Kronenberg (ˈkʁøːnənbɛrk)

Kronenberg is the highest point on the island of Eg in the Norður Islands. The name translates roughly as 'Crowned Mountain', named so for the unusual formation of rocks at the summit which resembles an enormous crown. According to legend, Kronenberg was once critical in the succession process of an ancient Zmei kingdom, now lost to time.

In those days, long before the Nakaal brought humans into the world, the kings of Eg were chosen by the great beast known as the Krönterwyrm. When the time came for a new king to be selected, the Krönterwyrm would emerge from within the mountain. It was a gigantic serpent, but with two enormous clawed arms and a head crowned with a twisted mass of sharp horns. Candidates for the crown would submit themselves to the serpent's judgement, and if they were found worthy, the serpent would shed its crown of horns at their feet. Unworthy claimants, on the other hand, would be devoured whole.

While the ancient kingdom of the Zmei are gone, the Krönterwyrm still emerges every few decades, slithering out of the deep crevices on Kronenberg's western slope. It no longer comes to choose a king, however. Instead, the Krönterwyrm goes on an infuriated rampage over the island each time it appears. Most people believe that the beast is angry that the Zmei have been driven from Eg. Regardless of its reasons, these encounters follow a similar pattern each time. The Krönterwyrm descends the mountain and seeks out the nearest village to Kronenberg, with the intent of devouring each person living there. It starts out relatively small, only about three times the length of an average horse. With each meal, it rapidly grows in size, and soon it is longer than the largest ships. It continues to travel from village to village, as if it intends to consume every human on the island. This rampage only stops when the Krönterwyrm is killed and the crown of horns removed from its skull, ensuring a few more decades of peace from the mountain.

The crown of the Krönterwyrm is a special item in its own right. Whenever it is placed upon the head of a king (or queen) of Eg, it grants the wearer enormous strength and stamina. While the Egþeod does not typically elect a king of the island, it has been known to do so in times of great need, so that the island's champion can take on the crown and the power it confers. Kings of Eg are expected to abdicate their role and put aside the crown when the crisis has ended, and most have abided by this custom. A few have attempted to hold the throne and crown of Eg, but most of these were killed by agents of the Egþeod. In one case, Queen Eadgyð managed to hold the crown for 27 years in defiance of the Egþeod, and was only overthrown by the re-appearance of the Krönterwyrm out of Kronenberg.

There is only ever one crown of horn in exsistence at a time. When the Krönterwyrm came out of the mountain during the reign of Eadgyð, the crown she wore disintegrated into shards of old horn, and the unexpected loss allowed her enemies to take her by surprise. Often, the first sign of the wyrm's return is the destruction of the old crown, which is impervious to harm before this point. The crown is typically held in a vault in the city of Handelshafen, and the guards set upon it report at once if it breaks apart. When this happens, the Egþeod calls a great hunt to intercept the Krönterwyrm and kill it, hoping to find it quickly and fight it while it is still on the smaller side. Any and all armed persons on the island are expected to join the hunt, and those who shirk the duty are branded cowards and shunned by the Biegen thenceforth.

Geography

Kronenberg is located in the northern part of the mountain range that dominates the eastern side of Eg. It is primarily made of granite, and the western slope has a number of deep fissures that extend into the heart of the mountain. The peak has a ring of high stones that gives the impression of a gigantic crown laid on the mountaintop, especially when the ring is seen from a distance.

Type

Mountain / Hill

Location under

Eg

Geographic Details

Location: Northeastern Region
Latitude: 59.29 degrees North
Longitude: 42.08 degrees East
Elevation: 2,500 ft