Dunklestadt was formed by wealthy investors in Tesaria's future who had helped found Oak Hill, but found themselves wanting a more... Unusual locale for their own residences. Crossing the waters between Oak Hill and another landmass to the East, the investors landed on the shrouded shores between The Twilight Woods and The Ghost Grove swamp. Some decided to head North into The Twilight Woods, becoming hermits primarily, and some forming The Dusk Sanctuary. Others, undaunted by the difficulties of building in the swamp or the spectral creatures that resided there, went South, forming the Shade Road, which would extend from their landing down to where Dunklestadt would be formed.
The city of Dunklestadt is one in constant battle against evil, prejudice and corruption. As many of its founders had been besieged by spectral creatures and visions of monstrous terrors in the deep dark of the ocean further to the east, some went mad, their designs for the city helping to draw wild magic closer from the nearest leyline intersection. As some managed to resist, they prevented a terrible devastation from sweeping across Tesaria, but many became warped by the release of wild magic which created atavistic mutations, accentuated magical affinity in certain bloodlines, and caused a genetic hybridization of many with the spectral creatures living in the area, among other consequences. Those that survived and helped Dunklestadt become strong embraced the changes, inviting those infected with or born to lineages infected with the Vilru and Luniis viruses, Ghouls and other outcasts to join with them and build a society that would fully accept them.
Many from across the planet came to Dunklestadt, and as the city government grew it reexamined many of the forbidden religions, sciences, magics and other unusual areas of study forbidden by the cultures their citizens had left, in some cases upholding strict regulation or outright banning certain studies outside of governmental defense against their fruition, but in many cases either having moderate regulation or allowing unrestricted practice. As a result, Dunklestadt has had much criticism and negative propaganda put forth by many other countries, but Tesaria has stood firm in defending its right to govern as it does, so long as it guards its borders to ensure those practices not yet approved for Tesaria as a whole are done in a contained and regulated area. The government of Dunklestadt has been more than happy to accept this conditional support, and have indeed managed to convince other cities and the over-arching government of Tesaria to reconsider studies and permit their widespread practice. By and large, this has been due to residents of Dunklestadt itself making allies in other regions, but Kestrel Alras and her allies had also been of great influence after they learned certain knowledge and skills they needed in order to help win the Tesarian War for Independence.
While Dunklestadt's citizens do not largely group according to their species, there are some exceptions with those of Vilru of Luniis infection typically grouping together simply to help manage their condition more effectively. The Southern edge of Dunklestadt is known as The Hage, and it is constantly expanding out onto the ocean with the pier stretching out along its Eastern border. There many who study the aquatic life native to Tesaria in general and The Ghost Grove's ocean shelf reside and work, though they are oft under supervision when their studies take them further off to the East where the deep dark terrors slumber. The Western edge of Dunklestadt is known as The Boar's Bay, and it stretches from The Hage up to The Glade of Secrets. There most study agriculture, magical mutations and attempt to gain knowledge from the specters that roam The Glade of Secrets. The rest of Dunklestadt is called The Foldarre, and every single block is filled with a myriad of different studies underway, as well as the many cemeteries and catacombs built into the swampland, the multitude of citizens living ordinary lives, and those who make their living off of the occasional tourist and sometimes skirting the edge of the law in order to survive and thrive.
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