Stjordvik

Stjordvik

Government
Monarchy
Organizations
Bruised But Not Broken, Rhes Haghed, Sulla Arena, Strebor's Corsairs, Companions of Elric, Kasarian Embassy, Abjura Dolana, Buel Vitta Society, Resa's Rest
Temples
Ancev, Lirr, Olidammara, Osprem, Pholtus, Ulaa
Merchant Houses
Abraxis Combine, Bowman-Outersea Cereals & Commodities, House Ditta, House Revol, Hythe Maritime Services, Thal Lithel, Thal Sivale

The capital of the barony of Svinik in Sormark, it is also considered the unofficial capital of the entire nation. Perhaps due to its history or perhaps due to its trade, it is much more international than the other cities in the country. People from all over the world can be found here enjoying all the ‘Cool Cove’, as it has been nicknamed, has to offer.

As someone once remarked: "you can’t throw a lute here without hitting a bard". The city is home to more musicians than any other city and they play not just in the inns and taverns but on most street corners as well. Be wary of impromptu games of ‘cock hopping’ breaking out; this local sport which was historically played with live poultry, can get quite raucous.

Locations

Stjordvik’s districts are all quite distinct though most visitors avoid the poorer ones where ‘swamp folk’ live in their hovels. The most famous is the Miforan District. Located right on the coast the name is something of a misnomer as the architecture nor the culture is particularly Miforan. It is, however, home to more inns, taverns, clubs, and gambling dens than one could ever hope to visit.

Directly to the north is the Harbor District; it holds exactly what you’d expect: docks, warehouses and groghouses filled with rowdy sailors. Shopping is best done in the Forum District; there is little that cannot be acquired here. Make sure to visit the famous Caeles Emporium.

Yarntown District is known for its verdant parks, theatres, and upscale bordellos. Cyamus District is a formerly poor residential district that has improved a lot during the latest economic boom. Fort Gunnlaeif District is home to most city services, scribes, and moneylenders.

The Bank

The city unfortunately has to deal with flooding much too often. But the worst of it was curtailed when a few centuries ago an artificial sandbank was constructed right in front of the town, built in part through forced labor by criminals. These days the upkeep is mostly done by a respectable dwarven firm of engineers and wizards.

The Booknook

The place seems to be squeezed between buildings, barely a little more than a door wide. Behind the entrance is a 60' long corridor with a bookshelf on the right. The books all neatly lined and perfectly clean on the shelves. The corridor ends in a large room, filled with shelved and neatly sorted books. A spiral staircase is in the far left corner, a desk on the far right.

Caeles Emporium

This huge store on Duvius Street is famous for selling almost anything. They sell just about any kind of food on the ground floor and the upper floors sell everything from clothes, carpets, furniture, to musical instruments and weapons. If they don't have an item, it can usually be ordered and delivered within days. At the top floor of the building they have their own restaurant which serves the most decadent of brunches every day.

Fort Gunnlaeif

The fortress is built on a hillock at the southeastern edge of the city and is the ancestral home of the ruling baron.

Norbana’s

The city’s most laurelled restaurant, art gallery, and the Buel Vitta Society’s local chapterhouse is a feast for the senses. Dining doesn’t get any finer with a menu that changes weekly (or even more often!) and seating among some of the most exceptional art the region has to offer.

Relatus Playhouse

While the city might be famous for its music that doesn’t mean the stage goes unloved here. Known for more experimental plays, what we can safely say is that whatever else, the musical accompaniment will be great.

Silverwick Ward

A small ward founded by old veterans and retired medics. They are independent and offer help to those who can't afford it. Because they are independent they rely on donations and whatever their patients can afford.

Sunrise Tavern

While there’s nothing wrong with the drinks at this establishment it is most well-known for the quality of the music that is played here. Some of the best bards to ever walk these lands have graced their stage, any visit might be the discovery of new talent. They have a (mostly) friendly rivalry with the Estate Taproom just a few blocks away. Both are more than worth a visit.

Organizations

Bruised But Not Broken

Ever since the Accord of Aarvik business has dropped off quite a lot here. Sormarkers are more than capable fighters but there are still occasions when a mercenary force comes in quite handy. Camp Narshafad, east of town, houses plenty of eager Bruised; a posting here is very in demand.

