Avanthal Community Development

[Valkyrie]

Lixue! These locations are great and The Smoldering Embrace is really unique! I only have a few minor notes to make. For the Smoldering Embrace my note is more of a clarification. When you say that the Holds take turns with it, do you mean that each Hold provides two reimancers as well as fills the puzzle boxes when it is their night? I assume this is what you mean but I just wanted to be perfectly clear. And for Slippery Slope Sledding I would prefer that the location not be rotated amongst the Holds for responsibility. I would recommend perhaps rotating members of Iceglaze or another Hold if they seem appropriate for the work.

[Valkyrie]

Both the Smoldering Embrace and Slippery Slope Sledding have been added

[Coren]

a question, are you planning to create a blacksmith shop? or are you just going to make a general market where one can buy all kinds of expensive (metal was rare up norht I thought) metal goods produced by the hold in charge of mining?

[Valkyrie]

There will certainly not be a blacksmith in Avanthal. Mining and crafting metal is just far too difficult in the North, so you are right about it being rare. Metal is usually imported and a select few metal goods will be available at a trader's booth at the Market. Not all goods will be available, it may even have a revolving selection of items seasonally, and everything will be quite expensive. Avanthal will of course order metal to complete big projects now and then if it suits their needs, like needing metal for an especially spectacular building or structure. They do love that sort of thing.

[Sliver]

The Tundra Training Stadium (Also known as TS or The Tundra) Description: The TTS is a giant ice encased arena designed both by Skyglow and Iceglaze Holds, and built by Iceglaze. The structure is hidden on first glimpsing the city by a wooded area near the Icewatch barracks, but upon entering its domain, an individual will find themselves in relative awe of the immensity of the structure. Part of the reason that the building was sectioned off a bit from the rest of the city is that its design reflects a more industrial quality than the austere and icy beauty of the rest of the city. It was a massive construction project utilized about a half century past to stimulate the economy of the city and is one of the most metal laden structures that Avanthal boasts, utilizing their new found building supplies. Two giant curved metal claws reach up into the sky on each end of the arena, serving as an intimidating spectacle as well as providing the main support for the rest of the building which is a carefully coordinated mismatch of metal, ice, and stone. Guarding the main doorway of the Stadium are Icy sculptures featuring varying former members of the Icewatch. As a sign of reverence, during the the inevitable mourning times that the Icewatch must undergo, the deceased are featured prominently, and in between this there are the legendary or unforgettable pairs that helped make the Icewatch into the legend it is today. Regal, yet almost feral, beautiful, but chilling, the original designers meant for the structure to be imposing, and a bit threatening, both to show the power of the Icewatch, as well as leave newcomers something to talk about long after they left the Everwinter City. Though a bit of controversy has been raised about the original design of the building, no one dares alter the structure now. The primary purpose of the Stadium is to create a controlled environment where members of the Icewatch can train and engage in mock combat trials in off duty hours. The Stadium is split into two sections: One half is an ice field with various and ever changing obstacles designed to let the Icewatch practice Ice Reaving in the field as well as testing resilience on tough terrain. The other half is a more traditional gym looking setting with weights, weapons, combat dummies, and other gear. There is seating that surrounds the arena and can house approximately 2,000 seated occupants. Icewatch training can be viewed by the public, but must be done in a quiet respectful manner or the offenders will be removed from the area. Gear and equipment is kept in storage areas under the seats. Under special circumstances the arena can be transformed into a giant ice rink, a feat that requires several second level Reavers working in tandem, usually with a smattering more first level Reavers who smooth out any cracks or imperfections afterwards. On occasion a priest or priestess of Morwen is politely asked to aid in the process of expansion or regression of the arena. This event takes place to support a local sport called Rystning (in development). Sporting events aside the stadium requires a lot of upkeep and employs numerous individuals for maintenance purposes, some requiring Ice Reaving, others more mundane cleaning and repairs to the building structure. The need for Metalsmith's to work on the Stadium drastically rose during the Djed Storm of the Spring, for as a result of the massive amounts of ice melting from the structure, a lot of the metal scaffolding lost its base support and the integrity of the arena was compromised. While most of the damages have been repaired, several areas of the Stadium will still be closed off until the beginning of Winter 512. Services: Eyrwen : Name: Eyrwen Race: Vantha Date of Birth: 12th of Winter 465 A.V. Place of Birth: Avanthal Occupation: Stadium Keeper/ Trainer Skills: Bodybuilding 65 Weapon: Bo Staff 70 Storytelling 35 Teaching 50 Wilderness Survival 60 Gnosis: (2) Ice Reaving Eyrwen is a veteran member of the Icewatch. She has been through rough times, lost comrades, her bondmate, and seen wonders of the world that most of the members can only dream of. Don’t worry, because if you didn’t know that on first meeting her, you will know soon enough: She never tires of reciting her adventures for everyone and anyone. Though in her late forties, she has the body of a woman in her early thirties, and her skill in honing her body is only surpassed by her expertise with the Bo staff that she uses to smack about her students if she ever finds them waning in their resolve. While she has several assistants that work under her and help maintain the Stadium, you will find Eyrwen there night and day. No recruit is too green or too experienced to get critiques on their fighting forms, eating habits, or just to hear a story of the good ol’ days. Employment and Training Info : Work: Due to the fact that Avanthal is a city of stone, wood, and ice, there is always a demand for individuals, usually strangers to Avanthal, to aid in repairing or enhancing the metal parts of the stadium. That aside there is always need for Ice Reavers and other stone workers on the Stadium as well. Jobs: Metalsmith 7gm per day Ice Reaver 7gm per day Laborer 2gm per day Mason 3 gm per day Talk to your friendly neighborhood ST for availabilities! Training: Training is readily available for Icewatch members since the Stadium is open all day every day. Non-Icewatch members rarely seek training from Eyrwen or her assistants because it will involve attempted coercion into the ranks, but it is possible to arrange. The stadium can teach most weapon and physical skills, but talk to an ST for specifics, the necessity for moderation will vary.

