Thevensyne

Thevensyne, the city of Ice, is the unofficial capital of all of Asrinheim. Built and still ruled by House Ardiylir, Thevensyne sits near the ancient battleground that ended the ‘long night’ of Asrinheim – where Frigga, joined by Odin for the first time, one a triumphant victory against the Forgotten Gods. A city of politics, fine industry, and jewel smithing, Thevensyne sits at the base of the twin mountains of Shadowbreaker and Dawnbringer, which loom with glistening ice and snow-capped peaks above the city.
Known as the ‘City of Ice’ or the ‘Three Spired City’ – Thevensyne is a marvel of ice magics and engineering. Impressive, thick ice and stone supported walls protect the city and can be reinforced instantly by the highly trained ice mages that train and live in the city walls. It is dominated by three impressive ice spires as well, two in the Celestial Keep, the main fortress of the city, and one on the gatehouse, known as the Dragonway Spire. Smaller spires dot the buildings of the city, made of ice or stone. Thevensyne is characterised by its ornate stone and ice carved buildings with intricate patterns, designs, arches and spires. The ice is magically sustained, never melting even when exposed to open flames, and the city has a chilly, wintery scent to it with light mountain breezes and dustings of snow. Hooded lanterns of dancing lights illuminate the city come nightfall, and firebugs are known to swarm around its gardens, as do bees, giving the city a unique and aromatic mead industry.

Demographics

Thevensyne is the grandest Vaniri city in the realm, equal in population to the entire island of Furunheim and compacted into orderly blocks and housing. Sprawling homesteads lie outside the city's interior, housing families of workers.
The majority of the population are Vaniri Ice Elves of northern heritage. Smaller numbers of humans, typically of Aedrinarian heritage, and half-elves from their unions can be found. The city has a fluxuating population, its grandeur and wealth attracting those that can leave less fortunate vaniri settlements such as Tyris Ren or Freywen.
The poorer classes are the common labourers; miners, labourers, and shepards who live on the outskirts of the city proper. Inside, common workers who tend to taverns, work as apprentices, or as servants to the elites can be found in smaller homes or apartment blocks. Artisans, artists, and craftspeople make up a sizeable workforce within the walls. Producing the finer goods of the town, they can train as apprentices in the grand guild halls, or go on to form their own family businesses. The poorer of the city are still reasonably well off compared to other places. Work is plentiful, and the city grants rights to food to those who ask for it, with most capable of hunting themselves if they require it. Common plumbing and wells makes drinking water safe and easy to access, and for those on the outskirts melting snow is easy enough.
The 'middle classes' of the city are the magical elites, ice mages who teach at the Chamber of Ice or work to maintain the walls and infrastructure of the city. Business owning guildworkers, merchants, and the clerical classes of the numerous temples of the city compose the rest of this large demographic.  This cohort live very comfortably, owning buildings, being able to import and export fine deals, and being well educated and capable fo speaking numerous languages and practicing magics.
The richest cohort are the farm and mine owners, and the more powerful guildsmen of the various orders within the city, alongside the reigning House Ardiylir with their annointed knights and protectors as well. The minority, this group live in grand homes, apartments, or wings of the Celestial Keep itself.

Government

The city is ruled directly by the Elder of Thevensyne, the inherted head of House Ardiylir. No civilian order of elders exist, but appointed guild elders, and head priests of the major temples, alongside other members of the ruling family form an informal grand council to advise the Elder. These keys of power compose of the complex civil service, the major guilds, the land owners, and the military. Whilst there is no formal need to seek these factions' approval, a wise elder would not cross them as they are needed to keep the city together and keep their reign long.
Whilst some elders have overuled the 'wisdom' of this council, it has never been so egregious as to provoke rebellion or hostility. A single Ardiylir elder, Herias, abdicated during the first age because they lost the support of their council, but outside of this the city leaders have had little affect on their ruling family - valuing the tradition and honoured history the Ardyilir's bring their city.

Defences

Thevensyne is protected by its grand Ice Walls, Magically maintained and self-growing, the ice mages are needed simply to provide occasional repairs and renew the enchantments where required. It is said if Thevensyne were to fall, it would take 10,000 years for the ice walls to fully melt and fade. They are resistant to most fires, and even if a force were to subject sustained heat to it, the murder holes, arcane turrets, and seige weaponary of the city would push them back. The city has never fallen to a hostile foe, and the walls are a formidable and intimidating sight despite their 'weak' material.
A handful of professional trained knights can be found. These professional soldiers and captains come from any background, and can rise to the rank of knight by sustained military service. The whole population must complete conscription and basic military training for civil defence reasons. Those that wish to maintain the additional wages of a guardsman of House Ardyilir operate on a 6 month rotation between living in the Celestial Keep and returning to their 'day jobs.'

