Tharkis
City of the Witch Queen

Five thousand miles south of the Enceinte, on the shores of a vast stagnant sea known as the Septhys, lies a great festering urban expanse unlike any other in the northern or southern worlds. This is the city of Tharkis - a city that has bloated and festered over thousands of years to become a fitting home to the Witch Queen and her Legion of Horrors. This is a place that has worked to earn its moniker as City of the Damned.

A Brief History of the City

If one could turn the clock back four thousand years one would see a very different Iourn and a very different Tharkis. Sixteen thousand seasons ago, Tharkis was not called Tharkis and it was not the vast city that it is today. However, the Wyrmshead had already been settled for some considerable time and the elven community that lived there were not the first people to call it home. Four thousand years ago the elves were at the height of their empire. Their close alliance with dragonkind gave them protection and the opportunity to study art, poetry and more esoteric pursuits. This was a time before there was a Great Dark, and the area was no more tainted than Uris is today.

The culture, the community and products of these first townsfolk have been lost to time - although it is possible that some evidence still exists in the deep underbelly of modern-day Tharkis. The elves moved on from the area between 3500 and 3000 years ago. It was at this time that the taint of evil began to seep into the area, and start to change the fair land that they loved. Over the next millennia Tharkis took on a very different character, and was ruled by a string of petty dictators who preyed on the surrounding cities and made a good living from piracy.

By the time Karatath journeyed south to learn his evil pursuits, Tharkis was well beyond a forbidden cordon put in place by the White Council. It was ineffably corrupted and none could go there without also being corrupted. When the Great War broke out Karatath took Tharkis as his own and is said to have lived there for a time. In the latter days of the Great War a member of the Thirty called Eligos sat in charge of the city. But, one thousand years ago, Karatath and all his followers were imprisoned in the Aegis and some very prime real estate was left without a head.

Leaders came and went over the next few hundred years. However, none of them had the personal power to hold onto the area. There was something about Tharkis that caused despot after despot to throw their men against its walls until they cracked. Some have wondered why this should be the case, and whether Tharkis holds a prize beyond its tactically sound location, defensible geography and access to the sea. Indeed, legends exist that Karatath left some item of great power in the ruins of his city. The truth of such legends is questioned by empirical scholars.

It was not until four hundred years ago that a leader emerged with the charisma, the allies and the raw power to take Tharkis and to hold it. Self-styled as a "Witch of the Crypt", Grelka was a powerful sorceress who could boast orcish and demonic ancestry. Her Legion was said to be so formidable that enemies quailed and fled at the mere sight of them. She took the city in three days and she has been there ever since - ruling as the Witch Queen of Tharkis.

In the Age of Reckoning, Tharkis is a vast city of over a million inhabitants ruled by Grelka. It is a densely packed warren of narrow cobbled streets and precariously built dwellings. A horrible and claustrophobic place, filth and disease are rampant. Open sewers run down the middle of the streets and into the great stagnant sea which borders Tharkis. The undead, creatures of infamy and even fiends are common in Tharkis. So why would anyone choose to live here?

Grelka is power, and in the Great Dark power means protection. The Witch-Queen is an accomplished mistress of magic with control over the tainted weave. Fiends and beings of lesser evil flock to her side to benefit from her influence. In the region there are none who have the power or the inclination to challenge her. The power of Grelka has also attracted many mortals who seek to shelter under her protection. It is very easy to lose oneself in a city of a million people, and most of those that dwell in Tharkis do so for the anonymity the over-crowded city provides.

Geography

Tharkis is located on the western coast of a vast and largely unmapped continent. The main city of Old Tharkis was located on a three-mile long peninsular called Wyrmshead. All the most ancient buildings, including Grelka's palace are found here. The peninsular is bordered on three sides by sheer cliffs more than two hundred feet in height. Heading eastwards, the land falls away sharply to sea level. This was the original site of the Tharkis Gate. However, as the city has grown and spread the gate was subsumed by the buildings around it. The Gate is still maintained (now called Oldgate) and is part of an impressive inner wall that protects Old Tharkis if the city is breached.

