Ysetur
Ysetur
ysetur.jpg
Location Ulfdalir, Midgard
Affiliation Norrland
Construction ?-?
Destroyed ?
Creator ?
Associated Figures Ørnulf, Riisterk

Ysetur is a city and fortress on the edge of Jotunheim. It is manned by the Silver Cloaks, an alliance of men, dwarves, elves and bjarndyr who have sworn to defend Midgard against giant attacks. The men of Ulfdalir, known as the Vallir, are tall and strong. They have been slaying giants for more generations than can be counted.

Also on the Jotunheim border is a fortress named Ysetur, which was built by the Gods to keep an eye on the Jotnar and make sure that they do not attempt to lead an army into Midgard. Thor was originally stationed there, but he grew bored and the command was turned over to a bunch of Ivaldi's hired Dwarf mercenaries. The Dwarves actually do little to prevent any Jotnar from entering, especially those with enough money to bribe them. However, the Jotnar seem extremely disinterested in invading Midgard in force, being more focused on Asgard. If you need to cross into Ulfdalir for whatever reason, hiring a troop from Ysetur is your best protection, but that requires some gold or silver coin.

Located in Ulfdalir

Norse Mythology has Ysetur, a outlook fortress built by the Gods to keep watch on the Jotun to the north of Midgard, and keep them from invading Midgard. Without much happening there, it was eventually handed over to the Elves instead. Mythological Giants cared more about taking over Asgard than Midgard.

A hall built by the gods south of Elivogar, strategically placed to keep an eye on the Giants. It probably origionally belonged to Thor, the great defender of the gods, but was later given to the King of the Elves, Ivaldi.

There is also a fortress called Ysetur near the borderlands to the North-east between Midgard and Jotunheim. A fortress built by the Aesir to keep an eye on the Jotnar, but I think it might have been abandoned, or it might be the house of other folk because the Aesir gods no longer have any member there.

Siverstorstad is a city in Midgard, along the border of Jotumheim. It stands mostly deserted atop a mountain overlooking the Plains of Chaos. It was established by the gods, In agreement with the mortal races. In the wake of the Jotunkreig to serve as the bastion of the champions and guardians of Silverstorstad, as provided for In the Paragon Compact.

Population: 2. At Its height, Silverstorstad boasted a population of approximately 15,000. Representatives of nearly every race could be found somewhere In the city, and hundreds of visitors regularly streamed through the gates In the days when Silverstorstad was alive and the Nerath empire was young and vital.

Government: The human wizard Ørnulf serves as the last guardian and champion of Silverstorstad. His loyal seneschal Riisterk remains in his service and cares for the city as best he can. In the past. the city was administered by the lord Proctor and a council of seneschals. and the Champions of Silverstorstad provided advice and protection as warranted.

Defense: In addition to the Champions of Silverstorstad. who numbered as many as 20 during the city's heyday, an army of volunteers drawn from both the torrians and the members of other races who pledged their lives and service to the city. Today, only Ørnulf and Riisterk remain, as well as the city's many arcane and divine defenses that keep the place protected from all but the more determined and powerful attacks.

Inns: None of the inns that once served visitors so well still operate within Silverstorstad's hallowed wails. Riisterk does keep guest apartments In the Salavmästerskapet clean and prepared should new champions appear at the gates as In days of old. The once·famous Silver Cloak Inn and the notorious Inn of the Forgotten Guardian still stand in silent readiness, awaiting the day when the city returns to life.

Taverns: Riisterk keeps one tavern open, despite the lack of customers. The doors in the Skratthinder remain open, and the Bjarndyr keeps a few barrels of ale and casks of mead on hand for when Ørnulf requires refreshment or should new champions arrive to fulfill requirements of the compact. Other taverns that once overflowed with revelers include the Divine Fountain, the Champion's Chalice, and the Worthy Alehouse.

Supplies: When Silverstorstad was alive and vibrant, the Wondrous Market regularly set up Stalls and tents in the Gateyard. Other shops could be found in the Temple Marketplace that filled the area between the Gryningtempel and the Salavmästerskapet. Today, Riisterk maintains a small stash of supplies in the Guardian's Tower for Ørnulf.