Industry & Trade

Thevensyne produces most of its own resources, importing only certain foods and drinks from the port of Iminiyas or from trade brokers in Tyris Ren from the south. Wide frost fields and pastures line the outskirts of the city. Hunters also patrol the mountains, bringing in pelts and meat from the large fauna the populate Asrinheim’s hinterlands. Winter grains, vegetables, and fruits are grown as well as sheep, goats, and woolly cows raised as herd animals.
Inside the city, flowers and herbs are grown in wild patches or private gardens. The abundance of bees and fireflies make for delicious local honey, and a fine mead known as Firefly Mead, brewed in the Lavendriel Distillery. These flowers also provide pentiful dye for the wool and cloth, often intertwined with fine metals to form clothes sold throughout Aedrinar.
Inside the city, jewels, clothing, clothes, and fabrics are made as well as some vellum and papers for scrolls. Local inks made from charcoal and coal are used in regular life, with fine Winterharbour arcane squids ink sold in the markets and Ice Academy.

Infrastructure

Thevensyne has a series of well maintined stone roads with raised pavements for pedestrians. Drainage for melted water seeps into the ground, and the city has a complex plumbing system coming to and from the nearby mountains. Water is processed in glaciers and carried down through pipes into the city, where it feeds into the taps of wealthy homes, and the wells for the rest of the city. Arcane filtration keeps the water from freezing or going foul.
Dirty water, and waste, is carried through a seperate system back into the mountain, undergoing more arcane filtration that puts the water back into ice glaciers to be recycled.
The main highway for the city is the Frigganroad, running from North to South Asrinheim, and comes into the main gate of the city through a spur road. The Ardiylir guards maintain their portion of the road, keeping it clear of snow during the colder months and patrolling to maintain security and safety from criminals, monsters, and wild animals.

Districts

There is no formal division of Thevensyne despite its size, but it is unofficially broken into four quarters based around the main thoroughfares and geography of the city.
The Castle Quarter houses the Celestial Keep, most of the military, and the wealth and assets of the city on a cliff carved portion of the mountain that overlooks the rest of the city. A private praying grove for the honoured gods and seldarine can be found here, there own blacksmiths, the vastness of the celestial keep itself, and a small military barracks and fort alongside stabling, and a sculpture garden.
The Hill Quarter houses grand guildhalls, the nobles of the city, and several temples. The Market and Arcane quarters house the rest of the city in the flatter land below. The majority of the city's population can be found here, as well as the main businesses, markets, Chambers of Ice and Earth, and the temple of frigga.
Smaller hamlets and homesteads lie outside the walls scattered for a few miles around the city itself housing common farmers, hunters, shepards, and labourers.

Guilds and Factions

Chamber of Ice

A guildhall and arcane school for those training in ice magics for either art, engineering, or war. Also serving as the basic school of Thevensynian children, those who are gifted in magics or other skills are given free further education to master their talents. Regular testing in the arcane, mathematics, artificing, science, and sculpting are undetaken throughout a young elf's life to determine if they should be given this additional training. As repayment for this training, they must then serve a minimum period of time in the city's ice mages, maintaining the infrastructure of the city. After this, they are free to continue in paid employment or seek a new adventure and profession.
The Ice Mages are the heart of the city - maintaining its impressive walls, forming a formidable wing of arcane artillery and warmages in times of conflict, and also peddling their skills for coin throughout the city.

Chamber of Earth

The guild base for the miners, sculpters, builders, and jewel-crafters of the city. The Chamber of Earth itself is a collection of workshops, a marketplace, and guild officers and business building.

