Avanthal

From Mizahar Lore

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Avanthal

Region	Taldera
Notability	Home of Morwen and the Vantha
Leader	Morwen
Population	6,000
Races	Vantha 80% Kelvic 3% Other 17%
Languages	Vani and Common
Currency	Miza
Imports	Food and Tradecrafts
Exports	Art, Crafts, Animals

Contents 1 Climate 2 Geography 3 Holds Of Avanthal 4 History 5 Culture and Government 5.1 Icewatch 6 Major Holidays 7 Locations of Interest 7.1 The Port of Avanthal 7.2 Morwen's Ice Palace 7.3 The Temple of Everwinter 7.4 The Icewall Gates

Climate

Avanthal is the coldest city on Mizahar. The temperature never rises above 32 degrees F and can get as low as 40 degrees below zero F. The weather is snowy daily, and the city is prone to blizzards and high winds. The city is locked in an unending winter which makes this city a place one would want to keep away from if they do not like winter. The city gets about 400 feet of snow yearly and that is during drier years. The lack of forests around the city makes it about 20 degrees colder although there are some small forests lining the city and within the city.

Geography

Avanthal is located right above The Northern Reaches and right below the Northern Wastes. Avanthal is bordered by the Sea on its Western side. The land is mostly flat with a few hills scattered around the Reaches and Wastes. The city is completely flat and sparingly wooded.

Holds Of Avanthal

The city of Avanthal is divided into seven different holds and the city's defense group known as Icewatch. All eight are equally respected although Icewatch gets a few more privileges. Each group has their specialty set and unique history. A hold is a large house that all people in the hold live in together. Even though all holds are a smaller part of Avanthal, each has a history that differs from the others. All the holds house only Vantha except for special cases, such as skilled visitors or priests needing housing. These people are considered guests of Morwen because of their closeness with the Gods. These guests stay with the hold that most closely matches their skills.

Occasionally people switch holds, but it is very uncommon. When one wants to switch holds, they must either get married to someone from another hold or appeal to the leader of the hold that they want to join. It is quite hard to change holds when appealing to the leader, so not many Vantha change their hold.

The Holds of Avanthal:

• Frostfawn- This is the hold of Avanthal that deals with Animal Husbandry. It is said that these Vantha have a special kinship with their animals. Each member is known to have at least one animal that they treat as though they were family. When Morwen told the original Frostfawn members to establish their hold, they wanted to live in the forest where their animals were the most comfortable. Their hold is deep in the Avanthal woods and is very large to hold all the members and their animals. Frostfawn will never claim to own animals. They believe that their animals are their family and treat them as such. If one ever calls a Frostfawn's animal their "pet," they get very upset. The specialties of Frostfawn are Animal Husbandry, Bird Keeping, Falconry, Horsemanship, Hunting, Riding, Tracking, Trapping, and Wilderness Survival. The current leader of Frostfawn is Kayin Frostfawn.

• Skyglow- The members of Skyglow are masters of the visual arts. The founders of Skyglow wanted to settle where the sky glowed the brightest. They searched until they found the perfect spot. They settled where the sky was clear and the land was free of anything that would obstruct their view of the Aurora that constantly shined in the winter sky. While under these beautiful lights, the Skyglow members felt inspired to create art. They began to sculpt, paint, draw, and do any kind of art they could create. Soon Avanthal was full of their art and the best of it was created by a man named Pavic, the first leader of Skyglow. No Skyglow member has reached his level of artistry. All Skyglow members respect him and his art deeply, but all try to surpass his mastery of the arts. They excel in Painting, Drawing, Sculpting, Carving, Glassblowing, Pottery, Sewing, and Weaving. The goal of most people in this hold is to have their art displayed in Morwen's Ice Palace. Other places where one can see art by people from Skyglow are The Sculpture Yard and The Temple of Everwinter (both in Avanthal). All art that is not shown off in these places are either kept by the artist, donated to another hold, or sold. The current leader of Skyglow is Vannis Skyglow.

• Snowsong- The masters of music in Avanthal. Before they founded their hold, they searched for the land where the winds blew through the trees in such a way where it sounded like music. Due to this constant musical muse, they became inspired to create music They excel in Singing, Musical Composition, Carving, Writing, and Poetry. They make their own instruments and often teach others to play music. One of the best known Snowsong members is Lee'ena Snowsong who is the priestess at The Temple of Everwinter. The current leader of Snowsong hold is Layota Snowsong.

• Winterflame- The cooks, bakers, and all other culinary artists reside in Winterflame hold. They are called Winterflame because, when they founded their hold, one always knew which one it was due to the members cooking over roaring flames. Most members work at the Luminary Commons, the Crystal Cavern, or the Market Place. Winterflames also are skilled gardeners. The water in Avanthal is not good for gardening under regular circumstances, but Winterflames use Stormgems. These Stormgems create heat that is warm and powerful enough to make their crops grow. Their specialties include Brewing, Cooking, Farming, Food Preservation, Herbalism, Gardening, and Vinting. The current leader of Winterflame is Nennvar Winterflame.