New buildings in the city rise up on top of the old ones. This has been going on for so long that the original city of Tharkis is now completely underground. This undercity sits on top of an older sub-city, which sits on top of an old sub-city and so on. Go down far enough and you might discover the original city that was built where Tharkis now stands, a city that predates the Great Dark. Of course, the undercity has more than its fair share of horrors to deter such an adventure.

From Old Tharkis the city has grown and spread southwards, snaking along the coastline for eighteen miles, and pushing inland up to three and a half miles. The size of the city should not be underestimated. It is the largest and most densely populated urban expanse on the planet. Estimates of a million-strong population could well prove to be woefully low.

As the city snakes south, the coastline doubles back into a horseshoe creating a large bay between Wyrmshead and Harben Point that is six miles across at its widest point. The area of the city at sea-level inbetween these two points is referred to as the Lower Town. The prevailing winds are south-westerly and blow straight into the bay. Despite a strong sea wall and two mile-and-a-half long breakwaters at Harben Point and Nellagen Point flooding is common in Lower Town.

Such flooding is particularly unpleasant because of the stagnant and unwholesome nature of the Septhys Sea. The water is unaccountably oily, and foams where it strikes the shore and nearby beach leaving fetid scum-lines on the sand. The stench is quite horrible. About a mile from shore this effect seems to diminish slightly, although there is still something terribly unclean about the ocean.

Beyond Lower Town, the land rises again to cliffs almost as high as those at Wyrmshead. This area of the city (the Upper Town) runs unbroken for nine miles. It stops when the cliff stops and the land falls away to sea level again. A great beach stretches for five miles down the coastline at this point. Upper Town is very exposed to the gales and other extremes of weather.

Protecting Tharkis to the north, east and south is the city wall. A fifty foot high structure made of black stone more than three yards in thickness. The wall is an impressive feat of engineering and is manned by the Black Watch - a group of highly trained look-outs and warriors.

The climate in Tharkis is temperate, and the city suffers extremely high rain fall and has to endure many storms that sweep in off the sea. The land surrounding the city is sodden scrubland, steep valleys and marsh for about ten miles, before rising into a series heavily wooded hills (the Land of Starving Trees) and then moorland. The Fallow Flow river rises in the moorland and journeys to the sea through a series of vast underground caves. It emerges at the foot of the hills and then flows into the Septhys through Tharkis. More on that below.

The Wards of the Tharkis

The city is divided into seventeen wards, each with its own administrative head (or "reeve") that answers to Grelka. Almost all the wards have their own gate in the city wall, and the ward is named after the gate - e.g. Ditchgate Ward is named after the Ditchgate. The borders between the wards are marked by towering black walls equally as high and thick as the city wall. Therefore, each ward can be easily isolated in case of fire, disease or invasion. Also the Black Watch can walk the entire length of the city without ever having to touch the ground.

Unlike many other mediaeval cities, there is no singular merchant district or market area in Tharkis. The city is too large for that. Shops are scattered over miles and miles of narrow streets, and are specific to neighbourhoods or even certain streets. The wards themselves act as mini cities, with most of the necessary amenities. Finding one's way around the city is a challenge even for the locals. There are plenty of guides and touts ready to take money in payment for directions.

Starting at Wyrmshead and working south through Tharkis, the wards are:

Old Tharkis (pop. 45,000)

Not technically a ward, Old Tharkis is the location of the original city and is the centre of Grelka's power. Located on Wyrmshead and protected by sheer cliffs in three directions and a wall twice as thick as the city wall in the fourth, Old Tharkis is practically impenetrable when closed. However, it is not often closed. The inner walls are guarded by the Black Watch and despite the ever present threat of the Legion of Horrors travel is not restricted, in order to allow the transit of goods and services. Of course, one could argue it doesn't need to be restricted as few city denizens in their right mind would willingly come here.

Everything in Old Tharkis is big. Before Grelka's time, and the rapid expanse of the city, previous rulers attempted to keep everything on Wyrmshead, and therefore they built upward. The buildings here are massive. Castles and towers, some more than twenty storeys (approaching three hundred feet) are crammed into the seven square miles of the headland.

