New Zolanberg

The ruins of a gnomish colony lie along the shores of Tempest Bay - a reminder to the town of Zantashk that life in Xen’drik is never as simple as it seems. The gnomish nation of Zilargo is ruled by the Trust - a wide network of secret police and spies who ensure that threats to the country are tracked and dealt with before they can pose a problem. The existence of the all-watching organization is intimidating and bizarre to outsiders, but the people consider it a part of everyday life, as well as a fun game of national intrigue.

When the Trust first announced itself, some in the country disagreed, and left Zilargo to form their own colonies free from the Trust. The largest community lives on the island of Lorghalan in the Principalities, but one group settled on the shores of Xen’drik. New Zolanberg is now a fabled ghost town, for the gnomes of the colony were never seen again. The ruins of New Zolanberg lie in the jungles along the east coast of Tempest Bay, opposite the current town of Zantashk. To the prospectors, the wreckage is a sobering reminder of the dangers they face.

Despite its proximity, New Zolanberg has never been fully explored due to a social taboo among the people of Zantashk. The belief goes that poking around might draw the attention of whatever destroyed the place, and talk of ‘ancient curses’ among the local people has led to heavy superstition. Evidence of horrific violence at the site does nothing to help. A less common belief is that the gnomes themselves are still alive out there, somewhere, and had no choice but to flee their colony. The settlement is built around a small cove within the greater Tempest Bay, with small gnomish houses built from stone and wood. If not for the Reeve of Zantask commanding that the place’s docks remain maintained for exploration purposes, it would barely be visible at all.

Over the last thousand years, the other buildings have been reduced to rubble and broken walls by the ceaseless elements. Monsters occasionally lair within the ruins, claiming the local region as their territory. Since this can interfere dangerously with House Tharashk’s efforts, the Reeve occasionally posts contracts for adventurers to drive them out.