Terraworth¶
General Info¶
- Population : Uninhabited
- Region : South March Province
- Type : City Ruins
Description¶
Terraworth was an Imperial Free City during the First Age. The ruins of the city are the most easily accessible, as the roads through the Ophidian Mountains are still in use today. Many prospective relic hunters get their start in Terraworth.
Geography¶
The Ruins of Terraworth are situated in the Ophidian Valley, deep within the nook of the Mountains. The surrounding mountain range is littered with the remains of numerous small villages and towns that fed Terraworth's people and foundries.
As the area receives very little rainfall or wind, the ruins are relatively well preserved. Since the area is relatively poor in game and edible vegetation, most of the beasts and creatures deserted the area early in the Second Age.
Notable Features¶
-
Dwarven Forges :
The massive dwarven forges remain to this day Terraworth's most prominent feature. These massive structures used to produce massive quantities of weapons and armor for the Empire. Although many of the forges were badly damaged during the sack, the sheer quantity of derelict pieces make them an attractive target for relic hunters.
-
Imperial Armory :
Located on the outskirts of the city, the Old Imperial Armory is little more than a burnt down pile of rubble surrounded by what used to be soldier's barracks. What little was not destroyed by Baltatrax has long since been stolen by scavengers.
-
Krutoq's Tower :
To the far Northwest of Terraworth lies a ruined fortified tower. Officially constructed as a military fortification for the Empire, the tower was constructed by Krutoq prior to his ascencion to lichdom for his own evil uses.
Although Krutoq was defeated some 400 years prior to the Great Sack, the battered remains of his tower still stand. The inhabitants of Terraworth believed the tower to be cursed, as three consecutive Councillors met unfortunate fates shortly after ordering the tower's destruction. Content to leave well enough alone, successive Councillors abandoned all plans to take down the tower.
At the present time, the tower is partially collapsed from centuries of wear and neglect. Only the bottom two levels are accessible, as the rest have collapsed in on themselves. Outside, the ground is barren and littered with debris of the upper floors.
The first level is composed of a small fort, complete with a small barracks and an emptied armory. There are several large holes where the attacking Imperial garrison breached the fort, and the structure gives the impression that it is being held together by the barest of threads. Aside from the debris, the tower is empty. Even the creatures that roam the land seem to avoid the tower.
-
Brass Gates of Terraworth :
The Imperial District (and the Imperial Archive) is separated from the surrounding ruins by an internal rampart. The main entryway into the district was through a set of large, decorative brass gates, which are little more than twisted wrecks amidst the rubble. Still, the gates remain within the popular mindset as the defining line between the comparatively safe outer city and the terrors that lie within the inner city.
The Imperial District holds the ruins of hundreds of massive structures, ranging from the burnt rubble of the former University of the Arcane Sciences to the collapsed domes of the Hippodrome. Many of these buildings are rumored to hold powerful ancient artifacts. Unfortunately for would be treasure hunters, the inner districts host many dangerous creatures and abominations.
-
University of Arcane Sciences :
The University was once a leading artificer institution for the Empire. The magi of the University were responsible for many of the metallurgic and enchantment advances that propelled Terraworth into becoming the Armory of the Empire.
The University consisted of multiple large auditoriums and alchemical laboratories. Small scale replicas of the massive Terraworth Forges served as hands-on workshops for many of the Empire's artificers.
Today, the university lies to the southwest of the city center, a burnt out skeleton of it's former self. The lecture halls have collapsed into small, dusty calderas. Nearly all of the forges exploded shortly after the city was ransacked due to the lack of maintenance, starting the fires that consumed the rest of the University and the surrounding dormitories.
-
Terraworth Hippodrome :
To the East of the central districts lies the collapsed domes of the Terraworth Hippodrome. The complex was once the largest enterntainment venue within the city, capable of hosting over 60,000 spectators in the main collosseum alone. Smaller arenas and racetracks surround the massive central structure. During the height of the Empire, the Terraworth Hippodrome hosted every kind of spectator event, from horse and chariot races to gladitorial contests and even simulated naval battles.
