History
Gnoman Empire (Pre ~440 MH)
It is unclear whether either Gromborough can trace its way back quite as far as the Gnoman empire. There have been suggestions that ruins in the surrounding area could be Gnoman settlements, but these seems unlikely based on a number of contextual elements.
The first is that the area itself is still heavily forested. The Gnomans cleared much of the land the conquered for industry and building materials, and while the forests definitely do grow back, it does not take an expert arborist to see the trees in the Aldhad Woods are ancient. These also leads to the second point, that these are the perfect environments, (and indeed still to this day), for the homing of many dangerous beasts of the wild, as well as magical creatures. Pards and forest lions are notorious, along with sediment trolls and even the occasional moss giant. While modern architecture and design can offer reliable protection, the Gnomans, (advanced as they were), would still be taking a great risk to settle here.
The location too is unideal. There is access to the sea, via the Bignes River, but the Gnomans did not sea-fare as a point of policy. In addition, the proximity to Quillus, which was fully excluded at this time would have made it an unpopular spot. Put simply, despite some claims to the contrary, it is unlikely there was ever a Gnoman presence in the area.
Fort Blawenbor (621 MH)
The first record of civilisation in the area is a missive from a Palish captain who had conquered a fort in the area during the age of conquest. The territory would have fallen under the Kingdom of Ovrin at the time, but as the Ovrunns lacked capacity with written language and had a relatively stagnant culture, dating the traces of a wooden fort is virtually impossible. It certainly existed prior to this, but no credence can be given as to how long.
Neighbouring Grant to the House of Gromly (802 MH-840 MH)
All Ovrunn land was held by the Crown, awaiting a new monarch to command it’s dissolution, and tended by former soldiers. The wilderness in the west however, was largely ignored owing to its perceived danger. Beasts from the woods were a threat, Quillus still instilled more than a little fear in the hearts of men, and brigands roaming the coasts and using rivers to strike in land had become a problem.
When King Eric of Cabry took the throne and began to grant titles to formalise the ownership of the land, he initially bequeathed large portions of the nearby and more settled land to the human House of Gromly. The 1st Lord Gromly had been a elevated to nobility during the Ovrunn-Palish war, and had been awaiting a grant ever since, so this had been expected and planned for. A large portion of the Gromly wealth was put toward developing the land, connecting the settlements already present and creating a centralised estate.
This estate, was originally “Gromly Burg” and as the Gromly’s strengthened the economy of the local area it quickly became a thriving town. Rapid growth was created as industries were set up to court interest from Resalia in the south. Exports of weapons, and even mercenary leases, were used to ensure a flow of high value luxury perfume and paper goods, which in turn could then be traded to other noble households. As the population increased, Gromly Burg became Gromborough, and was one of the largest towns in Palus by the end of 830s. Due to the external wealth coming, taxes were low and the Gromly’s had a safe position, due to their control of the scarce commodities from Resalia.
The Foundation of West Gromborough (855 MH)
With the expansion Gromborough, two concerns began to arise. The first was the need for new resources to brought in to continue its rate of growth, as the surrounding land had been heavily deforested and the establishment of heavy industry would likely harm the cities reputation for easy living. Secondly, it was becoming ever more apparent at just how exposed the city was.
Gromborough was on the frontier, and while Resalia was not considered hostile, it was also not a definitive ally at this time. The support that could be provided from the surrounding settlements, was suitable when Gromborough had been smaller, but at its current size it required much greater protection.
It was quickly realised that Gromborough would never be easily defended and so the aim had to be deterrent. The Gromly’s were not experts in the military and while the garrison they employed was well equipped, it was always going to struggle with the sheer size of policing such a large populace. To this end, they had been relying on a minor house, the House of Turner to manage military and security affairs for them. With the need for security and resources, the Gromly’s took the opportunity to reward the Turner’s and had them elevated to landed Counts beneath them.
They were given the land west of Gromborough and charged with establishing a new settlement, this one more focused on industry, to export produce back to the city, as well as providing a staging ground for a sizeable relief force should it need to protect Gromborough. The Turner’s immediately set to work and built a fortress here. The Gromly’s financial resources were put to good use, hiring the best architects and masons from their respective guilds, and after 3 years of construction, the fort was finished. High walls on all sides protected it from the beast of the forest, although work was started to clear this, and prospecting found serviceable iron, tin, and copper ore in the area.
