The Coast of Lights
The Northern Coast; seeded with jewels, roamed by giants.
The Giants came early this year, most of our men hadn't found the new burrows of the Remorhaz yet, let alone plotted how to siege them in a way that doesn't get them all killed... And now they have to worry about Giant Patrols as well, what putrid luck this is. I'm sure Mergus smiles at the thought of our suffering, but we must reach out to the Dragons for help this year. If the giants come early again next year... We might have to seek out some other arrangements.The northern coast of Ithungsida is known as the Coast of Lights for the northern lights visible in the depths of the sky in winter months. Only those cities north of Apal can make out the lights that shine like spinning wreaths composed of @drakaise and the twisting of the fates under Chando Meywa, the Distant Arctele’s careful gaze. However, it is also called the Coast of Jewels for the crystals that can be found washed ashore on the beaches after the winter has passed and the snow melted. Some say that the jewels and crystals found there are tears of Chando-Meywa fallen to earth during her control of the lights and countless communities stake out areas of these beaches for the collection of these artifacts. It is said that magical focuses and items forged from crystals on these beaches are more potent, but this hasn’t been proven to any extent. These communities are largely intermixed and barely distinguishable from the fishing villages that crowd the northern coasts to send food into The Interior cities like Moldatun and Toft. The communities built on the Coast of Lights are as varied as the jewels pulled from their beaches, from carefully constructed buildings guarded against the cold, to burrows dug out into the ground to retain heat without leaving the ground and facing against the snow. Oftentimes, communities renovate old and abandoned Remorhaz nests into village centers. Some communities even retract entirely into the ground, leaving only the bare necessity of animal pens for sheep, the odd Bulette Farm and dire moose. One of the most obvious issues for areas as cold as the Coast of Lights often gets is the capacity for heating the environment and protecting citizens from frostbite. Remorhaz and their young commonly provide the answer here as well, with locals seeking out abandoned nests and paralyzing hatchling Remorhaz with special poisons. They then use the creatures as massive heaters that run off of meat slurry over the winter. At winter’s end, the remorhaz are slain and the body harvested for food, armor and various types of clothing. Frost Giant Tribes also make long trips from across Renai to find Remorhaz, however… They look for Remorhaz for a very different reason. While the tribes and towns of the region often offer bounties for the paralyzed Remorhaz, Frost Giants make the trip to collect hatchlings and thin the adult population. They slay the adults and take young ones away to tame and grow, but leave one to two behind, protected by various creatures to grow into new remorhaz, completing a natural cycle. This leads to serious conflict between Frost Giants who are seeking Remorhaz or trying to prevent abuse of Remorhaz.
Geography
Extending across the entire northern coast of Ithungsida and named after the Aurora Borealis (Also referred to as "The Veil", referring to the veil that Chando Meywa, the Distant Arctele purportedly wears.), the The Coast of Lights is a cold and dry climate with a polar climate (Köppen ET). Winter conditions are extremely cold and dangerous, temperatures frequently falling to -30C (-22F) during the winters in combination with high winds. Whiteout conditions are not uncommon due to blowing snow. Average temperatures above freezing only occur about 120 days per years, with freezing temperatures and snow being common. Despite the extreme cold temperatures, due to proximity to the ocean, the Coast often doesn't have the coldest temperatures in Renai during cold waves.Flora and Fauna
In this region, there are a high number of rural tribes. Many native houndfolk, icegut halflings, humans and mousefolk live on the coast of lights. They live and can even be said to prosper in the region as they sell off jewels and extra food to traders that often make their ways through their villages.Natural Resources
The Coast of Lights is best known for the vast amount of jewels it exports.
Alternative Name(s)
Coast of Jewels
Type
Coast / Shore
Location under
Owning Organization
Related Ethnicities
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