[Valkyrie]

This looks really awesome! However I have a few notes to be addressed. First, I do like everything in Avanthal to be decorated to some degree because art really is just that important. While the stadium itself may remain fairly austere perhaps there could be some statues surrounding the outside? A fun idea might be that the statues are of well-known bonded Icewatch pairs who have performed heroic deeds in the past. But it’s up to you how you want to include at least some small decorative detail.

Second, this includes a huge amount of metal, which I’m fine with because you did a good job of noting how unusual this is, however you also state that this project took several centuries. The citizens of Avanthal were only made aware of outsiders approximately 55 years ago and prior to that metal was next to impossible to find. This dissonance needs to be resolved somehow so you will have to decide which aspect is more important to keep, long standing building or heavy on the metal, and change accordingly.

Eyrwen is slightly too awesome so let’s scale her skills back about 10-15 pts each. Also delete the Coolwater from her name, when Vantha join the Icewatch they have to give up their Hold name. (I love that you drew her picture!)

The last note I have is a grammatical one, ‘Hold’ needs to be capitalized. Other than those details this location looks super awesome and I am so excited to see you develop Rystning further!

[Sliver]

Changes made! I like the bondmate thing so I put that in with a slightly more depressing spin I intend to draw the stadium eventually, so is it alright that the current pic does not feature the artistic measures? (First a killer sabretooth, then my first Vantha, next the great and mighty Stadium!)

[Sliver]