• Iceglaze- If someone needs a house built or some furniture made Iceglaze is the hold you should visit. When they were founding their hold, they wanted to live where the the ice had the most luster. When they finally settled they found that the ice they had coveted was in fact not ice but a mineral called Icestone. From then on the people of Iceglaze began to experiment with this mineral and began to build and craft houses, weapons, and furniture. This reflects what they do to this day. Iceglaze members excel in Architecture, Carpentry, Construction, Geology, Jewel Crafting, Masonry, Metal Smithing, Mining, Weapon Smithing, Weaponry, Blacksmithing, and making armor. Their current leader is Gensen Iceglaze.

• Whitevine- This hold is known for being the medical hold. These caring Vantha work either at the Whitevine Healing Center, the Icewatch Barracks, or out of Whitevine hold if they feel the need. Many of these medical workers have Rak'keli's Gnosis mark or are trying to obtain it. Usually the Vantha who are born to Whitevine are peaceful due their duty to healing and medicine. Those who are not usually join Icewatch and use their knowledge in Medicine for the protection of the city. The expertise of the Whitevine hold lies in Medicine, Herbalism, and Massage. The current leader of Whitevine is Seffarah Whitevine.

• Coolwater- The Coolwater hold specializes in all things having to do with the water. They are boaters, fishers, and masters at navigating the sea. Their most sought after skills are Fishing, Sea Navigation, and Hunting. They also are very good at astronomy because they use the stars to navigate in the sea. When Coolwater was founded, the members wanted to live where the water flowed cool enough for the Talderan sea animals that they wanted to hunt and fish for. The current leader is Envan Coolwater.

History

Avanthal was founded by Morwen and the Vantha. Morwen, the Goddess Winter needed a place to live when she was done with her Winter stroll through Mizahar. Her constant presence in the city made it the frozen place that it is now, but Morwen protected her Vantha whom she considers her children. She giae each of them some of her power in the form of a snowflake-shaped Gnosis mark, which made them almost as resistant as Morwen herself to the snow. The Vantha consider themselves the children of Morwen and the Aurora that constantly hovers over Avanthal in the night sky. As history shows, Avanthal has always been a peaceful city. Icewatch and Morwen have always kept it this way to protect the north. Everything in Avanthal went on as if they were the only people on the planet and as far as the Vantha knew, they were. No one had searched farther than the Northern Reaches and Coolwater never attempted a venture to the other cities. The Vantha were happy and Morwen was happy, there was no reason to explore.

In 457 AV, Captain Kenabelle Wright and her crew arrived at the Port of Avanthal and the Vantha met outsiders for the first time.

Culture and Government

Avanthal is run by Morwen, Icewatch, and the leaders of the seven holds. The leaders of the seven holds are in charge of their respective holds and if there are issues within the hold are settled by them. Each leader is elected and serve as long as they are active in their job. Once they retire from their job in town they give up their position as leader. People as old as 85 and people as young as 17 have become leaders. It all depends on their personal skills and how well they can lead their hold. Leaders can be relieved of their positions if they are doing an inadequate job. This rarely happens and most leaders take their jobs very seriously.

Icewatch

Icewatch is not a hold but instead contains people of all holds who want to serve to protect Avanthal. Icewatch is made up of Vantha and their Kelvic mounts. These mounts are all Dire Polar bears due to that fact that Morwen knows the secret to choosing Kelvic species. Icewatch is used for protection, wilderness control, guest transport, and other needs around the city. They are Morwen's army and most of them have at least two of her marks after a few years in the service. Each person in Icewatch has a mount and the bondmates tend to get extremely close like family. The current leader of Icewatch is Jedara Whitevine.

Major Holidays

• The Departure and Homecoming of Morwen- Every winter Morwen leaves Avanthal to spread the cold of Winter throughout the rest of Mizahar. At the end of Fall and at the beginning of Spring there are celebrations for Morwen. The entire city is lit up and alive in Morwen's honor. All of the holds participate in making the celebration the best and happiest time for Morwen. Morwen hates to leave the Vantha and the Vantha hate to see her go, so they see The Departure, as it is called, as one last celebration before she departs. The Homecoming is a much bigger and brighter celebration. The Vantha rejoice in the happiness that Morwen will be with them for another three seasons.