Ductak (Major) Trep 'Falcon' Ehnwind, a Dolac swashbuckler and former pirate, runs things. It is said Strebor's Corsairs have a large sum of money waiting for anyone to deliver him alive on Threepwood Isle.

Sulla Arena

Located at the north end of the Fort Gunnlaeif District, Against the Grain, the fight school and arena hold weekly fights for a prize purse and these are always sold out affairs. Sormarkers are notoriously hard to train but the fact Sulla opened up business here speaks to their potential.

The Hetman is an Otteun of imposing stature known as Herr Galaktik.

Companions of Elric

The headquarter is housed in a large, wooden building on Braid Street, straddling the Harbor and Forum Districts. Many small rural communities have fallen upon hard times so the Companions are quite busy running caravans into the interior.

Their leader is Varana Mindogar, a very charming woman who used to work at The Pearl.

Kasarian Embassy

In the past this was where expeditions to the center of the Reuel Woods were organized from. While Kasar's interest is likely undiminished, they haven't attempted any in recent years. Their embassy can be found on Korfalt Lane, in Yarntown, right before it changes into Callis Street.

A tiefling man, Xaemar Zercis, is the recently appointed ambassador here; his face has a reddish hue, a small horn protrudes from his chin and tiny ones are located above his eyes. Second in command is Zelgos Gossyl, a short human man with dark hair and brown eyes.

Abjura Dolana

Found on Korfalt Lane in Yarntown, this lodge in the has had to fight for relevance more than most but they have always found generous support from the local ruler. They constantly have to deal with 'those bloody bards'; exactly the kind people who are prone to casting spells willy-nilly and who hold no truck with any kind of regulatory body.

They are lead by Magister Ildool Illeon, a tall, grave Dolac man with a short, dark beard, who dresses in a quite old fashioned style. The Sentinel here is a wild young halfling woman from Loveria, Tara Macanester, who is on the verge of being dismissed just about every week. Also of note is Warder Heiner Knapp from Otteun, he specializes in magical tattoos.

Buel Vitta Society

The chapter is housed at Norbana’s, the city’s most laurelled restaurant and art gallery. Their monthly 'Taster Feasts' are known for being some of the largest attended events in, probably, the world. Anyone with any culinary panache takes part and tries to out-do the competition, to the delight of those paying the reasonable entrance fee. They organize two large events; the Autumn Leaves Festival and the Annual Stjordvik Regatta & Ball.

Resa's Rest

The Pearl, one of Resa's Rest’s most famous brothels is located on Viator Avenue in Yarntown. It is a vast building that takes up an entire block with a large inner garden filled with many exotic and fragrant flowers. The staff prides themselves on being able to cater to every customer’s whim and it’s very rare for one not to leave satisfied.

The manager is Torleth Finival, a rather charming and excitable early-fifties Miforan man of refined tastes. In charge of security is a slight and very pretty half-elven woman with many hidden skills known only as Durana.

Temples

Ancev

The enigmatic Malu Kah, no one is sure if they are male, female, human, elf, something in-between, started a new temple in an old weaver's shop, The House of the Awakened. It is located in the city's Forum District, on Tailor Way and services there are very well attended. The popularity of this new god seems to go across all social, economic, and racial divides. One can find dock workers, merchants, bards, criminals, addicts, soldiers, and more at the temple at all hours.

Lirr

In the Miforan District, the elevated Muse's Haven stands, adorned with cascading vines and intricate murals depicting tales of love, literature, and artistic brilliance. The temple's clergy, when not removing curses or diseases from all the visiting bards, work tirelessly to transcribe all the stories brought to them.

The western side of the temple contains an impressive theater with an intricate system that allows for the opening of the back wall, giving those in attendance a view of the sea.

An expert librarian and archivist, High Priest Callum Pagebound oversees the Verse Vault within the Haven. His meticulous cataloging and preservation efforts ensure that the temple's collection remains a rich tapestry of human expression.

Osprem

At the north-western edge of the Harbor District where the Copis river empties into the Sarodin Sea stands the Ship of Osprem. This large church is built of massive basalt in the shape of the forecastle of a galleon. Any ship leaving port tosses three copper coins towards the temple as a tithe. Most captains know to visit the building beforehand to make a more sizeable donation.

In charge is Mistress of the Waves Fiella Myntion, a young woman in her twenties who was found drifting at sea on some wreckage when she was but a babe.

