Hrist

Hrist is the capital city of both the Mithran tribe and the Kandar province and holds the court for the Kandar war efforts. Queen Andrea Helsing currently holds the reins of power as the Kandar War Chief, selected to be the single leader during war time, however, the leaders of the individual tribes bicker over almost everything. Currently the leaders of the Kandar tribes are arguing at how best to deal with the Thrull incursion and how much help they should accept from the Bürach Empire in their war efforts, if at all.
Though the cultures of the three major Clans of Kandar are quite divergent, if there is a cultural center of Kandar, it is Hrist. This cosmopolitan city has the feel of a hill fort that has grown beyond its origins, a fortress that has expanded to become a merchant city. Although the majority of the residents of Hrist are Valikan—most belonging to Clan Mithra—a foreigner could walk down the main streets of the city and feel at home, surrounded by humans, elves, dwarves, dragonborn, half-orcs, and others from nearly any nation of Etharis. Hrist welcomes all people within its borders, especially if they intend to aid Kandar against Thrull’s invasion, or offer good terms in a trade. And preferably both!

The Circles.

The people of Hrist reside in three distinct circles, separated by two walls (no wall encloses the outer circle).
The inner circle, the oldest part of the city, holds the Great Hall. It is also where the residences of the oldest families in Clan Mithra are nestled. Relatives of the various jarls frequently stay in homes in the city, petitioning Queen Andrea for favors for their jarldoms. Smithing and jewelry-making families, both Valikan and dwarven, have homes and workshops in this portion of the city. A few other craftspeople, if they become wealthy enough, buy a property within the inner circle, but openings to move inward are few and far between.
The middle circle is the second oldest part of the city, is much larger than the inner circle, and is home for the majority of the Valikans who live in Hrist. Merchants and craftspeople, skalds and artists, make their homes here. The middle circle houses the Skald Library and the Kaupang, Hrist’s vast marketplace. The outer circle spreads beyond the city walls, and includes the foreign quarters, where traders and diplomats reside. The outer circle has the most inns and taverns in Hrist, many of which are in more southern styles, as they were built by travelers to the area. The outer circle of Hrist also has a popular marketplace, and items that border the edges of Hrist’s legality are far easier to purchase in the outer circle. The barracks are also in this part of the city, with soldiers from all Kandar coming to Hrist to train and learn the tactics of the Mithran army.

The Great Hall and the Queen’s Seat.

The largest building in Hrist is the Great Hall of Queen Andrea Helsing, who has held the title for the past thirty years. The Great Hall itself belongs to no one family, though it has long been the center of Clan Mithra. The ruler of Clan Mithra has long resided in Hrist, and though the Helsings have been those elected rulers for seven generations, all of Clan Mithra remembers a time before that, when the Sommers family ruled. It is that long heritage that gives names to elements within the Great Hall. The Sommer Throne, for example, is an intricately carved wooden chair, said to be engraved with runic magic. In the tales of Hrist, the seat is said to grant wisdom and longevity to the ruler of Clan Mithra.

The Skald Library.

Very few libraries in Etharis rival the collection held in the Skald Library, although many of the relics and artifacts are not bound books. While traditional academics are in short supply in Kandar, the clans have a long, long oral tradition that stretches back to the battle against Gormadraug. When the Valikan clans decided to codify those oral legends into the Lord Edda, skalds and lawspeakers from across the north gathered in Hrist, committing their stories to paper. Several versions of this manuscript are kept in pristine condition in the Skald Library, and the skalds who visit the library frequently argue over which details from the earlier manuscripts should have made it into the final, codified version. In addition to the written cultural record of Valika, the Skald Library contains written laws and judgments, as dictated by lawspeakers from various clans and jarldoms across Kandar. The collection has also expanded to hold treaties and merchant agreements, as well as copies of historical records from the southern nations. But while these historical and legendary records hold prominence within the building, another section is growing and expanding, enough that the skalds are making plans to create another branch of the library. This new wing would house the ballads, songs, and romances collected from every corner of Etharis. Curated by Stjarna Skalddóttir of Clan Limgri, a devotee of the Lightbringer faith, this collection is meant to offer a ray of hope, shining in the darkness of Etharis.

Seiðr & Cider.

The best-known tavern in Hrist abuts the Skald Library; its name is a jest about forbidden arts of magic, which no respectable person would practice. This is a primary location for flyting competitions, and flytings that occur at the Seiðr & Cider are the ones most talked about throughout Hrist following the event. In reality, however, the Seiðr & Cider is run by a retired wizard, who does practice the kind of magic frowned upon by most Valikans (excluding Clan Rune). This distaste and distrust for the arcane has led Trygve Brewer to keep his former profession secret. Though Trygve is content with his urrent life, he does have a number of magical items in his home behind the tavern, left over from his younger days.

Holmgang Arena.

While the citizens of Hrist’s inner circle would like to believe their city is a law-abiding haven for all people and cultures, the outer circle is well beyond the more structured and codified behaviors endorsed by Queen Andrea and her followers. One of the most popular sites of debauchery in the outer circle is Holmgang Arena, where fighters compete for a championship title. These fights are unhindered by any sense of honor or fairness; instead, combatants are allowed to have at each other with any technique or style they choose until one surrenders or dies. The current champion of Holmgang Arena is Bjørn Painbringer, also called Bjørn the Beast. At almost eight feet tall, this half-orc is a member of Clan Morgöng, known as much for his trickery in combat as for his vast, brute strength. He’s held the title of champion for a full year—if he holds it through the next midwinter, Bjørn will be the longest champion the arena has seen.

The Rookery.

An unassuming hostler, known by the name Revna , serves as a stable keeper at the entrance to the middle circle, and many of the horses and sleigh- and sled-animals visiting Hrist are kept there while their owners have business at the great hall. However, Revna is also the spymaster of Queen Andrea, a member of Clan Morgöng who has declared her fealty to the war chief—at least for the duration of the Thrull invasion. The stable is two stories, and in the rafters, Revna keeps a parliament of ravens, who carry messages to and from her contacts throughout her clan.

Type

Capital