Skorvik
Skorvik is the de facto regional capital. An early industrial city, with its core buildings maintained by primitive steam machinery, it is the seat of the Council of Speakers, the largest town, and the one with most amenities - two theaters, a music hall, houses of ill repute and other leisure buildings not commonly found in the harsh, rural Enclave. Its population is mostly composed by human settlers, with only a few dwarves, which usually prefer the ruggedness of frontier towns. It used to be the first stop for most visitors to the Fjord, a walled town perched on a large wind-lashed hill, but the friendliness of the settlement has dwindled as of late.
The permanent cold, the strange fog creeping up every few nights, and the unyielding grasp of winter - harming trade greatly - are taking their toll not only on the town's coffers, but on the townsfolk's morale most of all. Killings between rival bands in the outskirts, rumors of a serial murderer prowling the city in broad daylight and unsettling news from other settlements lead to most doors being barred shut, and newcomers being greeted with suspicion and worry.
Despite this, its central position and its riches make it the safest town in Herkja's Fjord to spend coin or pass a few nights - at least it has an operational Town Watch and a reputation for severity when taking action against thieves and criminals of any kind.
Locally, the Goddess's influence is low. The town's recent industrialization and (slow) rush toward modernity has caused the Goddess' worship to dwindle, and even the tributes are not paid as regularly as they used to. Skorvikers feel that they do not need her protection any longer and would much rather indulge in earthly distractions and their everyday lives.
Skorvik is a town of deep-seated contrasts. On one hand, the appearance that the Speaker and the 'nobility' entertain of a haven of modernity in a bleak region of the world, a town where, despite challenges and overwhelming threats, people can still live and dance, sing, drink to their heart's content. On the other, below this well-crafted and carefully maintained façade, a vast majority of the population struggling to survive, with hundreds forsaken and lost to their own devices, having to live on scraps and expedients.
The bright lights of the entertainment district hide dark shadows only a short walk away. Skorvikers seem mostly either jaded or oblivious to hard evidence, and the rush of modernity seems to have gone to their heads : most frontier towns resent them for it, and feel that the town has been closing on itself, forgetting its less fortunate neighbors. Anger simmers at the nobles in their warmed houses, and some Speakers are being increasingly vocal. The fogs and blizzard making the arrival of caravans from the outside and the seemingly neverending frost only increase this effect, with bitter traders and craftsmen bringing more and more issues to the Speaker, all of which unanswered, or even just unheard. While entire areas suffer and struggle, the nobility only seems more and more desperate to seek whatever form of escape they can find.
Nonetheless, they are Enclave Settlers at heart and can prove dependable allies for crafty outsiders who manage to stay afloat in the town's web of make-believes and petty intrigues, and the Speaker herself is definitely someone to be on the good side of.
The permanent cold, the strange fog creeping up every few nights, and the unyielding grasp of winter - harming trade greatly - are taking their toll not only on the town's coffers, but on the townsfolk's morale most of all. Killings between rival bands in the outskirts, rumors of a serial murderer prowling the city in broad daylight and unsettling news from other settlements lead to most doors being barred shut, and newcomers being greeted with suspicion and worry.
Despite this, its central position and its riches make it the safest town in Herkja's Fjord to spend coin or pass a few nights - at least it has an operational Town Watch and a reputation for severity when taking action against thieves and criminals of any kind.
Locally, the Goddess's influence is low. The town's recent industrialization and (slow) rush toward modernity has caused the Goddess' worship to dwindle, and even the tributes are not paid as regularly as they used to. Skorvikers feel that they do not need her protection any longer and would much rather indulge in earthly distractions and their everyday lives.
Skorvik is a town of deep-seated contrasts. On one hand, the appearance that the Speaker and the 'nobility' entertain of a haven of modernity in a bleak region of the world, a town where, despite challenges and overwhelming threats, people can still live and dance, sing, drink to their heart's content. On the other, below this well-crafted and carefully maintained façade, a vast majority of the population struggling to survive, with hundreds forsaken and lost to their own devices, having to live on scraps and expedients.
The bright lights of the entertainment district hide dark shadows only a short walk away. Skorvikers seem mostly either jaded or oblivious to hard evidence, and the rush of modernity seems to have gone to their heads : most frontier towns resent them for it, and feel that the town has been closing on itself, forgetting its less fortunate neighbors. Anger simmers at the nobles in their warmed houses, and some Speakers are being increasingly vocal. The fogs and blizzard making the arrival of caravans from the outside and the seemingly neverending frost only increase this effect, with bitter traders and craftsmen bringing more and more issues to the Speaker, all of which unanswered, or even just unheard. While entire areas suffer and struggle, the nobility only seems more and more desperate to seek whatever form of escape they can find.
Nonetheless, they are Enclave Settlers at heart and can prove dependable allies for crafty outsiders who manage to stay afloat in the town's web of make-believes and petty intrigues, and the Speaker herself is definitely someone to be on the good side of.
Demographics
3.400 Human | 200 Dwarves | 600 Halflings.
Some families of tieflings, and other hybrid humanoid species.