History

Thevensyne was first founded in the aftermath of The Long Night, where Frigga and her hosts were joined by Odin’s host to defeat a powerful cult of the Forgotten gods that brought “eldritch darkness” upon this region of Asrinheim. The land was awarded to her most loyal warriors and house, the Ardiylirs, who built the first keep and began expanding into the mountains to get into untapped metals and resources to fund the armies of the future Honoured Gods.
In the aftermath of the war, the city grew into a peaceful, and political powerful settlement. Its early days focused on mining and jewel crafting, but as the city grew, and the people adapted to agriculture and living in this harsh environment, it was capable of supporting a larger population and moved into the pelts and fur trade.
The city has always been the home and capital of House Ardiylir, one of the more powerful of the 13 Great Houses of Asrinheim. They bordered House Summerfrost to the south, House Gildaron to the west, and House Rayes to their north, and became a market and political centre for the surrounding houses and powers.
By the Jotun-Vaniri war of the late mythic age, Thevensyne would come under some pressure from raiding giant forces and was the heart of the united elven coalition against the Kingdom of Jotun . The city survived the war and prospered from peace.
In the coming thousands of years, Thevensyne slowly expanded, a minor earthquake would damage the more ancient structure in the early first age and Haelos the Icebender, the ruling Elder at the time, would construct a new keep, the modern Celestial Keep, and the first grand ice walls of the city.
In 2844, House Ardiylir forces would battle in vain against High King Haarold I Seasnake. As the Seasnake pillage and invaded southern Asrinheim, the great houses met in Thevensyne and agreed to surrender, the city became a tributary of the Aedrinaran kingdom for around a century before a Gildaron led revolt allowed the Ardiylirs to cease their tributes – sending ice mages and soldiers to help the Ice Elf rebellion against the Third Kingdom of Aedrinar.
In the coming second age, the city resumed its growth and prosperity – the Ardiylirs regaining their powerful pre-invasion status as the most powerful house of the Ice Elves. Thevensyne’s great spires were expanded upon, and the buildings grew more ornate and elegant. The city swelled to its maximum population by the outbreak of the War of the Great Houses. The Ardiylir’s outposts were destroyed by the Gildarons, and they battled in a gruelling conflict against their neighbours.
During this time, the city went into great debts with the Summerfrosts of Tyris Ren, and the population were driven into a total war economy. The arts of the city were abandoned as Thevensynians joined the armies, prisoners were sent to labour in the mines and fields, and even the youngest of mages were sent to the front lines.
A failed Gildaron attack on the city was thwarted in the Firey Night, which heavily damaged swathes of the city as trebuchets launched firey loads behind its walls. The Ardiylirs would win the war, defeating House Gildaron, and began a centuries long rebuilding process. Their debts to the Summerfrosts were wiped out when the family were driven from power, and the city rebuilt what was damaged.
In 1052, 3e, Thevensyne’s ancient foe, Mothrar Gildaron, returned in the guise of The Piper. Even before revealing his existence, he had recruited members of Vaniri society to The Dragon Clan, with an agent known as ‘The Flame’ infiltrating the city. The Flame was revealed as Regent Myrkir Ardiylir.

Alternate Timeline

In the alternate timeline where Doomed 2 Die never formed created by Primus, Thevensyne was the home Gallus and their partners, Isa and Urmas. The city was destroyed by Fenrir in the Ragnarok event, despite the heroic attempts of Zedithir to save it.

Points of interest

The most famous feature of the city are its three grand spires, Mighty stone and ice towers that reach into the sky and can be seen from miles away. The two that are attached to the Celestial Keep are known as the Twinned Towers of Iron and Gods. The Iron tower is part prison and military outpost, whilst the Godly tower comprises of a Friggan chapel, art studios, and an observatory crafted by Asryia Ardiylir the Stargazer in the mid second age. The third spire, the Dragonway, is a towering military and apartment complex above the gates to the city. The lower levels house knights and military defences, whilst the upper floors servce as penthouse apartments for the elites.
A famous ice statue sits before the main temple of frigga in the city proper - a masked, iron armoured warrior with a carved greatsword stands as a memorial to the warriors that ended The Long Night and died killing the Forgotten Gods. During the reign of Haarold I, some Aedrinarans would come to visit this statue to pay homage to the vaniri that died in the conflict.

Geography

Thevensyne is a hilly settlement at the foot of two great mountains. The Shadowbreaker being the northenmost and the Dawnbringer the southermost. On clear, summer days the peaks glisten with light from the ice, creating beautiful lightshows for those in the city below, and in the winter months the Winter Rainbow can cause refractions of reds, blues, and purples to create an eerie, dancing lights presentation.

Founding Date

Circa 3100, ma

Alternative Name(s)

City of Ice, Three Spired City

Population

20,000

Inhabitant Demonym

Thevensynian

Owner/Ruler

Regent Myrkir Ardiylir

Owning Organization

House Ardiylir

Characters in Location

• Regent Myrkir Ardiylir

Apperances: 1

• Session 83: The Clockwork God