Odinsthrone
The capital and political centre of the Eighth Kingdom of Aedrinar Odinsthrone has been the capital of the kingdom for 94 years. Home to numerous embassies, grand stone buildings, large markets, and monuments to Aedrinar’s storied and diverse history – Odinsthrone is as thriving a capital as any of its continental counterparts.
Founded by King Knut in 2264, 2e after the high king rebuilt the destroyed city of Riverholm and incorporated the nearby Fairhair homestead of Harehall into its walls. The city has continued to grow since, becoming a key market city, political hub with supporting industry around crafting, lumber, and agriculture.
Odinsthrone’s history and prominence in Aedrinar has been storied, housing jarls, thanes, and high kings have originated from the city since its founding. 9 high kings in total have claimed Odinsthrone as their capital.
Demographics
A reasonably diverse city culturally, Odinsthrone role as a political capital as seen residents of many cultures take up roots within the ancient stone walls. The population remains largely human, with a small district of Dragon Empire Dragonborn in Dragontown and halfling and gnomes taking up residence in the Kingshelm district.
Government
Odinsthrone is a major city that houses two great houses; House Iceaxe and House Fairhair. The position of Alderman does exist for the Vurgenborg and Kingshelm districts, but in comparision to great histories and might of the Iceaxes and Fairhairs, the various minor hosues that have held the title hold little sway in the political schemes of the city.
As the current capital, King Hardrada rules as the city's leader, however, his absent nature means Haarold Iceaxe and Janfrey Fairhair are the true leaders of the capital. All of the city's governing is done from The Palace of Heroes, the great castle built by Knut.
The Fogbowl district remains lawless as no house or alderman claims rulership of it. Instead, the Skallen Syndicate are the de facto lords of the area. Although several attempts have been made to oust the syndicate throughout history, the lack of organized crime in the improvished slums always leads to unorganized prime prospering and the people turning to the skallen once again.
Districts
Vurgenborg
A large, sprawling merchant quarter that houses the impressive Svenning Markets along the Lokistrom, Vurgenborng is the financial centre of the city with all of its trade and common items found throughout. Inns are a plenty alongside other businesses and a Draconic quarter near its docks. A mixture of newer modern, wooden homes of multiple stories and grand old stone monuments and buildings, Vurgenborg is relatively clean but is cluttered with the business of trade and merchants. Animals are a common sight and smell and on the Butchers Row animal products regularly overflow. Vurgenborg is the market centre and trade hub of the city, relying on its coin and imports and exports to fuel the people that live there. The docks to the south of the district house ships that sail across the bittern with a maritime economy. Mainly human with a notable exclave of Dragonborn near the docks, many cultures can be found in Vurgenborg but it remains predominantly Aedrinaran in culture and aesthetic. The minor Aldermen the Volds live within the district. An incredibly minor house, their symbol is a pine tree on a yellow field. Ysgard’s Warriors maintain an outpost near the docks and the Draconic Brotherhood base themselves in Dragontown.Kingshelm
An artisanal and crafting centre, Kingshelm is the industrial hub of the city with its merchant shops lining the major roads. More spread out and industrial in appearance, grand workshops line the district with tenement buildings and smaller shacks dotted in between for the workers. The area is often covered in smoke, sawdust, and stone residue from the work that takes place. The Kingshelmers take their craft seriously, with a delicate level of artistry taken to every carving and product. Kingshelm thrives on its industry – the crafting hub of the entire city. Imported goods are turned into fine products, from lumber to stone new items from furniture to bricks to decoration are built here and then sold on throughout the realm. Humans and halflings are found a plenty here. All culturally Aedrinaran, Kingshelm is a very traditional place and they look down on the neighbouring Vorgenborg as a being ‘pampered merchants’ whilst they do all the hard work. The aldermen are a halfling family called the Willows, whose sigil is a willow tree on a brown field. They are local innkeepers and own a few manufactories. Well liked throughout Kingsholm, any willow or their friends can often find discounts. A halfling rights guild called the “Friends of Promise” seek to restore halfling kingdoms and homes around Prima Terra and have a meeting hall within the city.Icehill
