Fenrir's Hold

## The Wolf's Bastion

One of the oldest and most documented cities in Polast, Fenrir's Hold is believed to have been constructed by the first Humans sometime between 2400-2350 BFC, it was one of the young race's first organized settlements. Originally named Wolfloc after the lake on which it was constructed, it has always stood as a testament to the resilience of Humankind. Renamed after Fenrir Walderhall, the Wolf King of Polast, Fenrir's Hold was quite literally the last stronghold to withstand the Dragon Army before the Primixith intervened. Fenrir's Hold boasts one of the most well-fortified walls in the Southern Hemisphere and is largely considered an unimpregnable city. It stands as the regional capital of Esherspire, and also holds a symbolic title of being the capital of Western Polast. Responsible for one of the largest economies in the country, Fenrir's Hold has virtually every type of guild or merchant one could hope to find. Most of the trade in Fenrir's Hold comes from textile and engineering industries, both are at the forefront of technological, scientific, and arcane fields.

## History

### The First Humans

When Craetor saw fit to create one more Mortal race with Doamoc, they aspired to create the champions of the Gods, appearing in their divine likeness but without the longevity of life they came to realize only led to heartache. Humans appeared in several different locations around Noros, hoping different ethnic groups of Humans might lead to different cultures. This was indeed what happened, for better or for worse. The Humans of Polast were born from the Wolfloc; they were given domesticated wolves to aid their tribes from predators. However, decided to split between the western and eastern coast of Wolfloc. Those who ended up on the eastern coast found the wide plains and lowlands of the Gilden Hills and Redbrooke Valley. The remaining Humans founded a small settlement called Wolfloc near where present-day Fenrir's Hold resides.

### The Dire Wolves of Old

Originally, there were only two great houses that persisted throughout the first few centuries of Humanity. The Vlalir and Vulshta had established themselves as valiant warriors and protectors of the smaller clans that lived on the outskirts of Wolfloc. Around 2250 BFC, these Humans competed directly with the Orcish Kingdoms of Mudlark Valley. Two of the monarchs, King Khadba Iggn Gvarn and Queen Shufharz the Wise, both representing the southernmost Orcish territory, felt compelled to broker peace between the Orcs and Humans. It is theorized that Orcish Oracular figures like Hebub the Knowing and Pahgorim the Younger held some connection with the Primixith and sensed the Humans were of divine origin. A peace was brokered in 2247 BFC, the Accord of Divine Brethren. Tycho Vlalir appeared before a meeting of the western Humans to set forth boundaries between the respective peoples, but it was Elizar Vulshta who seemingly refused to cede any land.

Tycho Vlalir and Elizar Vulshta found themselves in a fierce conflict. Both astride tall dire wolves, they became synonymous with the imagery. With the aid of the Southern Orcs, Tycho Vlalir eventually pushed Vulshta south into Jarakovia, then dominated by Dwarven Kingdoms. Vulshta eventually migrated westward until reaching modern-day Daireland.

In Wolfloc, Tycho established what would become the First Line of Wolf Kings, a dynasty that lasted until the mid-16th-century BFC.

### The First Wolf Kings

Otherwise known as the Vlalir Dynasty, this bloodline oversaw the creation of many early-Human marvels. Learning quickly from their Orcish brethren to the North, the Vlalir Humans progressed from rudimentary stonework to complex building strategies to best utilize the lake nearby. A writing system was quickly developed, as well as the first sailboats. The Vlalir sought to reconnect with both the Vulshta and their Eastern Human counterparts. It was around this period in the 18th-century BFC when some of the older races, such as the Elves and Dwarves, perceived the Humans' rapid expansion as a sign of their prominence coming to an end. Wood Elves and High Elves such as Iannion and Ruinwen sought to bestow the young Humans with gifts of knowledge and stayed with their families to assist in the construction and teaching of arcane arts. It was with the help of Tyrdalin the Uldyr that the Erudite Tower in Fenrir's Hold was first constructed, quickly becoming a beacon of arcane knowledge not only among Humans but other races as well.

King Percyvell Vlalir sought to heighten the security of the city, and, in 1789 BFC, approached the last Dwarven Kingdom of Angar to commission their architects to fortify structures and teach the Human builders. This began a fruitful alliance between the nations that still persists today, even though the Kingdom of Angar has since been dissolved.

The last of the Vlalir Dynasty was Prince Isembard Vlalir, who claimed the throne at the age of 13 in 1460 BFC. The city of Wolfloc faced a great plague that historians believe came from a water-borne virus from the lake. In 1456 BFC, unable to stave off the sheer lethality of what was called the Wolf Plague, the still young Prince Isembard led those who were healthy up the mountains, where they were aided by the dragon Bysunar. This new settlement is what later became known as Meschitsa.

### The Abandoned City

For much of the time between 1456 BFC - 1370 BFC, not much is known about what transpired in the abandoned city of Wolfloc. It was believed to have been ravaged by looters and pirates, some going to far as to claim it once was the seat of a vast pirate treasure of Pirate Cathryn Virion, the Brass Pirate. She was said to have a vast navy under her command and would frequent the Pale River to Maaron's Bay, shipping large hordes of gold and weapons between Wolfloc and the sea.

Between 1380 and 1370, whatever pirate treasure was once held within the walls were either moved or stolen. An expedition led by the self-proclaimed Queen Maysaunt Vlalir retook Wolfloc, renaming it Vlalir. It was largely disputed that Queen Maysaunt was truly from the Vlalir line, as Prince Isembard never had any direct descendants. If Maysaunt was from the Vlalir line, it was a distant branch. However, the right of conquest was more than enough to satisfy the displaced Humans to reclaim their ancestral home. The Vlalir Restoration was a small conflict between Queen Maysaunt's forces and an occupying force of Goblins led by Chieftain Vasbekt. While the Goblins did not have the advanced weaponry of the Humans, the defensive stronghold the city presented was still a difficult challenge to overcome. In the Winter of 1368, Queen Maysaunt successfully ended a three-year siege of the city, forcing the Goblins to flee. Many died in the ensuing chase that forced the Goblins into the Mudlark Valley.

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