat of Governor of the city to spend more time with his children and wife Sidian Silverhawke. Colonel Richtous Bale, a famed Damocles Vampire Hunter, is selected to lead as the new Governor for the city of Tantallon.

A green dragon manages to evade Damocles airship patrols by posing as a silver dragon while the Anti-Chromatic Law was in effect. As it turns into a green dragon a nearby Damocles Triton sub launches several surface-to-air missiles at it which the dragon leads into a portal in the common room of the TwistedBlade Inn. Several homes in the Southern District, as well as the TwistedBlade itself, are destroyed from the explosions of the missiles. The Inn is rebuilt in a matter of days thanks to workers from DEC and the personal funding of Windfire Estates.

The Krarthian Union, a united force from the nations of Verax, Krarth, the Shadow Knight Empire, Vernalla and Faleril, launch a devestating attack on Damocles holdings in Tantallon, Basillicus and Norcon. While Damocles manages to defend Basillicus and Norcon the city of Tantallon is conquered by the massive force of over 500 Verax, Krarthian and Shadow Knight airships. The D.I.S. Victory commanded by Captain Del Varren is destroyed in battle along with several other Damocles and Dineeran airships till Damocles withdraws from the area. The Shadow Knights proclaim Bren Kallas as the new regent over the city.

Following several opinions he made against the actions of the Krarthian Union, Terak Olden has Bren Kallas jailed. Shadow Knight General Adun Baultgon is selected as the new regent over Tantallon and he enacts a policy in which a hundred people are executed every day. Over thirty thousand people are killed before Damocles forces can retake the city due to Krarth's betrayal of the Shadow Knight Empire.

The Krarthian Empire turns against the Shadow Knight forces at Tantallon. While the bulk of the Shadow Knight forces are sent to Roshack to aid in fighting, under the command of General Reaven Dark, Krarth forces defeat the small handful of soldiers and airships left behind and surrender before the Damocles Empire. Damocles moves back into Tantallon and reasserts it's command over the city with Colonel Richtous Bale being given a promotion to Brigadier General and declared once more the Governor of Tantallon in the name of the Damocles Empire.

Not even a Sharga could get lost in this town. I mean is the ocean that hard to spot? Is the fact that there are walls all around you except for one side really that big of a problem to you in trying to figure out which way is south? But some people surprise me. They come into my Inn and ask where Tantallon Castle is or where the Town Square could be or they ask me what town they are from. Maybe they should be more concerned with finding whatever portal their brain fell into. I swear if I get one more of these otherworlder or Earther people coming in and claiming they don't know where they are, or how they got here and thinking their backwater world is better than ours I'll send them off to Sirius and let them annoy Galadore instead. They give me a bigger headache than Kender do."

Tantallon is a large city that is constantly growing, changing and evolving. When the sun rises you can be certain that when it sets it won't be the same city you woke up in as merchants come and go, people are born and killed, and travelers and wanderers drift in from all parts of Imperia and then from places unknown to even the Damocles Empire. While a great deal of the city and the buildings in each district are listed it is not a complete or binding list. Buildings can be added by players or Plotmasters and eventually new ones will open up due to character actions or be listed here as a Plot sends a person to a shop that has always existed within the city but they were just never aware of it. This section will be the one that changes more often that all the others in this guide as, over time, more buildings and shops and such will be listed. There are a lot more services than what is listed here so don't be limited by what you read. Just be motivated by what you read. A lot has been left open here and with good reason so that the players and other plotmasters will develop Tantallon further.

Tantallon's buildings are a mosaic of the different building styles and cultures that have influenced the city over the centuries. Ranging from modern Damocles buildings that use metals, stone and rock in a stylish and rather luxurious manner to simple wooden buildings of the Axian rule to a few small simple huts made of wooden panels. Houses get more luxurious and grand the further north you go into the city and along the south buildings are rather worn and not kept up well. Damocles style construction focuses on the intergration of magical technology, such as internal lighting, cold food storage units, bath and shower, communication and security systems and a control panel in a home built of a combination of metal, wood and stone. Axian style is very medeival in where it's made of crude bricks and wood and does not include any of the innovations of Damocles. Gnomish, Dwarven, Elven and Orcish builds are also evident in the area and the homes are all maintained, renovated, rebuilt and repaired by the Carpenter's, Roofer's and Plaisterer's Guilds.

