Holfjola

HOLFJOLA

Holfjola is, by far, the oldest city in the Finnarland, founded hundreds of years ago it is only considered part of the Finnarland because it lost its status of Capital City when the Thunor's Eye conquered from the no longer existing Winter Falcon Clan and incorporated it into their clan.
Like Grenivic, Holfjola is encircled by a wooden wall, which helps to protect the town against Gjallarhorns, orcs, and other threats from the wilderness. The wall extends out into the lake, creating a safe harbor for the town’s boats. But now Rassilon's long winter has frozen the water in the harbor, and many of Holfjola’s boats are trapped in the ice. Fishers must drag their smaller vessels across the ice to get to the unfrozen lake beyond the harbor walls.
Almost all the towns in Finnarland make their living off the lakes they stand by, but nowhere is that fact more evident than in Holfjola. The town has always had the biggest fishing fleets and the biggest fishing industry, and everything that goes on here revolves around hauling the knucklehead trout out of Frostwater lake. Rassilon's long winter makes the work harder, but it gets done nonetheless.
In the past, Holfjola used to have a sizable raiding fleet, but the conflicts with the Gjallarhorns and the shifting of the attention of the Thunor's Eye Clan to the Inner Sea have reduced the raiding effort to just a few boats and a lot of resentment
Naerth Maxildanarr, an emigrant for the far South, moved to Holfjola a couple of years ago, took up residence in The Mark’s Arms, and spread around a lot of gold, earning the loyalty of many local fishers. His cordial, down-to-earth demeanor and his oath of fealty to the Thunor’s Eye Clan contributed to his swift rise to power, enabling him to replace a Jarl who was well-liked but didn’t want the job anymore.

Holfjola in a Nutshell

Friendliness ❄❄ Services ❄❄❄ Comfort ❄❄
Population. 1,000.
Leaders. Jarl, Naerth Maxildanarr (Human, Thunor’s Eye), who got the position because of his popularity with the fishers. An ex-mercenary named Skath (female Hearth Elf, Thunor’s Eye) who is loyal to Naerth leads the town’s militia.
Sacrifice to Hellfrost. Humanoid

The Marks Arms

Inn and Jarl's residence
The Mark’s Arms is the oldest public house in Finnarland, established back when Grenivic was still just “the camp on the hill”. Many of the traders who came to Holfjola in those days hailed from the southern kingdoms known as “The Marks”, so The Mark’s Arms was built to look like an inn that might be found in Ravensburg or Norvold.
As a result, much of the decor is nearly a hundred years old, reflecting as it is in The Marks. The inn has sturdy walls but rotten floorboards, and drafts come up into the common room from the cellar. The place is also infested with rats, which scurry between the walls at all hours of the night.
The Tavern's sign consists of two tattooed arms each one holding a sword.
The proprietor, Owenn Tarsenel (human Thunor’s Eye), is a quiet, balding man who has sunk into a deep depression, fearing that the long summers will never return to Finnarland.
The largest guest suite in The Mark’s Arms is occupied by the town speaker, Naerth Maxildanarr, who likes the inn because it reminds him of his home in the South and is a great place to meet visitors.

Three Flags Sailing

Tavern
Fishers come here after a long day for a bowl of stew and a quick pint before heading to bed. The atmosphere is subdued; the fishers are cold and tired and unsure about Finnarland’s future. The tavern is run by a plump, gray-haired widow named Ethen Yarbroul (human Bear Clan), better known as “Ma.” She fusses over the fishers as if they were her children.

Triglio

General store
Triglio takes its name from one of the chanteys that the fishers of Holfjola sing when they are hard at work:

“Trig-lee-oh, lads, an’ ’oist upon the line/Trig-lee-oh, lads, an’ bring yon fishers in.”

The store’s proprietor is Jestin Hunrae (human Thunor’s Eye), a scarecrow-like fellow who fished the lake until his left hand was crushed in a collision with a boat from Skullenholm.
The only items he doesn’t sell are fishing and sailing supplies; in Holfjola, such goods are supplied by specialty crafters and merchants. All other common gear, including fishing poles and snowshoes, can be bought here.

Type

Town