In the centuries since the sack, the structural integrity of most of the domes has been compromised. The central dome has collapsed completely. burying the area in thousands of tons of concrete rubble. A few of the smaller domes, especially the older, pre-Imperial amphitheatre, still stand to this day, but show signs of cracking and stress.
-
Great Bazaar :
The Great Bazaar to the north of the Hippodrome is a large, enclosed forumn that once held the bustling crowds of Terraworth's finest merchants and their customers. The bazaar's wares have long since been looted or destroyed by the invading hordes. Occasionally however, there is an item of value that survived buried beneath the wreckage.
-
Imperial Forum :
The Terraworth Forum was the seat of administration for government of the city and the surrounding territories. Major ruins within the Forum include the City Council Chamber, the Basilica of Terraworth, the Imperial Gardens, and the Imperial Palace.
-
City Council Chamber :
The official seat of the Councillors of Terraworth, the Council Chamber was the seat of power for the Terraworth Imperial Province. Located close to the center of the city, to the west of the Basilica, the Council Chamber is surrounded by the ruins of the various Forum buildings that housed the city's administration.
As a Free City, Terraworth enjoyed a great deal of autonomy within the Empire. While the Councillor was officially the Emperor's direct representative, in reality the Councillor was practically a monarch, ruling over the Ophidian Valley much like in the Pre-Imperial Age. Given Terraworth's massive value as a forge city, few in the Imperial Government at the World's Gate dared to try to curtail Terraworth's prerogatives.
The Council Chamber, while not as lavish as the Imperial Palace, was modeled on classical temple architecture, with the central structure flanked by dozens of columns supporting an intricately carved elevation. The inside of the structure was divided into several smaller working chambers surrouding a large audience hall. Since the Great Sack, the chamber roof has partially collapsed, along with several columns, exposing the inner chambers to the elements.
-
Basilica of Terraworth :
The golden spires of the Basilica of Terraworth were once as famous as the Brass Gates of the Imperial District. Towering above the rest of the skyline, the spires were dedicated to specific gods of the Old Pantheon.
Unfortunately for would-be explorers, Baltatrax had the Basilica utterly wiped off the face of Tritan, leaving only a massive scar at the city's center. The only visible remnant of the building is the rough outline of the Basilica floorplan.
-
Imperial Gardens :
The Imperial Gardens consist of the Imperial Palace and surrounding grounds. The gardens were once a beautifully detailed botanical garden, typically only available to senior government officials and Imperial dignitaries.
The gardens today are the primary roaming grounds of many dangerous creatures, which often break out into fights for dominance or control of territory. The vegetation is overgrown and many of the ground's water features have long since dried up, leaving only the cracked pool floors.
-
Imperial Palace :
The Imperial Palace was originally the home of the Terraworth royal family in the time before the Empire. The Palace itself is a majestic U-shaped corps de logic, flanked on either side by symmetrical secondary wings. When the Empire formally annexed Terraworth, the Palace was converted into the seat of the Imperial Administration for the region. Most of the original royal apartments have been converted into offices and suites to hold the growing bureaucracy.
Although the City Councillor traditionally held office within the Council Chamber, a small section of the Northern wing served as the private residence for the incumbent. The cellars beneath the Palace were converted into the Terraworth Imperial Archives, the location of many of Terraworth's most valuable treasures.
History¶
Historical Account¶
Terraworth was a prosperous trade hub, famous for its massive forges and kilns. The city was at one point the capital of a small kingdom that controlled the Ophidian Valley, before becoming an Imperial Free City in the late Second Age.
During the end of the First Age, Terraworth was one of the first cities to break away from the Empire, and partially as a result, one of the first to be sacked by Baltatrax's hordes. The city fell over a decade before the Gate, and is generally considered to be the first casualty of the period of the Great Sack and the end of the First Age.