Trade: Once, Silverstorstad conducted a vibrant trade with many cities in Midgard. Today, no traders pass through Silverstorstad's looming gates.

Temples: The Gryningtempel honors all the gods that participated in the Jotunkreig and had a hand In the Paragon Compact.

Once, crowds filled the hallowed streets of Argent,
hoping to catch a glimpse of the champions from
across the land. The place was magical, almost holy.
designed to provide for the safety and well-being of
those selected to wear the Silver Cloaks. More over, the
place was imbued with supernatural defenses, portals
to other places, and other arcane mechanisms that the
champions found helpful in their mission to protect
the natural world from threats emerging from the borderlands
between civilization and the unknown.
Every five to ten years, as the guardian of Argent
required, the leaders of all the bastions of civilization
would send champions to take their place on
Argent's walls. Some of the champions volunteered.
Others were chosen through trials and tournaments.
A few had no choice in the matter, but readily agreed
to follow the commands of their king or queen or
emperor. These champions were given the Silver
Cloaks, the traditional symbol of Argent's heroes, and
they worked alone and together to deal with threats
from other planes, other worlds, other realities.
So it was from the days after the Dawn War, and
through each era down through the ages. Bael Turath,
Vardar, Arkhosia, and more sent their champions to
take a turn in the Silver Cloaks. During the amazing
period of peace and tranquility that marked the
height of the Nerath empire, the time between the
selection of champions grew. Fifteen years, twentyfive
years, fifty years … and then the champions
stopped arriving altogether. And that wasn't the only
change to come to Argent.
Each year that passed, fewer caravans and travelers
arrived. Each decade, more and more of Argent's
citizens moved on to other, more vital places. It wasn't
that Argent wasn't valued and appreciated, but the
Peace of Nerath made the place seem unnecessary.
That wasn't to say that darkness had vanished from
the world, but it had certainly been pushed back by
Nerath's stabilizing presence. Indeed, the remaining
champions of Argent became a bit complacent as
time went on. And so, they weren't ready For the terrible
events that led to Nerath's downfall.
When disaster and danger began to spread
through the empire, Obanar, guardian ofArgent,
sent the Silver Cloaks into the world. He remained
behind, on watch at the walls of the city. He waited.
The Silver Cloaks never returned. In fact, no word
came back from the empire. No new champions
arrived to take up the Silver Cloaks. Obanar, the last
guardian, was alone.

Today. Argent sits as a ghost town atop its lonely
mountain. Obanar, ancient beyond the human norm,
hangs onto life fiercely so that he may pass the Silver
Cloak to the next generation. With the possibility that
the compact has been broken, Obanar contemplates
finding champions on his own, for a new threat has
appeared on the horizon …

