Drenvold
Continent: Morwen
Primary Inhabitants: Thaldrim
Government Type: Monarchy
Capital: Karrhold (45,000)
Population: ~160,000
Symbol: A hammer over the sea
Motto: “The sea yields only to those who strike true.”
Drenvold is a storm-wracked, cliff-ringed realm where the Thaldrim — sea-dwarves of iron will and roaring spirit — have carved a homeland between the crashing tides and the singing forge. Known for their long-keel ships, braided beards, and tempestuous camaraderie, the Thaldrim blend the traditions of smiths, sailors, and skalds into a culture as fierce and enduring as the northern seas.
The land is ruled by a High Thane, chosen from among the most honored Captain-Smiths of the great Crews. Though each Seahearth governs itself, all swear their braids and blades to the High Thane in times of war or storm. Their ship-halls cling to the cliffs like iron-bound longhouses, lit by blue forge-flames and echoing with work-songs and storm-chants.
Today, Drenvold stands as a proud maritime power, feared for its raiders, respected for its craft, and bound together by the Wave Oath and the lineage of Drenmir the Deep Forger.
History
The origins of Drenvold trace back to the Sundered Voyage, when a faction of mountain dwarves abandoned the deep halls and followed the sea’s call. Led by Drenmir the Deep Forger, they braved the northern storms until they found the black cliffs where Drenmir’s hammer struck earth and tide together. There he forged the first Seahearth — part hall, part harbor, part holy forge.
As centuries passed, the Seahearths grew into semi-independent strongholds, each home to great Crews renowned for exploration, raiding, or master-craft. Bonds of rivalry and fellowship between these Crews eventually gave rise to the High Thaldrate, a confederation of oathbound clans united under a single High Thane.
Their greatest colony, Skarhold, once the jewel of their distant ventures, eventually broke free and became an independent nation — a loss still grumbled about in certain Karrhold taverns.
Geography
Drenvold is shaped by the meeting of sea and stone. Jagged fjords split the coastline, each sheltering a Seahearth carved directly into the cliffs. These halls extend deep underground into volcanic chambers warmed by natural vents, where the forges burn year-round.
To the southwest, the Stormbarrier Range rises like a wall of gray spears, while the borders with Njorath fade into an icy wilderness. Inland pockets of fertile, geothermally warmed valleys support fungus farms, moss fields, and hardy livestock.
The capital, Karrhold, commands a great crescent bay, its breakwaters carved into the likeness of colossal braids that channel waves toward its fortified harbor.
Economy
The Thaldrim economy is a triad of craft, voyage, and trade. Their legendary sea-tempered steel — hammered to song-rhythm and quenched in brine — is coveted from Morwen to the far isles. Their shipwrights produce long-keel vessels capable of slicing through tempest seas or gliding silently over calm waters.
Each Seahearth specializes according to the traditions of its dominant Crews:
- Grimvein crafts weapons that drink the storm’s echo.
- Brodun shapes engines and hull-runes.
- Dravhild builds the largest war-keels.
- Kraesund fashions enchanted fittings of coral, bone, and steel.
Thaldrim wealth is measured as often in iron, salt, coral, and crew-oaths as it is in coin. Trade is most common with Njorath, Vardessa, and Vass’Kaal, with wary dealings with the Supremacy.
Demographics
Of Drenvold’s ~160,000 people, Thaldrim make up the vast majority. Small communities of Humans and Iskaryn dwell in the larger ports as traders, scribes, or shipwrights.
Society is built around Crews, kinbound groups led by a Captain-Smith who commands both forge and warship. Each Crew pledges allegiance to a specific Seahearth and, by extension, to the High Thane. During times of great danger, all Crews assemble beneath the Deep Banner, the ancient hammer-and-wave sigil of Drenmir.
Culture
Thaldrim culture is loud, proud, and fire-bright. They feast as fiercely as they fight, competing in feats of strength, endurance, and storytelling. A Thaldrim who cannot wrestle or sing is considered half-formed.
Their religion venerates Drenmir the Deep Forger, whose hammerbeat is said to echo in both waves and hearts. Before voyages or battles, Thaldrim perform the Wave Oath, touching their blades to the tide and chanting skaldic blessings for strength, fury, and safe return.
Music is driven by heavy percussion and booming chorus chants, while art favors knotwork, runes, and carvings of sea-serpents, storm spirits, and ancient ancestors. Festivals such as Hammerwake and the Night of Chains blend craft rituals with long nights of revelry and roaring hall-songs.
Major Settlements
| City Name | Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Karrhold | 45,000 | Capital and seat of the High Thane; famed for its vast forge-harbor. |
| Vandruk | 22,000 | Mountain hold with some of the oldest living forgehalls. |
| Thrunhal | 8,700 | Home of rune-skalds and stone-chanters. |
| Morrvak | 8,600 | Mining city beneath the Frostspire Peaks. |
| Grimvein | 8,400 | Renowned for its storm-forged steel and battle-crews. |
Notable Locations
- Stormbarrier Range - Huge mountain range separating Drenvold from most of the other major kingdoms.
- The Deep Forge Caverns - Immense volcanic tunnels beneath the cliffs where Thaldrim smiths craft legendary sea-tempered steel. The heat is constant, and the sound of hammering echoes like thunder through the stone.
- The Tidal Hollows - Network of narrow fjords along the northern coast where the sea swirls unpredictably. Known for treacherous currents, it is also a sacred site for Thaldrim rites before voyages.
- The Abyssal Lighthouse - A colossal tower perched on a cliff at the edge of the northern waters. Its beacon of blue flame is said to guide only the worthy and repel sea spirits of ill omen.
- The Hammerwake Stone Circle - Ancient monoliths near Karrhold where the first Deep Forger is said to have struck the ocean. Ceremonies honoring craftsmanship and the sea are performed here each year.
Relations
Allies
- None - Drenvold beleives they need no allies.
Enemies
- Njorath — a target of many raids, Drenvold sees the Njorathi as a people beneath them.
- Vardessa — another target of raids, ever since they broke away from the Supremacy.
Neutral
- The Supremacy — Drenvold has always had a respect for the Supremacy, they have a cautious trade relationship
- Skarhold — former colony, now largely ignored except for occasional trade.
- Dun’Rhael — landlocked and distant; almost no contact.
- The Ashen Marches — too far for meaningful interaction.
- Vass’Kaal — minimal trade along the coast; relations peaceful but distant.
“Strike the stone and test the tide; only those who endure both shall shape the world.”
— Drenmir the Deep Forger