Illusk

Illusk was an ancient city that had been destroyed and rebuilt many times. The city of Luskan stood upon its ruins, the market district to its north, and the noisy slums to its south.

Notable locations

 * Darkwalk: A street bisecting the ruins of Illusk and lead to the Dark Arch. It was named for the haunted reputation of the ruins of Illusk.

History

 * -3000 DR : The city was founded around this date by Ruathen seafarers at the mouth of the River Mirar, displacing the local population of ice hunters.


 * -2103 DR : Illusk and its people were crushed under a giant-led orc horde. Even help from Jeriah Chronus and his Netherese arcanists couldn't save the city.


 * -425 DR : The Netherese returned to refound the city as a magocracy ruled by a Grand Cabal of mages led by Fynran the Flamelord.


 * -354 DR : Another Netherese arcanist named Melathlar arrived in Illusk, fleeing the phaerimms. Fearing that he would be followed, Melathlar sarificed himself to magically erect the Host Tower of the Arcane as well as huge stone walls and spellwards. Over the next several years more and more Netherese refugees migrated to Illusk as their homes in Low Netheril were wasted by the phaerimm lifedrain magic.


 * -111 DR : Several orc hordes swept down from the Spine of the world at once and wiped out both Illusk and Gauntlgrym as well as most of Delzoun. Most of the citizens of Illusk managed to flee and the local elf population united to defeat the orcs. The resiliant netherese descendants then begin rebuilding their homes three years later, restoring Illusk to it's former state.


 * -15 DR : The Grand Cabal became imperialistic and expand their borders south and east; as a result, they quickly met with elven resistance which then became organized.


 * -10 DR : In the Year of Burning Glades an elven army led by Lord Halueth Never attacked and defeated Illusk, though they failed to extinguish all Illuskan resistance. After long peace talks, the Illuskans and the elves agree on making the River Mirar the border between their realms in the Year of Pacts.


 * 95 DR : Ruathens returned to Illusk, this time as invaders. They slew the Grand Cabal but the rest of the wizards retreated into the Host Tower. Expecting to be hailed as heros, the Ruathens were surprised when the Illuskan people burned their ships and drove them out of the city. Over the next year, Stephan Blackspear drove most of the remaining wizards out of the city and established himself as Highlord of the city.


 * 151 DR : Illusk, possibly weakened by its efforts to help rebuild Gauntlgrym, is captured by yet another orc horde and renamed Argrock. This change doesn't last and after the orcs were driven out the city was recolonized by settlers from Yarlith, Uthtower and the Mlembryn lands. Taman Steeldrake rose to lead these colonists as the first Grand Prince of Illusk.


 * 306 DR : Illusk was attacked again by an orc horde, though this time it was defeated by an army of mercenaries.


 * 611 DR : The Everhorde leaves the city in ruins with only the Host Tower surviving the assault.


 * 806 DR : Laeral Silverhand, the witch-queen of Stornanter, sealed the liches of the Grand Cabal inside the Host Tower and began efforts to rebuild and resettle the ruins. By the time the construction was finished, the city was already prospering thanks to flourishing trade with Mirabar. This profit was used to obtain resources in order to build strong defensive walls. The city gained strong ties with Stornanter thanks to their mutual trading ties to Mirabar and then even more so when a Duke of Stornanter became the ruler of Illusk.


 * 1023 DR : After centuries of trade and successfully repelling attacks from Uthgardt, a Grand Prince named Galnorn tried and failed to conquer Mirabar.


 * 1044 DR : A Neverwintan wizard revealed Galnorn to be a doppelganger and slew it.


 * 1235 DR : Another band of orcs, calling themselves the Bloody Tusk tribe attacked and besieged Illusk. They continued the siege for 9 long years, ruining the city, until the last human resistance was defeated. The orcs used the ruins as a fortified bandit camp for 57 years until a Waterdhavian mercenary army cleared the ruins. With help from Neverwinter, the city was rebuilt and renamed Luskan by the next year.

After the Spellplague
Luskan later resided on the ruins of Illusk.