Thanaclan was once a magnificent Olman city-state, located inside a volcanic crater in the center of the Isle of Dread. Today, only its ruins remain.
History
Around 3,000 years ago, a great fleet of Olman galleys, barges, and large outrigger canoes left the continent of Za'har, sailed east across the Wyn Myr, and landed on the Isle of Dread.
Soon after, The Olman founded a a great city in the volcanic center of the island, which eventually became the city-state of Thanaclan. The city soon became one of the wealthiest and most influential in the far-flung Olman Empire, thanks in large part to the great amount of treasures harvested from the islands's natural resources.
To protect their wealth and their city, the Olman built a magnificent barrier across the only lowland approach to the interior of the island. Called "the Wall," this barrier of stone and timber was seen as an impregnable barrier to any potential invader.
This barrier, which took decades to complete, impressed all visitors to Thanaclan with its sheer magnitude. With their wall completed, the people of Thanaclan began to prosper beyond their wildest imaginations.
The Fall of the City
For generations, Thanaclan was a glorious success, but its citizens could not have known they had an unseen enemy. Long before the first Olman settlers landed here, the Isle of Dread had been in the possession of the Kopru; a race of evil aquatic creatures. The Kopru had, themselves, once commanded a great empire; but by this date, that empire was in sharp decline. The Kopru had a reputation for three things; their great intelligence, their cruelty, and their absolute devotion to their deity; Demogorgon.
Working with the Demon-Lord, the Kopru labored for decades in their plans to destroy the Olman trespassers. Kopru sorcerers and priests labored in dark subterranean lairs unfolding their vile plot; the creation of the largest black pearl the world had ever seen. This was no ordinary pearl, but instead one of the dreaded Shadow Pearls. Spawned by a gigantic fiendish oyster, and imbued with Demogorgon's demonic powers, the pearl was both irresistibly beautiful and deadly. When the great black pearl was completed, The Kopru released the pearl in a place where they knew the Olman would find it; The trap had now been set.
Local pearl fishers soon found the ebony prize and triumphantly brought it back to Thanaclan, where the pearl was ensconced on the altar of the high temple, as a trophy from the Gods. But once in place, the curse of the pearl began, corrupting everything it came in contact with. Soon the Olman Gods turned their backs on Thanaclan. The effects the curse grew ever stronger, and the resulting calamities grew. Terrible storms battered the island, crops failed, wild beats began rampaging the city, and a eerie fog descended upon Thanaclan.
Soon the very ground beneath the city began to shake violently. In a panic, Olman priests tried to use magic to cast the pearl into another dimension. But this final enchantment only sealed their doom. The pearl opened and an oily, green mist poured forth, engulfing the entire city. Soon after, a great explosion rocked the central plateau of the island, opening up a gateway between worlds.
In a rush of filthy water, the entire city of Thanaclan was consumed by the Abyssal domain of Demogorgon. The entire region was saturated by this dark force, and those Olman not immediately killed were driven completely mad with Savage Fever. This fever infected the entire population, which succumbed into a violent, homicidal rage which consumed the entire population of the island.
This catastrophe became known as the "Savage Tide;" and gave the island its ominous name; "Isle of Dread."
The people of Thanaclan also had a spiritual relationship with a creature who dwelt in the waters off the island. This creature was known as Emraag; (the Glutton)
