Phanêthil

Category	Cities
Location	Gathrot
Region	Necrocrypt
Owner	Black Tide of Thasmudyan
Population	75,000+
Founded	1 Witchrite 882 HE
Map	Nithlurik

Phanêthil was constructed during the Horgon Era by the Abâthigûr. Following the Durkoth exodus to the depths (see Durkoth Descent), the settlement fell into a state of dilapidation.

After the downfall of Abâthigûr, the ruins garnered the attention of necromancers, adventurers, and those in pursuit of ancient wisdom and potent magical artifacts.

In the year 1015, the Melephaeusa empire commenced the evacuation of the Moredhel valley. Faced with the looming Gulimbor Cataclysm, they resettled nearly 50,000 people on the island of Gathrot. Phanêthil became their new place of dwelling. However, the machinations of the lich Caliguworm ultimately led to the downfall of the Melephaeusans, who endured only thirteen years in this city.

In 1039, Phanêthil became the birthplace of the Cult of Worms. In 1092, construction commenced on the shrine where Thasmudyan ascended to the status of Higher Power. This hallowed edifice is known as the Basilica of Thasmudyan.

In the Artery War (1546 - 1554), the Black Tide was forced to withdraw from Brucrumus. The remaining leaders and a select few made their way to Necrocrypt, where they commenced the reconstruction of this ancient Abâthigûr city, now serving as their new capital. The rebuilding efforts were spearheaded by Dax Jagg. Following a disagreement with Katrana, he relocated to the Mularûn ruin, where the restoration work commenced.

Phanêthil is an unholy realm where the undead roam unimpeded. By day, the denizens are primarily composed of skeletons. However, as night falls, ghosts, wraiths, and ghouls emerge from the shadows. Prisoners are frequently drugged and deposited in the city center, only to awaken at nightfall to the nightmarish howls of the infernal creatures patrolling the dark and ominous streets. Compounding the dangers of this wretched place is a toxic green gas that seeps from the sewer grates. Beneath these grates lie the ghoul-infested sewers and laboratories where unspeakable atrocities are perpetrated.

The city is a region fraught with corruption, its core embodying the Basilica of Thasmudyan. This manifests through "evil weather" - gloomy, overcast skies and a perpetual drizzle.