Drekenheim
Drekenheim is a volcanic island between Aedrinar Island and Sudureyja, within the Kingdom of Aedrinar. A sparsely populated, dangerous, and catastrophically beautiful island, Drekenheim serves as a forging centre and trade stop. Hard to reach by sea, only Oskunstrond and some smaller ports along the Ravenswood can be reached from outside, giving the island a mysterious and isolated reputation.
The island has been invaded by The Dragon Clan who are using its resources and people to prepare for an invasion of the rest of Aedrinar.
Doomed 2 Die would also learn the crystalised heart of Yndress the Destroyer sits beneath the mountains of the island. The group plan on using this heart to ascend their true leder, The Winter Witch, into godhood.
Geography
Drekenheim is dominated by its volcanos and ashy plains. Highlands and lava formed mountainsides provide a deadly but scenic geographic vista. Predominantely highlands with little beachline, only Oskunstrond and some black sand beaches on its eastern shore provide suitable landing points to its surrounding waterfronts. The island has little flora outside the Ravenswood to the east, a dark forest comprised of Blackblood Pines, Shadow Firs, and Blue Spruces. The ground is largely unfertile, with only a few small areas for crops to be grown. The small population of the island find their food in fishing and animal herding.
Settlements
Drekenheim has three key settlements. The small town of Oskunstrond, and the villages of Jarnfjord and Kaldurshor. All are connected by heavily damaged roads that go through the three volcanic mountains on the island.Oskunstrond
See also: Oskunstrond Oskunstrond is the capital of Drekenheim and lies on its southern end within the Dreken Channel. The only major port on the island, Oskunstrond is the historic centre of power and connects directly to the rest of the island via land routes. The town has a large population of orcs that arrived during the 40 year war and is known for its mines, casino, and ancient temple of Odin.Kaldurshor
Kaldurshor is a cliffside village on the northern edge of the island. A small beach can be reached where a ferry launches to Kriegerholm. The village is a religious settlement with the Coven of Frigga having a base of operations here.Jarnfjord
Jarnfjord is a mountainside village on the edge of a volcano's caldera. A small herding and mining settlement, the village protects itself from the volcanic erruptions with crafted walls and shelters. The mysterious Dragon Library can be found in the village where the last Dragon Skald lives. The village is often harrassed by tribes of Fire Newts.Localized Phenomena
Drekenheim is plagued by constant volcanic erruptions. The Ash thrown up by this mainly plagues the island and has minimal effect on surrounding areas. Because of its heavy volcanic activity, hot springs and geyers are a common occurance in its wilderness. Travelling in Drekenheim is met with unique dangers, if a localised volcanic erruption occurs travellers are often forced to take cover in cavs or ruins to hide from the lethal heat and suffocating ash.
History
Mythic Age
Drekenheim was first colonised by Derro during the mythic age. Since the Derro civilization was destroyed, much of their origins and history has faded into myth and legend. It is believed that the Derro arrived as refugees fleeing the Primal Elves, but there is little evidence from their arrival on the island to confirm or deny this. The volcanic and inhospitable nature of the island meant human settlers avoided it, and the Derro hid underground in grand cities and workshops using the volcanic fires to forge mighty weapons and tools. In Aedrinaran legend, the island was once known as Norderrjya, island of the northern Derro, and it was here that Odin met with the Dwarven smiths to forge the legendary weapons and armours the Aesir and Vanir would use to overthrow the forgotten gods, including Mjolnir. Many would-be pilgrims dwelve into the derro ruins and volcanic tunnels seeking this mythical forge, but none ever return. The only known settlement of non-derro known to exist in this time is the Dragon Library around modern day Jarnfjord.First Age
With the great division of the Aedrinarans following the first kingdom, the derro's trade slowed and the golden age of their civilization dwindled. Humans still avoided the island, but legend talks of grand mountain spanning cities and forges that never ceased. The island's fate would be forever changed with the arrival of Yndress the Doombringer during the Flight of the Dragons. Yndress, an ancient black dragon, destroyed the derro cities and enslaved them. The island became her capital, and since then has always been known as Drekenheim, the realm of the dragon. High Queen Astrid I Dragontamer would invade the island sometime in the 620s. Many derro defected to her side, betraying Yndress to aide their would be liberator. Yndress was defeated by Astrid, and with her final words she cursed the derro to an eternal madness. Derro civilization collapsed and their numbers dwindled to small tribes, their cities falling into disrepair. Humans would arrive on the island around modern day Kaldurshor sometime during the period of 1000 clans. The only recorded clan are the Ashfires, a brutal warrior clan who favoured burning weapons. The island was pacified as the Ashfire chiefs defeated by Ragnar the Great, who founded a small castle around the Ravenswood and granted it to the Ravenskyn family who would rule as Jarls of the island and help expand small mining settlements across the island. A famous warrior known as Oskath Fire-Tamer defeated the fire spirits of a volcano on the south of the island founding the old town of Oskunstrond.Second Age
