History of the North
The elves and dwarves have a long and proud of history in the Northlands but humans are a much more recent arrivals. The human visitors from the southern kingdoms arrived some forty or so winters ago when whaling ships began to frequent the area in search of their elusive prey. The deep water harbour of Stormhaven was discovered by Captain Rodyn of the Druthnian whaling ship The Dauntless. His vessel was being driven before one of the many fierce storms that sweep across Iceclaw Bay, and was in danger of being wrecked on one of the many reefs on the rugged, rock strewn coastline, when the lookout spied a narrow opening in the reef ahead. The captain deftly manoeuvred the ship through the channel and found a passage that led them into a sheltered deep-water harbour where they were able to shelter from the storm. The harbour was protected from the fierce northern gales by steep cliffs above which (in fairer weather) cormorants, albatross and other sea birds soared. While the storm raged the ship was securely anchored and safe from the oceans fury.
After spending several days refitting their vessel, exploring and mapping the harbour and surrounding area the Dauntless returned south with glowing reports of the harbour and its suitability for settlement. The following season several whaling vessels used the harbour as a base where they processed the whale meat and blubber from their catches. Before long a small, seasonal settlement camp grew to supply the needs of the sailors, and ship repair facilities followed soon after. A couple of years later a permanent, fortified settlement was established on the cliffs above the harbour and this has quickly grown into a thriving town. As well as the ample fishing of the Great Northern Banks, the Northlands soon became renown for the stands of northern pine, which being extremely tall and supple are ideal for making ship masts, while the area around Stormhaven also had an abundance of flax, a plant used to make sail cloth.
A few years after the founding of Stormhaven another settlement, Talgard, was established even further north at the mouth of the Iceflow river. This town lies on the edge of the northern tundra and is northernmost human settlement. Irongard is a cold and inhospitable place, cut off from the outside world for several months a year, and the locals are known for their hardiness and resourcefulness. Many trappers and furriers call Irongard home and they make a living trapping the numerous wolves and other animals, of the tundra.
In the last few years gold, and other precious metals, have been discovered near both Irongard and Fairfax. Word of these discoveries soon reached the southern kingdoms and a wave of miners and prospectors has begun to flood into the Northlands. The ore quarried from the mines is sent south by ship from the twin ports and this also adds to the towns revenues.
As well as gold, dwarves have been discovered dwelling in the mighty Kharnik Mountains and some trade is now conducted with them, both by Stormhaven and Fairfax. Dwarven made weapons and armour is of unsurpassed quality and is sought after in the southern realms and as a result the number of merchant vessels calling into Stormhaven, in search of dwarven manufactured iron goods, grows year by year. . .
This page was last updated on
Wednesday, 10 October 2001