#inbetween fussing over a dog we had in the house

[majestyrising]

This is literally two pages long so it’s going under a cut but worldbuilding for Hythveard, the secondary base for Thanatos!

So Hythveard is on an just off the coast of the Southern Icefield, about here:

Here is a very rough map drawn by yours truly:

Pink is population density! Can you tell I’m better at writing than, you know, maps.

Warm water from the north mixes with cold water from the south, creating dense fog and fertile plankton for fish; doubly so thanks to hardy plague plankton. (Possibly an invasive species.) Very cloudy due to moisture in the air. The moisture freezes and falls as snow. The strongest snowfall is just past the eastern mountains, as the wind blows the snow from the peaks.

Lots of fish due to abundance of food and shelter in the natural harbour; including mussels, coldwater crab, jumbo shrimp, octopus, oyster, and trout.

Hardy plants grow but they tend to be tasteless and tough; these include arctic willow, grasses, winterbelle (purple saxifrage), ice variation of aether cherries, seagrass (underwater), amaranth (instead of wheat), ice variation of honeycrisp apples, hearty spinach, broadleaf plantain, cinnamon, roses, and lume/midnight daffoldil. Vodka can be made from amaranth! How fortunate.

There are mostly smaller land locked mammals due to less food, and general low populace of these due to it being an island. These include snowshoe rabbits, arctic foxes, stoat, various domesticated chicken, bats, songbirds, and swan. Some larger animals include snowfall elk, wolves, caribou, and moose. As for aquatic mammals, there’s beluga, narwhal, porpoise, seals, and the odd orca.

Domesticated wolves are used to hunt, guard, guide, transport, and patrol. Magpies/Eagles are used to hunt, guide, and patrol. Cattle are used for meat, milk, leather, and horns. Sheep are used for meat, milk, wool, and horns. Chickens are used for meat, eggs, feathers, and pest control. Horses can be used for transportation (maybe semi aquatic? I’ll work on it.)

Plentiful resources are therefore are seafood, traditional ice plant based dishes, and vodka (usually sweet flavoured.)

The cliffs are, in places, made of granite, which contains quartz (usable in glass/optics/jewellery), labradorite (usable in jewellery), gypsum (for chalk/fertiliser), and microcline (glass/ceramics). There are also a few veins of copper (tools) in the area.

There are several freshwater springs and streams and a small, emergency desalination plant if those resources fail.

The buildings are made from bleached white granite, imported obsidian, self-made glass, imported steel, and wood imported from the Tundra to the south.

The main industry is fishing. Then trading, farmers, artisans, academics, travellers, entertainers. Thanatos forces out any mercenary competition back onto the mainland- depending on if you’re good or bad and how much of a fuss you’re kicking up, either they’ll charm you to have you on their side, dump you onto the mainland, or kill you in a back alley.

The inner city is more multicultural, but fiercely protective of their identity as Ice. Any reference to how close they are to Arcane is met with open hostility. They are often call ‘pink snow’ by those who live deeper in Ice territory. Calling someone ‘pink’ means they’re weak, wimpy, or away with the fairies. The trade with fire is begrudging but required. Fire ships are not particularly welcome in harbour. The relationship with arcanite traders is far better, although they are stereotyped as superior intellectuals and the locals don’t appreciate being looked down on. The trade with wind is medium level and are categorised as hagglers. Ice flighters hate haggling.

Hyth locals are more adaptive to change than their deeper brethren, have a close relationship with the sea, stars, and weather. They view themselves as the outer bastion of Ice, a bulwark against invasion. They do not welcome change, but they believe that by giving themselves the best position, their future is more secure. They are seen as principled and determined people by themselves, whom embrace their climate. Here, Ice tradition is upheld by ritual and the calender. Meals, festivals, feasts, entertainment, and the careful recording of everything. To outsiders, they are stoic, stringent people who eat too much fish.

There is no university on the island, but there are a few professors from the academies from the Icefields. Therefore, academics are rare and valued. There are a lot of fishermen, but they are greatly respected as without them the whole city would die. There are several pubs, several bars, boarding houses, residential houses, tailors, tanners, metalworkers, artisans, a few clubs, breweries, coffee shops, training dojos, magical guilds, bookshops, animal suppliers, butchers, produce makers. Primary education is a communal city affair; the people have a rotor of teaching literacy, maths, language, history, war, and magic. The aforementioned academics teach speciality subjects for those who show an interest in them.

