Strand



Strand is the starting point of The Banner Saga and the biggest trade town along the borders of the kingdoms of men and varl. It is overseen by the Governor of Strand, with Eirik acting as his steward.

Background
''As close as anything comes to a bastion of racial tolerance, both men and varl compete to scratch out a living in this, the biggest trade city along the west coast. Many people still believe the god Denglr still watches over it, granting good fortune.''

The Banner Saga

 * It has been several long months on the road. The first signs of snowfall accost us on our approach to Strand, largest of the trade cities on the varl-human borders, and our last collection before returning to the capital. Several days ago, the sun simply came to a stop in the sky, though during these long winter days, none of us can be certain how long it has been this way. Some of the men in the caravan have taken it as a dire omen. I am not quick to superstition, but I myself will be glad to be done with this year's rounds. We have been warned by stranded travelers about brigands on the path through Ridgehorn, our road home. Our captain seems unconcerned. Perhaps he is as eager as I to be done here. We will rest here this day and inquire further when we speak to the governor. — Ubin, The Banner Saga, Part 1 Prologue.

Strand makes its first appearance at the beginning of The Banner Saga, acting as the tutorial area for the player. Ubin and Gunnulf stop in Strand on a tax-collecting mission, and are tasked with dealing with a group of rebels in exchange for double the usual tithe. Eirik and Valgard assist the varl in defeating the rebels, the former of whom may later join the party to oversee the tithe's escort to Grofheim.

Once the rebels have been dealt with, a diplomatic envoy lead by Vognir and Hakon arrives, on its way to take the human Prince Ludin to the varl capital, Grofheim. Ubin decides to join them, leaving Strand behind.

The Banner Saga 3
"The old city on the human-varl border looms ahead, twisted into a claw, but still Strand. Now, I have to imagine the longboats bringing fish into the harbor, and the bustling of merchants hawking goods." -Iver, The Banner Saga 3

Strand is revisited in The Banner Saga 3, during the Ravens' journey to the White Tower. Having been consumed by the Darkness, Strand has been reduced to nothing but corrupted ruins -- save for its town hall, which is protected by Alfrun's weaving.

The group arrives just in time to rescue Alfrun, Valgard and Eirik (if he stayed behind in the first game) from a group of Warped attackers. After being rescued, the duo (or trio) will join the party. Eirik and/or Valgard reveal that they stayed behind to help evacuate the city, but were caught by the Darkness that warped most of its remaining citizens and warriors. The Governor of Strand, though protected by the two of them, died of a heart attack when the Warped began invading.

Factions
In The Banner Saga: Factions free/online/pvp game, the player starts out in the city of Strand. The buildings within Strand provide different services:

Great Hall
The Great Hall is where players find matches against other online opponents. From there, they can play: matches, with varying timers.
 * Versus (Quick or Ranked),
 * Tournament or
 * Friendly

Mead House
In the Mead House, players can recruit new units. Experienced (5 kills) and veteran (30 kills) units can also be recruited here for an increased Renown cost, forgoing the kill-tally requirement for promotion.


 * {| class="wikitable" style="color: black; text-align:center;"

! style="width: 120px;" | Experience ! style="width: 80px;" | Kills ! style="width: 80px;" | Renown
 * Apprentice || 0 || 10
 * Experienced || 5 || 25
 * Veteran || 30 || 100
 * }
 * Veteran || 30 || 100
 * }
 * }

Proving Grounds
The Proving Grounds is where players can organize their Team (or Party), Promote units and re-allocate stats.

Marketplace
The Marketplace is where players can purchase:
 * Renown,
 * Rally Boost (+5 Renown per battle, win or lose),
 * Additional character skins (cloth colors),
 * Starter pack of four Rank-1 units (Provoker, Warhawk, Bowmaster, Backbiter).

Hall of Valor
Within the Hall of Valor reside the annals of war. Only true champions will leave their mark here.

The Hall of Valor tracks the following stats:
 * All-time (and Tournament) ranking: Elo rating and rank number
 * Number of Ranked (and Tournament) matches played
 * Number of Ranked (and Tournament) matches won
 * Ratio of Victories-over-Defeats
 * Best Win-Streak in Ranked (and Tournament) matches
 * Current Win-Streak in Ranked (and Tournament) matches

Recent events
When Ubin's party first arrives in Strand, the Skalfings are trying to seize the position of the governor by force. Strand is overrun by the Warped but the last holdouts are rescued by Iver and the Ravens in Chapter 17.