Some families of tieflings, and other hybrid humanoid species.
Defences
The walls stand 30 feet tall and are defended against incursions by an outer circle of wooden palisades, the gap between them filled with rubble. The gates are 20 feet tall, made of sturdy dwarven-smithed iron, and barred from the inside. The town has three gates in total - the North Gate, Shann's Gate to the Southeast, from the town's first family of settlers, and the Mason's Gate to the Southwest. These days, they are sprung shut whenever the sky darkens, with only the Mason's Gate left open but heavily guarded to allow passage for night-time wanderers.
The Town Watch has 200 men-at-arms on full-time employ, with about fifty veterans, and can quickly muster a militia of up to 750 able men and women.
The Town Watch has 200 men-at-arms on full-time employ, with about fifty veterans, and can quickly muster a militia of up to 750 able men and women.
Industry & Trade
Skorvik is heavily reliant on goods from other towns in the Enclave : bricks and stone from the West, furs from the East, food from the southern settlements. Its industry is mostly aimed at guaranteeing its self-sustainability and comfort for the residents, who see themselves as the elite of the region.
Mana factories, advanced for Lower Raeth but of a more primitive make than the ones in the Mainland, power the city's first attempt at an electrical grid, which for now only covers Hourglass, Elanna and Cypress. A less known role of these factories is the refinement of particular stones from the mountain quarries north of Caer Korith, from which Mana-powered machinery is able to extract and form magically-infused gemstones, which the town exports to the Mainland in great quantity, and at high prices, for both decoration and for the local arcanists - a fact which only a handful of "trusted citizens" know.
Mana factories, advanced for Lower Raeth but of a more primitive make than the ones in the Mainland, power the city's first attempt at an electrical grid, which for now only covers Hourglass, Elanna and Cypress. A less known role of these factories is the refinement of particular stones from the mountain quarries north of Caer Korith, from which Mana-powered machinery is able to extract and form magically-infused gemstones, which the town exports to the Mainland in great quantity, and at high prices, for both decoration and for the local arcanists - a fact which only a handful of "trusted citizens" know.
Districts
Intra muros Skorvik is divided in eight main districts, each of them with the namesake of one of the stars in the Enclave's sky, as an omen of good fortune from the time of the town's founding.
Hourglass is the district dedicated to entertainment and distraction venues. Located in southern Skorvik, it principally houses the Speaker's Hall, the Theater of the White Mask and the town's gambling halls, along with one of its poshiest taverns, the Golden Stork - and its cathouse, one of Skorvik's less well-kept secrets. The area is highly guarded by the Town Watch, not only because of its promiscuous activities but also since it houses a fair share of the local bourgeoisie - enthusiastic Shann voters for generations.
Pelican has a seedy reputation and the history to prove it. It is a populous area in northern Skorvik and where the largest concentration of halfling can be found. These are not quite on the bright side of legality and the Watch is always investigating new black markets, underground trading rings, and unsanctioned gambling dens ; a chase made complicated by the fact that the district is particularly labyrinthic and well-connected to the sewers of the town, with areas still uncharted.
Cartwheel is the manufacturing and trading area, with two large covered markets and a concentration of shops. The drastic reduction in trade has brought the district almost to a screeching halt, with the tanners and the apothecaries being almost the only ones fully open and active.This has led to a surge in minor criminality, theft and muggings, but so far nothing which Sheriff Southwell cannot handle. Interestingly, this area was hand-picked by Speaker Shann for the town's second theater, Dewberry Hall, in an effort to connect the citizenship with the finer things in live.
Sparrow and Cypress are residential districts, the first of which houses the majority of the dwarven population thanks to its proximity with Waterfall. Both districts are unremarkable in many ways, with the usual assembly of popular houses, small shops, open-air markets. The only claim to fame in Cypress in recent months is a series of brutal murders, all very similar, and one every month.
Waterfall is the second industrial district of the town. Actual inhabitants are few, since most of the district is occupied by the large Mana-transforming factories which power the town's burgeoning power grid. The sight is not particularly pleasant, especially considering that the factories are within the walls themselves, too strategic to be left in the open, but the benefits for the citizens outweigh the negative aspects, at least so far.
Amber is the district closest to Mason's Gate, and as such the best defended. The Barracks, several dormitories, and the city's only real fort are all located in the area, and most of the lodgings are occupied by the soldier's families - and a few illegal brothels. Symbolicly, both the town's tribunal and the Sheriff have their offices here, a short distance away from Hourglass.
Crown is the smallest district and is usually referred to as the artist's quarters - however much Skorvik can muster as far as artistry goes. A few bards, a half-deserted musical school, and the lodgings of painters, poets and local "crazies". It also houses the Guild of Arcanists and its residents.
But Skorvik at large is also comprised of a series of hamlets and industrial areas just outside the walls, some of which are quite livable but where others are barely more than dumps of 'houses' hosting the almost-slaves on waste duty for the Mana factories on the hilltop above. These areas are seldom visited by the Watch, let alone by the town's distinguished residents - some of which, though, are quite excited by this shantytown's glibness and will happily "debase themselves" and indulge in their fighting pits or betting dens of poor repute and poorer hygiene.