KEY LOCATIONS
Only a handful of places in Argent still serve a primary
function. The rest of the city appears either as
deserted ruins or empty buildings just waiting for
people to return to nil them.
The walls ofArgent are made of magically reinforced
stone. They stand 50 feet high and 25 feet thick,
with broad paths along the battlements and a narrow
corridor running through the interior of each wall.
Gates of reinforced wood and metal provide access
into the city at specific locations along the wall. Each
gate is 15 feet thick and 45 feet tall. The gates slide
into the walls when they open.
Signal fires burn in great braziers at the corners
of the walls. These burn day and night. and can be
seen as ghostly glows in the cloud-shrouded peak of
the mountain.
Three wide roads lead up the mountain to the city
gates. while a forth switchback path climbs the face of
the northern cliff. Two landing platforms also provide
access to those using flying mounts or magical flying
items, as the magic protecting the city doesn't allow
anyone or anything to pass over the walls. Teleportation
into the city is also prohibited, unless one knows
the rituals necessary to link to dedicated teleportation
circles within the walls.
1. GATEVARD
The two main roads into Argent lead to the Gateyard.
an inner walled area where visitors to the city first
arrive. Not all visitors were permitted into the city
proper. but all were welcome in the Gateyard. Here,
caravans and travelers could rest, trade, and petition
for entry into the city if that's where they eventually
wanted to go. The Wondrous Market, located in the
Gateyard, was once one of the most fabled marketplaces
in the natural world. Now, the Gateyard is
eerily silent. with deserted tents and buildings standing
empty between its high walls.
2. GRAND MALL
Statues of past champions line the walls of this openair
mall. All races appear to be represented in heroic
poses: humans, dwarves, elves, halflings, tieflings,
dragonborn, Brow, trolls. hobgoblins, and more can
be spotted among the champions. In the center of the
mall, a reflecting pool shimmers with a barely perceptible
glow. The statue of a female in grand robes
overlooks the pool. This is a statue of Erathis in her
guise as defender of the light of civilization. Her outstretched
hand glows with the light of divine power.
A large teleportation circle is inscribed into the tile
floor across from Erathis's statue. This is one of the
dedicated teleportation circles that the Silver Cloaks
could use to come and go from the city.
3. LAKE ARGENT
A hillock in the center of the city rises from a treelined
park. On the hillock, a lake of silvery water
ripples gently as rays of sunshine seem to always cut
through the mountaintop clouds to illuminate the
area. The fresh water of the lake once provided most
of the drinking water used by the city. The lake feeds
a river that turns into a waterfall as it exits the walls
and drops down the mountainside. The park around
the hillock remains well cared for, and it is home to
birds and small mammals of all descriptions.
A solitary tower overlooks the lake from the northeastern
part of the hillock. This was once known as
the Quiet Tower. home to the most prominent wizard
currently wearing the Silver Cloak. While Obanar
once called this tower home, his role as the last guardian
has forced him to abandon the place in favor of the
Guardian's Tower and the Hall of Champions.
4. HALL OF CHAMPIONS
A collection of three interconnected structures stands
atop a raised area in the southeast corner of the city.
The Hall of Champions, which features apartments.
training rooms, and meeting chambers, serves as the
primary residence for the heroes who take on the
Silver Cloaks. An open-air arena is connected to the
Hall. This arena once held games and tournaments
that tested the skills of the champions, and was even
used to handle large-scale meetings. Today, while the
Hall of Champions and the Arena are kept ready for
occupancy. both structures stand empty and silent in
the shadow of the Guardian's Tower.
5. GUARDIAN'S TOVVER
The leader of the champions who wear the Silver
Cloaks has always occupied this tower in the southeastern
corner of the city. As the tallest structure
in Argent, the Guardian's Tower extends above the
height of the walls surrounding the city. In addition to
apartments and workshops, the tower contains some
of Argent's most potent defenses and helpful magic.
Within the tower's many levels, among its many
chambers, the fabled vaults of Argent keep guard over
ancient treasures, deadly weapons. and imprisoned
creatures. These stasis chambers are sealed behind
heavy vault doors and protective magic, and only the
current guardian can access them.