Locations of Interest

The Port of Avanthal

The Port of Avanthal is the main way into the waters from the city. It was from this port that Captain Kenabelle Wright and her crew docked at when they were sailing the seas of Mizahar. Just like it was said in the Circumnavigation of Mizahar, Coren still guards the ports making sure that everyone entering the city is not a threat to the citizens. At his side is his mount Fianna who serves with him at the port. Coren is kind to everyone who comes to the port, but don't let his kind demeanor fool you. If you are a threat to his city he will make sure that you do not get anywhere near the city.

The docks are available to any boats that need to be docked. The majority of the boats at the port are the property of the Coolwater hold because they are the fishers and boaters of Avanthal. Envan Coolwater, the leader of Coolwater hold can usually be found at the port everyday fishing with his sons and friends or just going out for a leisurely ride in his boat. Most people who live in Avanthal either have a boat or are close friends with someone who does. For visitors who want to take a ride on a boat or go fishing, they can head over to Leeshela Coolwater's shop where one of the on-call members of Coolwater can take them out on the ocean. The prices can be a little lofty depending on the expertise of the boater, but if one really wants to have a safe ride through the rough northern waves, they need one of Leeshela's boaters.

Morwen's Ice Palace

In the center of Avanthal, there is a beautiful castle made of ice. This castle can be seen from almost any part of the city. Inside this magnificent castle lives the Queen of Winter herself, Morwen. Morwen's castle is always open to visitors and is often frequented by new parents having their babies blessed, citizens going off on long trips who want to say farewell to their loving goddess, or even people who want to stop by and say hello. All visitors are checked by Morwen's assistant, Jenna Aviak, to insure the queen's safety. Still, there have been very few people who have been turned down by Morwen. She welcomes all into her castle even if it is just for a simple visit. Morwen loves her people and feels that sharing her castle with them is just a small way to show it.

The castle has many rooms but guests only get to see the throne room and the hall leading up to the throne room. Almost everything is made of ice from the walls to the chandeliers. The castle is lit mainly by Stormgems due to the fact that fire would make the castle melt. The hallway leading to the throne room is decorated with ice sculptures, chandeliers, and beautiful objects that Morwen's followers have given her. No matter how small the gift is, Morwen always finds a way to honor it in her castle. It is said that Morwen has a small stuffed polar bear that a child gave to her years ago that she keeps near her throne.

The throne room is wide and open to make room for guests. It is a bright room adorned in art and furs. Although the ice does not bother Morwen, she is well aware that her followers do not have the same tolerance to the freezing temperatures. The seats that she saves for her guests are made of icestone and covered in beautiful pelts. Although this castle is Morwen's home, she makes it as hospitable as she possibly can for others.

The Temple of Everwinter

Morwen's followers are very loyal but there are times when Morwen is just too busy for her to see them. At those times, her followers go to The Temple of Everwinter. The temple is named simply for the fact that Avanthal is forever in the season of winter. The temple is a little bit out into the trees but is not that hard to reach. It is the second most noticeable building in the city besides Morwen's castle because a tree has grown around the entrance.

The building has been in Avanthal since the city was built. The temple was built by Torrence Iceglaze, the founding leader of the Iceglaze hold. He knew that his great queen was a busy woman so he wanted to make a place where her followers could go when she needed some time to herself. He started the project by himself, but by the end of its construction, the entire hold of Iceglaze was helping.

The temple is now taken care of by Lee'ena Snowsong. Her father was the priest of the temple before her and passed it on to her when he could no longer work. The temple is open to anyone who feels the need to visit. The inside is very beautiful, but not as fancy as other temples. Its walls are made of stone and the temple is lit by torches. There are no statues in the temple because Morwen does not feel comfortable having people worship statues of her when she is so close to the temple. The temple is decorated with Skyglow artwork of all kinds. The temple is set up less as a place of devout worship and more of a place of meditation. There are no pews; people just bring something soft to sit on and try to get closer to Morwen spiritually. People are expected to bring their own mats or pillows, but Lee'ena does keep some to loan to visitors. The temple is very comfortable, whether one is a master at meditation or if they have no clue what they are doing they are welcome. Lee'ena is a kind priestess and offers help to anyone who needs help getting spiritually closer to Morwen.

The Icewall Gates

As you fight your way through the northern weather, a shimmer catches your eye in the distance. It is not the relentless north playing tricks on your eyes. It is the Icewall Gates that lead into the great city of Avanthal. The gates may seem to be made of ice but that is far from the case. The gates are made of a mineral only found in Avanthal, an element called icestone. It shines with the luster of ice and is cold to the touch, but it will not melt if you touch it. It is surely the perfect material to make the gate leading to Avanthal with.

The gates are guarded at all times by two members of Icewatch who are switched out weekly, each with a kelvic polar bear at their side. They are there to protect the city from intruders. They rarely stop anyone coming into the city unless they are forewarned about an intruder. They are friendly to interested explorers and are happy to help any one who needs assistance getting into the city.