Lagrheimr

Lagrheimr

Founded by Zara and Finn over 30 years ago, Lagrheimr is widely regarded as the most picturesque town in Finnarland, spreading out from the shore of Maer Dualdon and bordered on the north and east by tall pines. Its buildings incorporate carvings of wizards, homunculi, tigers, and smiling djinn.
For most visitors, the enchantment of the town is enhanced when they realize that despite being built in the path of a dreadful gale, most days the weather around Lagrheimr is significantly more pleasant than around outside town. Many hypothesize that maybe the mountains and forests to the north east of town protect it from the worst of the weather. Outside of town, once you get away from the surprisingly fertile lands that surround the urban center, the icy claws and teeth of the cold wind sweeps down from the north, shearing through visitors layers of clothing. Lagrheimr was built in the path of this dreadful gale, which continues well past the town to harry fishers on the southern half of the lake.
In addition to fishers, shipbuilders, and scrimshanders, Lagrheimr is home to miners who harvest gemstones from a cavern complex set into a low hill north and east of the settlement. Their efforts are hampered by creatures that live in the underground cave networks that occasionally find their way up into the mine. Whenever such creatures are discovered, the mine is sealed off and the townsfolk wait until a band of sellswords or adventurers can be hired to clear it out.

Lagrheimr in a Nutshell

Hospitality ❄❄❄ Services ❄❄❄ Comfort ❄❄❄
Population 600.
Jarl. Zara, No Last Name, which is unusual, but most people add ‘Gestsaf’ (“Gestsson’s wife” to her name). Zara has been the leader of this town since it was founded in around 30 years ago. Her ruling is renewed every few years during the main Thing. She never campaigns for her position, she never tries to convince anyone she’s the best candidate, she just takes a step forward when candidates are called. She often runs unopposed, but when she doesn’t she still wins by landslide. During the last Thing, she was renewed as leader of the town, and while she still won comfortably, the opposing candidate found more support than expected with his campaign of appeasing the gods to stop the growing winter. Her ruling, according to most people is fair but harsh. Zara has very little patience for nonsense, loopholes, delay tactics, and carelessness. When she is not attending to the town’s business she is training the militia or spending time with her family. She will rule over minor disputes but leave to the Arctic Crows judgment over major trials if they can wait for their visit.
Gothi. Finn Gestsson has been the Gothi of Lagrheimr since it was founded. This position has grown organically around Finn, so there wasn’t any ceremony or election or anything, people just went to her for their spiritual needs and she provided support. Finn’s approach to the Gothi position is unique, she doesn’t particularly seem to cater to the Northern pantheon or any of the gods for that matter. Her focus lies in nature, the nature spirits, and people’s inner strength. Most people think she has been blessed by the gods because she still looks in her late twenties despite being well over 50.

Sacrifice to Hellfrost. None

Temple of the Northern Pantheon

Temple
The Temple to the Northern Pantheon is one of the largest buildings of Lagrheimr. It has been built and grown over the years by the joint effort of most of its citizens. From the outside, it looks like a number of buildings and additions haphazardly joined together. The inside is, by contrast, large and uniform with shrines on the sides for each of the major gods and a main altar on the back end of the temple where Grinmir, the caretaker and only priest of the temple, rotates the gods throughout the year. This is one of the very few temples of The North that still has a shrine to Hela.

The Blue Clam

Dockside tavern
The fishers of Lagrheimr typically finish their days here, seated on benches near one of the building’s long hearths to warm their feet while they fill their bellies with spiced chowder. Beautiful works of scrimshaw are hung on the walls. Vernon Braig (Half-Orc), the Blue Clam’s owner and chef, knows some of the hunters and trappers in Herufal, and occasionally a sled comes down the north trail with a sack of hares or a haunch of moose, courtesy of one of Vernon’s friends. On those nights, the Blue Clam’s hearths are full of roasting meat, and the patrons stay later and sing louder, enjoying the good times while they last.

The Eastside

Inn
The Eastside is where most visitors in town stay. What looks from the outside like separate houses turns out to be a single structure with rooms connected by underground passages, with cozy guest accommodations in the cellar. The innkeeper is Marta Peskryk, a willowy teenager who spends much of her time tending to her bedridden father, Clyde, a retired fisherman. As she performs her daily chores, Marta sings the following song to herself:
Ahead of winter’s wind she came—
The lovely woman with no name;
Draped in a fur-lined cloak of red,
To the icy lake she fled;
The wind pursued her all the same—
As sure as night she’s dead.

Other services.

The town has the usual services and amenities: Smiths, Carpenters, Cobblers, Tailors, Market, Trappers, Butcher, Fishmongers, etc.