House Nottenbass

House of The Lake

The south-eastern continental territories of House Nottenbass have a cool, temperate climate that very much suits the gentler, slower pace of life afforded by their healthy distance from the Imperial core. Venturing into the domain of House Nottenbass from the West, the land undulates from rolling fields, moors, and misty woods to glacial foothills and fjords which famously carve a twisting, serpentine path all the way from the northen mountains to Lake Notten, which in turn overflows on the eastern side to form the main tributary to the River Sharn.

The importance of Lake Notten to this region's history, economy and culture cannot be overstated. The honoured dead are "buried on the lake" by pushing their mortal frame out on a burning canoe. Local ceremonies aside, Lake Notten is a popular pilgrimage for druids, learned practitioners of other faiths, and common folk alike. Around Lake Notten's circumference, hundreds of druidic temples house and serve pilgrims and travelers of modest means. Ferrymen offer both swift and scenic crossings between towns, villages, and of course Nottenhelm, which boasts a bustling harbour that will make you forget you are not in a coastal port town but deep inland save for the clean, clear, fresh glacial water giving it away.

The clarity and potability of Lake Notten and its connected rivers is a top priority of the House. Its gradual pollution by growing cities and expanding farmland was eventually curbed by the construction of aqueducts to carry waste away from main tributaries and the lake itself. Not only does this prevent the wrath of the World Serpent who sleeps in the lake according to local fables (mostly told to children), but also maintains the health of all nearby inhabitants, crops, and livestock.

Nottenhelm

Nottenhelm, "The Emerald Jewel of The South-East", lives up to its romantic description at least from a distance. The city perches at the north-eastern edge of Lake Notten near the eastern outlet, very much like a precious multi-faceted stone set in the enormous watery ring of Lake Notten's steely-gray coast. Nottenhelm is famous for its swordsmiths and the mercenaries who wield their finely-balanced wares. In more recent, relatively peaceful times however, would-be mercenaries are finding more prosperity and fame - and certainly better survivability - through participating in tournament duelling and other games.

Druidic Ancestry

There was a time before the unification of House Nottenbass when the region was made up of countless distinct druidic clans. Today, much of the history of these clans is lost to time, with only tiny isolated enclaves still practicing the old ways deep in the woods, left behind by the march of the modern world.

This is not to say that Nottenbassian citizens have done away with their druidic roots in favour of Imperial practices. Elder druids still hold a lot of sway among regular folk and in local, everyday matters, though they tend not to participate in larger Imperial hearings or votes. In ceremony, the folk enjoy repurposed anachronisms to retain some connection to their ancestors, performing ceremonies meant for druidic staffs on the swords of fallen soldiers, reforging them instead of planting them in soil where an old staff would sprout into a new tree (which thankfully does not work for swords).

The World Serpent

Tales and descriptions of a great mountain-sized serpent permeate myths retold all across Istolaire. A startling number inexplicably make reference to a large lake as its primary burrow. It is admittedly a convenient place for a storyteller to hide such a gargantuan beast, but still somewhat compelling considering the true depth of Lake Notten has never been measured despite extensive attempts by both magical and mundane means.

Of the stories that undoubtedly refer to Lake Notten specifically in reference to the home of this "World Serpent", the rest of the tale generally follows: On the day that the great serpent awakes (the event which wakes the serpent varies between versions), first the river Sharn will completely reverse in flow and Lake Notten will rise to flood the surrounding lowlands. The inlet from the Rodae Fjord will also reverse and draw a mighty torrent north. How any of this water is supposed to flow uphill at all is never explained, because at this point the head of the serpent has broken the lake's surface and there is little time for discussions of physical theory.

From here stories, along with the snake itself, diverge in one of two directions:

If the serpent follows the new, supernatural flow back up the fjords to the mountains it will coil its massive body around a mountain - usually Mount Gallix - causing it to crack and shatter, bringing forth a renewed spring of enchanted water that will bring eternal life and fertility to the region.

However, should the serpent writhe against the flow of the Sharn and make its way to the ocean, then it will vanish beneath the waves never to be seen again, taking the life-force of the entire continent with it.

All renditions are fantastical, and better-told than my abridged recollection. There is a lesson beneath the tale that seems to summarise the attitude of House Nottenbass broadly: That after all is said and done, the immense and often incomprehensible forces of nature cannot be discounted. Further, that a world provoked by disharmony will find no shortage of serpents to wake.