But Skorvik at large is also comprised of a series of hamlets and industrial areas just outside the walls, some of which are quite livable but where others are barely more than dumps of 'houses' hosting the almost-slaves on waste duty for the Mana factories on the hilltop above. These areas are seldom visited by the Watch, let alone by the town's distinguished residents - some of which, though, are quite excited by this shantytown's glibness and will happily "debase themselves" and indulge in their fighting pits or betting dens of poor repute and poorer hygiene.
Guilds and Factions
Importantly, Skorvik is the city with the only established Guild of Arcanists in the region, with two permanent resident mages and a motley assembly of passing-through spellcasters and scholars seeking lost knowledge and magical artifacts. The Guild is rumored to hold a one-way portal to another plane, but this, like other urban myths such as the ice crocodilian in the town's sewers, have yet to be proved.
The Guildmaster is Jorr Vilis, an expert in Abjuration magic (Wizard 13) who arrived in the Enclave in 92 C.R. intrigued by the rumors of the many glyphs and wards appearing spontaneously on dolmen and geographical elements of the region, and has stayed to study them for the last three decades or so. The other permanent resident is Jana, his far younger assistant and wife, a Bard from the College of Lore (Bard 7) who has first met him on an expedition to the Giantholds in 105 C.R.
The Coinmasters, the town's trading guild, is also particularly powerful. Edda Goldtear, a halfling as old as she is cunning, leads the guild along with her four daughters with a cleverly disguised iron fist, and is said to be the town's true ruler. It is through her warehouses that the riches of the Enclave pass through, even though they are now stockpiling while the region waits for the thaw and for the fog on its borders to lift.
The Guildmaster is Jorr Vilis, an expert in Abjuration magic (Wizard 13) who arrived in the Enclave in 92 C.R. intrigued by the rumors of the many glyphs and wards appearing spontaneously on dolmen and geographical elements of the region, and has stayed to study them for the last three decades or so. The other permanent resident is Jana, his far younger assistant and wife, a Bard from the College of Lore (Bard 7) who has first met him on an expedition to the Giantholds in 105 C.R.
The Coinmasters, the town's trading guild, is also particularly powerful. Edda Goldtear, a halfling as old as she is cunning, leads the guild along with her four daughters with a cleverly disguised iron fist, and is said to be the town's true ruler. It is through her warehouses that the riches of the Enclave pass through, even though they are now stockpiling while the region waits for the thaw and for the fog on its borders to lift.
Founding Date
4 C.R.
Alternative Name(s)
"The Capital"
Type
Town
Population
4.200
Inhabitant Demonym
Skorviker
Characters in Location
Notable Locations
The Golden Stork
The original owners abhor the name of "inn", which sounds rugged and 'very countryside', and prefer the term of Resting House. Regardless of the denomination, it is the favorite haunt of Skorvik's elite and its small salons are where most of the important political and financial budget is discussed. Both Speaker Shann and Coinmaster Goldtear have their private reception rooms when they need to conduct transactions away from too public an eye, and the bartender's secrecy is guaranteed.
The Stork as a whole is composed by the Resting House, a large building over three stories, the bathhouse on the other side of the road, conveniently connected to the main building by a ramp on the latter's second floor, and a rather well-known elegant brothel in the basement, as if there was a need to conceal it - paid-off town constables and judges are a guarantee enough already.
Outsiders who manage to build some reputation in town will sooner or later end up at the inn, to be assessed by its denizens and their more or less savory job offers. But moral compass aside, as the local saying goes, "money flies on a stork's wing". And all of this with nobody knowing who the Stork's mysterious owners actually are ...
The Stork as a whole is composed by the Resting House, a large building over three stories, the bathhouse on the other side of the road, conveniently connected to the main building by a ramp on the latter's second floor, and a rather well-known elegant brothel in the basement, as if there was a need to conceal it - paid-off town constables and judges are a guarantee enough already.
Outsiders who manage to build some reputation in town will sooner or later end up at the inn, to be assessed by its denizens and their more or less savory job offers. But moral compass aside, as the local saying goes, "money flies on a stork's wing". And all of this with nobody knowing who the Stork's mysterious owners actually are ...
Dewberry Theatre
The Dewberry is Kela Shann's "creature", a building which she saw being built in her childhood and whose construction she personally funded when the first owners of the land plot, a rich trading family's last heirs, died in a raider ambush, leaving it unfinished. It was her desire to see it turned into a centre of culture for the less favored Skorvikers, a place where they too could brush the many distractions the more elite citizens could enjoy.
Sadly, it has now fallen in partial disarray, as the locals were never too keen on the idea to begin with, but the Dewberry's Madam and her strange troupe of mutated humanoids and dour-faced actors keep putting on new shows, week after week, and have become local, well-liked curiosities of a sort.
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