The centre of Old Tharkis is the most impressive. The Shadowed Square is surrounded by the Inselberg (the Palace of Grelka), the Academy of Eldritch Science, the main temple to Grelka and the Dwelserron Archive. Dozens of other buildings of uncommon height litter the area, many of which are connected by bridges and walkways that create a city in the sky. The hoi polloi of Tharkis reside in these high-rise dwellings. The thick fogs that are common in the city do not rise high enough to subsume these buildings. From the heights one would look down on a layer of fog that appears like a wispy sea of grey. It actually looks quite beautiful.

There is so much to see in Old Tharkis that one wishes it wasn't quite so full of murderous and evil people. Some of the must-see sights are the Inselberg (with a vast reproduction of Grelka's Ruling Crown set into the roof), the Dwelserron Archive (for the architecture - few are permitted to enter), the Necropolis (for the stout of heart, or those who are already undead).

The Legion of Horror are ever present in Old Tharkis though they are seldom seen. The mere threat of their presence is usually enough to keep everyone in line. Trouble that threatens the "equanimity of Grelka's rule" is put down quickly and brutally.

Oldgate (pop. 30,000)

The Oldgate is the original gate to Tharkis, but is now at the north-eastern most corner of Lower Town. Oldgate Ward is divided in half by a fortified wall that protects access to the Oldgate itself. To the east of that wall is the home of Grelka's military. The great breakwater at Nellagen point protects a sheltered harbour filled with warships. Great canals have been created that allow the ships to sail inland to a artificial lake about half a mile across. The fleet can retreat here during particularly rough weather, and it is also a good place to repair them.

Much of the rest of this section of Oldgate is made up of barracks and dormitories for the Black Watch (Grelka's more conventional means of enforcing her will). However, the Legion itself is also present and those members who choose to be seen are not shy at making their presence felt. Also located here is the enormous prison of Gallowglass where enemies of Grelka are taken and tortured for the hell of it.

Beyond the fortified wall is eastern Oldgate. This is less densely populated that much of Tharkis because it is made up of country manors and castles that were once built outside the city by the idle rich and were subsequently subsumed. Eastern Oldgate borders on the public canal network and is well connected for the purposes of trade. The rich and the powerful who are not quite rich enough or powerful enough to live in Old Tharkis will have a home here in Oldgate.

Northgate (pop. 70,000)

The Northgate is a large ward in the Lower Town area of Tharkis. It borders Oldgate to the west and Wharfgate to the south. Two gates are set into the city wall that border Northgate. The Northgate itself is in the north of the ward and opens directly on a dirt track that quickly disappears into the wilderness. The other gate is the impressive Tharkis Gate - tall enough for an uncommonly large dire elephant to pass through with room to spare. The main road that used to lead from the Tharkis gate to Old Tharkis has long been built over with poor housing. One suspects that Grelka is not at home to visitors.

Northgate is extremely well served by the local canal network and much of the trade is plied by barge rather than through the dingy streets.

Wharfgate (pop. 60,000)

Wharfgate is one of the more prosperous of Tharkis's wards. Sandwiched between Northgate and Chapelgate, Wharfgate is the point at which the Fallow Flow enters Tharkis and runs for one mile for before reaching the sea. It is from this source that the canals that run all over the Lower Town are tapped. The main gate is actually a grate over the river - quite impressive as the river is six hundred yards wide when it enters Tharkis.

The coastline of Wharfgate is almost undetectable. Literally miles of piers, jetties and wharfs have been constructed, all of which are interconnected into a maze of wooden alleyways, suspended over the pungent sea on rotting wooden supports. It is in this area of the city that the race of sea kin have made their home. Most of the sea-kin's personal dwellings are so low to the water line that they actually flood during high tide - which is obviously the way they like it.

Chapelgate (pop. 55,000)

So-called because the gate is actually within a massive temple dedicated to Grelka. Chapelgate is part of the Lower Town of Tharkis and is bordered by Wharfgate to the north and Canalgate to the south. Again it is well-served by the canal system.

Canalgate (pop. 65,000)

Bordered by Chapelgate to the north and Tollgate to the south, Canalgate is part of the Lower Town. The gate in the wall connects directly into a canal which is used to irrigate large areas of the ward which are set aside for the growing of produce. The coast of Canalgate is also the start of the Tharkis dockland that runs around the rest of the bay for four miles. The docks are largely made up of fishing boats.

