Snowdrift Respite

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Snowdrift Respite is a settlement built near the ruined foundations of a settlement of similar name.

## History

Following news of the construction of Howell Town near the Heimal Waymark, the former Jarl Argak Keenheart gathered those surviving members of Clan Agu-Vathala and a handful others like minded souls to reclaim the lands of his ancestors, and so set about building the settlement of Snowdrift Refuge anew, albeit with a slightly modified name.

## Government

In exchange for paying tribute to Howell Town through offerings of furs, hides and defending the settlements of the east from the occasionally reawakening long-deceased residents of the Barrows to the west, the residents of Snowdrift Respite have been afforded several freedoms, and subsequently rallied behind a Stone Giant Chieftain called Gallusin place of the appointed Alderman sent to watch over the settlement. Beneath them, captains, skywatchers, dawncallers and adjudicators work to manage the needs for the town. This changed with the subsequent rebellion stirred by Gellus following the damage dealt by the so-called "White Wall of Ruination" in 127WD, resulting in the installation of a new Alderman - the dragonborn Encir.

An improvised militia composed of hunters acts as the primary defence of the settlement, but every able-bodied resident is expected to engage with combat training to ensure their worth should the need arise.

## Crime

Honour bound, the goliaths and their subsequent adoptive clanmates from other races tempers most impulses towards criminal action. Instead, challenges of might and prowess could be laid onto envied items, but only enacted if both parties agreed to the terms. Exile is the punishment commonly dealt to those in defiance of these simple tenets.

Despite this, the rules of Howell Town still apply within the settlement, and are enacted as necessary by Encir in his role as Alderman.

## Geography

Traditionally nomadic, the settlement of Snowdrift Respite was known to move from time to time, changing in arrangement and format every few years. As such, tents were erected in place of conventional architecture, shaped from hide, bone and ivory, and protected by walls made of rough-cut stone collected from the surrounding hills. Shrines to Aita, Emes, Iotl and Kroai can be found carved into the hillsides surrounding Snowdrift Respite, as well as set into a four sided plinth in the centre of the village. With the installation of the the Alderman Encir, the settlement found itself fixed in place, and has worked to found itself definitely as a more permanent location, with timbers, furs and stone being used to put down foundations.

A series of linked caravans converted into a mobile brewery create a fermented goat's milk drink called *Fjellengel*, and animal pens containing equison, boars and goats provide meat, milk and cheese.

Due to the general lack of demand and the state of self-sufficiency afforded by most of the residents, very few outside organisations used to prosper within the settlement. With the establishment of a more permanent foundation, artisans, particularly those specialising as masons and furriers, have started to reach outwards for trade, and fisherfolk from the nearby Barrow Beck have been making more frequent journeys to the settlement to sell their catches, finding steady business with the residents and visitors alike.

### Notable Locations

* *Awl & Thread* - Cobbling & Leatherworking
* *Fonteyne's Fountain* - Tavern, Inn and Town Hall
* *Keenheart Keep* - General Store
* *Larch Flint Masonry* - Masonry and Stone Cutting Services
* *Lenore & Tanika* - Hunting, Fishing and Trapping Supplies and Produce
* *The Wayward Hammer* - Blacksmith