Flororenghashst: The Nine Queens of Winterkesh

Transit

Winterkesh is one of the larger regions in Flororenghashst, and yet is one of the most difficult to reach. Winterkesh is an isolated place with only one reliable method of ingress: the Icepick Engine in Esquan.

While there are several ways to reach Esquan, the simplest starts in Fhanna, which is relatively easy to get to from any of Flororenghashst’s urban centers. Once there, purchase a ticket to New Dally on the Dingrun Flyer for F50 a seat. Trains leave twice a day; late morning and early afternoon.

When you reach New Dally, you will have to cross town to the Stables, a caravan meet-up point where you can purchase a seat on any caravan heading for Esquan. There are no train lines connecting the larger cities to Esquan, due to the mountainous topography and inhospitable climate. This is the longest leg of the journey, and may take up to a day if the weather is bad. Remember to bring warm clothing and snow-gear.

Upon arrival in Esquan, I advise refreshing yourself at the Jugg Inn, a small restaurant/hotel that offers warm and filling food for an excellent price. The inn takes it as a point of pride that they serve the caravaners who make the arduous journey to provide Esquan with its needs, and this courtesy extends to tourists.

The last leg of the trip is purchasing a ticket on the Icepick Engine, a direct train route that connects Esquan to the Winterkesh territories. One-way tickets cost F90, and there are tourist round-ticket specials that are good for two weeks for F150.

The Place

The Nine Queens is the term used to describe the Crown of Winterkesh, a nine-pointed crown that represents the nine sisters who ruled Winterkesh after the death of the High-King Reslagnagch. The Kingdom of the Nine Queens is a snowy land, all gray and red with ice and winterberries. A broad kingdom that spans multiple mountain ranges and valleys full of fruit trees and wildflowers, the Kingdom of Nine Queens has remained a political and economic influence largely through its remarkable knack of constancy. Famines, plagues, wars, and countless similar cataclysms have struck the region with semi-regularity, but due to a staunch pride and devotion to tradition, the cultural norms of Winterkesh have remained constant for over sixty generations.

This has led to the Kingdom’s moniker: the Changeless Land, or in some dialects, the Land Frozen.

While the Nine Queens was originally worn by the monarch, it is now considered a cultural icon and is currently on display in the Grand Palace of Winterkesh, alongside several other historical and iconic items of note. This has led many guide-books and travel-writers to mistakenly call the Grand Palace a palace-slash-museum; do not make this same mistake. The Grand Palace is Winterkesh’s central building of government, and the glass boxes housing the crown, scepter, robe, and medallion of Winterkesh are better compared to shrines or reliquaries than display cases.

A monarchy of the old kind, the Queens — and sometimes Kings — of Winterkesh are trained in the arts of performance and pragmatism over the more esotaric skills of diplomacy and finance. It is widly known that the actual functioning of the kingdom is handled by the Five Hands, a collection of six to ten families¹ who have handed down their duties through the generations. The Five Hands operate at the pleasure of the Monarch, and each is given a measure of power over the others in a moderate method of checks and balances; the most effective check being social traditions and a fierce loyalty to the Land and Crown.

Winterkesh is perhaps one of the least welcoming lands in Flororenghashst. This is not due to any xenophobia, par se, but rather because the culture of Winterkesh is a time-polished work of multiple generations. Outsiders are seen less as threats to the status quo and more as children from cultures without the heritage and gravitas owed to themselves.

As far as social mores, the folk of Winterkesh are largely independent. While pride is certainly an acceptable term to define their attitude, self-confidence is a perhaps kinder color to paint them with. At worst, the residents of Winterkesh feel it is unconscionably rude to gossip or to “stick your nose into someone else’s business.” Personal questions of any kind, including about someone’s history or opinion about the issues of the day, may result in a cold shoulder or a few choice words.

These two fact put together mean the people of Winterkesh are often viewed as cold, condescending, and selfish. Personally, I have found this to be anything but true. The people of Winterkesh are remarkably compassionate and caring, they simply do not spend energy or effort on appearing compassionate. Actions are considered far more important than words in Winterkesh, and while you may feel that you are being ignored or dismissed, rest assured you are merely not being condescended to.

All the same, there are a few social graces you should be aware of to make your social experiences in Winterkesh smoother: First of all, never say “farewell,” as in the local dialects this is remarkably close to Var’ouel, which is an old derogatory word. While most locals are aware of the unfortunate homonym, many folk who do not meet with outsiders regularly will take great offense. It is safer to used either “goodbye,” or the local “’til next.”