I was just walking along in the sewers with my little Sharga pal Scuz and we ran into this huge thing with all these tentacles and it flapped them around and it had tentacles and it was as big as a house! Scuz called it a squid but I am not sure about that cause it didn't tell us it's name it just flapped it's tentacles around and it had eyes. Little eyes that looked at me and looked at me as mean as Mister Robert gets anytime I draw him pictures in his books in the office or I forget that the doors open with handles instead of just snapping off so I looked at this mean squid who's tentacles were still flapping and I punched it in the face. I punched and bashed and punched and bashed some more and I bashed it REAL good. So good Scuz had me drag it back to the Inn and it was the supper special for the next month cause I bashed it real good. I mean I just bashed it over and over and real good! If I ever see another Squid I'll bash it and bash it real good!"

Castle District includes Tantallon Castle, various offices and command barracks for the governmental affairs of the city such as the Dineeran Embassy, Damocles Imperial Army Barracks, Tantallon Sector Fleet Operations, and the Trade Association. Usually only the very wealthy live in this part of the city and then only if they have some jobs or dealings with the management of this city such as tax officials, court officials or guard watch commanders. A few of the Primal Temples devoted to Krondor, Mezul & Lightshire can be found here as well as educational facilities and a small academy.
Eastern District is the heart of the residential area of Tantallon and includes the Airship Docking Station, the Tantallon Cemetery and the Primal Temples to Lothos, Tempest, Tiordras, Kraeth & Oblivious. While this district is not as wealthy and luxurious as the Northern District it doesn't suffer from the burnt and abandoned buildings and high crime of the Southern District. This town is mostly for the middle class and those who prefer to settle down in the Tantallon area and make a life for themselves.
Northern District is where the rich and wealthy nobles of Tantallon reside. Homes here are well groomed, people here are rich and snobbish towards the others, and most guard work is done by security officers hired out either from Certus Services, Aelvius Estates or Xyris Inc. Aelvius Estate can be found here and was once the home of Kador Aelvius but now it has fallen to his son Cyrian Aelvius who inherited his father's belongings following Kador's death from an unknown attacker in 715 AD. Hardly any shops are found here as most of the area is dominated by large villas, private estates and homes of admirable quality.
Bazaar District is the very heart of the city and in more ways than one. It's center is the Tantallon Town Square featuring a fountain recently rebuilt and restored by the Damocles Empire and every day a trade fair is held as merchants gather from all around the city to showcase their goods and wares in tents pitched along the town square and for at least a block in all directions. The Tantallon branch of Certus Services can be found here and every day a dozen adventurer's for hire are paid to assist the City Guard in maintaining law and order in the very chaotic and hectic Town Square. The trade that takes place here is very vital to the economy of the city as well as draws many people from several nations over to sell their goods or buy such exotic items as carpets and silk from Dantania, Gunpowder from Kardius, or Swords from Damocles. Several shops in the Chandler District also send out wagons, caravans and tents to the Bazaar District in hopes they will benefit from added sales and advertisement of their own businesses.
Chandler District is the more stable backbone of the Tantallon economy whereas the Bazaar District is the erratic heartbeat of it. Here you can find several more respectable and established businesses, guildhalls of various trades and skill ranging from Cheese making to Brick building and Mage, and the Temple to the Primal Argus. Mostly shops, guildhalls and medium to low level business offices reside here with a few hotels that rent out to the traveling merchants who conduct their trade daily in the Bazaar District. Those merchants who do not have a very profitable day or sell questionable goods are more liable to look for housing in the Southern District instead.
Southern District is where the peasant class resides as well as various businesses of ill-repute such as the Thieves Guild, Brothels, Fences and lastly the TwistedBlade Inn. Crime in this part of the city is high with city guard on double duty patrol to stop the various monster occurrences, murders, fights and thefts that plague this part of the city. The Temple of Enshar, oddly enough, is also found here and many feel that might be the reason why so many brothels in this part of the city turn out rather successful despite the laws of the Damocles Empire that forbid such place of business.
Harbor District is the very crossroads of the city with boats coming in and out of the Eradina Sea taking people and goods to the entire region. This area is dominated by warehouses, docks and fish shops which help the Tantallon Harbor in it's fishing, freighter and ferry businesses. A few Damocles Navy ships are also stationed here but hardly enough to make any impact on life in this part of the city. This area is lower in elevation than the rest as it slopes down forty feet to become level with the ocean.
Coastal District is more a territory than really a district where people live however there are a few hardy souls who have homes on the very edge of the fifty foot cliff heading down to the waters below. This District is known mainly for it's coastline, a few lighthouses and observatories and several scattered homes along the coast. It's barely patrolled or guarded and not even under any governmental jurisdiction as most consider it part of the Southern District.