Drekenheim broke into small communal villages, with only the Jarldom of Ravenshold exisiting around the Ravenswood, upon the death of High King Rollo II, the weak, in the early days of the second age. This disunity and constant infighting meant the Nighttooth clan of Haastarok were able to easily subdue the states. Ravenshold fell as the Nightooths burned the ravenswood, killing a band of unicorns which has allegedly led to the forest being cursed. The Nightooths would bring the island into their control as part of the Kingdom of the Southern Islands alongside Haastarok, Sudurejya, and Einmanfjell. Drekenheim was carried into the third kingdom of Aedrinar when the Nightooths accepted Jarl Ragnar IIIs proposals for a new kingdom. The island became the manufacturing hub of this new kingdom, with Kaldurshore being founded as a new capital for the island and home to the Kaldur clan. The Nightooths sided with the Coldstar clan during the Winters Revenge war, with numerous battles occuring throughout the island including the first bruning of Kaldurshore. The southern coast was raided by Sudurejyans during this period after the Titanskyn declared independence from the southern islands, which isolated Drekenheim for around 40 years as its two main ports were lost. Drekenheim became the capital of the remnants of the souther isles kingdom when Haastrock was shaken by an earthquake, storm, and flood. Oskunstrond and Kaldurshore were rebuilt with a new capital being built on the ruins of a derro city within the ashclimbers. The Nightooth's became obssessed with primal magic, and began exposing themselves to wild magic sources and ancient derro artefacts. In the Night of the Burning mountain, this obssession saw a small volcanic erruption occur beneath the Nightooth stronghold, destroying their city and leaving only four survivors. These survivors were exposed to elemental energy and became the four sorcerer kings of Drekenheim. The sorcerers kept the islands tempestous nature in check with thier abilities, but as they each slowly died, the island's volcanos grew more violent. The mid second age saw numerous volcanic erruptions that devestated the island and causing Oskunstrond to be completely abandoned. Many fled the islands, becoming raiders across the smaller islands of the archipelago and even to the mainland. As part of this migration, the Ragnirssens, from a settlement originally in the mountains, journeyed to the city of Jameleska on the island of Jotun. Within two generations, the Ragnirssens became kings of the island, and an extant title of "thane of Ragnirstead" is still held within the Jameleskan nobility. Haarold II of Lastlight would help resettle the island during the fifth kingdom, with the volcanos finally calmed Oskunstrond was rebuilt and resettled entirely. Drekenheim warriors became instrumenal raiders and warriors of the Lastlight regime, with the twin peak banner first being flown at this time. When the Lastlight dynasty lost controlled of the kingdom with the death of high king Haarold IV and rise of Rollo III, the Drekenheimers turned against the kingdom and were the first to become independent. The island was peacefully integrated into the sixth kingdom by Olaf II, and the islands economic power based around weapon smithing saw Ivaar Warthunder, a native of Oskunstrond, elected in 2204 after Olaf abdicated so he could raid the western continent. Whilst the island was its capital, an unprecadated level of growth began with farmers, herders, and new settlers arriving. Oskunstrond expanded, and Jaldurfjord was built around the ancient dragon library. Ivaar's oldest son, Leif, became jarl of Drekenheim upon his death and began one of the many rebellions aganst High King Ebbe. The Warthunders ruled the island for the entirity of the Great Interregnum, including being a part of King Knut's rump state kingdom. A period of stagnation drew in, as the other islands grew less dependent on Drekenheim forges and the population dwindled as less food could be harvested.Third Age
Drekenheim faded once more into obscurity, becoming a minor realm within the many shattered jarldoms of the islands. The last Warthunder ruler, Valkyrie, was deated when King Olaf III Kingmaker invaded Drekenheim. Oskunstrond was burnt to the ground with much of the old town left in ruins. Drekenheim's families rebelled in the Broken Spear rebellions during the reign of High King Karl III, uniting around the Grimsbane family of Oskunstrond. Around 30% of the island were killed in these rebellions with the settlement of Thorsbank in the Ravenswood being wiped off the map entirely. Jarl Ari Grimsbane bent the knee to Haarold V at the end of the rebellions, and the island became economically dependent on Sudurejya as its exports of weapons were sent directly to Lastlight. High Queen Ingrid II visited the island and helped to organize massive rejuvination projects for the remaining settlements, seeing Oskunstrond expand once more and the current walls be built alongside building the road network and monastery of Balder along the mesas. When the seventh kingdom collapsed after the death of Sven II during a naval fight with the Eldrian Imperial Navy. With Sudurejya thrown into chaos, the Drekenehiem economy collapsed. To help restore some structure and stability, the jarls built numerous mines around the island and reopened abandoned derro forges. Much of their steel was shipped to Jameleska and Asrinheim, bringing some stability to the island. The Grimsbanes attempted to open a new port town on the western coast, but the town was found abandoned with only a bat carved into the central totem of Njord. The lost Ravenshelm settlement remains an eerie myth for Drekenheimers today. Sigrun III bested the Jarl of Drekenheim at sea, destroying their dragonfleet and bringing the island into the eigth kngdom. The island has faced a steep decline since, as new trade routes with the continent of prima terra as seen dependence on their ports and exports decrease. Further volcanic instablity has destroyed even more arrable land, and the island is a shadow of its golden period in the second age. The 40 year war saw around 70% of the island's population join longship crews and fight on various fronts. The Emissary of the Dragon Clan fleet also visited the island to see some of the remains of Yndress the destroyer kept in the Dragon Library. During the fight, the Jarl Durvak was saved from death by a warband of orcs. As payment, the orcs were given land in Oskunstrond to farm and make their own. This saw the town's population boom, but tensions between the orcs and humans remain. In 1052, the island was attacked by The Dragon Clan and the rulers overthrown. With Durvak slain by Teng Silverjaw, the dragonborn from Wulin now holds the title of Jarl, but has effectively removed the island from the control of the high king. Drekenheim is currently at war with Jarl Naerfi Oath-Knee of Sudureyja. This level of reknown has only faded, as the constant volcanic activity, dwindling resources, and infighting has seen the island enter a steep decline since the second age. Drekenheim was instrumental in the 40 year war, with their well forged weapons and mighty warriors being pivotal to the war effort. The island has seen some resurgance with the settling of orcs in the Oskunstrond area. In 1052, the island was taken over by the Dragon Clan and now serves as their base of operations.
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