A grand set of old stone buildings going up a hill marks the Iceaxe home of Icehill. Named in honour of Knut’s general Kulvr Iceaxe, this hill hosts the political centre of the kingdom. Embassies and grand halls of honour line the hill side with the wealthier dominating its smaller homes. Tall and grand stone buildings reminiscent of Windhelm from Skyrim dot the hill side. They are spread out with ornate designs and wooden beams. The area smells of fresh food, berries, and gardens from the numerous private backyards most of the homes have. Icehill's industry is largely housing the political figures of the kingdom and its embassies. The Iceaxes call this place home, and most here work for them as warriors with smaller fine item trade found along the roadside. Most natives are human and Aedrinaran with a few ice elves and half elves dotted around including a hall dedicated to the Springfasts, a fallen great house of Asrinheim. This Odinsthrone branch have done well for themselves as mercenaries, landowners, and merchants. The Iceaxes are based here, and when not operating as chief rulers of the city they are aldermen of the hill and amongst the two chief families of the city. The exiled Ice Elf great house of Springfast also live here and use their wealth to own numerous buildings and workshops around the city. The archaologists guild of Aedrinar are based here.The Fogbowl
The slums of the town, the fogbowl is the lawless bowels of the city. Protected by Skallen of the Odinsthrone syndicate who work openly within the district an deal with lesser bandits and nuisances, the area is a dirty and smelly mire that routinely floods in the spring. The Fogbowl is so named for its low lying position and spring and autumn fogs. The poor and hoveled members of Aedrinaran society who could not make it elsewhere find themselves here as poor fishermen or minor crafters. The Fogbowl is incredibly insular, and people are often suspicious of outsiders. The area smells of rot, mold, and human waste. Most work as fishermen or minor artisans – the docks house some trade and ships but largely for those who do not want to pay mooring fees at the Main docks or in Harehall. Majority human, others who have found themselves strung out of society such as Eldrian deserters and Seldrinar mercenaries hide here hoping to avoid Aedrinaran fury or the ire of the Skallen Syndicate. There is no alderman in the fogbowl – rather it is ran by the Skallen Syndicate who stay out of the way of the rest of the city and openly rule the district as a personal fiefdom. Some ambitious warriors have tried to crush them but find the citizens will push them back out and welcome the skallen back with open arms – those who live here do not make good Aedrinarans and the skallen offer protection against unorganized crime in exchange for modest protection fees.Harehall
A pleasant and suburban part of the city, Harehall is the oldest inhabited area of Odinsthrone and the home of House Fiarhair. Traditionally simple Aldermen, the Fairhairs have seen a rise in power in recent years since the Iceaxes took over and the district has thrived ever since. Grand, old wooden styled homes and buildings line the district with its stone and wooden keep of Boar Hall at its centre acting as chief landmark. The area has standard city smells but is lined with pines and pet dogs and cats. Harehall is a military centre with some war crafting and lumber as its supporting industry. Hunters and archers tend to live here and travel into the wold from the Boar Bar gateway and sell their wares at the Fairhair markets. Aedrinaran humans make up almost the entirty of the population with a sect of elves living near the bar and plying their trade as hunters. Harehall has old families who can trace their ancestry back to the first foundation of Harehall and beyond. Harehall was founded by and ruled by House Fairhair since the 20th century of the first age, making them one of the oldest, but not distinguished, houses of Aedrinar. Smaller houses live within the district as key merchants, sailors, and warriors but the Fairhares rule supreme.Assets
Due to Odinsthrone's size, only discovered locations will appear here.
