Tromden is one of the older cities of Zaubarovia, with ruins dating back to Omniborn days. The city was simply built on top of existing cities throughout history, eventually forming the towering gothic cityscape we know today.
Tromden is built on top of a deep interconnected network of caves and ruins that could possibly go right down to the Underdark. It is believed that thousands of years ago, the city that Tromden was built on top of used to be a site of dark-worship. This city, known as the Temporal city of Diiriyus ("Divine-Darkness"), was subject to an inquisition led by a mythical order known as the Lightwatchers, who burnt the rot of the abyss away along with the city. As the ruins of Diiriyus sunk below the fertile river soil, a new city founded by humans and hill dwarves took shape overland known now as Old Tromden.
Six hundred or so years ago, the southern half of Old Tromden (the district then known as the Chapel District) collapsed under its own weight, letting the water of Meteoro Bay into the streets. Much of the city was lost in the cataclysm, and people blamed the rampant construction that couldn't sustain itself.
The aberrant water mixed with the abyss of the ruins below, tainted by the pure darkness. This led to the first of many plagues that have affected the city of Tromden, known far and wide as the 'Darkplague'. The plague was controlled by the Church of Vertum, who set up a permanent cathedral in the Chapel District, now known as the Once-Drowned Chapel.
The advent of better construction techniques and the Magocracy of Zaubarovia have led to the city flourishing, marking a halfway port between the capitals of Hyarat and Timeron. Due to restricted space compared to similar-sized cities, the city continued to grow vertically, with many gothic towers that now form the skyline of Tromden, pushing the older buildings even further below.
The Church of Vertum controlled more of the city affairs than House Lorentz ever did in the past few centuries, keeping sealed the labyrinth of ruins upon which the city is built. However, after the plague known as the Dissonant Dirge 31 years ago and the vile actions of High Priestess Altia Blitzgott, House Lorentz was demoted by the Archchancellor and swapped roles with House Rennwald. Duchess Innes Rennwald proceeded to lessen the control of the Church in Tromden's affairs, restricting most of their activities to the Once-Drowned Chapel and not allowing the Church to take any authority of the city other than the rare case of an abyssal hunt.
Areas of the city include:
(Art credit: Darek Zabrocki)
City Square. sdgfs. Some locations of interest include:
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(Art credit: MH C)
Tromdenburg. sdgfs. Some locations of interest include:
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(Art credit: iHF95)
Once-Drowned Chapel. sdgfs. Some locations of interest include:
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(Art credit: Ryan Richmond)
North Quarter. sdgfs. Some locations of interest include:
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(Art credit: Patryk Stefaniak)
Wolfstack Docks. sdgfs. Some locations of interest include:
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(Art credit: Mathieu Latour-Duhaime)
Bearmound Docks. sdgfs. Some locations of interest include:
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