Stavenn

To understand Stavenn, one must understand the unique history that makes it what it is today. Founded by Kalika Aisling way back before The Awakening, it has ancient roots as the dominant city of Aetherius. As the first prophetess of Aesir, God of War, she had a clear vision; that of a unified and trained populace with which to control the world through military action. She fled the stagnant township of Caanae with a small group of followers, and began the work of uniting the feuding tribes of the southern region.

Among the original tribes were a mountainous folk, who tapped the resources of their mountains to produce bronze and steel instruments of war. The valley adjacent to the mountainous region housed a large village of fearsome warriors. They were a previously nomadic tribe of gypsies, hardened by generations of traveling through the lands. Upon making their home in the valley, the mountainous people waged war with them, and they adapted quickly and fiercely to a truculent existence. The modern city of Stavenn is situated on the meeting grounds of these two tribes' ancestral lands, with part of the city extending up into the adjoining mountain.

As time went on, people from distant cities flocked to the city of Stavenn, seeking refuge from the hordes that ravaged the lands. They set up just on the interior of the main gates, making their little slice of Stavenn a diverse area in both architecture and culture.

History

Stavenn's Founding, and the Generation War

In the year 500 AH, Kalika Aisling, the great-great-granddaughter of Ayva and Yaksha, had a vision of her own that led her to form the Cult of Aesir, God of War. He chose her as his first Prophetess and encouraged her to leave Caanae, travel south, and unite the tribes of the southern region under His Patronage. For centuries, Stavenn grew slowly while Caanae prospered, which would soon reach its tipping point in the year 589 AH, when Czevak harnessed the citizenry's hatred towards Caanae to gain power and authority over the military. He then kicked off the Generation War with a swift attack on Caanae that was summarily turned back by Caanae's defenders.

The war ended sometime around the year 614 AH, when Czevak was 50 years old. He personally led troops north to Caanae and engaged them in a battle that became known as the Red Siege. In this battle, Czevak personally fought Elder Nathariel and was killed, which broke the spirit of his troops and ended the Generation War.

The Rise of the Siege Machine

In the year 775 AH, the High Council of Stavenn sent scholars into Caanae under the guise of architects looking to build a temple to Avasyu. In reality, they were stealing mathematical formulas from the astronomers of the Academia Sylvalis that allowed one to calculate the trajectory of shooting stars. The scholars returned to Stavenn and turned over the formulas to Czezlo Tota, who used them to create the blueprint for a massive siege machine that could catapult boulders through the air with terrifying and deadly accuracy. Those machines would be used against Caanae in the War of Avarice, which began sometime near the year 850 AH and lasted for approximately seven years. Both Stavenn and Caanae claimed victory in this war, and both were left severely weakened and lacking supplies.

Stavenn's Rise to Dominance

The Horde that decimated the city of Caanae in the year 100 AA did not travel further south to attack Stavenn, which ultimately led to the city's rise to dominance over Aetherius in the early Second Age.

Notable Denizens

Landmarks

Iudicatus Castigatio

The prison and judicial branch of the Stavenn government.

Quests and Activities

A whetstone for Hilo -
Drunken Old Soldier -
Finding a lost parchment -
For the Empire -
Hooked on Hulo -
Saving a page from his master's ire -