Fjordenhaven

If not for the volcanic activity, Fjordenhaven would not likely exist. Sulfurous hot springs and lava flows provide warmth enough to maintain a boreal climate despite the scouring, frigid winds that sweep down from the north pole.

Fjordenhaven developed along these hot springs, making great use of the heat to produce both agriculture and energy for industry. The hot spots beneath the surface of the earth extend up a chain of craggy islands, and Fjordenhaven has inhabited all of these islands capable of supporting vegetation.

Fjordenhaven’s architecture is simple, with stone foundations and walls and steep wood-shingled roofs. They commonly decorate their entryways with scrimshaw carvings or decorative caribou antler displays.

Academic.

Fjordenhaven’s capital has a large library with conference rooms and study halls, but does not have formal education. Mystics and historians pass on their wisdom orally, traveling from town to town sharing their knowledge.

Aristocratic and Political.

Fjordenhaven is a traditional monarchy, the heirship passing from eldest child to eldest child. The younger siblings of the monarch are assigned governing positions over various regions, towns, or industries. Its current monarch is King Alfur Svansson.

Mercantile and Trade.

Fjordenhaven has a surprising number of wares to offer in international trade. They have a large shepherding community and industrial textile mills that process wool into fine cloth. They also mine valuable minerals from the volcanic mountains. Fjordenhaven maintains a few large caravels that make long voyages down Gathandia’s west coast, trading with Ruptaea, Vaenyth, and Pash.

Militant.

Fjordenhaven’s folk are hardened by the adversity of long, cold winters. The Fjordenhavian military is small but strong, and they maintain several fortified outposts along the mainland’s coast and their islands.

Religious.

Like many northern folk, the Fjordenhavian are fascinated by the northern lights. They believe it to be a manifestation of the Celestial Council’s will, and believe that when it appears in the sky, its colors and the sequence in which they appear foretell different events to come. Fjordenhavian priests interpret these signs, and the monarchy usually acts based on these predictions.

Social.

Fjordenhavians punish crime with swift and decisive harshness. A thief might have their hand chopped off and exiled from their town. If they are given no reason to be suspicious, however, the common folk are usually very warm to visitors from other towns and other nations.

Underworld.

There is little crime to speak of. Would-be thieves usually recognize that being caught and ostracized from society is too steep a price to pay in the harsh northlands.

Skevik

Skevik, the capital of the nation, is just north of the eastern river. Spread along the riverbank and the coast leading out to the Ice Sea, Skevik is the largest port city in Fjordenhaven. In addition to the library and the castle of the monarchy, Skevik also has a grand chapel with a beautiful pipe organ that is almost always in use, spinning its haunting melodies through the frigid air.

Points of Interest

The Frostvale. A wide valley between two icy mountain ranges, the Frostvale is a massive graveyard. Divided into a miles-wide plot of land for the common folk, a sizeable plot for warriors that fell in battle, and cavernous mausoleums for deceased monarchs, Fjordenhavians visit the Frostvale when they wish to pay respects to any of their ancestors. Rumor has it that the current living monarch is capable of calling all of the deceased up from the ground. Their bodies, preserved in the frozen earth, will stand ready to defend Fjordenhaven when the end of the world draws near.

The Ice Chapel. Chiseled out of the glacier facing north from the end of the western mountain range bordering the Frostvale, the Ice Chapel is considered a holy observatory from which Fjordenhavians can pay tribute to the Celestial Council. The acoustics in the glacial chapel make singing take on a wondrous, ethereal quality, and the ice is so thin on the walls high above that observers can see through it to observe the stars and the aurora.

Quest Ideas

• Pilgrims to the Frostvale have not returned to their town and are several weeks overdue. Can the heroes journey into the haunted valley and find them?
• A volcanic eruption has disrupted a local town’s economy and fire elementals have beset the poor townsfolk and shepherds. The heroes must defeat these elementals and prevent lava flows from destroying the town.
• The Aurora has prophesied that a horrible monster of winter and death will assail Fjordenhaven on the winter solstice. Can the heroes fortify the towns in time, and can they defeat the monster when it arises?