Trothgard

[Maeve]

The northern peninsula, a land of ice and snow that houses the proud matriarchs of a simple hunter society under one goddess.

[Maeve]

Southern Shores - The Landing Cove - Entrance Thread
Sheer cliffs of ice and sharp stones surround it on either side, the frigid water lapping at the bases of the ships and rocks. Only skillful navigators can chart a path from the mouth of the cove across the shifting currents, hidden rocks, and drifting icebergs to the landing area. The landing area itself is marked only by a few tall wooden posts for docking and an array of narrow flags in a myriad of colors that were once bright, but have now faded pale and pulled to threads and ribbons by what seems to be a ceaseless icy wind.

There are several other boats docked along the pier, and the area bustles with people clambering across the jagged, snow-covered rocks near the water to the more solid, if frozen, land of the cove. The well-travelled visitor can recognize traders from nearly every inch of Tazlure, greeting familiar faces in a dazzling array of accents, exchanging details about the voyage, comparing prices and markets - or even cursing (in a low voice, of course) about the inhospitable weather and choppy seas of Trothgard.

Every exclamation is punctuated by a burst of foggy breath in the bitterly cold air.

[Maeve]

Rimmerhold - The Trade Hall
The Trade Hall looms before you, one of the largest buildings in Rimmerhold, a large circular tent with walls and a domed roof made from tanned animals skins in a convenient location in the heart of the settlement. Inside smoldering braziers keep the temperature comfortably warm, warmer than most areas in Trothgard out of consideration for the numerous outsiders who visit here and are unaccustomed to the biting cold of the Northern wastes. The floor is smooth, bare stone, covered here and there by large furry pelts and animal skins that serve as area rugs.

Banners representing each of the clans of Trothgard hang from the center of the hall, with additional banners representing the various cities and settlements of the Seven Isles and beyond with whom Trothgard has had trading contact.

Some of the banners are new, their colors rich and bold; others are older, their colors faded and edges frayed, some representing the oldest and best-known trading families of Dort, who seem to have been running the commerce of Tazlure since the dawn of time; others are unfamiliar to most casual onlookers, representing once-powerful families who have now slipped into memory as their power and fortune waned, the only reminder of their once-great eminence a tattered cloth in a Northern hall.

There is always a busy hum of chatter in several languages within the trade hall, and new arrivals are barely noticed as the traders from all over go about their business, some hawking their wares and ideas with strident voices; others preferring to do business in small, discreet bunches along the edges of the building, their voices low.

Anything can be found here, any sort of adventure or good, if you know who to ask, and how to ask for it; but the ring of Trothgardian warriors, armed to the teeth and looking formidable, who line the walls, remind you that there are some ventures and some commodities which the people of Trothgard frown upon -- and will do anything to prevent.

[Maeve]

Rimmerhold - Temple of the Ice Queen
This deceptively simple-looking structure gleams and twinkles in the harsh northern light of Trothgard. A rounded dome of approximately 3 stories at its highest point, with a tunnel annex off the front, and a tall spire curling up from the back, its simple design is a testament to the simple people who created it. What makes it remarkable is the building material used. It appears to be a giant, artistic igloo of ice, but appearances are deceiving. It is made entirely of Trothgard crystal.

Upon passing through the see-through crystal entrance door, you find yourself at the start of a tunnel of about 10 feet high and 8 feet across. The floor of the temple is covered with a woven rug in shades of blue, silver and pale purple, with a border of rampaging Hippogryphs. The rug allows for traction on what is otherwise a smooth surface. During the day it is common to find several people standing around talking quietly amongst themselves. At the end of the annex is another doorway, this one with two large double doors, etched with the Trothgard axe symbol, and tinted in a pale blue.

Once you pass through these doors, the true wonder of the temple is revealed. The walls of the temple are covered with woven tapestries of the highest artistry, depicting the Ice Queen in her three guises, accomplishing the tasks she is known for amongst the Trothgard people: creating the Hippogryphs & their valley; gifting her people with the mines and their riches; providing a home for her people; calling them to war; and blessing their raids.

In between each tapestry, a deep alcove is carved into the wall, where Her worshippers leave her offerings, or small prayers carved into bits of stone, ice or crystal. Wood is too precious a commodity, even for prayer runes.

At the top of the tapestries, approximately 12 feet up, a ring of runes surrounds the temple. Above this etched ring, a beautiful pattern of blocks, stripes and scrollwork is interwoven for another 8 feet or so, slowly curving overhead. A second, more intense ring of carved runes tops this. The very centre of the roof of the crystal dome has been shaved to a very thin layer of crystal and then lightly tinted into a circular runic pattern, the colors of blue, lavender, pink and pale yellow coming down to reflect off the crystal walls and floor of the temple. This large skylight makes any further illumination inside the temple rarely, if ever, necessary.

The floor of the temple is organized for large audiences or gatherings of some sort. An outer ring of beautifully carved wooden benches surrounds the temple, traditionally kept for the older and ill members of the tribe. Inside that ring of benches, several rows of crystal steps descend down to the center of the temple. The risers of the steps angle backward, and you can see several women sitting there, having brought their own cushions and furs, the angle allowing them to recline comfortably. Directly in front of you, a wide column of normal steps moves down into the centre of the temple as well.

At its centre stands a slightly raised dais, about 10 feet in diameter. A simple wooden seat waits, covered with a fur throw of a delicate silver colour. It is here that the Kona sits to conduct the rituals of the Ice Queen and her worshippers.

As you look around in appreciation of the simple beauty surrounding you, a young girl, not yet an adult, as indicated by her featherless braids, approaches you.

"Greetings. What might you seek from the Ice Queen this day?"

[Maeve]

Rimmerhold - The Council Lodge
Even from a distance, the Council Lodge stands out: its base is a perfect circle, the half-dome that covers it so high that even the tallest of Trothgardians can comfortably stand along its circumference.

A plume of white smoke issues from the top of the lodge, for it is law that a fire must burn whenever the Council is ready to make decisions, render judgments, and mete out justice -- and the Council is always ready.

Unlike the simpler, portable homes of hides and wooden frames, the Council lodge is made of more permanent construction. Its only adornment is a band of wood, three-quarters of the way up the dome, carved simply and starkly with a procession of runic symbols.

When you step inside, you realize that the lodge is actually two circles: an outside waiting area, shielded from the wind and cold, shaped like a crescent around the central circle here the Council meets.

You can only catch a quick glimpse of the interior of the lodge -- walls hung with furs for warmth and decoration, colorful banners draped from the high ceiling -- before two spears are crossed in front of the opening. The entrance is guarded by two warriors from a rotating guard hand-picked from among the clans, all young women who have already distinguished themselves in combat.

There are several other people milling around the outer circle of the tent, from all strata of Trothgardian society -- women and men, young and old -- even slaves.

You are fixed with an icy stare as one warrior, tiger-eye gleaming in her braided hair, deigns to notice you. "State your business here," she says, her hand steady on her spear.