[Avanthal's OOC] The Everwinter City of The Aurora

[Gossamer]

Avanthal isn't officially open as a city, but I've noticed people already posting while they are waiting for it to open. That's fine as long as its a flashback thread. Plus there's no real locations done (so please don't make any up!). Check with me if you want to do threads in Avanthal and I can help you with locations etc. However, in the next year or so after Wind Reach is completed we'll be getting locations in and getting this city ready to pen and in playable shape. Until then, be patient! Feel free to post here, throw out ideas, ask questions, get support etc.

[Aneira Haimati]

I just wanted to share a bit of artwork from various people that I thought could be visions of Avanthal.

[Gossamer]

Lovely images. If anyone wants to contribute locations to Avanthal, feel free to do so. I'm going to be building it up over the next couple of months so we should have it in working shape before Summer. However, its open to play since we have the Vantha all fleshed out already.. especially for flashbacks.

[Siana Skyglow]

Oooh. That third image really fits with how I envision Avanthal.

Gossamer, how do we contribute locations? Should we post our ideas for location names, types and descriptions here, so that you can officially set them up? Sadly, I myself don't have many clear ideas for locations yet, except for a bustling city market full of Vantha crafts, but I'm sure we can come up with a lot more ideas as we continue to play.

[Gossamer]

Feel free to write up any locations you want in World Development. You can just do something like [Avanthal Location] in the title of the entry.

[Aneira Haimati]

That's wonderful to know and I will brainstorm.

[Siana Skyglow]

Thinking about creating new locations for Avanthal brings up a couple questions I have regarding the Holds and Avanthal.

1) Are there official names and descriptions for each of the five major Holds? I think it would be very helpful for people who want to play or interact with Vantha characters if each Hold had a a unique name and identity, rather like the Drykas clans or Chaktawe tribes.

If there aren't existing names and descriptions, I'd like to propose the following idea. I can post it in the World Development forum if that's more suitable. So far, I've found the following Hold names from people's character sheets:

Skyglow (mine)
Snowsong (Khiara)
Iceglaze (Kadurro)
Whitevine (Vantha wiki page)

In my idea, the Holds' names originally came from stories about where each Hold settled when they first arrived in Mizahar. After the Vantha crossed over through the Aurora, the story would go, the elders decided to lead their families to different places that they found appealing and make their home there. The Skyglow Hold elder said, "We will settle where the Aurora glows brightest in the sky." The Snowsong Hold elder said, "We will go where the north wind does not howl in our ears but sings through the snow." And so on for Iceglaze, Whitevine and whatever the last Hold will be called. As for Avanthal, it is considered the jewel of the North because it is where Morwen chose to make her home.

The wiki also says that each Hold has a particular specialty, such as breeding reindeer, whaling, or growing food. These can also be inspired by where the Holds are located. For instance, Skyglow Hold is probably the northernmost because the Aurora shines brighter the further north you go, so it'd specialize in something oriented around cold weather, like whaling. If the wind is milder around Snowsong Hold, it's probably warmer there and better suited for growing food crops. And so on, again.

Would this work for the Holds? Obviously, it's far from complete, but I think it synchronizes well with the Vantha's storytelling tradition, while keeping in line with the information in the wiki page.

2) How do the Holds work in Avanthal? From the wiki, I gather that members of all Holds live together in Avanthal. Do members of the same Hold live in a sort of mini-Hold arrangement in the city, with small private houses centered around a common meeting hall? Or do they live in houses wherever they want irrespective of Hold membership? This might be important for creating locations, so I think it's important to clarify.

[Gossamer]

So far I think your ideas are beautiful. If you'd like, starting a discussion thread in the WD forum might be the best idea to further develop this. I think you really have a great feel on what I intended for the Vantha... a people that live and breath their stories and traditions.

But, I can answer your question really quickly here.

Avanthal is like one huge hold that is built around the Ice Palace of Morwen. It's the original settlement of all the Vantha. However, not everyone can still fit in the main hold, right? The Vantha really thrive in the wilds of the north, even though its a harsh environment. So, my original thinking (which could be modified via your thinking too as a combination) is that as the population expanded, then outside holds were built. They rank as sorta Avanthal #1, then the next oldest #2, etc. And so when Avanthal gets too overpopulated, Morwen looks around, finds the person with the best leadership skill and invites them with all their family to start building a new hold to run. All the other holds contribute to the construction of the new place and then the youngest children are fostered in the new place when its done so that all the holds are tied together by blood and tradition. Each hold, though, does have a specialty and something they are masterful at. But all in all they get along fairly well. If they didn't, they couldn't survive in their climate.

[Aneira Haimati]

I actually almost posted a question about the Holds, too, so it seems to be an important point to detail when envisioning how Avanthal looks and works. This really answered any uncertainties I had, as well. I'm also interested in the Palace, which sounds like it will be gorgeous.

The whole feel of the Vantha in the wiki is enchanting. Mystical yet somewhat tribal all at once.

Anyway, Siana, if you do decide to open a discussion thread in WD, I think it would be great.

[Cerus]

My bg/cs is still in the works, I have no Character pic up or fancy sig, but I do have lots o ideas and the willigness to help/be led. Just throwing my hat Into the contrubutig ideas thread. Pm me if I'm even allowed to do this?