Taverns and Inns
The Grafter's Meadhall
A working tavern and meadhall where workers often come to meet after their work is complete. The Meadhall as a few rooms available at cheap prices, mainly for those too drunk to stagger home. The inn is ran by a retired woodworker and axe warrior named Aesa Alisdottir whose norse hands have forced her to pour pints for a living as she took the inn from it’s previous owner upon their death in the wold.The Weary Nag
A coaching inn on the Castlegate with plentiful stables, an adjoining repair shop, and numerous rooms in its grand stone building. The place used to be a noble’s hall prior to the Calamity of the Terrasic and was granted to the halfing family the Wearysails by Jarl Ivar Thronstrom during the early third kingdom. The family’s founder, Marvon, is honoured with a portrait near the bar, and his grandson Luke is currently the head of the tavern and always has a cheery desposition and takes in the weary and those with nowhere else to go.The King's Arms
A castlegate side in popular with soldiers and some rooms available. The inn is managed by Fathnir Alricssen. Multiple broken weapons line the walls as well as the Iceaxe shield and the Thornstrom shield above the bar.The Hare and Hawk
A larger inn near the Hare bridge in Harehall that houses more rooms and stabling. Run by the House of Leff.The Briney Beer
A modest, slopping wooden building with some rooms for those who dare to travel to the fogbowl. Ran by a weak looking and sleazy Aedrinaran called Jiarn No-ClanThe Dragon's Bollocks
A Seedy tavern and brothel ran by a seldrinar deserter and former battlemage called Kyriosa Sunaros. This bar houses those not welcome in Skallen or Aedrinaran establishments.The Black Room
A private club ran by Mr Blake. It is the secret head of the entire Skallen Syndicate. Passwords or invitiations are required to enter but many dare to try and blag their way through. The club is elegant and a far cry from the rest of the district. The open face of the bar is a Drow named Paxos Stratokari Lenidias who fled Gazazrit during the Illithid invasion. Blake lives deep below the bar in a Riverholm ruin with all his horde. Draxix acts as a bouncer sometimes.Shopping
Golthir's Emporium of Curiosities
A magical item shop and museum that depicts cursed items, trinkets, and curios from around the world. He shows helmets of hell, cursed vampiric swords, daggers of the Lich King Gryfflgor, broken phylactgories, and claims to have a shadow blade from Tizzerit. Golthir is an eccentric traveller who has been to the fey wild, shadowfell, and even the nine hells. The building is several stories and in an old stone manor with wooden additions and repairs.Pod's Shieldmakers
On Castlegate, this shield makers serves makes magical and non-magical shields. Ran by a gnome from Menklestead named Pod the Stout. Pod seems particuarly interested by money and making good trade.Lyre and String Music Shop
A shop for bards selling sheet music and instruments. Jorunna Lutemaker is the proprietor and can reinforce instruments to serve as weapons.Collier's Smith
Kinghelms only commercial smith, Jarlbanke Hrodgierssen, the son of collier, makes simple weapons and armour. He is an expert on repairs however and can train in simple weapon proficiency given his experiences in the 40 year war.Darkshade Alchemists
An alchemy shop near the markets and fountain of Sigrun that is completely windowless and after the closing the door, visitors must open a curtain. A sign informed customers they are "open all night."Castle Saddlers
A saddlers that sells armour for animal companions and equipment for horses and carts.Moorside Shipwrights
A ship builders and repairshop ran by the Ironsails in Harehall, the Moorside builds the entire Iceaxe and Fairfair fleets as well as private commissions and can upgrade or improve longships as well as selling unclaimed vessels. They can complete a commission in less than a month depending on what is needed.Hunter's Market
A set of markets by the Harehall docks. Dealing in food and animal products, the following additional stores can be found:Tome and Times
A book shop in Harehall that sells history and fiction ran by a young vaniri woman named Mae Starrlyn. She is optimistic and bookish with a passion for storytelling and artists.Protector Smithee
A standard item blacksmith in the Fogbowl selling cheap weapons and armours. Ran by a one armed smith named Tyrbjorn Karlssen.Spitpit Markets