Although the fort was initially known as Thornhill, a colloquialism arose among the workers and merchants who shipped goods between the settlements, that truly this was simply, ‘West Gromborough’. This became so prevalent that a visiting cartographer mapping the area in 862, labelled the settlement as such on an official survey and thus, the name stuck.
Further Growth (856 MH - 923 MH)
As the two areas developed, Gromborough continued to require more resources and expansive works were conducted on West Gromborough expanding the fort. As the forest had been cleared, it was now viable for new inhabitants to settle in the area and they did so in droves. Gromborough was a place in high demand, but if one could not afford land there, West Gromborough, (well connected to it due to the highway running between the two), was an easy second choice. While the smaller town would never hope to match Gromborough in terms of size, it garnered a significant population in its own right.
The growth also lead the Turners to emulate the Gromly’s attempting to capitalise on the boom and boost their own financial status. At this time, it was considered safe to cut the military budget for which the settlement had initially been founded for, as the defensive nature of the city meant that it would seldom need a large garrison. This would become apparent when troops from further afield were used to support the Floralists, during the revolution in Resalia, but thankfully, the distant nature of the conflict and the only minor disruption to trade meant the Turners avoided scrutiny.
It was also during this period that the original House of Gromly became extinct. The city during this time was self-sufficient enough to feel no ill effects, but after three generations of Gromlys it was undoubtedly a change when the final Lord Gromly died without an heir in 918 MH.
The Second Creation of the House of Gromly (1012 MH)
The House of Gromly had been had been a prestigious name during its lifetime so it was unsurprising that it was created again. It was granted to the chairman of the ‘interim’ council that had been set up to look after the city following the death of the Lord Gromly, but as with any powerful position, it became difficult for anyone to be appointed without it being contentious. When the then King John, appointed Harold Parten as the new Lord Gromly, it was seen as a brave move. It angered a few, but mostly surprised and key to this choice, was that it ensured that someone already influential in Gromborough could be relied upon by the King. In addition, it was hardly a poor choice, Patern was an experienced administrator, undoubtedly he would have the skills to manage such a profitable city.
A Cathedral City (1023 MH)
With the huge success of the House, it was inevitable that Gromborough would become a city and it did so in 911 MH by grant of royal charter from King John. This recognition only furthered the growth and Gromborough became the second largest city in the country, with only Pallon exceeding it. When the Papacy came to Palingvyre, it became policy that all cities had a cathedral, and Gromborough was at the top of the list to have one built, not having an existing church that was grand enough.
The plans were for the cathedral to be fully funded by the new House of Gromly, in the end however, a donation by the Brotherhood of Saint Bernard covered the majority of the cost. In return, the Brotherhood leveraged the Gromly’s influence to secure the cathedral for themselves, a venture that was successful with the appointment of Cardinal Ormon, a Bernadine Brother, to the new cardinalcy following its completion in 1023 MH.
The Fall of House Turner (1057 MH)
Problems would arise, however, as the missions of the Brotherhood would anger neighbouring non-Cathirian nations. Several arrests of foreign agents were made thanks to forces in the city, but an equal number of breaches occurred, including the murder of the Abbot of the cathedral. The next cardinal appointed to Gromborough in 1056, was a member of the Western Church and the cathedral building itself converted from Brotherhood use, renamed from Malmes Abbey, to Malmes Cathedral.
This once again highlighted the precarious position of Gromborough, and questions were raised once more as to the Turner’s suitability. While security in Gromborough was not truly the Turner’s purview, they were the main source of trainees for the garrison, and while they had no control over Brotherhood meddling in foreign affairs, it was a convenient excuse to for Gromly to petition the Crown to remove them. The relationship had become strained over the years a the Turners continued, in the eyes of their fellow House, to profit from their reputation while unfulfilling their duties.
With no clear replacement, the House of Gromly subsumed control of West Gromborough again. They did what they knew who to do and stimulated the economy once more, bringing in another influx of growth, but again struggled with security. Still, be this point an alliance had been formed with Rusager, and this had been affirmed during the revolution, so the prevailing thought was that a winding down of the military would not be too problematic, ironically, the very thing the Turners had believed.
