A city fortified by ice, a people strengthened by the elements.
The old saying goes
"As tough as Torvan"; and that ought to speak volumes. The settlement has been around for a while, long enough that I haven't yet found a tome nor scroll that can tell me how it came to be. Well that was reason enough for me to make the trek and two weeks later I found myself standing before the Herald Pillars. The looming archway they formed giving way to the misty township itself.
So how old is this place. Well I asked around and the best anyone could give me was,
...who knows. Not exactly helpful but these people have always been rather direct. A bit of digging through some old collections they had and I discovered a clue as to how I might find out. You see they have a couple interesting customs here, ceremonies that must be carried out when one of their blood reaches a certain age or achieves a certain position among them. One of these very events is the Chieftains oath; a ceremony that occurs when one of the three Chieftains dies and his or her descendant takes their place. They are required to take a stone of their choosing, and climb to the highest peak among the mountain range. A task most difficult, especially when you consider that the stone they carry is a direct representation of the weight of the responsibility they have to their people. Taking one of smaller size will make the journey easier of course, but the people will often show more respect for those with the bravery and might to put themselves at greater risk of failure. The task seemed simple enough then, find out the average for a chieftains reign and journey to the top and count the stones placed upon the third pillar. Except as I learnt the hard way, this journey is not for an outsider to make. Only one that is taking responsibility for the people may make the trek to the sacred site. So it was with great disappointment that I had to leave with this entry incomplete, but not permanently so. You see I managed to get an audience with one of the current chieftains sons, a man I have come to greatly admire and respect; but more on him another time. He agreed that this was something his people should know, the history of those that came before; and when it comes time for him to take the oath, he will take a moment at the summit. To pay respect to his elders and learn what he can from this most sacred of Torvan places.
Torvadore is headed by the three Chieftains. Each one carrying on their family's legacy and taking charge of an aspect of the township. One insures it's economic stability, another it's security and a third handles law and relations. Together they work to insure their people are well fed, safe and protected; at least as much as one can be in this climate.
On most occasions they work on their own separate charges, however if a matter of importance arises it must be brought before the table for them to debate and arrive at a conclusion together. In the very rare circumstance that one of these issues cannot be resolved by talk, the minority may challenge one of the others to single combat in order to come to a resolution. This event does not come to pass often, however it has been known for a Chieftain to perish and their successor to take their place earlier than expected.
The place is remote, so much so that they don't bother with walls nor sentries. The mountains provide natural seclusion from the rest of the world as well as being shelter from some of the more harsh winds and storms. It's people are strong and hardy, with most being trained from a young age in the art of bow hunting and axe and hammer throwing. It is not known if it's people have been involved in battle however there are documented events of small skirmishes taking place where the outnumbered Torvan have taken great victories.
The township has a small but well regarded industry. They produce quality iron and steel goods made from ores found within the mountain, along with strong leather and chain protective garbs. Along with their famous smiths they have a reputation for creating some of the strongest booze this side of the ranges. Their whisky is particularly well known, distilled from a cold tolerant grain of barley that is malted with a form of peat they create in the naturally damp caves. This gives it a highly unique flavor profile found nowhere else on the continent and for that reason can be quite rare and expensive.
While the trek to Torvadore is arduous, it is not impossible. Many traders take great pride in their ability to make the journey and perhaps the time spent with its people leaves them wanting to hold to similar virtues. The township itself is pretty well built and designed, with it's slow expansion over many years giving way to proper roads, storage areas, quiet residential districts and a productive industrial center.
The mountains contain a great deal of useful ores and materials, any that aren't used to produce goods within the township are traded off for a good price. Along with its mines the people of Torvadore have spent an age raising, training and caring for both hunting wolves and snowbear mounts.
They are fiercely loyal and it is always advised of travellers to the mountain town, to steer well clear of the pens and training grounds; lest they become their next meal.
Being the tough and united people that they are there isn't seen to be any need for guilds within the town. However as united as they are vs outsiders, they still find ways to bicker and blame others within their own community. This usually occurs when families that are close or allied to one of the Chieftains have a dispute with a 'rival' family. While there are no real factions to speak of within Torvadore, most families have one specific Chieftain lineage with which they have allied themselves and take their issues too. There is always a way to resolve these issues when diplomacy fails however; combat.
The Warriors Touchstone is placed right in the heart of Torvadore and most of its people would regard it with even greater importance than that of the Chieftains houses. It is a round unassuming pit maybe 30ft wide, carved out of the mountains stone with steep steps that form its walls. In its center is a finely crafted obelisk of black granite that reaches about twice as high as a man is tall. On it are some of the oldest carvings found in Torvadore depicting the founding ideals and traditions that are still carried by its people today. One such tradition is the right to the warriors trail, where two participants are pit against one another and judged in the eyes of all who reside in Torvadore and all of those who came before.
The town is built to be as tough as the people who live within it. Each home and building designed to weather the elements and use the material most abundantly found within their mountain home; stone. But these are no univiting walls nor ugly hovals. The workmanship displayed in each building reflects the pride the people feel towards their isolated home. They are made of large beautifully carved grey bricks, with darkwood frames for their roofs and windows. The roofs are constructed from grey-blue shingles that they make in the industrial center of town.
The roads themselves are lined with a scattering of lantern lights that cut through the mist at night creating a wonderfully warm atmosphere in one of the coldest of places. And while the people can often be seen as stiff and uninviting, a visit to one of the towns many famous taverns will quickly erase that idea; along with any other memories from the no doubt eventful evening. They are a hearty and joyful bunch once they relax a little and shouting them a strong drink or two will make you a friend for life.
Torvadore is located in the north west side of the e̲̜̜̟͇̰̬ͦ͑ͣ̃n̠̹̘̠͂ͧ͌́ͅt̨̪̀r̂҉̝y͎̭͍͈̼̞ͦ̒̃͑̔ ̙̽ͭͧ͛͜m̨͉̟͈̾ͪ̚iͩͅs̠̹̦̳͎̦̗͆͛ͦ͑͜ș̡͕̙̰̠̜̒ͮ̿ͣͅi҉͔͓̠͍̮̜n̟̖̲͚͓̩̪̓ͮǵ̶͍̺͊̿̽ mountains. About three days trek from the nearest other village. It is cold all year round here and the passes are often cut off in the heart of winter when the snow storms are most fierce. The people have many hunting grounds that they frequent in the area as well as some extremely hardy breeds of large mountain mahogany trees (
Tonduran mahagoni). They slowly grow and harvest from these small forests over generations using the wood for constructing their strong buildings.
Afterword: These creations are places that have not truly found their place in a world, that being said they are a platform ripe for adaptation and further exploration. These articles will change many times as we take them and individually make them our own, but their true foundation will always live on in the preceding words, art and song.
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