Falthrom

"Falthrom, the frozen north" is the nation that rests in the northern most area of the continent. This icy tundra is home to many hardy races and to those who prefer the colder weather and more rugged environments. Though even with such an inhospitable climate for most this nation has flourished greatly having come from a bandit nation overrun with tyranny to a thriving utopia with bustling cities and provinces that are home to millions of loyal citizens.

## Before the Surge

Ice and stone, the only truly defining markers of the land known as Falthrom. Before "The Great Surge" this land was known for it's inhospitable conditions for most people. In a bygone era, this realm was once little more than glacial wastes and great, surging mountains, with a smattering of green only seen by the few who would dare to explore such a place. The events of The Surge caused this great, frozen expanse to shatter, fall and melt as the other worlds, the other versions of Felgrimor, collided upon each other. What was left was a section of lands known for their tundral beauty and the view from atop the peaks that travelled above the clouds themselves.

In his attempt at salvation, the Sage, Allistair Driegvale, had created a land far more befitting of a home for the hardier people of this new world. The first people to settle on these lands became known as the Northfolk. A common and simple name for a common and simple people. Nomads, hunters, tradesmen and beast tamers, the Northfolk became known for their thick skins and their uncanny ability to "speak" and meld with stone. But, not all were so complacent as to live among their brethren in harmony with the land and other peoples. Some wished for power, wealth and control. Some wished for more.

### The Rule of Dimaron, The Bandit Lord

Among those that rose up and chose to steal, kill and enslave in the north, no semblance of council, circle or caucus formed. With no king to quell these bandit groups, Falthrom became a haven for the lawless and inscrutable. That is, until the arrival of one named Dimaron. A satyr, born among the bandits and slavers, who grew up cold, bitter and with a hunger for all of life's splendors, and power to take them for himself, by force. Twenty years after his birth, a council of sorts was held. Bandit chiefs, slaver captains, heads of many tribes of raiders, dozens of them had been baited to meet with a simple offer. Power, wealth, women, anything they could desire was dangled in front of them. Their shock, upon seeing this satyr at the center of this plan, was as brief as a snow flake landing on a hot stove when he quickly took up arms and cut a path through each and every one.

For the next forty years, Dimaron grew in power. He placed himself upon a throne with a foundation of blood and suffering. Any word against him was met with a swift and brutal retaliation. He had christened himself the Bandit Lord and seized control of these thieves, murderers and other such undesirables. His control of the north forced people from their homes, extorted those he could and slaughtered those who would not bow.

### The Fall of Dimaron

Upon the fortieth year of Dimaron's control of the north, whispers passed through the lips of slaves, farmers and those that the Satyr had stepped on. Whispers of a giant whose fought with the fury of a wild beast and stood to unite those that were enslaved and beaten down against Dimaron. The years passed and Dimaron, so greatly believing in his own power, did little more than send men to investigate and crush this rebellion. An attempt to crush this rebellion before it began, and a failed attempt at that. By the time the arrogant satyr took it upon himself to hunt the sources of these rumors, an army had formed from the remnants of those he had crushed. An army of those who had been united and trained by a new sort of warlord had risen to fight against Dimaron's tyranny. Athanos North-Wind. His arrival to the world was similar to so many others, death’s embrace guiding him not to his afterlife but to the snow-covered plains of northern Driegvale. But within the first two years of his arrival, this “savage turned savior” began to build a following of freed slaves and stray fighters. Word reached far of this uprising and, soon enough, even the king of central driegvale had sent forces to bolster this army.

Athanos North-Wind, had freed, brought together and trained an army of those capable enough to fight and fearsome enough to bring sorrow and terror to the bandits who once brought it to them. Months before the assault on the bandit lord's keep, Athanos and his troops had been tearing away at supply lines, slaver camps and bandit groups. Guerilla warfare and fear tactics to shake the foundation of the lord's throne worked wonders when men began to flee to avoid the same fate. When this slave army finally battered down the gates of the lord's keep, he had thought himself more than a match for this new threat. He was wrong. The lord of bandits found that simple blade and spear were blunted against this adversary he had thought beneath him. The final thing his eyes ever showed him were the great fangs of some beast coming down across his neck before the battle cry rang out. A deafening and sonorous roar that rang out and ushered in a new era for Falthrom.

