| Category | Cities | ||||
| Continent | Brucrumus | ||||
| Region | Adunamar | ||||
| Owner | independent town | ||||
| Population | |||||
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| Deity | Melrith | ||||
| Founded | 1 Hollow 232 GE | ||||
| Map | Vul Sahsir |
The Myconids, tasked with spreading vegetation across a region devastated in the Hoof Front (215 GE - 230 GE), founded Boletus. Their work commenced around Ghak, once the capital of Orcus's Bal-Kriav holdings. As masters of subterranean forestry, they created the Andurja Fungal, a subterranean forest that expanded northward, with Boletus moving along at the forefront of an underworld jungle as dense as any on the surface.
In 1501 HE, Boletus settled into its current location. It halted at the Demons Ladder, a point where the territories of two rival city-states intersected, a deep and expansive canyon stretching hundreds of feet upwards and ten times that depth downwards. This marked the western boundary of Neben-Skerah and the eastern border of Zoethall. Facing numerical superiority and seasoned troops, Boletus proved no match. They were a pacifist people. Their neighbors exploited this, extorting and coercing them, forcing their merchants to sell their agricultural produce at discounted prices; as masters of subterranean farming, Boletus's yield remains the primary sustenance for populations within a hundred-mile radius.
While they were being treated unjustly, Boletus assembled a team to seek resolutions to their dilemma. Retreating or relocating was not an option, as they were obligated to the Covenant directives they had been assigned - to proliferate the Andurja Fungal from the southern to northern regions until reaching a coastline.
In 1698 HE, Boletus chemists formulated a drug they codenamed EQ13-Mycel, now widely recognized as Boletus Chain. This drug was incorporated into the diet of worms, remaining inert until consumed by a warm-blooded creature. After discovering its highly addictive properties, the dosed worms were distributed to the two city-states Boletus had been subservient to for centuries. It wasn't long before Boletus became a crucial supplier of an exceptionally flavorful and addictive worm. Once their neighbors began treating them more equitably, Boletus turned their attention upwards. Merchants spread the dosed worms to what would become known as Lir'frod, the Worm Field, creating addicts within the ancient empires and modern city-states.
During the era of the Galirkrad Empire (1301 HE - 1725 HE), Boletus supplied the drugged worms, while Galirkrad ensured the security of the Worm Field and facilitated the transport of worms to local markets. From the depths of Boletus, they exercised control over the worm supply, releasing them only upon receiving a share of the profits. Organized groups were formed to oversee this operation, giving rise to protection rackets and schemes by those seeking a piece of the lucrative trade. The notoriously criminal underworld of the region traced its origins to Boletus's practice of drugging the worms. This created a vast network of addicts, a thriving commerce, and widespread criminal activity. The people of Boletus were consequently corrupted, leading to the emergence of crime bosses no less unscrupulous than those plaguing the surrounding crime-ridden states.