The second in our series of Setting notes and details.
Lake Neezhoday:
Lake Neezhoday is actually two lakes in one. She boasts a massive bay that is almost a lake unto itself, and therefore they are called twins. Although not as big or as deep as Ogimaque, she can be just as violent and deadly. The straights between the two halves of the Lake are treacherous with currents, often with strange tides and undulations of the water. It’s almost as if Half Bay is running downhill into her larger sister. Near her head where Lakes Ogimaque and Manitou empty into her, is a massive chain of islands including the Largest Island in all Akiniwazi called the Silenoyane or “Seive Islands”. it is actually a Jarldom inside the political boundaries of Neezhodayland that controls the shores around it. These islands are also home to a great many pirates and small colonies of Skaerslinger who use the small, densely forested islands for places of ambush.
Lake Neezhoday also sports another large bay that has treacherous bars, silting and cross currents as well that often threatens shipping as it leads out into the Vithrfljot [vi-THUR-floht] which connects it to her little eastern sister, Lake Bawagiigaywin. The Lake has a strange tendency to freeze over only one half at a time. Almost never do both halves freeze over, and never does the churning “heart” of the lake at the Sieve Channels.
It is also the home of Ulfhaugerstrondland, the home of the Kyrkja. In an effort to prevent the corruption of both religion and politics, the Kyrkja was given the small territory of Ulfhaugerstrondland, on the south east shore of the Lake Much like the Vatican, it is the center of the Kyrkja throughout all Akiniwazi and centrally located to all territories controlled by the Forsamling. (The Forsmaling or “Congregation” as they call themselves are the descendants of the Vikings who settled Akiniwazi.)
Prominent Features:
Helligevagr [hy-lih-GAY-VAH-gur] (Holy Bay)
Neinnvanbjarg: [NINE-van-BE-arg] (No Hope Rock)
Meidrhvall: [my-DERH-vawl] (Tree Trunk Pole Knoll)
Silenoyane[sigh-LEN-OOH-yah-nay] (The Seive Archipelago)
Thiggardborg [TIG-hard-BOR-guh] (Thiggard Town)
Thokatre: [tho-KA-tray] (Fog Tree)
Tryggahvneyrr [TRIG-ah-VEN-ahyer] (Safe Harbor Shoal):
Ulfshaugrstrond [oolfs-HOW-gur-strond] (Ulf’s Grave Mound Beach)
Vithrfljot [vi-THUR-floht] (Wide River)
*Note, the Kyrkja is the official religious body of Akiniwazi, and the Forsamling. It was founded by Franciscan, Benedictine, Dominican and Cistercian monastic orders, but has gone through radical changes due to the nature of the land. An upcoming post will talk more about the Kyrkja.
**As you may have noticed, the names look kinda wild till you convert them out of their native tongue. In my experience, most places have very boring names when seen in their native tongue. Either they are named after prominent geographical features or people or events. Sometimes, they’re just named “New” something. that same convention was carried on here.