### The Rise of the Northern Territories

Following the battle for the North, those that held onto the banner of Dimaron either bent the knee or fled, scattering to the winds, in the face of this new rule. As Athanos had bested the former lord, he took his place as the head of this newly forming nation. Laws and rule were put in place outright abolishing the acts of slavery, poaching or any other mistreatment of the lands and their denizens. Athanos personally saw the rise and development of towns, cities and the growth and prosperity of his people. Over the next two years, Athanos guided and nurtured the connection his people had to the land. Eventually, he was approached by none other than the king of Driegvale himself and given the choice to bring Falthrom under the banner of a forming council of government among the five nations.

Eleven years have come and gone since the nations official founding. Athanos' reign brought with it the knowledge and means to bring Falthrom to where it stands today. The home of many of Felgrimor's finest blacksmiths and artisans of forge craft. The founding and building of a prestigious academy of smiths known as The Sindri Blacksmithing Academy, located in Odin's Helm, was facilitated by Athanos' own mastery of the craft.

### Present Day Falthrom

In the last few years since its founding, Falthrom’s Jarl has worked to form the frozen wastes into a place for those who revere nature and wish to live among it. The ore rich mountains and hardy forests of Falthrom have been cared for and cultivated by the Jarl's laws. Skilled craftsmen and traders alike from far and wide come to learn, ply their trade or buy and sell in the many forges across the territory. The great tundra and forests of The Enclave are home to all manner of hunters, beast tamers, lumberjacks, druids and shaman. Falthrom prospers to this day but is not entirely free of threats. From the wild beasts of the vast wilderness, those both great and small, to the splintered remains of those that once followed the Bandit Lord still striking wherever they are not stopped by the Jarl's forces.

Falthrom has blossomed into a nation of renown for its tradesmen and warriors alike. Those that would seek to harm the land or her denizens are sought and captured or dealt with quickly. But for those that honor the lands and aim to seek or keep their own peace, Falthrom is a land of wilderness and untapped potential. The Jarl himself frequently takes matters into his own hands. One such instance is known as "The Battle of the Matriarch," a story that can be heard from simply asking around with most of Falthrom's people.

### Expansion

In the last five years or so, Falthrom has seen a rather vast expansion in it's population and a rise in technological affinity through the use of of a combination of magic and machinery. While still the youngest of the territories, and one of the less developed ones to boot, some advancements have been made. Magically operated tools such as power hammers have expanded their smithing capabilities and obelisk stones have been erected all around the province that act as communication relays for various magic implements as well as the commissioning and building of currency refinement stations.

The cities of Falthrom, such as Odin's Helm, the Capital, and Heimstrahd City have also expanded greatly over the years allowing for new technological advancements to find a home for their various skilled tradespeople. The expansion of the larger cities has even made way for airports of sorts allowing the landing and take off of airships and the many flying creatures the people of Falthrom use as transport.

## Regions of Falthrom

### Odins Helm City

Stationed high atop the snowy and stone carved peaks of Falthrom’s mountain ranges rests the capital city/fortress of Odin’s Helm. Formerly the location was the home of the bandit lord that controlled the north up until about a decade ago. Under the command and guidance of Falthom’s Jarl, Athanos North-Wind, this once dilapidated fortress has blossomed into a micro city built in tiers to accommodate the housing and business needs of those who call the city home.

The uppermost tier belongs to the Jarl’s keep and the military barracks surrounding it. It also houses the roost which homes the many flying beasts used by the cities denizens to travel or for battle. The middle tier is the housing district, where most of the cities denizens live in fair comfort. It is by no means anything glamorous but it serves its purpose to keep those who live there in comfort and with a warm place to sleep. The lower tier is the business district, a haven for vendors of every manner. Hunters and butchers, blacksmiths and jewel workers, every sort of small business one could imagine, either running from stalls or from shops. This city is also home to The Sindri Blacksmithing Academy, nestled inside the mountain itself.

## Climate

Ranging from cool and dry to subzero temperatures and furious ice storms, Falthrom is considered “The Frozen North” of Driegvale for a very good reason. *Temperatures can fluctuate intensely between seasons and those both visiting the country and living here should take care to be prepared for sudden shifts in the weather. Ice storms affect the majority of the country, barring the further southern regions of The Enclave, and are some of the most dangerous phenomenon in the Northern frozen tundra of Falthrom. In some situations \*\*\*weird magical affect\*\*\* can occur making the path forward nearly impassable.*

