Over a thousand years ago a group of sea-raiders called
Skandiks from the northern
coasts of Roglaras took the coastal town of Ossyr's Lea and used it as a centre for
establishing a new kingdom. This kingdom came to the attention of the Warlord of
Quitak
when the Skandiks began to intensify their raids on his shipping. Naval attacks on Ossary,
however,
were simply repulsed by the Skandiks' superior seafaring skills.
Frustrated by his lack of success at curbing the Skandik's attacks eight hundred years ago
the Warlord assembled a large army to attack the Skandiks overland. The Northmen would
have surely been defeated but for the direct intervention of Thor himself. Since that time
the Warlord has given up direct attacks on Skandik settlements but there have been many
skirmishes between the two sides mainly at sea.
Ossary has gradually expanded along the coasts particularly in the last two hundred years.
The town has grown rich and more than quadrupled its size so that it is now a small city.
However, it lacks the civic works of nearby city-states apart from the thick walls that
the Kings of Ossary have built. Outside the original town and the temple district the city
is dominated by clan halls, there being five major alliances of clans and dozens of
individual clans living in Ossary. Areas dominated by these clans are dangerous to
outsiders including Skandiks from the wrong clan. The streets between rival clan-holdings
are frequently the scene of large brawls. Only the presence of the ruthless King's Guard
keeps any semblance of order.
Many more rural Skandiks regard Ossary as a den of iniquity and a lesson in why Skandiks
should not live in cities. This is exemplified by the fact that the Temple of
Loki is now the largest temple in Ossary. Not only that
but there are also temples to such other evil entities as Fenris Wolf and Hel. The Temple
of Odin appears to be powerless to rein in the King or the ruling elite. Some say that the
rot set in with the alliance with the Redrock Orcs and others that it started two hundred
tears ago when the King legitimised the worship of Loki. The average inhabitant of
Ossary, however, just sees the inreasing wealth of the city, the cheapness of slaves to work
the fields and revels in the kingdom's victories against other sea-powers.