Tollgate (pop. 50,000)

In character, Tollgate is identical to Canalgate to the north, although it is smaller and sports fewer attempts at arable farming. To the south of Tollgate is Harbengate.

Harbengate (pop. 85,000)

The last ward in the Lower Town of Tharkis. Harbengate is bordered by Tollgate to the north, and by Fallogate to the south. Steep cliffs begin at the southern border of Harbengate and a narrow zigzagging road has been carved into them to allow travel between the two wards.

The dockside also terminates at the foot of the cliffs. It is also here that the city's second breakwater at Harben Point has been built. However, it only really protects vessels sheltering at Harbengate's docks, and offers a poor shield to the fishermen of Tollgate and Canalgate.

Fallowgate (pop. 100,000)

Fallowgate is the first of the ten wards in Upper Tharkis. Life here is hard, largely because the canal system does not stretch into Upper Tharkis and therefore it is significantly more difficult to distribute trade and supplies around the city. Much of Fallowgate is given over to farming, with the enormous population cramped into less than a quarter of the district. The yields are small and the process of taking them down to the canal in Harbengate is very dangerous.

Irongate (pop. 55,000)

Sandwiched between Fallowgate to the north and Fairgate to the south, Sorengate is located in the Upper Town of Tharkis. It is here that the city's primary smelters, iron works and minters can be found - although other examples of this trade can be found throughout the city.

Fairgate (pop. 60,000)

Bordered by Irongate to the north and Blackgate to the south, Fairgate is anything but fair. It is particularly famous for its Slave Market - although slaves are sold everywhere in the city, Fairgate is said to be the place to go to buy the best. The truth of this is debatable, and many dignitaries from Old Tharkis and Oldgate treat it as a bit of a tourist destination. Much of Fairgate is street after street of unimaginative and claustrophobic housing.

Blackgate (pop. 70,000)

A massive ward that is almost entirely a dormitory town with very few service of its own. The inhabitants of Black Gate are as violent and pathetic a bunch as you would find anywhere in Tharkis. Blackgate is bordered by Fairgate to the north and Bloodgate to the south.

Bloodgate (pop. 40,000)

Named for its unusually high concentration of vampires in ages past, Blood Gate is a ward of necropoli and tombs. Shoddy housing has been built in and around graveyards and cemeteries making for a very odd combination of architectural styles. It is bordered by Blackgate to the north and Winding Gate to the south.

Winding Gate (pop. 70,000)

One of the larger wards in the Upper Town, Winding Gate is bordered by Bloodgate to the north, Southgate and Watchgate to the south and Ditchgate to the east. A massive ward of mechanised industry, thousands of poor houses and poorer people, it has little to mark it out from the rest of the city. Its most infamous claim to fame is that Winding Gate was the last place the Legion of Horror were seen in the city. They descended on a row of overcrowded tenements and killed more than nine hundred people on 84 Lētum 1999. No-one knows why.

Ditchgate (pop. 10,000)

The smallest of the city's wards in terms of area and population size. Ditchgate residents make their money by disposing of other people's waste in enormous landfills. It is rumoured they have broken through to the subterranean caverns beneath the city which would be a significant security risk. This has not been proven. Ditchgate is bordered by Watchgate to the south and Winding Gate to the west.

Watchgate (pop. 20,000)

So named because it houses the largest operational headquarters of the Black Watch in Tharkis: a ten storey fortification known as the Beacon of the Black Light to the Watch and "Stony's Tower" to the inhabitants. Watchgate is bordered on the south by Darkgate, on the west by Southgate, and to the north by Ditchgate and Winding Gate.

Darkgate (pop. 25,000)

Bordered by Southgate to the west and Watchgate to the north, the Upper Town ward of Darkgate is named after the series of viscous black pools that can be found throughout the ward. These pools produce an oil like substance that doesn't burn but is very useful as a lubricant. The source of the pools is unknown to the inhabitants, lines cannot be dropped into test their depth because of the extremely viscous nature of the substance. The inhabitants of the ward, make a fair living around the pits.

