Fyrenstone Shard

A mid-sized shard and one of the only remaining elven kingdoms, Fyrenstone corresponds to a location on the northern coast of Russia in the Old World. The shard is known by several names, often warped by their translation through different languages; it's most commonly known as Fyrenstone (a skewed version of 'Fire-In-Stone', which in turn is a crude translation of the unpronounceable draconic name for the shard), but elves will often also refer to it as Snowsong or Eshiven after its capital city. The shard is notable for being the home territory of the Wave Walkers, a distinct subrace of elves with shapeshifter blood in their ancestry.

Climate and Geography

Cold and seemingly inhospitable due to its far northern location, Fyrenstone manages to survive its bitter winters largely due to heat from the volcanic processes happening in the earth below. It's still cold and snowbound during about half the year, with the sea icing over almost entirely but there's no permafrost and the summer months are mild enough for agriculture in the southern valleys. To the north, the shard is far more mountainous and thickly blanketed in pine forest; the stronghold of Snowsong itself is almost impossible to reach by land and serves as a formidably defensible harbor. The ocean approaches to Fyrenstone are protected by a chain of small, barren islands that serve as the border to the shard, as well as the great Gate of Talosh guarded on either side by elven fortresses.

Population and Governance

The people of Fyrenstone are warriors and sailors by nature, and the majority of them live within the city of Snowsong itself; outside of the city, though, a handful of smaller towns are home to those who prefer to work the land and fish in the shard's great sheltered bays. The population is primarily Wave Walker elves, though it's more likely to encounter regular elves outside of the city itself. The shard is also home to a sizeable population of shapeshifter clans. While it might be unheard of for an elven kingdom to house a significant number of one of the other races, the Wave Walkers are far friendlier with the shapeshifters than almost any other non-shifter population despite their past history of conflict.
The shard, like all of the elven kingdoms, is ruled by a royal family that periodically holds the rotating title of High King. In Snowsong the importance of blood and ancestry is more important than ever due to the Wave Walkers' strict recording of lineage, and the ranking of each distinct family within the city is meticulously observed. Governance of the shard's smaller towns is also hereditary, with the towns and the surrounding countryside the responsibility of certain noble families.

Capital

SNOWSONG/ESHIVEN
The City of Snowsong is a natural marvel, and has been the home of the Wave Walkers for millennia due to its defensibility. Situated where the mountains abruptly drop off into the ocean in a series of impressive cliffs, the city is built within a vast opening in the cliff face that forms a natural sheltered harbor large enough to hold a small fleet of ships. The inhabitants of the city live against the cavern's walls, in staggered levels of buildings rising from stone docks all the way to the stone ceiling overhead; though the sea freezes and locks their ships in harbor during the winter, Snowsong itself is kept livable and even pleasant due to volcanic heat rising to the surface. Despite the forbidding appearance of the city, it's a surprisingly cheerful place made beautiful with the spoils of a thousand voyages.

Other Notable Locations

THE BREAKWATER
A chain of shoals and small, rocky islands that form a protective outer ring along the water boundaries of the shard. They blunt the worst of storms coming off the ocean and helped funnel would-be invaders through the narrow Gate of Talosh.
THE BLOOD VALLEYS
Also known as the Blood-Soaked Earth by the ancient dragons, the high mountains surrounding Snowsong itself are thought to be home to a long-ago battle between draconic factions. Almost inaccessible except via Snowsong's tunnels, the area is riddled with pocket valleys filled with striking, pale trees whose leaves are as red as shed blood. The Blood Valleys are startlingly temperate compared to their frigid surroundings, thought to be heated by the volcanic heat below the mountains in the same way as Snowsong itself.
THE BURNING EYE
The sole active volcano of the shard, the Eye is an outlet for the molten magma that lies close to the surface in Fyrenstone and is often smoking or lit with the glow of its caldera. It served as a beacon in the days before the Shattering, guiding Wave Walker ships home from their travels.
THE GATE OF STONES
The land entrance to the shard, and the only remnant of a settlement that fell into ruin milennia ago. Though most of the buildings are little more than overgrown piles of stones, the Gate itself still stands as an impressive first sight for travelers being deposited in its shadow.
THE GATE OF TALOSH
The only opening in the Breakwater and now serving as one of the shard's entrances, the Gate of Talosh is an open expanse of sea guarded on either side by two ancient fortresses. It was a formidable hurdle for any hostile ships to overcome, exposing them to defensive fire.
THE KILLING TREE
Located in the Blood Valleys where they connect to the city of Snowsong, the Killing Tree is considered the first and oldest of the valley's ancient red-leafed trees. Its massive trunk is intricately carved with an ever-growing record of the city's people and their births, marriages, and deaths, and is considered their living history. Thought to once be the site of sacrifices to Red Shadow in ancient times, it's still the place where those who commit grave crimes are executed.
LASTHEARTH INN
Set at the southern end of the Northward Passage, the Lasthearth Inn is considered the last place to get a warm meal and a decent night's sleep before braving the mountain passes. It's also the only civilization within less than a hard day's ride from the Gate of Stones, making it a popular first stop among travelers entering the shard by land.
LORD OF WAVES
A great carved statue of Talosh, god of the ocean, that's carved into the cliffs near the entrance of Snowsong's harbor. Departing ships make offerings to the waves as they pass beneath the statue's watchful gaze, believing the god's eyes are upon them.

map of Fyrenstone Shard

Quick Facts

Approximate Size: ~2300 sq. miles
Number of Entrances: 2
Capital City: Snowsong (Eshiven)

Dominant Race: elven
Approximate Population: ~37,000

Type

Territory