Common items patrolled by Skallen enforcers to keep out pettier criminals, the Spitpits sell common items as well as illicit goods.Karl's Healing Hut
A healing and remedy store ran by Karl Swift-Shot, the husband of Igrid the fletcher. Karl is a master tracker and former hunter of the wold who can also supply maps of the forest and well as training in druidic and survival. Karl helped Azura, Arystyr Furyborn, Fr. Tomos Siegfried, Shan and Ivar identify the Wood Woads that were used in Arystyr's attempted assasination.Religion
Temple of Balder
A bardic college and school on Castlegate with a small number of Balderian bards and skalds as well as it’s own private library of songs and stories and adjoining workshops for instruments. The String Lyre music shop is adjoining. The high priest is Jara Wintersong.Temple of the Honoured Gods
A grand temple dedicated as a pantheon on the Castlegate next to the Weary Nag inn. All manner of shrines can be found within.Temple of Forsetti
A temple of justice dedicated to Forsetti – Magister Sven Forkirssen runs the temple and presides over religious law and inquisitions against the dishonourable.Guilds and Civic
Commonwealth Embassy
The embassy to the Commonwealth – left ungauarded but sits in a grand old stone hall. Daryn Sodlark, a member of the Sodlark-Carely family is the ambassador. He is on good terms with many Aedrinarans due to his fighting with them during the war and knows Queen Rhiannon personally.Castlegate Barracks
A barracks and minor prison nicknamed the dunktank, a captain of the guard called Ulfgir Hardarssen runs this patrol of guards which are mainly Iceaxes. They run the district alongside smaller patrols of the Volds.Altruscian Embassy
Embassy for the Grand duchy of Altruscia in Icehill.Consulate of the Dragon Empire
An embassy for the Dragon Empire in Icehill.Southaxe Embassy
A proud and old stone building with a small token of Southaxian knights.New Freyashall
The hall of the Springasts, the house of Frey and Freyr and exiles from Asrinheim. This branch of the exiled family have done well for themselves as mercenaries and landowners. The hall is near duplication of the Original Freyrshall in Freywin.- Odella Springfast (689) Matriarch of the house and talented battle mage. Odella is the token elder of the Vaniri population of Odinsthrone and come to regularly for guidance
- Kaelia Springfast (202) The eldest cchild of Odella and Laerin, the leader of the Springfast mercenaries and warrior.
- Islyn Springfast (506) A member of the Kriegerholm branch and mercenary member, Islyn was cast out by their side of the family and took solace in the wealthier and kinder Odella.
Landmarks
Sigrun's Fountain
A large circular fountain that can freeze in the colder months but shows a large depiction of Queen Sigrun III. Standign at 10ft tall and holding a spear aloft with battle armour on and long flowing hair died into a back braid – Sigrunn looks across the city with a stoic glare. Her spear is pointing in the direction of Kriegerholm. The fountain was erected by Ivar II and replaced a previous statue that had fallen into ruin of Sven II.Warrior's Bridge
A fortified bridge that serves as a battle fortress over the river Bittern. Murder holes, a full tower known as the Bitter Barricade, and manned ballistae staff the bridge. An internal wall allows traffic and carts to move between Vurgenborg and Harehall.Thornstrom Bridge
A grand old bridge that replaced an older rickity bridge and was built by King Ivar II. The bridge has lined statues of all of Odinsthrones kings. Yorvik II: A short man with long hair and slight beard baring a spear and a shield showing a Y shape. Knut: the peak aedrinaran with his trusty longsword, his shield showing a longship on fire. Olaf III: A smiling and broad build man with elven eras, neat medium length braided hair, wearing armour and holding a longbow of elvish design. His shield shows the dragon symbol of House Dragontooth. Karl III: A shorter man with less distuiguished elven ears but some look of the vaniri to him, he looks small in comparison to the other statues and his blade is smaller, armour tarttered, and cape torn. His shield is the same as Olaf III’s but has a delibraetly carved crack over it. Sven I: A small man with a longsword and long shoulder length hair containing two braids but no beard. His shield depicts a Bolt of lightning. Sven II: A remorseful looking figure with a shattered spear. He is tall, lean