The Icewarden is worshipped. Food in the Icefields isn’t plentiful enough for it to be offered wholesale, so food is made to be his in a prayer, and then consumed. Bookbinders and historians are seen as especially religious, as well as any in the justice system/those who punish evildoers. Hence, Thanatos fulfils a semi-religious role in Hyth.

The legal system is codified in a very dense but surprisingly easy to read text, which is enshrined with Thanatos. The laws on drugs and prostitution mean they are legal in certified establishments, and Thanatos holds the reigns on what gets certified. Meaning they get the profits. But, these establishments are well kept, the workers are safe and paid well, so the citizens agree with the law.

Conflicts are primarily dealt with by the individuals in question; if they aren’t, Thanatos steps in to handle it.

Most goods can be obtained in Hyth due to the trade routes in the harbour, however luxury goods include anything from deep inside the Labyrinth (as this is a world away), pelts from animals which are hard to take down, and anything easily damaged by the cold.

Common goods in Hyth include pearls (from local oysters), feathers from the local bird population, furs/hides from local animals, labradorite jewellery, spruce furniture.

The Kingdom of Thanatos is the ruling legal and governmental body in Hythverd. They contribute towards the cities’ welfare, negotiating the trade routes and monitoring the ships which come in, and what their goods are. The citizens are free to do as they wish without restriction- all but try to challenge this rule. They are seen as benevolent overlords. Everyone is aware that they are mercenaries, but the relationship with the non-members is good, as half the mercenaries live in town and are good, honest people.

The city is called Hythveard, often shortened to Hyth. The northern quarter is Chelyu, where the people live, and the southern quarter is Ostr-Zubi. Chelyu is from челюстная кость, meaning jawbone. Ostr-Zubi is from острые зубы, meaning sharp teeth. The island itself is called краеугольный камень замороженных народов, aka keystone of frozen peoples, also known as Keystone Island in the common tongue.

[tripstations]

Dog-friendly getaways with The Epicurean Club

By Paul Johnson on Nov 11, 2019 in Accommodation, Bars, Europe, Featured, Food and Drink, Going Out, Hotels, Regions, Restaurants, Travel Miscellany, United Kingdom, Western Europe

The traditional British pub is making a comeback as an alternative luxury getaway. Pubs have had a tough time in recent decades with as many as one quarter of those in England and Wales having closed since 2001. Those pubs that have not just survived this downturn but have, in fact, flourished are a select group that have focussed on being the best of the best. The consistent formula that appears to have won through is a great pub offering excellent food and drink, combined with high quality accommodation. Of course, people also often seek unique experiences when they travel nowadays so, include that into the mix also, and you have a pub fit for The Epicurean Club.

The Epicurean Club offers access to a collection that recognises all the qualities necessary to be among Britain’s finest boutique inns and pubs. Full of charm and character, this carefully handpicked group represents many of the best British pub getaways, covering everywhere from Mayfair to the moors of North Yorkshire, and a whole host of other destinations inbetween. We went to see what all the fuss was about, staying at two of The Epicurean Club’s pubs in the North of England: The Durham Ox just to the north of York and The Battlesteads Hotel, close to Hexham.

It’s simple to find pubs that cater for your requirements using The Epicurean Club’s website. You can very easily search by location, date, theme and/or type of experience. In our case, we were planning on a few days away with our English Springer Spaniel, George, so homed in on the ‘dog friendly’ offerings, but you could equally search for properties that are close to the water, quiet romantic getaways, pubs suited to special events and celebrations, or a variety of other options.

The Durham Ox

The Durham Ox is 300 years old and has been owned by the Ibbotson family for the past 20 years, during which time it has enjoyed numerous national and regional awards. Named after a celebrity-like beast of the same name that was exhibited throughout the country at the turn of the 18th Century (you can learn more about its fascinating history in the folder in your accommodation), the pub offers a rural bolthole in the charming hill-top village of Crayke, just two miles north-east of Easingwold, North Yorkshire.

The accommodation

We stayed in ‘Rose Cottage’, a lovely little property at the rear of the pub that is perfect for families, with a lounge, galley kitchen and bathroom downstairs, and two bedrooms – one super king double and one twin – upstairs. The bedrooms are cosy with beamed ceilings and a traditional, country feel.

Downstairs, the bathroom is modern and spacious and comes with L’Occitaine toiletries, whilst the kitchenette comes complete with tea and coffee making facilities and complementary Yorkie chocolate bars (in case you wondered, they’re made in nearby York).