Southgate (pop. 100,000)

One of the largest and poorest wards in Tharkis, the Southgate ward is filled with rows and rows of poor terrace housing. Filth and disease are even worse here than in other parts of the city. This Upper Town ward is bordered by Darkgate and Watchgate to the east and Winding Gate to the north. The Southgate itself opens onto a sheer drop of one hundred feet to the beach below. A tremendous amount of rubbish is thrown out over the wall leading to a large number of scavengers and predators outside the city.

Politics

Grelka is the absolute ruler of Tharkis. Her word is law and she has the power to impose it on even the most powerful of detractors. Grelka's Legion of Horrors (that were so effective in taking the city) still serve as the instrument of her will. They stalk Tharkis looking for those who might displease the Witch-Queen and dealing with them. It is said that even the undead fear the horrors the legion can unleash.

Some speculate that Grelka does not possess the personal power of some of the viler entities of the Great Dark. She does not grant spells to her followers. It is argued that Grelka relies more on pacts and allies (and her Legion) that she does on her own might. Others, quite reasonably, state that all this is a ruse - that Grelka chooses not to grant spells to her followers. They say that if Grelka was that weak someone else would have made a play for Tharkis. That has not happened.

Beneath Grelka is a cabinet of powerful entities who believe that being close to the reins of power gives them prestige. Of course, being that close to the Witch-Queen also puts them in grave danger, and membership of the cabinet is often brief and bloody. Only three members that have remained for any length of time are known in the city: Doe Vaar is a vampiric Galeb Duhr, Nikodemus is a fiendish creature of fey origin and then there is Chanta. Chanta is a human with no apparent powers or abilities. He is widely considered to be the most dangerous.

Beneath Grelka's cabinet, Tharkis is a microcosm of the Great Dark. Thugs, bullies and criminal overlords lay claim to wards, streets or neighbourhoods. They demand tribute and obedience from those that live there. Turf wars are common between rival gangs and powers. Some are more respected than others, all kowtow to the Legion and the will of Grelka.

Each of the seventeen wards technically has a reeve that answers to Grelka. However, the term "observer" would be more accurate. These individuals are seldom public figures and are replaced with such alarming regularity that even if one did want to keep track of them, it would be an uphill battle. The wards are left to govern themselves - if there are any problems, there is always the Legion.

Crime and Punishment

As one might expect, crime is rife in the city and it is largely ignored by the rulers. As long as Tharkis remains productive, as long as the walls are strong and can be defended then Grelka really doesn't care what happens to the little people. The Legion of Horrors exist to enforce Grelka's will and keep her in power. They aren't policemen that commoners can go to if they have a problem.

Might is the only right in Tharkis. The lowest of the low are forced to pay exorbitant protection money to mobsters and local dignitaries. Of course, few bargains are worth the paper they are written on in Tharkis, but the consequences of not signing up to such a scheme is often death.

Mercenaries and 'adventurers' do a roaring trade working as enforcers and profiteers. They are unlicensed, unaccountable and there are no formal laws to stop them doing whatever they please. If a party kicks open the door of a private home, ransacks the place and kills the family that lives there, the chances are there will be no obvious repercussions. Of course, if that family had been under the protection of a someone else, then that someone will have lost face and prestige because of the party's actions. These things have a habit of coming back and biting you.

The Black Watch

These are the closest thing Tharkis has to a regular army. The Black Watch are charged with many tasks - such as manning the city wall, patrolling the streets and dispensing justice as they see fit. Again, they are not policemen - they don't care about the little people, so there is no point ever going to them for help. The rich and the powerful can hire the Black Watch to work for them as long as the activities don't run counter to Grelka's interests.

The Black Watch are usually made up of mortals races (usually humanoid ones). Humans, orcs and hobgoblins are the most common members but the more exotic cannot be ruled out. They are well-trained, well-armed and will follow orders from their superiors. They also have a massive chip on their shoulder because they are considered inferior to the Legion of Horrors (which they are). As such, members of the Black Watch should never be underestimated - they are always out to prove something.

The Legion of Horrors

What is the Legion of Horrors? Most inhabitants of Tharkis don't know, and that lack of knowledge is terrifying. There are very few first-person accounts of the Legion because they often only reveal themselves to their foes - and very few have the wit or the power to survive such encounters.

