Nyksund

Located near the base of the Wolftooth mountains, the city of Nyksund meets the bay of Otters and offers sea trade routes to the island of Handnesoya and its peoples.
 
The city itself was built on the trade of iron, easily accessible from the mountains and smelted right in the city. Today, these forges are less active, as mines grew more distant from the city, deeper into the mountain range. Other trades popped into place, lumber, fishing, and various crafting businesses born of the constant flow of goods through the city. It lies in a favorable trade route within the Ironbound archipelago, benefitting from the many ships passing through the area.
 
Nyksund is a typical Ulfen city, with mostly A-frame homes and lodges designed to shed heavy winter snows. At the heart of the city lies the great spire, Warmth’s Needle, home to the wizard Lyco Macatus. It is here that a power spell emanates, keeping out the unnatural cold that came with the machinations of Rimemaker Volmur. The city boasts a very large dock district, with ships of all sizes coming and going during the day. The narrowness of the bay as it flows to the dock makes any kind of nighttime passage dangerous. There are multiple taverns and two inns in this district, but as is typical for a wharf, the populace is a bit on the rowdy side.
 
A small island to the immediate northwest of the city is where the people go to pray, as it houses most of the city’s temples. There, Erastil, Gorum, Torag and Desna have temples, and other gods find smaller shrines throughout the city. Religion is important to the people of Nyksund, but does not dominate city politics. Brightly colored roofs adorn most of the city buildings, from businesses to homes alike. Given the normally dismal weather of the region, the colour adds a splash of interest and pride for those that call the city home. Multiple inns, taverns, forges, and other businesses dot the city, with no distinct areas being vastly different from others. 20 foot high iron-reinforced stone walls surround the original city, protection against raiders from long ago. Some of the city has spilled out past these walls, with more ramshackle houses making up a good portion of the extraneous areas.
 
Outside the city are a few farms, and a large forest that has been cleared between the city and the mountains. Mount Glittertind dominates the scenery to the east, as it rises up only a couple of miles away from the city to an imposing height of more than 5,000 feet. The city is ruled by a small council from the 7 clans that originally founded Nyksund. A city guard watches over Nyksund, and crime is generally low for a city of over 5,200 residents. Punishment for crimes tends to be harsh, with banishment preferred over execution.