Glaceria

The city of Glaceria is a very large city in the north of Hyranor. It is the main location of the events of Arc 2, and also an important location for Arc 3, Arc 6, and Arc 8. Additionally, it is the central city of the political region of Hyranor.

## Description

Glaceria is the only bigger city in the Upnorth region of Hyranor, and inhabited by an evergrowing population. The inhospitality of the Upnorth has two effects on the city: It spares it most of the king's attention, and also, it should not even exist there, because the region is too cold for most people to live there. Only an old enchantment keeps it warm enough for people to live there.

The city is an almost perfect circle, with buildings getting taller and apartments getting closer and smaller towards the outside, as the borders of the enchantment are reached. In the city centre, the buildings are about four to five stories high, which is already unusual, but towards the outskirts, the buildings get at least 22 stories high. Still, the city is getting too small for the amount of people that want to live there.

The power vacuum left by the reigning monarchs, who, despite its size, rarely pay much attention to the city, allows for wealthy and powerful clans and families without ties to any crown to try and build up their influence. In this often shifting dynamic, the Lovejoy Family is a constant. They are the wealthiest family, and their influence is felt throughout the whole city. Still, they are not without concurrence: rival families, a sprawling criminal network, and the feeble government all try to limit their power by expanding their own.

Glaceria is a very busy and lively city, and it is hard to find an empty street.

There is a square in the city centre, in the brickwork of which a teleportation circle is inlaid. This teleportation circle is used by members of the royal family or other high ranking visitors to travel to the city.

## Enchantment

The city can only exist so far up north because of an ancient enchantment that keeps it warm: below the city, there is a portal to the Plane of Fire. The portal was established before Gem Lovejoy's time, but as the current head of the family, she maintains it.

Since the portal, despite its massive size, is finite, the warmth is also not endless, and the city can only grow until it reaches the edges, so it had to grow upwards. Gem Lovejoy has tried for years to find a way to expand the portal to allow the population to continue to grow, but hasn't been successful so far.

During this search for a solution, she got contacted by someone who claimed to be able to help her. Unknown to her, this contact was a lieutenant from hell, who tried to open the portal to Hell instead of to the Plane of Fire, which would have destroyed Glaceria and put the whole world at risk (see Gem's Contact with the Devils). This disaster could be prevented by the Arc 3 party.

## Defense

Glaceria is hard to enter without teleporting, even not considering the general dangers of travelling through the Upnorth. The city is surrounded by a perpetual storm, which looks like a dark, shifting cloud, and an even larger field of antimagic, that spans far enough to reach the base of Mount Ornament. Inside the storm, it rains ice, and figures with swords protect the city borders.

Usually, people travel to and from Glaceria in big, armoured vehicles with sealed windows. The journey can take hours or even days, and these vehicles have to be ordered some time in advance.

## Development

In Spring of 163 AE, Penny Lovejoy manages to make First Princess Sybilla Eirik sign a contract that, through *Illusory Script*, secretly includes a passage about Glaceria becoming an independent nation under Lovejoy control once Sybilla becomes the monarch. After Sybilla's death, the contract is still valid, since she for a short time was the monarch, and allows for Glaceria to become independent.

## Notable Places

* **Ash's apartment** - the apartment Ash lives in. It looks a bit like a museum, because it is filled with things she stole.
* **The Filthy Oyster** - a nasty little club shoved into the corner of a city block, the favourite club of Richard Lovejoy and his Boys.
* **Lovejoy Manor** - an event location and hotel the size of a city block owned by the Lovejoy Family.
* **Lovejoy Mansion** - the residence and primary home of the Lovejoy Family.
* **Portal below Glaceria** - a portal to the Elemental Plane of Fire that keeps the city warm from below, like heated flooring
* **Sasha's apartment** - the apartment Sasha and Mischka live in together.
* **Sasha's workshop** - workshop in Glaceria, not owned by Sasha, but she works there together with her colleague Jinx.
* **Traveler's Provisions** - a fancy restaurant owned by the Traveler family (Anne and Boris and their children).
* **Viktor and Borys' apartment** - an apartment with basement.

## Notable Inhabitants

* **Ash** (part time) - member of the Arc 2 party, and child of the Traveler family, who own the restaurant Traveler's Provisions
* **Booker Sailship** - member of the Arc 5 party, pirate that grew up in Glaceria
* **Fey Moss** - member of the Arc 3 party, and, unknown to most, daughter of Richard Lovejoy. Grew up in a poorer part of Glaceria living with her mother Verum.
* **Hatebad Family** - a dwarven clan, the biggest weapons manufacturer in Hyranor, and rivals to the Lovejoy Family when it comes to acquiring precious gemstones
* **Hopkins Williamhead** - a loud Gnomish man living in an apartment on the outskirts of Glaceria
* **Lovejoy Family** - the most influential family in Glaceria, a family of High Elves inofficially ruling over the city through their monetary power
* **Lyndell Sterling** - member of the Arc 2 party, and bodyguard for the Lovejoy family from 124 AE to 131 AE,
* **Mischka** - tattoo artist, and fiancée of Sasha Rose
* **Robyn Lovejoy** - member of the Arc 2 party, Lovejoy child
* **Rose Clan** - a sprawling family of rogues and thieves, at least some of its members (Sasha, Victor, Borys) live in Glaceria, rivals to the Lovejoy family
* **Sasha Rose** - member of the Arc 2 party and the Rose Clan, fiancée of Mischka
* **Up Ton**, Sir - member of the Arc 8 party, grew up in the pits of Glaceria
* **Verum Moss** - mother of Fey Moss
* **Wren Forrester** - member of the Arc 5 party, grew up in Glaceria

## Trivia

* The city's name comes from the word "glacier".
* The name Boris (or different spellings of that name) is the most common name in Glaceria.
* The most common wine there is Ice Wine.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Arc 2 Episode 0
2. ↑ Arc 6 Episode 7
3. ↑ Arc 2 Episode 2
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Arc 6 Episode 8
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Arc 2 Episode 3
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Arc 3 Episode 6
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Arc 2 Episode 6
8. ↑ Arc 3 Episode 7
9. ↑ Arc 6 Episode 7
10. ↑ Arc 8 Episode 1
11. ↑ Arc 8 Episode 8
12. ↑ Arc 5 Episode 0
13. ↑ Arc 5 Episode 4
14. ↑ Shared on the Unprepared Casters Patreon Discord
15. ↑ Arc 2 Episode 1