What accounts do exist vary wildly. However, there are some commonalities. The Legion seems to be able to travel any where in Tharkis at will. No barrier, either mundane or magical, is able to keep them out. Members of the Legion have the ability to reach into the mind of an opponent and show them their greatest fear, often incapacitating them in the process. Immunity to mind-affecting magic is no defence against the powers of the Legion, all are vulnerable.

Members of the Legion have been described as incorporeal, invisible, demonic, humanoid and undead. It could be that the Legion is open to creatures of any race, or that the true appearance of Legionnaires is somehow hidden. If the truth has been discovered by powerful diviners they are not talking. Certainly, relatively mundane enchantments such as true seeing will not reveal a member of the Legion of Horror for what he is. Although whether this is trait of the Legionnaires or the Great Dark itself is unknown.

Most content themselves in the knowledge that the Legion of Horrors are the power in Tharkis. They do Grelka's will, and as long as they continue in this role, her position as the ruler of this city is unassailable. No one in their right mind wants to have an encounter with the Legion.

Food and Trade

There is no formal trade with any other city or domain in the Great Dark - at least none that the common people of the city see. Tharkis has its own economy, and goods are traded as one would expect in any large city. The standard unit of currency is the kor: a coin of red-gold that is stamped with the likeness of Grelka.

Despite the infamy of the Great Dark and the fear that all men carry in their hearts, the inhabitants still specialise into particular trades in order to earn a living and survive. Tharkis sports the same professions one might fight in any mediaeval city: barrel-wrights, farriers, masons, carpenters, architects and so on.

Water is drawn from the Fallow Flow by water-merchants who sell it on to the populace. Control of a stretch of the river is jealously defended, and those caught poaching water are dealt with quickly and brutally. Selling water can be a licence to mint your own gold and water-merchants are universally hated. The water they are selling is not of the highest quality, as the Fallow Flow is also where most of the waste of the city gets thrown. Unscrupulous dealers may sell water from the Septhys or stagnant canals instead. The practices of water-merchants is one of the major causes of the plagues that commonly sweep the city, killing off the weak and the poor.

The land that surrounds the city cannot sustain the arable crops necessary to feed a population of one million. Grain and grain-based goods are expensive and the yield is generally small and weak. Much of the town's food comes from the sea. Fishing boats fight through the slime that hugs the coast and head into deep water, where tasteless eels can be captured in abundance. A sargasso of giant floating kelp and seaweed is also harvested. This tastes like cabbage that has been left to marinate in motor oil, but it's generally the only source of vegetable matter in the diet.

Environs of Tharkis

Although it would be wrong to say that Grelka is queen of all she surveys, the truth is that the environs outside the city are adequately defended by her reputation as much as the greography.

The heavy and continual rains create a sodden mess of a wilderness that would succeed in bogging down any approaching army. The Fallow Flow carves its way through a series a V-shaped valleys many of which are too difficult to climb without resorting to hands and feet - which would again make it very difficult to move sufficient troops and equipement to make an impact on a city like Tharkis.

However, although the wilderness might be free of organised attack from invading armies, it is far from a safe place to be. Grelka's lack of interest in the lands surrounding her city as well as the terrain have made it a haven for wildlife - and it being the Great Dark, wildlife doesn't come much wilder.

Much of the low-lying land surrounding the city is marsh-land with all the ensuing problems of disease and contagion that brings. Monstrous oozes, leeches and slimes are common in this area as are mindless undead, will o'wisp, giant lizards and crocodilians, and a number of hydra. As the land rises and dries out it supports different types of animals - large herds of grazing animals and the associated predators can be found on the slopes. Dire bears, worgs, giant insects dire elephants and more have been reported. The dense forests of the upper slopes are home to their own breed of horrors (including corrupted treants, packs of lycanthropes and barghests). Of course, this is the Great Dark and these creatures are seldom mundane. Some are altered by taint, others have an evil intelligence or are servants of dark masters.

See Also:

• Gazetteer of the Great Dark
• Cosmology of Great Dark
• Calendar of Tharkis