Also, It is customary to hand a coin to anyone who offers you requested aid. The exceptions to this are anyone in a social and service-industry position, such as barkeep, waitstaff, stable-hand, guide, or similar. Local currency is required for this, so make sure you purchase a pocketfull of 5-pate coins when you arrive.

Accommodations

Winterkesh has two good places to rent a room or bed for the night, though they are both far humbler offerings than what you might expect from other more welcoming nations. The culture of hotels is somewhat absent in Winterkesh, where community and self-sufficiency are expected.

Fenny’s Get-Away is a small hotel with only a few rooms. Costing F5 an hour, the rooms are intended for only a short stay per customer, generally used by people who want some alone time in a warm, cozy, and well-kept space. Each room has a fireplace, a single bed, and a table and chair. Due to the expensive rates, it’s wise to rent a room only when you are ready to go to bed, rather than renting a room for the duration of your stay.

The Blue Fox Inn is a more traditional hotel experience, with rooms costing F100 a night. No meals are provided, and while each room is warm and well furnished, there are also no cleaning or laundry services. You, as a guest, are expected to clean your own room and do your own laundry before leaving. In spite of this, the Blue Fox Inn is a comfortable stay, and is probably your best bet for longer-term accommodations.

The limited options in Winterkesh have caused many travelers to rent rooms in nearby Esquan. The Jugg Inn, as I mentioned before, is a lovely bed and breakfast that mostly caters to caravaners and other travelers. If you plan on spending only a few days in Winterkesh, renting a room in Esquan and traveling to Winterkesh each day might be an acceptable solution.

Things to Do

Daytime

There are several places to see around Winterkesh, both romantic and inspiring. Plan on spending several hours at each location you visit, lest you miss some of the splendor and majesty in the region.

Little is known about the Raven Ministers and their practices. The majority of their influence is felt through their avian aides, who flock through the skies at semi-regular intervals. This regular passage of ravens is called the Unkindness Clock, and is a regional folk-timepiece. The Raven Ministers themselves are a kind of religious policing authority. By dispensation of the Ivybrine Proclamation, the laws and protections of Winterkesh fall to the Raven Ministers. It is unlikely you will ever cross one in the line of duty, but they are unmistakable in their long black robes and feathered collars.

The Chapel of the Raven Ministers itself is open to tourists only at specific hours on specific days, when their ceremonial and ministerial duties are not required. If you happen to have the opportunity, however, you will see some of the finest religious architecture in all of Winterkesh. Designed by the Royal Architect of Winterkesh in the year 15, the Chapel is a perfect example of Roatic architecture, with long fluted arches and curved pillars. Tile Mosaics and accents of gemstone adorn every wall, and as with all Roatic buildings, the time of day influences the colors and shadows in remarkably beautiful ways.

On the outskirts of Winterkesh lies the fabled Valley of Yarrn, also called Season’s Rest and the Altar of Tyyn.

Historically, the Valley of Yarrn was the final resting place of the Great Heroine Wyckia, Battlequeen of the Winterkesh Legion. According to legend, after the Great Crusade, Wyckia brought her spear and sword to the War Throne of the Winged Conquerer, where they fought for twenty and three days, pausing only to eat and drink. When at last the Battlequeen slew her opponant, her wounds proved too great and she was carried sixty-eight leagues to the Valley of Yarrn and laid down on the Altar of the ancient god Tyyn. There, her wounds were tended and her last will written and witnessed. When she died, the land throughout the valley bloomed a brilliant shade of purple from the flowers and underbrush. The stones glowed with a brilliant luster, and ever since it has always been Spring.

Naturally, the seasons change in the valley same as they do everywhere else, but even the winter snows and autumn leaves cannot take away from the beauty of the valley, lined with waving trees and decorated with signs of devotion and fellowship. Guides to the valley abound in Winterkesh, and tourists are reminded that it is respectful to bring a flower from somewhere you have traveled when making the journey, daffodils or follow-me-bys for preference.

Named for its lack of occupants, the Darkened Palace was once the central locus of power after the twenty-third queen of Winterkesh demanded its relocation. A following two generations of Queens lived in the Darkened Palace before the central palace regained its former political status. Queen Lorhaiagile refused to set foot in the Darkened Palace, calling it “a rubbish little hovel.” Tradition took over from there, and no royal has resided in the Darkened Palace ever since.

Currently, the Darkened Palace is available for tours, though no visitors are allowed in after sundown. Local legend is that a monster stalks the halls, though which monster and for what reason are both uncertain.

