Augastaoir

Augastaoir

"The frost does not kill. It carves. And in its cold hands, we are shaped anew." — Kaelda Stormwarden  

General Information

  Type: Settlement (Coastal Stronghold)
Region: Southern Striror
Climate/Environment: Subarctic cliffs, glacial winds, aurora-lit skies
Population: ~3,200 (Primarily Humans, Goliaths, and Snowborn)  

Community and Culture

  Augastaoir stands as the final outpost of civilization before the desolation of the Endless Frost. Carved into the icy cliffs, the settlement thrives through endurance, kinship, and elemental reverence—principles known as the Tenets of the Iceborn.   Each citizen is hardened by blizzards and bound by tradition. Children receive ceremonial frost tattoos and undergo rites of elemental bonding beneath the auroras. History is not kept in books but in song, bone-inscribed runes, and longhall tales told beside enchanted braziers.   Seasonal traditions include aurora festivals, sled-pulling contests, and spirit feasts that honor the land’s primal forces.  

Economy and Trade

  Life in Augastaoir is harsh but sustainable. The settlement’s economy revolves around:  

Icefishing and seal hunting

Runic metallurgy and cold-forged steel

Trade with glacial nomads and tundra tribes

Spell-ice harvesting and aurora-oil distillation

Exports:

Frostbound steel (enhances enchantments in cold)

Glacial meat, spell-ice, and aurora-infused oils

Imports:

Wood, refined reagents, and magical components unavailable in the permafrost

Points of Interest

  Stjarnaeldr Beacon A crystalline lighthouse containing an eternal magical flame fueled by enchanted ice. Its warmth can be felt from leagues away, guiding icebreaker ships through storm and mist.   Hrímveil Hall A fortified council and military structure of stone and frostglass. War chants and justice rites echo beneath the totems of old gods and primal spirits.   Whalegrave Shore A haunted coastline strewn with leviathan bones. Locals avoid it after dark, whispering of sea wraiths and wind spirits that moan between the ribs.  

Notable Figures

  Kaelda Stormwarden — Commander of Augastaoir’s defenses, a Frostfang War veteran known for iron resolve and elemental tactics.   Bramir Icehook — Harbormaster, omen-seer, and chief navigator. Gruff, superstitious, but widely respected for his sea lore.   Eldra the Whisperflame — Keeper of the Stjarnaeldr. A fire-augur who reads fate through flame and snow. Consulted in times of doubt or war.  

Legends and Threats

 

Beneath the harbor lies a slumbering frost giant, bound in forgotten glacial runes.

Recent tremors and unnatural auroras suggest the seal may be failing.  

Shadowy figures have been seen drifting across frozen fjords—neither man nor beast—possibly the return of the windborn wraiths from the last Ice Age.

Runepriests and scholars fear the auroras are changing color in rhythm with ancient frost sigils—a sign that a second Ice Age may be awakening beneath Striror.