Summerhelm

Summerhelm is another town that is prosperous purely due to its location on the main trading artery that travels through Etharis on to its final destination of Hrist. Because of this Summerhelm is a highly fortified for a town fi its size with a sizable guard to protect itself and the roads clear of bandits and Thrull raiders trying to pillage and loot merchants and travellers alike. Due to being the only viable way into the heart of Grarjord via land, the Kandar province understands that this is their first defence against the Bürach Empire is the event of an invasion.
The city of Summerhelm, the seat of power of Jarl Birger av Summerhelm, is the second largest settlement in Kandar, but otherwise bears little similarity with Hrist. While Hrist prides itself on being the height of civilization in the north, a city of honor and welcome in a world gone mad, Summerhelm embraces the chaos of the dark days of winter and sleeps away the longer sunlight of summer.

The Summer Palace.

Unlike most of Kandar, Summerhelm’s construction is more like what is found in the southern kingdoms, with the Summer Palace being the greatest example. The large fortress is built like an Ostoyan Castle and was likely held by the ancestors of that nation in the distant past. But deeper inside the building, it’s clear that humans were not the original builders of this monument to strength. In the depths below the palace, hallways are shaped from stone that appears untouched by mortal hands. Heat rises from the lowest levels, and a clever system of conduction allows this heat to spread throughout the building, even in the coldest days of winter. Rumors say that elementals are trapped within the palace walls; other stories suggest that the walls themselves are magically wrought. Still others say the original fortress upon which the palace sits was built by the gods before they disappeared. The most foreboding story of the palace’s construction, however, is that the bowels beneath are the tunnels hewn by Gormadraug’s body. Some say that the dragon’s scales are embedded in the walls, and it’s the power of the sleeping dragon that brings the palace its heat. Jarl Summerhelm is uninterested in the truth, though he has employed a number of mercenaries and adventurers in an effort to secure any unknown passages into and out of the castle. Several have been discovered, which only convinces the jarl that more remain to be found. The jarl is also frequently absent from the city, traveling to various southern nations, using his title and money in an attempt to gain prestige beyond the walls of his home country. The result is that his mercenaries frequently have the full run of the palace, and many old treasures could easily make their way out of Summerhelm in those warriors’ capable hands.

The Dream Market.

Beyond the palace, the city of Summerhelm is enclosed by a tall stone wall. Locals suggest that it must have been built by giants, because even during the light of summer, the wall casts lengthy shadows across Summerhelm, making it feel as though the city exists in a perpetual twilight. This shadowy atmosphere perfectly suits the needs of the many illicit merchants that make the city their home. Though there are many storefronts that appear to be on the right side of Kandar’s cultural laws, the greater center of commerce is known as the Dream Market. As Jarl Summerhelm’s attention towards the city has dwindled, the Dream Market has become more open about its wares. Despite the supposed forbidden trade between Kandar and Thrull, many of the Dream Market’s merchants are from western lands; more still come from the south, selling Full Moon Extract in exchange for Dreams Leave. Weaponry, frequently ill-gotten, goes for reasonable prices, and mag- ic charms, both real and fake, fill the tables of the market.

Type

Large town