Trollheim

Trollheim is a vast and frigid wilderness occupying the northernmost reaches of the Continent of Osnines. Situated beyond the Aeolfberg volcanic range, it is a territory defined by its extreme climate, subterranean geology, and as the ancestral home of the Skyssian trolls. While it remains largely outside the formal administrative sphere of the Kingdom of Skyss, it has served as a critical theatre for heroic conflicts, most notably during the Great Schism and the subsequent geopolitical machinations of the renegade Rojden.

Trollheim is topographically isolated from the settled regions of Heimdal by the massive volcano Aeolfberg. The region is characterised by high-latitude wastes, deep snow, and long periods of darkness. In the depths of winter, the sun barely rises, and the environment is so hostile that movement is restricted to purposeful transit between fortified structures. The architecture in the scattered human settlements of Trollheim is distinct from the white stone of Kronstadt, featuring heavy, functional buildings designed to retain heat and withstand the pressure of arctic storms.

The region's eponymous inhabitants are the trolls, a silicon-based life form created by the Mother of All during the first days of the world.

• Physiology: Trolls possess a hide composed of granite-like patches, providing natural armour against both the elements and physical attack.
• Nature: Far from the “man-eaters” described in common folk tales, trolls are often characterised as living rock. They possess a deep affinity for stonecraft and metallurgy, having been the primary force that helped the Goddess Frijdodr shape the foundations of the world.
• Behaviour: Trolls prefer the cold and dark of the far north. In the height of summer, they often build stone bridges over fast-flowing rivers to create shaded, cool environments. Conflict between humans and trolls is rare and usually the result of diplomatic failure or external provocation.

Trollheim's isolation has historically made it a location for clandestine operations and heroic feuds.

• The Great Schism: During the internal Skyssian conflict, Trollheim was a primary hunting ground for the Silent Service. The hero team of Arinhildr and Eskil operated here extensively, neutralising members of the Godbloods faction. It was during this period that they defeated a troll whose head now serves as the namesake for their inn in Cottalem.
• The Betrayal of 749 AM: Trollheim was the site of the assassination of Oddmundr, the bearer of Jafnadr. Rojden lured Oddmundr to a building in the wastes under the guise of preventing a war with the trolls. In reality, Rojden had murdered the hero Magnleif and framed a troll for the deed to initiate a conflict. Oddmundr was poisoned with tainted mulled beer and decapitated while unconscious, a pivotal event that shifted the balance of power among the Heroes of Skyss.

• Oddmundr: The King's Justice who was betrayed and killed in Trollheim in 749 AM.
• Rojden: The renegade hero who used Trollheim as the setting for his rise to power.
• Eskil: A scout of the Silent Service who conducted numerous operations in the region.
• Arinhildr: A combat specialist who earned her reputation hunting renegades in the northern wastes.
• Magnleif: A hero whose death was used as a casus belli to destabilise northern relations.

• Heimdal (Region): The neighbouring territory to the south.
• Aeolfberg: The landmark volcano that marks the southern border of Trollheim.
• Continent of Osnines: The broader geographical context.

• Great Schism: The ideological war that defined much of Trollheim's recent history.
• Jafnadr: The sentient sword whose wielder was lost in the northern wastes.
• Blood Price: The legal debt resulting from the many heroic deaths in this lawless region.