Viewing chambers provide magical views of
distant places. but many of these no longer operate
correctly due to attacks launched from far-away
locations by the powerful entities that unleashed the
troubles of a century ago. Obanar has some ability to
see beyond Argent's walls, but not the near-omnipresent
viewing he once commanded. As often as not, the
viewing chambers show blurred, half-formed images
instead of the crisp, clear pictures of old. which has
made it extremely difficult for the guardian to learn
what has transpired in the greater world, and to track
threats the way he once could.
Most of the arcane defenses that protect the city
ofArgent are controlled from the upper levels of the
tower. Alarms, magical barriers, and even a limited
ability to launch attacks directly from the city can be
controlled from this area.
Finally, there are doors throughout the Guardian's
Tower that open to other places. Portals to distant
locations, both in the natural world and among the
planes, are situated throughout the tower. While
the collection of portals in no way approaches the
numbers available for use in Sigil, they do provide
the champions with a means for fast travel to other
places. In addition to portals to distant locales, there
are also doorways that can open portals through
time. These are fewer in number and harder to use.
and they don't always work as intended. but the
champions have always had a limited ability to travel
back in time when important missions required it.
6. TEMPLE OF THE DAWN
The Temple of the Dawn, dedicated to the gods that 0
fought in the Dawn War and then established the '—
Paragon Compact that founded the city ofArgent,
rises above the northeastern corner of the city. A wwiiadee 0
—1 landing platform conected to the temple serves as
an entry point into the city. A central area of worship Lt
fills the temple, with shrines honoring each of the
gods—good, evil, and unaligned alike. The temple
remains in good shape, even though there hasn't been
any clerics or priests in residence in more than a hundred
years. Both Obanar and Rrowthar occasionally
visit the place to pray or meditate. Not all of the gods
who helped win the Dawn War entered into the Paragon
Compact. and those notably missing from this
temple include Melora (who didn't want to contribute
to a plan that could paint all wilderness as evil). Bane.
Gruumsh, Vecna (who was not yet a god). and Zehir.
The Altar of Many Gods, consecrated to all of the
gods that agreed to support the Paragon Compact. is
truly a wonder to behold. Located inside the Temple
of the Dawn. it sits beneath the central dome so that
the light of the sun and moon always shines upon it.
The worship area is built around the altar, rising in
tiers so that every prayer bench provides a clear view
of every ceremony and service.
A gate surrounds the temple grounds. Holy symbols
of all the associated gods are worked into the
wrought iron. Inside the gate, the temple grounds
provided a serene escape from the once-bustling city.
Now, the grounds are as silent as the rest of Argent.

7 TEMPLE MARKETPLACE
Located in the cluster of buildings between the
Temple of the Dawn and the Hall of Champions, the
Temple Marketplace once featured a collection of
shops surrounded by ramshackle homes and apartments.
Today, this area is deserted. though most of the
buildings remain in good condition. In many places.
it appears as though the residents simply stepped out
for a stroll and might return at any moment.
8. PROCTOR HOUSE
When the city was alive and the Lord Proctor administered
to its interests, he or she lived and worked in
this well-adorned structure. All of the Lord Proctor's
furnishings and treasures—gifts from the champions
and guardians handed out throughout the ages—
remain in place for the eventual day when a new
administer appears to oversee the functions of the city.
9. DIAMOND ROW
The row of well-built structures across from the Lake
Argent Park was known as Diamond Row because
it was where the most wealthy of the city's citizens
once lived. Outside of the Hall of Champions. the
Guardian's Tower, and the Temple of the Dawn,
these structures are among the most lavish and well
adorned in the city.
10. THE HAUNTED BRIDGE
The bridge that spans the river in the northwest
corner of the city has been home to a monster for
almost fifty years. The creature, an undead beast that
escaped from the Necropolis (see below) has taken up
residence at the bridge. Obanar, who never enters this
part of t he city, is completely unaware of its presence.

11. DECREPIT NEIGHBORHOOD
These run-down sections of the city, located in the
southwest corner and directly west of the Hall of
Champions. are little more than ruins. The buildings
appear to have suffered the degradations of time and
the elements much more so than the rest of the city.
Some buildings have partially collapsed, while others
have received so much damage as to be just walls and
pieces of ceiling held up by exposed beams.
12. THE NECROPOLIS
A walled portion of the city to the west of the
Gateyard is the Necropolis, a cemetery that houses
the remains of the fallen champions of Argent. All of
the bodies are housed in elaborate mausoleums and
small crypts. No new Internments have occurred in
more than one hundred years. A number of restless
dead haunt the Necropolis, including a champion
who has risen as a wight and patrols in search of
nonexistent intruders.

Bjarndýr
Bjarndýrs are a race of ursine humanoids that once
served as seneschals and major domos to the champions
and guardians of Argent. As the city of Argent
slid into the dim recollections of history, the remaining
Bjarndýr migrated to other places. A small number
of Bjarndýr survive to this day. living in hidden vales
far from the centers of civilization.

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