Icehaven

Along the icy northwestern shores of the Zemni Fields stands the only port in Western Wynandir. Icehaven is home to the dozen or so ships in the region outfitted to wander the ice floes of the Frigid Depths, and is the central trade post and only open port for hunters and adventurers who brave the Saltwallow Bog or the frozen north toward Eiselcross. The inhabitants of Icehaven earn their living ice fishing within the oft-frozen Kaltenloch, or are trappers who stalk the Velvin Thicket or edges of the Pearlbow Wilderness and return to peddle their furs and meats. Some more confident individuals might try their hand at netting some Eiselcross crab, a rare delicacy throughout the empire, but the shifting, freezing weather makes such endeavours dangerous.
A Sudden Concern
As the war with the Kryn Dynasty escalated far to the east, few eyes were on the backwater port of Icehaven until fishers and explorers began to return from expeditions to Eiselcross with stories of odd ruins and even odder creatures. Rumors of pre-Calamity artifacts began to spread among the nobles of Rexxentrum, until the King and the Cerberus Assembly suddenly took an interest. With an influx of soldiers, sellswords, and fortune-seekers looking to make their way to the mysterious landmass, Icehaven and its residents are trying to adapt to the unexpected attention.

Government

While Icehaven is rarely of concern to the Dwendalian Empire, the town has a starosta. Currently the office is held by Ernath Noack, an older man who survived an extensive forty-year career as an Eiselcross crab fisherman. The local government is mostly left well enough alone except when it comes time for the Crown's tithe collectors to exact taxes. This yearly event has become something of an occasion to the lower-class fisher folk, who harangue the tithe collectors with fusillades of insults and endless pranks, each more humiliating than the last.
Due to the relative lack of imperial oversight and the harsh weather, many of the Crownsguard assigned to Icehaven put minimal effort into their watch, leaving room for laws to be bent or broken. The general sense of being at the end of the world during the long winter makes many within the town feel disconnected from the empire and its laws, which is both liberating and disconcerting.

Defences

A small company of Crownsguard keeps the peace, while a fresh group of Righteous Brand soldiers have been assigned to the docks.

Industry & Trade

Resources are limited, so mostly basic supplies and standard arms are available. Relics recovered from Eiselcross can occasionally pass through, providing strange and exotic curiosities for acquisition.

Guilds and Factions

Simple temples mark city squares, while hidden shrines to Crown-forbidden gods lurk on the outskirts of the town. The empire continues to push for stronger influence, and Myriad operatives interested in Eiselcross's mysteries are also beginning to work their way into Icehaven.

Geography

Surrounding the small inlet harbor, Icehaven is a cramped, crescent-shaped town of snow-coated log cabins and lantern-lined street corners. The city is divided into two main areas: the Harborline, where the docks house the fishing vessels and the few ice-ready ships, and the Haven, where the crowded buildings seem to be clustered together for warmth. The streets shift between snowy mud and slicks of ice, curving through twisting alleys in a haphazard layout.

Type

City

Population

5,090 (71% humans, 12% elves, 10% dwarves, 7% other races)

Location under

Zemni Fields

Owning Organization

Dwendalian Empire