## Wildlife

The creatures of Falthrom range from average beasts such as wolves and bears, to mythical monstrosities such as wyverns, griffons, trolls and more. If it can be found in a frozen tundra or stalks the redwood forests, it can be found in Falthrom territory. *\*\*\*\*\*\*\*how does wildlife react to the people of Falthrom? Are they friendly? Do they run? Is there a lot of aggression? What are the most/least common creatures? Have any wildlife been domesticated for farming or pets?\*\*\*\*\*\*\**

### Common Wildlife

* Various Types of Wyverns
* Griffons
* Trolls
* Wolves
* Bears
* keep going

## The Northfolk and their Gifts

The native people of Falthrom have always been known for their hardiness. Sporting fair skin tones and typically very vibrant, light eye colors along with fairly thick, highly shock absorbent skin and musculature structures. Society of the Northfolk usually revolves strongly around a profound reverence for nature and its resources. Tattoos or scarification depicting nature, wild animals and the like are extremely common among these people along with a number of magical tattoos such as the ones that grants the gifts of Stone that the native people have been using for generations.

### Eyes of the Mountain

This variation of tattoo usually depicts some form of landscape, typically mountainous and contains some form of stylized eye. This Gift grants one the ability to sense changes or formations in the earth. It can be used for the purposes of navigation, finding ores and sensing shifts or vibrations in the earth to notify one of danger. In a way this sense functions much like echolocation and when concentrated can even effect how the individual visualizes a landscape.

### Yggdrasil's Protection

This variation of tattoo usually depicts some form of shield or a great tree. This Gift grants one the ability to temper their body to a degree that matches the resilience of deeply rooted redwoods or, in some cases, even greater. Those with greater mastery and larger or more detailed tattoos have been shown to even be able to harden their physical bodies to match the durability of stone or even steel. In very rare instances, some individuals have even exhibited the durability of near legendary materials such as mithril or adamantine. These changes in durability typically are visible to those who observe them by watching the change in the users body.

### The Rivers Steps

This variation of tattoo usually depicts some form of waterways, such as a river or stream. This Gift grants one the ability to meld with or walk through stone. While this ability is slow going, some have learned to meld only parts of their body such as the tips of their feet or their fingertips to climb virtually any stone or earth surface. Practice and the expansion of this tattoo even lets one walk directly into the stone and earth. This has helped the Northfolk find many large caves and mines from which the lands many precious and rare metals can be mined.

## Militaristic Presence

Falthrom's military is comprised of groups of powerful warriors taught to defend the land and all of its vast bounty with their lives while respecting it power and beauty. All of Falthrom’s troops and guards are outfitted with only the finest steel crafted in the Brakken Formation while the more elite troops are given weapons that fit their preferred style, usually of greater craft to show their status. Although all of Falthrom’s troops are well trained, their warfare tactics resemble those of Viking origins in MOST situations unless a commander of some sort is present and gives direct orders.

Falthrom’s military force is known for its ferocity and the use of pure overwhelming force in the form of air superiority and their “berserkers” in ground warfare. Two forms of elite troops being simply known as “Riders” and these “Berserkers.” Riders are trained in the art of taming flying beasts such as wyverns, griffons and other mythical winged beasts. Berserkers are those trained in combat meant to bring pure force and fear down to the opposition in a sort of “blitzkrieg” like warfare. However there is one other force that is kept in relative secret and is usually kept as the Skal’s personal guard. These Elite troops are few and far between but are usually hand picked by the Skal for either their abilities or fierce loyalty.

### The Rangers

The general police force of Falthrom are known as Rangers. They guard the roads, villages and other settlements of Falthrom. Riders patrol the lands on their various winged beasts to act as scouts or forward troops.

### The Berserkers

These particularly powerful brutes are at the pinnacle of Falthrom's infantry and fight with a ferocity that can not be found in even the most viscous of beasts and are only deployed in the event of large battles or when called on by the Skal himself.

### The Aegis

These elite troops defend the Skal directly and are very few in number but it has been said that just one of these legendary warriors is capable of fighting an army on their own. These soldiers are hand picked by the Skal himself and go through vigorous training before being assigned to guard the leader.

## Economic Information

Falthrom territory is known for its meticulously crafted forge work and its export of fine pelts or other materials found among the beasts of Falthrom. The economic value of Falthrom fluctuates in value from 107,000 to 524,000 Shyll over the last eleven years.

### Taxes

* Provincial Tax: 8%
* Purchased/Rented Land Tax: 17%

### Export Tax

* Central Driegvale- 15%
* Velltherea- 10%~13%
* Carpathia- 7%~11%
* Emerald Coast- 11~14%