NPCs: Icewatch Edition The Twins : Name: Shylir/Yilarra (The Ice Twins) Race: Vantha Date of Birth: 25th of Spring 487 A.V. Place of Birth: Avanthal Occupation: Ice Watch Guards Skills: Hunting 30/ Tracking 30 Riding (bear) 30 Stealth 40 Spear 50/ Longbow 50 Wilderness Survival 30 Gnosis: Ice Reaving (1) Personality/History: Once upon a time Shylir and Yilarra’s parents were the only ones who could tell them apart, now that honor falls to their bondmates Simon and Kennen. The Twins were groomed from a young age to be two of the greatest artists from Skyglow Hold: Shylir worked with stone, Yilarra working on sculpting ice even before she got her gnosis mark. Their collaborations were breathtaking, but each agreed to the other that an artist’s life, every step orchestrated by their parents, was not the one they wanted to lead. First they began their training in secret, but their constant visits to the un-bonded polar bears could not be hidden for long, and just before they were accepted into the ranks of the Icewatch, their parents made a public show of disowning the girls. While both sport bubbly, energetic personalities, certain aspects show the emotional trauma they have been through, most of all with the careful attention to detail that they use in making sure that no one is ever 100 percent sure which one is which. Regardless of their individual skills, the unit they form together is a well-oiled fighting machine, and just as they were art prodigies, the twins are whispered to be up and coming members of the Icewatch as well. The Bears : Name: Kennen/ Simon Race: Kelvic Date of Birth: 4th of Summer 509 AV/ 27th of Fall 508 AV Place of Birth: Avanthal Occupation: Ice Watch Guards Skills: Bodybuilding 40 Brawling 35/ Unarmed Combat 35 Running 30 Tracking 40 Wilderness Survival 45 Gnosis: Ice Reaving (1) Personality/History: Where Shylir and Yilarra are two sides of the same coin, Kennen and Simon are night and day. Their skill set is identical, their mindset far from it: Simon is lively, a smile always hanging upon his lips even when he is upset, and is always ready with a jest or something to brighten the mood. Kennen is the stoic silent type that would prefer the shadowed corner of a bar to the raucous party going on near the fiddler. Each of them rubbed the other one the wrong way, and once they had gotten off to the wrong foot, their hatred for one another grew and festered the more they had to deal with the other. They were kept apart as much as possible, but you can only make a bear do so many things they don’t want to. It was during one of their encounters, each about to come to blows that they met the twins. Kayin Frostfawn had never heard of a Kelvic bonding to two people simultaneously, but when the topic was brought before Morwen she just gave a knowing smile. As it stands each polar bear is bonded to each twin, and none of the quad (as they are sometimes referred to) favors one Vantha or bear over the other. While this has settled relations between Kennen and Simon considerably, it has not ended their feud with each other, and fuels them in their training, one constantly seeking to outdo and simultaneously grate the other one’s nerves.

[Valkyrie]

I like the imposing spin you mentioned about the aesthetics but the Vantha really aren’t that upset by outsiders. They like them (they are the super friendly race after all!). But that doesn’t mean its design wasn’t meant to be intimidating. What if we generalized it a bit and perhaps made it a sign of Icewatch’s power and authority?

I am really happy to here that you plan on drawing the stadium! I absolutely love that you have taken the time and effort to draw these pictures. I’m also happy because I’ve been a little on the fence about how modern looking the picture is. I might have a way to tone down the modern aspect slightly in this picture just for temporary purposes. Send me a PM and we can discuss it. And its fine that it doesn’t have the statues included, pictures don’t have to be completely detailed representations.

I forgot to note in my previous post (sorry!) but I think it would be fun if you threw in a sentence or two about what happened to the stadium when everything melted in Spring and Summer.

NPC notes:

Talia is a name already taken in the game so please find a unique name for her. You can use the search function at the top of the page to see if names have been taken yet. Also, as a minor note on Talia, please change her artistic inclination from glass to something else. I’m trying to limit glass working in Avanthal. Other then those two minor details the twins look great!

The bears look good too!

[Sliver]

