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History of Tollen

This is a chronicle of the history of the Free City of Tollen, from its founding to the present day. Tollenders are deeply proud of their long history, and many will claim that Tollen is the oldest continually occupied human city in the world. Whether true or not is hard to know, but regardless Tollen’s history stretches deep into the past.

Founding Era

before the Downfall

Tollen was originally settled on the north bank of the Volta long ago, when the elves still ruled vast forests far to the south, and great lizardfolk swamps occupied the land that is now Sembara. The Skaer say that the first Tollenders were their distant ancestors, a mariner people who came from Hkar on great ships and slowly explored and settled the shores of the Green Sea, but it is clear that even from the beginning Tollen was a place where many cultures met and intermingled. This era lasted until the Downfall and the sinking of Hkar upended the world, reaching even as far away as the Green Sea.

The Skaer Empire

Downfall - DR 402

In the aftermath of the Downfall, the seas shifted, the ocean turned violent, and the land dried up, the great swamps of the lizardfolk south of Tollen shrinking to small remnants. Many people die in storms and famine. During this time, the Skaer emerge from the ancient seafarers who originally settled Tollen, and become the dominant people of the Western Green Sea, worshipping the ocean goddess Kaikkea. Tollen becomes a major port and trade center under Skaer rule. However, to the south, the influence of the Drankorian Empire is growing, and this era ends when the Skaer sign the Treaty of Marhavn with Drankor.

Most people believe that the oldest parts of Tollen – Fiskurth, Skepwalk, and Aesganstrad – were settled during this era.

  • 402 DR: The Treaty of Marhavn is signed between Emperor Goristo and the Skaer, marking the end of the Skaer Empire in Tollen and the beginning of the Age of Drankor

Age of Drankor

DR 402 - DR 1059

The Treaty of Marhavn establishes the Volta as the northern border of the Drankorian Empire. Though Tollen, on the north bank, is not under Drankorian governence, Skaer warships are forbidden to sail the Volta, leaving Tollen deeply reliant on the Drankorian Empire for protection. In practice, it becomes a Drankorian protectorate during the early part of the Age of Drankor. Throughout this period, though, Tollen retains its place as a cultural mixing ground, where many languages can be heard, and temples to the Eight Divines coexist with those dedicated to Kaikkea. The Skaer, though they diminish in power and influence, retain control over the Temple of Kaikkea and continue to maintain an important presence in the city.

This is a time of significant expansion for the city. The Tollen Bridge is constructed during this era by the Drankorians, as are the first stone walls of the city. Nordgate, established around the original north gate of the city; Bridgeward and Southbridge, on the north and south sides of the Tollen Bridge; and Magus Street, east of the older Skaer districts and away from the river, all date to this era. Bridgeward was a major commercial district during this era, and retains some of that character today, while Southbridge and Nordgate retain little of their ancient character.

The Age of Drankor in Tollen ends when Drankor falls to the First Plague in DR 1059.

  • 1059 DR: The Fall of Drankor and the First Plague ends the Age of Drankor in Tollen

The Free City

DR 1059 - DR 1695

Tollen first came to prominence as a small part of the Skaer empire, and grew as a city under the shadow of the Drankorian Empire. After the Fall of Drankor, it truly became a free city. Though little is recorded from the years immediately after the Fall of Drankor, by the time modern Sembara is established under Derik I, Tollen is a significant regional power, and during the Great War, Tollen is an ally to Derik III. After the Great War, with the decline of Cymea as a maritime power, Tollen’s navy grows in strength and the city begins to project strength throughout the Western Gulf and the Straits of Cymea.

During this long history, Tollen expanded in several waves. As the city grows, the walls are expanded to the north and west, incorporating Godshome and Guildgate into the city. In the years before the Great War, the walls are expanded again, and Fat Brook is covered; the western part of Guildgate (formerly Guildgate Outer) is enclosed in the walls at this point, as are the districts of Fairgate Inner (then simply Fairgate) and Haurhill, encompassing the hill where an old Drankorian fort once stood on the height of land above the Little River. In this period, sometime near the time of the Great War, the Battery ward, on the south bank of the Volta, is constructed to strengthen the defense the city.

The end of this period is dated to the beginning of Tollish attempts to control Western Cymea.

  • 1695 DR: Tollen starts to establish colonies in Western Cymea, at least in part in response to pirate activity in the Western Gulf

Recent Events

DR 1695 - current

In recent years, Tollen has grown from an important city to the strongest naval power in the Western Gulf. The city has grown larger, with the wards of Fenslane and Tideswell, on the south bank of the Volta, becoming established in recent years. Tollen’s influence has also grown, as now many settlements in Western Cymea are functionally Tollish colonies, and Tollen’s navies control the Straits of Cymea.