Evening

The Olk is the famous Rekek theatre-house where actor and playwright Mona Ruuskin worked for the early part of her career. The Olk was originally the name given to the side of a hill where people would sit to watch plays and performances from traveling troupes. Over time, and thanks in no small part to Ruuskin’s inclusion of the Olk in her play; “The Dancers of Innoway,” the Olk became an almost mythological location, where reality bends and fantasy holds sway.

While there is no clear date of establishment for the Olk, the first mention of a wooden stage is in letters from 1221. This also suggests Ruuskin’s play “The Long Night” must have been written after 1221, due to the inclusion of the line “…as upon these wooden planks we strut…” While there is evidence to suggest the stage area was upgraded and expanded over the years, the next major upgrade to the proto-building was the Hedgewall in 1348, a slate wall built to keep out the wind. Whether the Hedgewall was rebuilt or redesigned in the intervening years or not is still discussed, but the first Olk House was built on top of the Hedgewall in 1412.

The first Olk House was built from cedar and woodmortar, with the Hedgewall incorporated into its design. There was no backstage of note, leaving actors outside when putting on costumes and making enterances. The Olk remained like this until the Great Winterkesh Revolution in 1688, when it was burned down. The ruins of the Olk remained untouched for decades until it was rebuilt in 1710.

The reconstruction was ordered by Queen Fairborne, and built to the specifications of the royal architect. What remained of the Hedgewall was kept for the walls’ foundations, while the rest of the Olk Theatre-house was built out of oak and applewood from the nearby Oglain Forest. Since this reconstruction, the Olk Theatre-house was only lightly modified until 1854, when it was named a Cultural and Historical Landmark, and given protected status. The building is now the same as it was then, carefully maintained by the local Parks and Entertainment service division.

Theatrical performances are still done on a weekly basis. Tickets are subsidized and cost no more than 2Hc a seat. I would recommend purchasing tickets one to two weeks in advance, as the Olk Theatre-house is still a popular destination.

The Old Cherry Tavern is one of the oldest bars in Winterkesh, dating back thousands of years. The first mention of the Old Cherry in historical documents is in a personal letter that Duke Grustich wrote to the Earl of Krust in 130. In this letter, he mentions “a peasant hovel of depravity and communion,” where the locals “engage in the bestial acts of fornication and imbibing of foul liquors.” While the Duke did not name the building, he does describe it as located “on the hill after the blacksmith,” which is the current location of the Old Cherry.

The second time the Old Cherry appears in history is in the diary of Juliip the Wandering Bard, who mentions “the Cherry, a den of marvelous diversion and somber mood.” While there is some historical debate as to whether Juliip is talking about the same building — this mention comes in the middle of describing other buildings proven to exist on the other side of Winterkesh — most scholars agree that there is no evidence of the Old Cherry ever being moved.

Nowadays, the building is a must-see for any visitor to Winterkesh. Here, rustic charm meets with warm food and thick ale to make for a most relaxing atmosphere. Famed for their charred quail-bites, the Old Cherry is well worth a stop to sample some of the finest aged beer and whiskey in the region. Their beer in particular is aged in smoked ironwood barrels for at least five years, using the traditional Winterkesh method of burying the casks wrapped in cloth.

Even if you don’t particularly like swabit as a drink, even if you have a swabit place that knows exactly how to make your favorite flavor, you owe it to yourself to visit The Queen’s Swabit.

Only open in the evenings, the Queen’s Swabit is one of the finest swabit cafés in the world. Famed for using the old ways to brew their swabit, the Queen’s Swabit practices techniques that date back to the first recorded brewing of the beverage. Unlike most swabit cafés, instead of having a wide variety of types, the Queen’s Swabit only brews green swabit with your choice of brewing technique. These include some old and experimental techniques from all across Flororenghashst, such as sand, ground-press, leaf-pot, unfiltered, and Wesher brewing.

Doubling as a swabit museum of sorts, the Queen’s Swabit has many ancient instruments of swabit brewing on display, some of which are still used in their brewing. This includes an old stone distiller, an ancient brewing cistern, a filter-pot from the 500s, and an old mesh-spoon used to remove and drain the boiled root paste from a ground-press. They even have a few brewing stones with the runes still clearly visible.

While I am not a sommelier of swabit, I have sampled many of the different techniques the Queen’s Swabit offers, and I can certainly taste some interesting differences in most of the menu’s options. I’m sure people with more refined palates will taste many more, and thus the Queen’s Swabit is another must-visit for an evening drink.