Helm's Hold
A settelement established to defend the west coasts of Onieros/Lucidia under the divine worship of Helm.
Defences
Helm’s cathedral is an enormous citadel built on the cliffs at the tip of Cape Nescius. This stronghold clearly overlooked the oceans traveled by boats to Iphyth’kihn and Silvermire, as well was Karam, a dangerous island known to be inhabited by many dangerous creatures, as well as a volcano which is rumored to house a giant red dragon named Jad'zotol.
Infrastructure
The immensely-tall stronghold features a central turret that ascends well above the city's skyline as well as most anything else, decorated with blue and gray banners, and featuring a huge stained-glass window, depicting Helm’s watchful eye. The exterior of the top most spire appears to have an observation area which you can now see houses giant, brass-framed lenses which are pointed into the distance.
You are all led to two enormous Iron and stone gates, which two lightly armored guards open revealing the innerworkings of the city. Basically, a sanctuary for clergy, soldiers, sailors, and even some civilians, from the chaotic woods north of them. You see barracks, training facilities, hospital wards, homes, but perhaps the most impressive besides the Citadel itself, was the enormous harbor you can now see, protruding out from the western wall, far down the hill into the Vathyc sea. Enormous naval fleets of cannon and ballista-lined galleons, caravels, and the like can be seen on the expansive port below. Even Behemith Harbor, also huge, pails in comparison to this one.
Districts
Heartward - central market plaza of Helm's Hold as well as the city's open marketplace. It was infamous for being haunted by ghosts and apparitions that manifested themselves on nights when a waning moon was covered by clouds
Busier part of the town in terms of civilians, you see humans, dwarves, halfings, and like behemith, a diverse mix of races you’d see in Ntuxkodarrl, the occasional minotaur, orc, or even knoll. Quite frequently, you note elven-looking individuals similar to Watcher Soliana Vawreak, with a kind of pale blue-ish green complexion, greenish-tinted hair, and at closer look webbed fingers
Numerous rows of vendor's stalls extended outwards from the gallows, encircling it towards the market's edge
Town Hall of Helm's Hold, formerly the Dragon's Gauntlet inn, is a public meeting place for the city's residents and its governing body.
Further down the hill a small seemingly older portion of the city visibly less glamerous than what you’d seen up to this point. Venturer's Rest, another battered inn that was once known as the Old Dirty Dwarf
Past this dense grouping of buildings you pass under and arch, where you see the rest of the city sloping down steeply and overlooking the vast harbor stretching quite far into the Vathyc sea. You are all lead along the several long winding docks, huge vessels from trading ships to war ship floating looming over head, some anchored, arriving, and departing. Many of these ships currently have large crews tieing ropes down, raiseing/lowering sails, unloading cargo
History
Legend has it that during the Breach, Gruumsh unleashed a red dragon onto the lands that ruined entire cities, and it is said that the dragon now resides in the volcano on Karam. Sometime after Rotfall, the newly established town of Iphyth’kihn was rapidly growing into a city. At the same time, its citizens still feared Jad'zotol would return and raze the city to cinders. Around this time also, an accomplished Iphth’kihnian Helmite from the Corporation of Crazed Adventurers named Dumal Erard decided he’d retire from his life as an adventurer. Still, Erard had spent his years as an adventurer protecting his people through the breach, and didn’t want to live out the rest of his life doing nothing. Instead, he and whoever else wished to do so sailed to the tip of cape Nescius to settle. The vantage point was the closest lookout to the volcanic island of Karam, where the sleeping dragon was believed to live. A small Iphth’kihnian farming community was developed underneath the leadership of Erard, named Helm’s Stead. One of the first buildings constructed was a temple contrasted as a tall wooden watchtower, housing an enormous horn, and topped with a huge metal beacon. Erard did retire, but remained vigilant for the return of Jad'zotol, ready to signal his people back in Iphyth’kihn if the time came.
Overtime, the inhabitants of Helm’s Stead realized how precarious their position was, needing to respond to many threats to themselves and the nearby coastal settlements. In the subsequent years other followers of Helm arrived, many of whom chose to remain amongst their fellow devotees, tearing down the wooden tower, and rebuilding it stronger and higher from stone. Not all inhabitants were soldiers, however. The horrors of the Breach was not legend at this point. Most creatures alive at this point had lived through parts of it, and the minds of many suffered ongoing or latent effects of it. For many years, an underground Sanatorium ran by Helmite priests offered healing and housing for those who suffered from any form of insanity or physical ailments brought upon by the lingering effects of the Breach. By 47 RF, the hold had grown to a fortified town of three hundred who lived around the Helmite abbey and finished the first iteration of the Citadel.
In 688 RF, Friedhelm Khastod assembled a council of individuals to draw laws, protocols, and procedures for the Vigil: herself, leader of the Vigil; Julius Laricheard, the elected town leader; Gralmun Hulbrahr, Supreme Watcher of the church of Helm; Wilhelmina Hurkenstaad, a high lord abbot in the church of Tyr; and Silba Mercel, a representative of Behemiths’ common folk. Through this council, it was established that the Vigil will work for Behemith with and under the supreme order of the church of Helm.
In 742, the Cathedral caught wind of an armada of warships from Ntuxkodarrl to Behemith. With the help of the Iphyth’kihn navy, the citadel responded, and the with the daring maneuvers of a fleet commanded by Airto, the Ntuxkodarrl forces were cutoff. Gralmun’s ships fended the Ntuxkodarrl forces at the citadel, while Airto pursued the rest all the way back to Behemith. There Airto and Friedhelm, called upon both the Vigil and a militia of brave civilians to fight the overwhelming number of Ntuxkodarrl forces, and arose victorious. The forces at the cathedral were also quelled, though at the cost of the life of Gralmun. When Airto returned, he learned that Gralmun had bequeathed the title of Supreme Watcher to him, and with the recent success in Behemith, the rest of the council agreed.
Points of interest
There Airto and his troupe, Mire’s Eyes, trained and defended the surrounding oceans, eventually reaching the rank of Senior Steeleye. Airto even received the honor of training directly under Supreme Watcher Gralmun Hulbrahr.
Geography
The first thing you all see looking up through the canopy of trees, is an enormous white and gray stone tower reaching high into the sky. Some odd contraption can be seen coming out of the top, but is largely obscured through the leaves. You are led out of the treeline onto a rocky, sandy extended cliffside, where the dense jungle vegetation abruptly shrinks into sporadic clusters of dunes and scrub brush. The land dips down to a valley that slopes down to about water level, and then back up to a tall hill, upon which an impressive wall of light gray stone extends for miles, encircling a small city. And unmistakably on the hill’s apex, is an awesome, circular keep resembling a city armory or grand governing building, but you of course know to be the citadel.
Founding Date
16 RF
Founders
Alternative Name(s)
The Citadel, Helm's Cathedral, Helm's Stead
Type
Citadel
Location under
Included Locations
Owner/Ruler
Additional Rulers/Owners
Owning Organization
Characters in Location
Comments