and shield shows the symbol of house Iceaxe Ivar II: A broad, average height man with a crown, long flowing thick hair with multiple braids and a well-groomed beard with dwarven style braids from the moustache and from the chin. He is wielding a battleaxe and his shield has a Rose with two crossed swords behind it. Olaf V: A large and smiling man in fine armour with a long set of thick braided hair and a beard down his upper stomach. He holds a Warhammer and has the same shield as Ivar II. Karl IV: an armoured man with a sword detailed with blood giving a war cry, he is depicted in a helmet and his sword is aloft. Shield as above. Karl V: A stoic looking figure with broken armour and a sword lifted to the skies. His shield is as above and depictions of arrow wounds can be seen on him. Haardrada: Standing alone at the far side of the bridge, Haardrada is depicted in his youth, thinner, more muscular, a helmet on, Warhammer resting on the pedestal with a fierce look carved into his face, the iceaxe seal of crossed battleaxes and a crown can be seen.History
Early History
Prior to the founding of Odinsthrone, two prior settlements existed around the city’s modern borders. The first being Harehall, the home of House Fairhair, that was initially a simple fortified homestead and camp with tributary homesteads within the hills and along the river. The second is the now ruined city of Riverholm, which existed just north of modern Odinsthrone but encompassed parts of the Icehill district. Harehall is the oldest of these settlements being founded during the age of 1000 clans in the 1900s of the 1st age. Riverholm was built much later by the Riverwalkers in 213, 2e following the fall of the third kingdom. It would not take Riverholm and the Riverwalkers long to become the preeminent power of the area as a key trading post and later merchant and mining city that ruled the Jarldom of the River.Riverholm
Riverholm continued to expand throughout the second age and became one of the key cities of the southern hold region – growing to surpass Magnusberg (Modern Kriegerholm) and Halgafjar by the time of the Wintersrevenge war in the 1010s, 2e. The city’s survival of the Wintersrevenge war made it the trade hub of the Southern hold with the Lokistrom spanning to the western hold, through the city, and to the resource rich northern hold. It’s river position also gave it access to the port city of Kriegerholm, which Riverholm became to exert its influence upon. By the time of the fifth kingdom beginning in 1930, 2e, Riverholm was the heart of the southern hold and considered amongst Aedrinar’s jewel cities alongside Winterharbour and Lastlight . Yorvik II Riverwalker was elected high king by the moot following the death of Haarold III of Lastlight in 1982, 2e. Yorvik used his position to build a grand new palace and keep complex around the modern Odinsthrone castle, christening it the “Throne of Odin” and would become the successor city’s namesake. Riverholm’s position as a key city would fade by the end of the fifth kingdom, with its final collapse coming in 2191, 2e when the city was razed by Olaf II as the Riverwalkers stood against the Sudurejyan jarl’s formation of the 6th kingdom. House Riverwalker were extinguished in the battle and the city completely abandoned, falling into supposedly haunted ruins.Foundation of Odinsthrone
74 years after its destruction, King Knut would arrive in the ruins and begin the task of rebuilding the former jewel of Aedrinar. Using the ruins of the Throne of Odin as inspiration, he rebuild the keep and expanded its walls around it, incorporating nearby Harehall into his plans and using stones from the ruins of Riverholm to complete much of the work. He christened the city Odinsthrone, after the castle, and erected monuments to its history and to his own glory. Much of the city was given to the Iceaxes, who became thanes of the burgeoning city for a century before newer houses took their place and the family were relegated to being Aldermen of Icehill following a brief civil war with House Thunderstone. The Thunderstones, originating from a local family within the city, eventually became the rulers of the city. At this time, Odinsthrone was ruled from Halgafjar which held the rank of Jarl of the southern hold. Kriegerholm would overtake Odinsthrone as the key city of the south in 166, 3e when they battled they won a short war against the city and their overlords to incorporate