The food

The pub is very cosy and full of character with numerous blackboards adorning the walls, oak panels in the main bar that are late Victorian reproductions and medieval pew ends from a church in Somerset. Upstairs is The Private Dining Room that can sit 10-22 guests and an outside terrace at the rear for those warmer days.

Try the baked Queenie scallops which are topped with garlic and prsley butter, and finished with a cheddar and gruyère crust. The food and service is good, with a wide choice of main meal options ranging from pea and mint ravioli to Yorkshire beef and Black Sheep pie.

The experience

The local area offers a rich source of heritage, beautiful countryside and picturesque villages and towns, all within easy reach of The Durham Ox. We opted for a family walk of the Crayke Estate – a circular route of approximately 3.5 miles along a permissive path through open fields and occasional wooded areas.

Those with more time to explore the local area can enjoy visits to numerous stately homes, abbeys and gardens, including Beningborough Hall & Gardens, Byland Abbey, Rievaulx Terrace & Temple, Rievaulx Abbey, Helmsley Castle, Helmsley Walled Garden, Nunnington Hall and Castle Howard. Or venture to York, renowned for its tangled network of quaint cobbled streets, to visit York Minster, the Jorvik Viking Centre or the National Railway Museum.

Dog friendliness

The Durham Ox is dog friendly and, if you let them know you’d like to eat with your dog, they’ll even book you a table in their Tap Room where your pampered pooch can enjoy the comfort of the fireside as you dine. As far as accommodation is concerned, with the exception of the Studio Suite, every room at The Durham Ox is dog friendly too.

The Battlesteads Hotel

Converted from an 18th Century farmstead, The Battlesteads Hotel is a pub, hotel and restaurant in the village of Wark, Northumberland, 12 miles north of Hexham, perfectly situated for anyone interested in exploring Hadrian’s Wall or Kielder Forest and Water. Over the last decade, it has developed a sustainable focus with all manner of initatives including the installation of a biomass boiler, the development of a flower garden to attract birds and butterflies, and inclusion of organic wines on the wine list to name just a few.

The accommodation

Behind the hotel are some very comfortable, modern lodges offering overnight accommodation. We stayed in two that were next door to each other, giving our teenage children some independence and privacy but with us close to hand if we should be needed. (There are also hotel rooms within the main building.)

The interiors are very spacious, with a seating area that offer ample room to relax, plus a desk area should you need to work on your travels. The bathroom is also generous in size with separate bath and shower.

The food

We had the 8-course taster menu, the highlight of which was the duck breast with a savoury ‘granola’, black pudding ‘prune’, charred cauliflower floret and cassis jelly (pictured). Where possible, the restaurant prides itself on fresh, local and seasonal produce, with a number of ingredients grown on site in the hotel’s kitchen garden and smoked salmon and charcuterie meats prepared in-house.

The experience

A highlight of any stay at Battlesteads is the on-site dark sky observatory with its own retractable roof, situated in the Northumberland Internatioanl Dark Sky Park. This accessible, public observatory offers talks, activities, drop-in sessions, stargazing and astronomy courses to cater for a range of expertise levels from beginner through to professional astronomers. An evening at the observatory is a must if you ever need reminding of just how vast the universe is.

We attended a dark sky discovery night where an enthusiastic but very knowledgeable amateur talked us through many aspects of the night sky, from the Milky Way to the universe beyond, first with some slides as the skies cleared a little and then with the aid of telescope and a more hands-on approach. It was very interesting, enjoyable and enteraining and, with our lodge just a stone’s throw away, only a short walk to bed afterwards!

Dog friendliness

At Battlesteads they recognise that your dog is part of the family and dogs are welcome (by prior arrangement) to share ground floor rooms with their owners. Facilities at the rear of the hotel allowed us to hose George down when he got a little muddy from his walks – what’s more, there was both hot and cold water so he could have a nice warm wash down!

Whether you are looking for a dog friendly getaway, or something a little different – but always in good quality yet homely pubs and inns – then take a look at the carefully curated list from The Epicurean Club.

By becoming a Friend of The Epicurean Club, which is free of charge, you can enjoy a number of additional benefits every time you book a stay or experience, such as the best rate on rooms, a house drink on the house for all guests on every Epicurean Collection stay, or even a free stay after every five overnight stays; there’s never been a better time to try some of Britain’s best pubs!

Disclosure: Our stays were courtesy of The Epicurean Club.

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