Pholtus

The Bright Hold is a white stone temple with large stained glass windows on the edge of the Miforan District. Pholtus has a hardcore following but they aren't very large here in the city. The weekly masses are still quite well attended with the audience being a mix of locals and mercenary types.

The high priest is Bishop Assessor Stor Nuren, a man of few words but a great love of song.

The building is also home to a chapter of the Order of Saint Rabban. This has led to quite a few clashes with the neighbors, as not every Sormarker is a werewolf. It is fair to say the order is more appreciated in the rest of the country where they often battle actual lycanthropes, hags, and other monsters. The order's standing policy is to have at least three quarter of their number out in the country, looking for evil.

The chapter is lead by High-Inquisitor Myrnd Mournsoul, a veteran of the Joluan Cleanse. Technically the head of the temple outranks him, but it is quite rare for Myrnd not to get his way.

Ulaa

Sormarkers party hard but work hard as well. Thus worship of the Stonewife is quite popular here. A new temple, the House of Many Hands, a large, squat building of travertine from Stennen Quarry, was built in the middle of Cyamus District not too long ago. Going somewhat against tradition, the large, copper altar is not shaped like an anvil, but rather like a ship's anchor.

Forewoman Reqys Laarrabisos is a shrewd gnome woman of advanced years has run the old temple, and now the new, for as long as most people can remember.

Merchant Houses

Abraxis Combine

Their headquarters is a massive stone building on Korfalt Lane near Fort Gunnlaeif. Their warehouses in the Harbor District are patrolled by a contingent of former Ott soldiers.

A dwarf woman from Otteun, called Heira Hykhold, carries the scepter. She used to run a copper mine before joining Abraxis.

Bowman-Outersea Cereals & Commodities

This merchant guild owns the largest warehouses in the Harbor District with their own dedicated fire-watch. It is nominally run from here as well, though the higher ups are usually found in the city's eateries for at least half of the work day.

They are lead by a Miforan woman called Vinicia Muco, a collector of stuffed animals.

House Ditta

Their operations are run from a stately old building in the Forum District, using local contractors for warehousing and other services. House Ditta and the two elven thals move about the same volume of goods these days and have been in competition for more warehouse space for a long time now.

The man in charge is Secoz Rogla, a former mercenary, quite famous back in Haza for his many feats of combat prowess, such as slaying five trolls in one night single-handedly and killing the hydra known as Ventoc.

House Revol

They own a number of smaller warehouses in the Harbor District but are operating from a large, gaudy building in the Forum District.

The man nominally in charge is Lord Orlin Rein, who continually pines for his homeland of Loveria. This in contrast to his second, Lord Brad Trip, who plans to stay here for the rest of his life.

Hythe Maritime Services

Ever since a fire burned down their old place they can be found in an airy building on Braid Street, which runs between the Harbor and Forum Districts. Using new technology they have quickly become the largest supplier to the local fishing fleet.

In charge is Miforan Maribeth Solomon who is not only great at her job but also a singer of some renown.

Thal Lithel

Headquartered in a complex of warehouses and offices between the Harbor and Forum Districts.

It is run by the half-elf Respen Faerondyl, he has a great love of sailing and fishing.

Thal Sivale

While their warehouses are on the docks, their headquarters is an elegant mansion in Yarntown.

They are led by one of the few elves to permanently live outside of Fir Lanear, the dowager Tasmia Ealoeth, an imposing woman whose very advanced age doesn't show in any way.

Notable People

• Raknar the Crayman (baron)
• Morten Strand (captain of the city watch)
• Uni Atlisson (wizard, dean of Spell Academy)
• Roywyn Meadeeze (gnome sage, nature)
• Crandan Othnull (sage, Sarodin Sea)
• Ulwen Amakiir (half-elf, master musician)
• Nisk Radkar (Rhes Haghed don)

In the papers

Man falls from three story building, goes back for more.

During a late-night festival in Stjordvik’s famous Miforan District many of the visitors witnessed a man balancing on the edge of the roof of the Galenus Inn before falling from it, hitting a balcony on the way down before landing on the street. He then got up, dusted himself off and returned back inside.

According to onlookers the man was ‘nine sheets to the wind’ and mumbled something about ‘wanting to try that once more’. He was not observed on the roof again, however. Staff at establishment would only comment the man accessed a part of the premises not open to guests.

- Excerpt from an article in the Midtal Reformer