them into their own Jarldom. Throughout this period of Kriegerholm domination Odinsthrone waned, becoming reliquary for Aedrinar’s old glories. War, and a chance to renew themselves, would come again in 510, 3e with the arrival of Olaf III, the Kingmaker, and founder of the seventh kingdom of Aedrinar. Olaf used the internal dynamics and rivalries of the city to take it relatively quickly, capitalising on House Iceaxe’s hatred for the Thunderstones and using their betrayal to bring the city into his fold. As a reward, when Kriegerholm was sacked by Olaf in the same year Odinsthrone was granted the privilege of being the capital of the Jarldom of the south as Olaf took it as his own capital. Odinsthrone used its new status as capital to rebuild, but faced internal destablisation and external attcks during the reign of Olaf’s son, Karl III, and was again demoted to a thaneship by 680, 3e but managed to remain stable throughout the seventh kingdom’s collapse. Odinsthrone fielded two kings during this time, Sven I, a weaker monarch who relied on his council to run the nation, and Sven II, the nobleman who would dismiss the seventh kingdom after the calamity of the Terrasic.Modern History
In the centuries that followed the Calamity of the Terrasic and the fall of the Seventh Kingdom, Odinsthrone languished and became an impoverished, rotting town as its grand old stone buildings fell into disrepair or ruin. The rise of slums within the Fogbowl district perpetrated the city’s reputation for crime and was essentially being ran by the Skallen Syndicate with the city’s jarls largely puppets of the criminal organization. Things would change for the better with the arrival of Sigrun III in 920 when the city was taken in a short battle. Sigrun, a lover of history, wanted to restore Odinsthrone to its glory days of old and emulated the actions of the city’s founder King Knut. Using warriors from around the realm and allying with the Ivar Thornstrom, the older, and his son, Ivar the younger, to help restore order and had them elected Thanes. Skallen influence was pushed back to just the Fogbowl and massive reconstruction began around the city restoring it’s ancient monuments, erecting new ones, and rebuilding the grand boulevards and market places. Wealth poured into the rebuild city and the Thornstroms put Odinsthrone back on the map as a key market city and crafting centre. With Queen Sigrun III as their allies, a reorganization of the southern hold was plotted that would place Odinsthrone at its centre. The other Jarldoms of the south bended the knee willingly rather than cross Sigrun and the Thornstroms, but a short war was waged against Kriegerholm and the city was returned as capital of south with the Thornstroms becoming Jarls. Odinsthrone’s rise would only continue upon the death of Sigrun III in 956, 3e, as the Jarlsmoot narrowly elected Ivar the Younger Thronstrom, Jarl of Odinsthrone, as the new high king. Ivar’s house would hold the title of High King for 79 years and did much to increase the political capital of the city – opening external embassies, inviting in guilds, and building museums and public grounds to showcase the history of Odinsthrone and the kingdom of Aedrinar at large. With the beginning of the 40 year war, the court temporarily moved to the port of Lastlight to conduct war councils and organize the Aedrinaran war effort. The House of Thornstrom would be wiped out during the conflict and another Odinsthrone native, Hardrada Iceaxe was unanimously elected as High King, keeping the city as its capital.Geography
Lying in the hilly lowlands of the isle of Aedrinar beneath the Stormbraker mountain range, Odinsthrone has a diverse altitude and range of heights within its city. The lowest lying district of Fogbowl lies far below the towering highlands of Icehill, with Harehall, Kingshelm, and Vurgenborg having varied internal height changes.
The city lies at the confluence of two rivers. The salty and key trade river the Bittern and the smaller River Hare. This gives the city ample trade routes by river during warmer months.
Founding Date
2264, 2e
Founders
Type
Large city
Population
8000-9000
Owner/Ruler
Ruling/Owning Rank
Owning Organization
Characters in Location
- Session 106: The Wolf and the Fish
- Session 107: Invitation from the King
- Session 108: Who Dunnit?
- Session 109: Conclave of the Wold
- Session 110: Bitter River
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