The Irminsul

The Irminsul is the focal point of the Northern Alliance and the cornerstone of the oaths they hold with each other. It marks the place of the first significant northkin victory in the War of Tusk and Horn, and has been the stronghold of the alliance ever since.
It stands in the centre of Kinmoot, the capital of the Great Tribal Confederacy, and a cultural centre of the north.

Purpose / Function

The Irminsul stands as a mark of northern independence from their former overlords. Situated in a vast plain, the structure can be seen from hundred of kilometres around, acting as a rallying cry and a beacon of hope for all oppressed peoples. In the early days of the War of Tusk and Horn, the northerners used it as the boundaries of their nation; if you could see the Irminsul, you were safe and free from human oppression.
In the modern day, the Irminsul is where the three nations host their capital settlement. As most of the northerners are either nomadic or seminomadic, it is less a city and more a permanent trading post that all news and folk flow through. Its base is hundreds of metres across and is covered in the tents, pavilions, and dwellings of the currently-attendant dignitaries, as well as the small core of permanent residents that make up the staff.
The Irminsul is, in a practical sense, the seat of government for the three nations, as well as the place where large national decisions are made. It can be used to arbitrate disputes, seal oaths, and legitimize blood feuds and weregild extraction. It is also a seat of worship, as the base of the spire has altars to all of the major northern gods and otherworldly powers.
None enter the Irminsul beyond the large cathedral at its base, which is used to host inter-nation debates, and occasionally as the space for large religious rites, or important declarations.

Alterations

Several kilometres tall and pure, gleaming white, it was an elven and human creation from millennia past. A grand tower used to house the richest of royals, it was created and strengthened by magic to lord over the northkin in their lands. After it was reclaimed in the War of Tusk and Horn, the southern altars and temples at the base were removed, to be replaced by the northern deities. Shortly after the Irminsul was taken by the northkin during the war, it began appearing as a great tree. None know why this is, nor do they understand its true purpose.

Architecture

The Irminsul is a gleaming white spire, two kilometres tall at its peak and three hundred metres wide. It rises straight up into the sky and is perfectly straight, conjured by magic from the purest ivory. About halfway up, it splits into a myriad of branches and leaves to approximate the leaves of a monstrously large tree. The type of tree depends on the viewer; orcs often see it as a grand birch, goblins tend to observe a twisted mountain juniper, while minotaur favour a gigantic shore pine. The specific appearance, however, is ultimately up to the individual. Regardless to the appearance, it is always of the purest and most gleaming white, can be seen for hundreds of kilometres away, and is soft and supple enough to sway in the breeze like a real tree.

History

The Irminsul was once called a long forgotten name in times gone by. Created by elves and humans to celebrate their subjugation of the northkin in the long mists of history, the Irminsul stood as a fortress, weapon platform, and symbol of occupation for millennia. During the War of Tusk and Horn, the northerners took it from their former masters, and have used it as a base of operations ever since.

Alternative Names

The Spire

Type

Temple / Church

Related Ethnicities

• Orc