The Isle of Askmarholm was settled by humans fleeing the tyranny of Ossavia. When Ossav's armies moved into the region of Lleranin in 681, many human settlers, fearing for their freedoms, fled to a nearby isle. Askmarholm (called just Askmar by non-natives) was a snow-covered isle of mountains and valleys, uncomfortably cold and near the arctic reaches. Nevertheless, the settlers persisted. and prospered. They discovered a small connected system of valleys which were home to a race of elves. The snow elves, although initially reclusive, befriended the settlers. The Snow elves assert that the island is still their home, as it has been since before any can remember, and that the humans are merely temporary settlers. The elves inhabited mostly the innermost regions of the island in alpine valleys, while the human settlers dwelt mainly on the coast.
Much of the fertile land had already been claimed by the elves, so the Askmaths began to develop other skills. The Askmaths learned woodcraft to a fine degree from the snow elves, and how to survive the icy winters. Since the grounds of Askmar have never been good for farming, the Askmaths took their livelihood to the seas. A good fishing culture developed, and the Askmaths began to sail the Lleranian sea to trade with the few remaining free settlements.
This ended in 915, when Kaitheran, the last town in the Lleranin region fell to Ossavia. Angered by the loss of their trading partners and still sore over their lost exile, the Askmaths began engaging on raids into Ossavia, sacking coastal villages. Some Orc tribes learned naval skills in response, but never successfully slowed the vengeful raiding by the Askmaths. Any Askmath will say today that his people only raid territories which have offended their people, but it is a known fact that Askmaths frequently expand their targets with little reason.
One such encounter nearly led to disaster. A group of ships exploring further south encountered a stone fortress seemingly alone and away from any settlements. The ships landed, intent on seizing the fort, and carrying off any valuables inside. Unfortunately, the tower was a Throndheim defense post, and the initial meeting between the two people resulted in most of the Askmaths captured or killed. Less than one ship's worth of Askmaths escaped back to the seas.
In typical Askmar fashion, the warriors returning from the Throndheim outpost exaggerated both their prowess in the battle and the skill of their opponents. The tale was told of the short people with such the impressive battle skill. No ship returned to Throndheim, and the mountains were given a wide berth. The people of Askmar began to reluctantly admire the dwarves, even though they knew little about them.
The fierceness of the Askmaths' attack led the dwarves to believe that something must be done to gain an advantage over these rash humans. A dwarven priest discovered the location of Askmar, and immediately the Dwarven king of Throndheim decided to investigate. The dwarven Kilvuri clan was given the task of creating a tunnel to Askmar. Dwarves have an extremely patient and resolute attitude, and so immediately began work. With both priestly magics and superior mining skill, a tunnel was created under the Lleranian sea, complete with many dwarven defense posts, and several underground towns. The tunnel construction took 131 years.
The dwarves' tunnel ended in caverns near the village of Farska. The Askmaths' reaction to the dwarves' sudden appearance was not at all what the dwarves expected. At first, the people stood in disbelief, staring at the people which were the subject of legends from six generations ago. The village elder, upon meeting the dwarves, set the tone for future relations between the peoples. The elder saw the dwarves armed for war, and met them with peace.
The leader of the dwarves was Dagan, the second son of Belak Kilvuri, the clan leader. He was amazed that these humans admired and respected the dwarves. It is fortunate that both man and dwarf acted with wisdom rather than anger, otherwise, a long and bloody war would have been the result. Dagan and his followers were welcomed into Farska. Both peoples found they had similar attitudes about a great many things, and the first seeds of friendship were started.
The dwarves established Araulevas as a trading post near Farska, and the caverns nearby as an outpost of Throndheim. Although the dwarves established themselves in Araulevas and surrounds, they did not travel much to other parts of Askmar. It is known that one party of dwarves encountered some of the xenophobic elvish inhabitants, and the meeting was a bloody one. To this day, the snow elves and dwarves on the island do not deal with each other except as foes, and the Askmaths are frequently caught in the middle of the feud.
Life on Askmar has been fairly static, as the Askmaths are stubborn and unwilling to change. They still continue their raids into the Lleranin region, and some have ranged far along the northern coasts of Melarna during the summer, reaching almost to Skavont itself.
On Askmar, there are several distinct groups of people. The humans are similar to the historic Vikings, with a good knowledge of sea travel and the fierceness that comes from a hardy climate. They are tall, with pale features. Many are skilled at mountain-craft, but most are at home on the rocky coasts or at sea. The timber for ships is not too plentiful, so Askmaths try to capture ships when they can. They have also opened trade with other nearby nations for timber.
The Snow Elves live in the interior valleys of the isle. Taller even than the humans, they are very pale, almost white. They are reclusive, and while they are cordial with the humans, there are still incidents between the races. (NOTE: These elves were taken from Dragon Magazine).
The Dwarves of the Isle are the smallest population. They have a good relationship with the Askmaths, but the Snow elves and the dwarves have frequently come to blows as dwarven prospectors emerge from tunnels and explore areas deep in the valleys the elves call home. Most dwarves consider Askmar to be their home, and the Thane of Araulevas is considered independent from (but allied to) Throndheim.
The island also has its share of humanoids. The most prevalent are Amitoka, or Snow Goblins. These white-furred goblinoids are typical humanoids, and raid both Askmaths and Snow elves alike. Occasionally the Askmaths send war parties against known lairs of these snow goblins, but the amitoka replenish their numbers quickly. They have begun to explore the depths of the tunnels, only to run into the dwarves.