Jerrborg

There are a great many islands in the Tennurhaf, ranging from humble sea-stacks to realms in their own right. The largest of them all, however, is Jerrborg. It was one of the first islands of the Tennurhaf to be settled by the Northmen, and as such boasts a robust population, more settled than many in the region - though the harsh winters and the constant raiding and kin-strife of the people keep it from seeing much peace.

All of Jerrborg is united under a single ruler, the Jarl Haakon Wolf-Eye. He rules from his mead-hall in the town of Erikstead (hex 114.035). A respectable port - the largest in the Tennurhaf, in fact - Erikstead sees traffic from various Northmen clans and kingdoms in the summer market fairs; sometimes, traders from as far as Kvesland and Vardessy come here too to bring furs to southern lands. Haakon rules with a fair hand, rewarding his peoples' valor in battle with treasure from his vast hoard, but the warrior spirit in him has not died out - he was a raider in his youth before being granted the kingdom when the previous Jarl died and gave him the throne as a token of his gratitude for faithful service. Deep down, Haakon has not accepted the settled life, and still desires the life of adventure and glory - this means that he may shirk his duties if a great enough opportunity raises its head, but that may put his domain at risk.

Other settlements in Jerrborg include Raunhofn (hex 111.031), a modest coastal settlement that survives off of fishing and whaling. The summer marks a great whale hunt, where all the townspeople descend to their boats and set out on the water to hunt with spears and harpoons; one who can slay the greatest whale will receive great honor for the rest of the year. Notably, the local definition of "whale" is a loose one, and many winners have in fact slain krakens and sea serpents, though even if vanquishing such beasts is a heroic deed, they are not quite as favored from a productive statement - their carcasses are not as useful as a true whale's.

Also is Anarfell (hex 112.034), a logging community in the wooded foothills that surround Jerrborg's central mountains. The locals here are quite superstitious, and have many charms to protect them against elves and other fair folk; they shut their doors at night, and are reluctant to give their names out to strangers, lest they be delivering them to the fey to curse them with. Their suspicions have some truth for them, for there is a village of elves not far from Anarfell (hex 113.033). These elves, however, are not keen on terrorizing their neighbors, for they themselves dwell in the shadow of the red dragon Baelfir, who calls the mountains his domain. The dragon can be found above the peaks of the mountains, but his cave is located in hex 114.032, where he rests upon a great golden hoard. He may also be found on the shores of the volcano at hex 113.032, where he bathes in magma and consumes fire-roasted stones to temper his fiery breath. Baelfir is a capricious creature, prone to launching attacks on nearby settlements for no reason other than his own amusement, but like many dragons, he is also vain and takes pride in his majesty, and can easily be distracted with the songs of his praises.

Like many places in the North, Jerrborg is home to a number of runestones and stone circles. One, on the southern shore (hex 111.034), marks the site of Jerrborg's annual althing, an assembly of the island's peoples for trading, celebration, and holding court on legal matters. The assembly takes place in a low depression on the shore, said to have been a footprint left by a giant in some ancient bygone age. As much of Jerrborg's population is concentrated around the southwest coast, this location was chosen for its ease of access from all major settlements on the island. At these assemblies, laws are spoken, challenges are made, and all matter of goods may be sold and games may be played - it is a fine time to seek work.

On the northern moors, however, a small stone circle (hex 113.030) stands on the cliffs overlooking the shore. The stones are carved with images of men and women in flight. If a goat is sacrificed here and its blood spilled on the altar, whoever makes the sacrifice shall be able to fly short distances at a time until the coming of the next full moon. Of course, there are also rumors of wicked cults meeting at this site for darker purposes...

A final secret is that the line of ruling jarls today were not the first people to colonize Jerrborg. Northmen attempted to settle on the north of the island many ages before, but the harsh winters - and the watchful eye of Baelfir - doomed their settlement to a tragic end. However, the remains of those warriors' fortress still sit in the forest (hex 116.032) - along with the barrows of the men slain in those early conflicts, who shall still rise to defend them if need be.