Falthringor

House Wenjansk remembers the warm shores. The sun was bright and the harvests plentiful. Far from the tainted runoff of the Duscarn Range, House Wenjansk wanted for little. Yes, there were bitter rivalries with the neighboring houses, but much was accomplished through diplomacy. War was always a threat and never a reality. Then the giants came.

In great longships, the Duscarn Giants crossed Lake Nodolny and raided Wenjansków. The lowland lords and their vassals alike were unprepared for the assault. Hundreds were killed, and the rest fled. Wenjansków fell in a matter of hours. Those wise enough to abandon their homes climbed into the hills and the mountains beyond. They ascended the treacherous peaks of the Duscarn Range, the supposed birthplace of the pursuing giants. No food could grow here in the corrupted sierra, and so those fleeing became desperately hungry. As many died escaping their city as died in the initial devastation.

But many survived, and those who did climbed higher and higher into the peaks, away from the giants who followed. The giants fell behind, and the exhausted band of survivors slowly conquered the peaks. Atop the distant Mt. Endryr, House Wenjansk found something they had never expected: a colossal bastion on the mountaintop. The castle had sturdy walls, a defensible position, and an alchemical engine that would ultimately save the starving refugees.

They had found Falthringor, the ancient stronghold of the creatures that later became the Duscarn Giants. House Wenjansk claimed their new home. Ten years have passed, and Falthringor is now a remote, self-sustaining city at the pinnacle of the Duscarn Range. The bulwark must stand, for the giants who destroyed Wenjansków seek to reclaim their former stronghold, a castle that has lain dormant for hundreds of years.

POPULATION: Roughly 150 people live within the castle walls, and five times that farm the slopes below. Most residents are lowland humans, but upland halflings are also common. A handful of giants unaffiliated with their battle-frenzied kin from the lowlands have also pledged themselves to House Wenjansk.

GOVERNMENT: House Wenjansk rules Falthringor much as they once ruled Wenjansków. The top-ranking lord in the house—presently the patriarch Mariusz Wenjansk—is named the “High Kestrel,” a title equivalent to “king” in the greater kingdoms elsewhere in the realm. The High Kestrel appoints Lord Ratchets to manage the army, the economy, and the fields.

ECONOMY: There are none bold enough to trade with the residents of Falthringor. It is too dangerous to cross the Duscarn Range, even if House Wenjansk assures that any merchant will be protected. Nevertheless, there is a notable division of labor within the castle walls. Guilds oversee various crafts: chiefly smithing, brewing, and masonry.

RELIGION: Like the great houses scattered across the lowlands, House Wenjansk and their vassals practice a form of shamanism. Priests interpret the wisdom of nature spirits. House Wenjansk honors many beasts in their faith but gives primacy to birds of prey: the Great Falcon, the Canny Harrier, and the All-Seeing Owl.

TECHNOLOGY: The current residents of Falthringor are a medieval people. They use longbows and wear chainmail. They have no printing press, gunpowder, clocks, or windmills. The former residents of Falthringor, however, were experts in alchemy. Their torrent opus provides a seemingly unlimited source of fresh water for the castle and nearby hamlets. Most believe there are other useful treasures hidden deep in mountain tunnels, though the inner workings of these alchemical engines are likely to remain a mystery for quite some time.