Located on the Gerudian Coast, the Jarldom of Urviksten was a proud and ancient state, recreated by Urvik Ebonfrost's retreat from Castanor along with an army of refugees and was the last stronghold of the Ebonfrost dynasty after the War of the Sorcerer-King. The greatest military power among the Olavish jarldoms, the jarldom was famous for its powerful and disciplined army, molded through the harsh teachings of Black Castanor and the natural toughness of the Olavish.
History[]
Prehistory (???-???)[]
At some point in the past, the great civilization of the Giants built the fabled Giant Forge in the mountains of what would one day be Urviksten.
Era Of Black Ice (768 - 978)[]
During the Era of Black Ice, Urviksten was one of the most prosperous places on the entire Gerudian Coast, growing rich from the treasures that the reavers brought back from their raids throughout Cannor. But everything changed with the rise of the reaver who would be known as Castan Ebonfrost, formerly known as Gunnar Ebonfrost. Born in Urviksten at an undetermined date, he was the greatest reaver of his time and founder of the dreaded Black Castanor.
After the conquest of Castanor by Castan Ebonfrost, Urviksten was relegated to being a mining center for its valuable Ebonsteel deposits but when the blacksmiths learned the art of creating Ebonsteel artificially, the importance of Urviksten was drastically reduced, being only relevant for the mythical giant forge.
War of the Sorcerer-King (978 - 1020)[]
During the War of the Sorcerer-King, Urviksten's role was almost minimal, as during it the ambitious Jarl of Naugsvol, Gerrack Halftansson, took Urviksten for himself, taking advantage of the chaos under which Castanor was.
The Cold March (1020 - 1025)[]
After the defeat of Black Castanor and the death of Garrec Ebonfrost at the hands of the Vrorenmarchers in their attempt to reconquer Vrorenmarch, Ebonfrost loyalist forces under the command of Urvik Ebonfrost marched north to their ancestral home of Urviksten.
Going hungry and cold along the way, only to find that Urviksten had been occupied by troops of the Jarldom of Naugsvol, who had entrenched themselves in the ancestral home of the Ebonfrost. It is said that Urvik Ebonfrost's anger was such that he himself led the charge against the Naugsvol forces, which were commanded by Jarl Gerrack Halftansson himself, and that it was his own axe that felled the enemy commander, initiating a rivalry between the Ebonfrost and the Halftansson that would end with the extinction of the latter.
The Slumber (1025 - 1410)[]
During the four centuries between 1025 and 1410, Urviksten suffered a period known as The Long Rest, during which the Ebonfrost rested and replenished their dynasty, since after the War of the Sorcerer King the once glorious dynasty had been reduced to only three members. During this period, Urviksten saw an increase in its relevance in Gerudia, thanks to the resources they had salvaged during their flight to the north, as well as the Urviksten reavers once again setting sail on the sea and bringing back the profits of raiding.
The Black Frost War (1417 - 1420)[]
During the year 1417, Jarl Johan Ebonfrost died during a raid perpetrated by the Halftansson of Naugsvol, which triggered a merciless war as, for the first time since the return of the Ebonfrost, Gerudia would feel the black dragon's wrath.
Under the command of the impetuous but talented Karl II Ebonfrost, Urviksten defeated the undisciplined troops of the Halftansson, taking for Urviksten the most precious resource of Naugsvol, the legendary black pines, capable of giving an impressive hardness to the ships created with such wood.
But when they were on the verge of victory, the orc horde of Brasur Frozenmaw broke through Bal Vroren and conquered all the former Vrorenmarch for his people.
The Graytide (1420 - 1428)[]
During the Graytide, Urviksten closed its southern borders, fortifying and guarding the mountain passes in preparation for an invasion by the Frozenmaw clan. To ensure the absolute security of the southern border, Jarl Karl II offered a truce to the dying Jarldom of Naugsvol to have the entire army at his disposal in case the Gray Orcs looked to the North.
The Long Watch (1428 - 1444)[]
During the period known as The Long Vigil, Urviksten fought and bled against small but tenacious groups of wild orcs, who seeking the favor of Brasur Frozenmaw attempted to conquer Urviksten, but none could get past Esfjall's defenses, and those who approached the lands of the Black Dragon knew that death awaited them.
The Conquest Of Nauvsgol and Avnkaup (1444 - 1458)[]
Seeing that Frozenmaw was suffering from internal problems, in addition to the invasion of the brave Crovis Adshaw, House Ebonfrost seized the moment to resume the conquest of the Olavlund. Crushing the remnants of Naugsvol and eliminating the house of Halftansson. Then, turning their gaze further north, they faced the fury of the Jarldom of Avnkaup.
The battle is considered a Pyrrhic victory at best, with figures ranging from 7,000 to 8,000 dead on both sides. During the battle and in a duel that is still sung today, Karl II Ebonfrost and the jarl of Avnkaup, Gunter Fjordsson, died in the heat of battle, although in the end, Avnkaup fell to Urviksten. Some military theorists believe that it was due to the heavy casualties suffered by Urviksten, and the instability caused by the death of Karl II that the Frozenmaw clan defeated them, supporting this claim in the mountainous terrain of the Black Frost Mountains and the defensive fortifications that Urviksten had maintained in the area, which would have made them impenetrable had they been at full strength.
The Fall of Urviksten (1458-1460)[]
The Gray Orcs of Frozenmaw, seeing their northern rival weakened, attacked with all their might, and in command was Brasur himself, the conqueror of ancient Vrorenmarch. An army of 28,000 Orcs crossed the Black Frost Mountains, and swept down on their way to Urviksten, and in a siege that lasted two full years, Urviksten finally fell, and the dream of Castan Ebonfrost was extinguished.
It is recorded that Askel Ebonfrost, son of the late Gunnar and grandson of Karl II, didnot leave the castle as it fell, his last recorded words being "May my ancestors welcome me into the afterlife, and may the Gerudians sing and tell of this dark day. As my home falls, I will fall with it. Whoever wishes to escape, let them seek refuge with the Sons of Bera and the Skalds. And whoever is willing to face death, let him follow me."
Economy[]
The lands of Urviksten, though cold and unfertile, are quite rich in resources, especially iron, and by bordering the Giant`s Grave Sea, Urviksten has access to the large shoals of fish that inhabit the sea, allowing the entire population to be fed. In the Baldersvy and Silfrborg regions, there is a unique and valuable species of pine known as Black Pine, which with special treatment can become extremely hard, making Urviksten's ships of superior quality.
Despite being just another Jarldom, and still benefiting from plundering, Urviksten had a commercial policy more similar to its Vrorenmarcher cousins in the south, maintaining a commercial community in the city of Urviksten itself, making it a place where the brave Gerudians could go in search of goods, more precisely those goods made of iron, a tremendously abundant resource in Urviksten.
Culture and Customs[]
Like their Olavish counterparts, the Jarldom of Urviksten followed the Reavers' custom of plundering the trade routes and coastal lands of any unfortunate state in search of fortune and wealth. Despite being a largely Olavish country, the Escanni influences of the Gerudians who were born on Escann and driven out by the White Reachman after the War of the Sorcerer-King never diminished over time, so that some Urviksten citizens still referred to themselves as Ebonmarckers, and prided themselves on being as civilized as their southern counterparts, as well as carrying the savage fire of the Gerudians in their hearts