Northern Inkantations Description: A small intimate wooden and stone villa on the far end of Avanthal’s port, Northern Inkantations caters to those individuals looking to spruce up their bare flesh with images and figures. The parlor is very plain on the outside, simple, but welcoming: a stark juxtaposition for a newcomer when they first open the heavy oak door and step inside. The walls were once whitewashed, but now are a riot of colors and patterns. It is rumored that Zarryn Skyglow, the owner of the shop, made applicants who wished to gain apprenticeship paint the walls. If he was not pleased with the work, he would paint over the images and let the next prospective apprentice give it a shot. Now Zarryn’s office and workplace is the only space in the house absent of color. The shop contains two different artists, though it is Zarryn Skyglow that owns the property, purchases the supplies necessary for a tattoo parlor, and is the main artist that prospective clients come to see. Due to his reputation, however, there is a very long line to see Zarryn, so if someone wants simpler and usually less expensive tattoos, Zarryn’s apprentice is more than capable of fulfilling the left over demand. The Apprentice : Name:Triha Race: Konti Date of Birth: 45th of fall 461 A.V. Place of Birth: Mura Occupation: Tattooist’s Apprentice Skills: Fortunetelling 15 Observation 25 Painting 30 Persuasion 28 Tattooing 20 Gnosis: 1 Avalis Triha’s Konti Gift enables her to see what color truly represents an individual as a sort of aura around the person upon first meeting them. A person who appears calm and collected on the outside might have a deep crimson red pulsating from their being. This could be because they have hidden rage deep within, or perhaps a longing festering desire. Triha is not given the reason behind the color when she sees it in her mind’s eye, but is just aware of its presence when she first encounters a person. Though the aura is not visible after that first meeting, she can always recall what color they are. While she wasn't the most skilled prospective apprentice for Zarryn, Triha makes up for her lack of experience with a raw and unbridled enthusiasm to learn, and something that Zarryn refuses to talk about after he saw her paintings when she applied for the apprenticeship. Zarryn can be a hard and critical task master to his apprentice, but Triha is never daunted, partially due to her young age, as well as her eagerness to learn this new skill. Triha often travels to Skyglow Hold to learn from other artists there, something that Zarryn encourages and expands her tattooing abilities. Triha'a painting style directly ties into her tattoos, for while she is very talented with a grasp of colors, her images are very surreal, and she cannot fill orders for people wishing to have realistic images, despite the beauty of the work she can produce. Because of that she has started using her little free time sketching Vantha around the City as well as visiting Frostfawn Hold to practice on animals as well. The young Konti has several tattoos and piercings, and has even dyed strips over her hair in a very Vantha like fashion since coming to Avanthal, enjoying the riot of colors she sees every day. The Master Artist : Name: Zarryn Skyglow Race: Vantha Date of Birth: 51st of Winter 465 A.V. Place of Birth: Avanthal Occupation: Tattoist Skills: Dyeing 50 Intimidation 20 Philtering 20 Herbalism 50 Tattooing 90 Gnosis 1 Morwen Zarryn used to be furious about his role in Avanthal. It seemed entirely unfair of him to be chained into one of a minute set of roles for the rest of his life, so he left Avanthal at the age of fifteen vowing to never return, and it was several decades later when he did. His return was in the opposite spirit of which he left, and though a prideful man, Zarryn worked his way back into the hearts of Skyglow hold, and even spoke to Morwen herself, asking her forgiveness. After that he opened up shop on the docks, and not long after he began tattooing again, his name spread across the land, attracting customers from near and far to get a taste of his masterful work. Zarryn has become a more reclusive man who would rather sit out in the woods identifying plants than speak to anyone, but not even he can claim to have lost that dramatic flair that Vantha possess, for when it comes time to work on tattoos he is a master of the show. In his time away he honed his skills, learned about every single plant he came across, created colors to dye with that no tattooist has made before, and traveled from the Ekytol to the Heart of the Suvan Sea to Mura and back, learning from those his lesser and greater, and expanding his skills as he did so. No one asks for a specific tattoo from Zarryn, just lets him know the general size and area where they would like it. He will then spend a large amount of time with you, usually drinking and smoking, telling you stories and every now and then your thoughts on a topic. When he has gotten his measure of you, then he begins his work. Many times people come to embellish upon their Gnosis marks. He has created beautiful portraits to surround the God’s own work, and claims that he is only framing the most masterfully done tattoos of all. It is said that more than once a god or goddess handing out a second mark has seen Zarryn’s work and taken pause, and this has only aided in his growing legend. In his spare time he teaches Triha all he knows, sending her off into the wilderness to learn more about the plants she will use, and encouraging her to learn about every process that involves tattooing. He is a gruff and relentless teacher, but Triha is rewarded well for excellence and he has confidence in his pupil as long as her dedication never wavers. Services : The Line for a tattoo by Zarryn is long, individuals booking years in advance. Don't lose heart though, because even if you could see Zarryn right away you probably wouldn't be able to afford the tattoo anyway( he can charge upwards of 70 gm per bell depending on the client.) That being said Zarryn does very rarely give a freebie (or dirt cheap one) to an individual that intrigues him, but this would require a lot of groveling to your ST in order to obtain so it is advised that if your PC really wants to get inked, to get one from Triha, who charges 8gm per bell for colorless tattoos and 20gm per bell for colored ones. There are also discounts available for customers who have purchased more than three tattoos from Northern Inkantations. ST Moderation is required for the shop.