Thollgûnd

"'The land is of cold stone; arid and dry, dark and desolate, bare as bone. An ancient evil stirs beneath that accursed mountain's searing magma... it is always thinking. The minds of mortal beings are feeble and yielding, do not stray close to it.' - Ogmund the Scribe"Thollgûnd was a town within the borders of former Sodalis and Tortuga under the Bacchanalian Commonwealth of Roðinnbrók, located in the North-East of Eldham. Rendered a desolate, rocky wasteland from volcanic activity, Thollgûnd was a land of hardship and strife. The poisonous smoke and fumes that ceaselessly billowed from both the volcanic fissures and the forges' immense chimneys ensured that not even the air was free from filth and grime.

Culture
The name "Thollgûnd", literally meaning "Deepslate" comes from the ancient Gholothic language. Practiced for a time by the most devout Heralds of the Gholothic Sect, it has now passed out of all knowledge; nearly all written texts of this language were lost during the Thollgûndi Desolation, with the few remaining unable to be properly translated.

Gholothic Sect
Founded upon an obsessive religious devotion by its deranged inhabitants, Thollgûnd's structure could be interpreted as an Authoritarian Theocracy, wherein the church reigned supreme over all matters. As such, those directly involved within the Gholothic Sect held much more sway than others. Thollgûnd's chain of command was as follows:


 * The Black Captain - Holds direct rule over Thollgûnd. Title was held by Haugrum the Unhallowed. (Dung_Eater)
 * The Arch-Herald - Highest possible rank within the Gholothic Sect, the chosen to receive commandments unto their conscience from the Lord of Limbs. This position oversees and directs all religious, lore and diplomatic issues. Title was held by Ailmar the Blind Omen. (Sgt_Dankster)
 * Heralds - Heralds of the Gholothic Sect, trusted with knowledge and dark magics brought forth from the volcanic depths.
 * Warchiefs - Hand-picked servants that reside in the many forts scattered around Thollgûnd, expected to defend Thollgûnd from roaming bandits. Notable warchiefs included Darkazorin, Smiley, and TheGamerDanro.
 * Servants - The citizens of Thollgûnd, in service of the Mountain.

Symbolism
The most common symbol associated with the Sect was the Hand of Gholoth, depicting one of the god's many extra appendages. Obsessed with augmenting and reshaping the natural order, the Lord of Limbs took great pride in changing both his own flesh and that of his subjects.

Creation Story
Thollgûndis did not worship their believed creator Nilludor, but rather his fell child Teoduri. Teoduri had betrayed and waged a great divine war against his father, becoming known as Gholoth to mortals. At the war's end, he was banished and cast out into the depths of the earth; his followers scattered. Gholoth's corporeal form now rests deep beneath Thollgûnd, and had worked to rebuild its lost strength up until the Thollgundi Desolation.

The following is a recounting of Gholoth's ancient war upon the earth:

Manuscripts of Elder Days

Volcano
The Thollgûndi volcano is a centerpiece of the land's culture, a hallmark of the Gholothic Sect and an homage to his madness. It is where the first settlers bled and died at the foot of the mountain to establish his pantheon. A religious site is located inside the Mountain of Fire, allowing for devout heralds to worship their deity closer to his corporeal form beneath the searing flames.

Ghûrbad
Just as the Western Watchtower had been completed, the will of Gholoth had dictated unto Ailmar a commandment; a great fortress would be built in the deity's name, a fortress so great and terrible that it would span from the sweltering volcanic bowels of the earth to hundreds of meters above as if to bring his wrath upon the very stars. Ailmar and the Sandwights obeyed without question, for Gholoth's will was absolute in their minds. The mortal Thollgundis however, did not share this optimism. It was at this point that the first seeds of doubt and weakness were planted in their patron deity's godliness.

The fortress itself is constructed as a strongpoint, able to withstand siege for a long duration. Two of the fortress' immense walls were successfully built, with the third never being finished due to the Thollgûndi Desolation. There are eight towers constructed above the second wall, able to keep watch for many leagues around. A causeway was built facing Ghûrbad's north side, allowing for troop movements safely across the immense plunge between the fortress and solid ground.

Founding
Thollgûnd had began as a mere mining operation in 102 SMP, with an expedition party formed by a group of Rodinnians coming from all corners of the nation. Hoping to unearth whatever valuable minerals laid beneath the land's dense volcanic rock, each member of had ventured to Thollgûnd of their own accord to pursue fantasies of wealth and fame. However, there was one who travelled with them who did not share in these trivial goals: Ailmar of Rohkia. He had ventured to the Smoldering Wastes at the behest of a divine power, that of Gholoth the Great.

The ancient deity had whispered sweet nothings into Ailmar's mind from afar, and lured him towards the god's corporeal form buried deep below the Thollgûndi volcano. Ailmar would sow the seeds to Gholoth's pantheon, becoming increasingly obsessed with serving his master however he could despite the toll it took upon his body and mind. Sprinklings of madness had befallen the mining expedition; merely a few weeks after their party had arrived, all but Ailmar had perished whether by mishap or daggers drawn in the dark.

Ailmar scoured the umbral plateau in search of new servants for Gholoth, ones who would not succumb to the volcanic madness so easily. In the ancient, sand-filled tombs of years past he found them. With the aid of black magics lended to him by his deity, Ailmar reanimated the corpses of ancient Rodinnian Sandweavers, who would become the Sandwights; soulless, tireless beings who would labor unto their dying days in the name of Gholoth the Great. The first of these Sandwights was known as Haugrum the Unhallowed, and would become appointed as the Black Captain of Thollgûnd.

Thollgûndi Desolation
The inevitable end of the Gholothic Sect had crept along after it for decades, eventually culminating in rapid population decline and total societal collapse. As the power of their patron deity waned, so too did its influence over the minds of its followers. Thollgûndis deserted in droves; their ilk who remained perished over time as a result of famine, infighting, and volcanic hazards. The Sandwights were directly under the control of Gholoth and did not have the liberty of leaving his service, not until their bodies had broken down into dust and were no longer of use to the malevolent deity. Gholoth himself was the last to perish, and slowly waned ever further until he saw every last piece of his dominion crumble before his spirit faded away, never again to return in Eldham.