Silvillud (1167 MH)
It was in 1167 when Silvillud was founded that true external account of the situation was taken. The Protectorate required a garrison and supplies, and while the then 15th Lord Gromly was in a perfect position to supply the latter, the former was in rather more difficult demand. It had been expected, in line with the permissions listed in the letters patent for grant of West Gromborough to the Turners, that it would be able to field a considerable force, “such that could stand affirmed in the face of highest conflict”, and this had passed back to the Gromlys upon the Turners being stripped of their title.
It was the success and power that the Gromlys had acquired that allowed this indiscretion to be overlooked and they were given 5 years to correct their failure and field the requisite garrison.
Work began immediately, although priorities appeared misplaced. The work conducted was to show improvement, many of the wooden and stone walls replaced or built up, a new keep was constructed, but the Gromlys still struggled with recruitment. This was clearly motivated in part, by a need to recover some reputation after the disastrous endorsement of the Brotherhood, and then the subsequent hypocrisy of failing in an identical manner to the old Turner counts.
The Leodamite War (1187 MH)
When Silvillud was attacked by Leodama in 1187, the House of Gromley should have had more than enough time to remedy the prior failures of West Gromborough. A spate of illnesses within the family had seen the now 16th Lord Gromly woefully disorganised however, and while Silvillud did not fall during this war, reinforcements due to arrive from West Gromborough were late and it could not have been at a worse time.
The Lord Protector at the time was Jordan Eyllot and he was furious at the lax response from West Gromborough. While it was ultimately inconsequential in the result of the war, with the undead legion of Quillus pursing the Leodamites back, for an involved commander who had just lost nearly four hundred soldiers to see a disorganised and ill-lead relief force to arrive three days late... Heads would roll. Lord Eyllot personally rote to the King and petitioned the revocation of all of the Lord’s titles and that he be struck from the Armiger’s Roll.
In a twist of irony, had it not been for the clear emotional instability of the Lord Protector in his letter, his arguments may have been more persuasive. Still, his request for punishment would not go unanswered. The House of Gromly had failed to deliver on its permissions and there was no way for them to retain the title of Earls of Thornhill. The Protector would also be vindicated in another way however, as he had recommended a replacement from among his own soldiers. A infamous family of Darmia had been making a name for themselves in the Palish military for some time, the Gattly family. They were somewhat unique, in that for several generations now, each member, regardless of sex, had applied for military service and excelled at it. Of course, there were casualties, but this only made their dedication all the more impressive. The current head of the family was General Thomas Gattly, he and his wife both being high ranking officers in Silvillud during the fighting. His wife a perished, but her sacrifice would not be in vain, as it was Thomas who would be ennobled for his service.
It was also at this time, when new letters of patent where issued, that the clerical error of West Gromborough was realised. Thornhill was elevated to a duchy, with its capital being West Gromborough and a writ was also issued officially changing Gromborough to be East Gromborough, in an attempt to avoid any confusion between the two.
The Present Day (1412 MH)
The appointment of a military family had a clear impetus, of which administration was not one, but the new Duke proved passable at this. Now ruled over by the Lady Irene Gattly, the duchy had made pains to preserve its relationship with its twin and the Gromlys and Gattlys are known to be cordial to one another.
Military might has not been an issue since the new regime took over and two renowned companies, the Gattly Blues and the Grombian Sappers have both been spawned from it. The Blues are a cavalry company, and fight dismounted after an initial lanced charge. Their horses are known to be trained expertly, unable to be fazed by even the most sudden of noises. The Sappers are expert tunnellers and have developed the defences of the city even further with a series of holds and refuges beneath the keeps, these kept very well provisioned at all times.
As referenced West Gromborough is now a city, following the construction of the Abbey of Thorns, a cathedral for the Chaplaincy of Merita, the Patroness of Battle, (of which the Gattly’s also happen to be adherents of). The population had not grown much, unlike under the Gromly rulership, and it is one of the smaller cities of Palingvyre. That being said, it pairs well with East Gromborough, which is still second in terms of population size. The Gromlys still rule there and the city recently celebrated the 25th inheritance of the title by Lawrence Gromly.