Oxibbul
In 8 I.R., the Hyperborean legions founded the city of Occibolos at a strategic location at the convergence of the Binjerin River, the North Cut, and an overland roadway. The city rapidly expanded over the course of the next several years from a frontier settlement to a bustling trade hub. Occibolos’ prosperity naturally attracted the interest of the invading Hundaei who poured across the Stoneheart Mountains and into Hyperborean lands. After withstanding several sieges, the city finally fell to the invaders in 494 I.R. The Hundaei burned the settlement and razed most of its structures to the ground. Occibolos sat vacant and unwanted for the next 1,000 years until 1494 I.R. when refugees from the surrounding area resettled the abandoned city. Its new occupants christened the settlement with a name — Oxibbul. Less than 10 years later, wizards fleeing the cataclysm at Tsen established the Gray Tower as a magical academy and guild hall. For the next three centuries, Oxibbul flourished in the shadow of the mystical structure. However, orcs and goblinoids from the Black Forest launched a wave of attacks against the city. The assaults continued almost unabated for the next century until even the mighty wizards could no longer hold back the surging tide. The remaining settlers and the wizards abandoned Oxibbul in 1915 I.R. Many retreated across The Fingers and established the towns of Elise and Glaivr.
The unenterprising orcs and hobgoblins rested on their predecessors’ labors and allowed the town to slowly and steadily decay until it was no longer habitable, even by their lowly standards. By 2390 I.R., the utterly deserted Oxibbul lay in ruins. It remained that way until 2599 I.R. when the Kingdom of Foere rebuilt portions of the city while also temporarily restoring its original name of Occibolos. The revitalized town enjoyed a fleeting revival before petering out again when the Kingdom of Foere’s power waned decades later. By 2880 I.R., Oxibbul regained its former name and status as a desolate, ruined settlement bereft of inhabitants.
Oxibbul’s ideal location at the crossroads of several important trade routes would seem to bolster its fortunes as a settlement, yet time and again the city inevitably decayed into rubble. The descendants of its former residents now living in Glaivr and Elise swear the ruins must be cursed. Some ancient chronicles claim the Hyperboreans who first laid Oxibbul’s foundations felt nervous and uneasy while excavating the site. An ancient tapestry depicts the first builders accidentally disinterring skeletal remains dipped into molten lead. According to legend, everyone depicted in the artwork mysteriously died less than one week later as blood relentlessly poured out of their swollen eye sockets. If the tale is true, the whereabouts and identity of the skeleton wrapped in lead remain unsolved. Likewise, its history and its relationship to the city are still shrouded in mystery.
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