Northern Arctic Wastes

Do not trust the ice. It has an appetite for complacent souls. - Kivi digger

Overview

This region of ice and snow is believed to conceal several ancient settlements. Low temperatures and sparse to non-existent vegetation and wildlife makes travel through this region perilous under the best of circumstances. However, some of the The Northern Tribes of Quassus have made the region their home.

Long Days and Long Nights

On the northernmost islands of the Arctic Wastes, the sun never sets for several days during the summer. Specters and other horrors of the dark are thus either rare or entirely absent occurrences. This is known as the Long Day of Peace and Light, or simply Friður Ljóssins, among the Seven Northern Tribes. Conversely, the sun never rises during the winter months. During this time various creatures of the dark begin their long hunts and vicious raids on small settlements all along the northern coasts. This night is known as the Long Night of Terror among the tribes of the region, and it inevitably brings tragedy to one or more families.

Snow Covered Ruins

Ancient ruins are surprisingly hard to come by in this region. Part of this is undoubtedly due to scarring of the landscape due to the Great Collapse, though much of this damage has been covered with ice and snow. The other part is that the ice and snow that has covered up this region's wounds has also covered up the ruins. As a result, many ruins lie undiscovered and untouched by contemporary peoples. There are a few places where tall Ancient structures were too tall to be consumed by ice and snow, indicators of once thriving cities.

Geography

The northern coast of Quassus is defined by its numerous islands and fjords. Because of this, a lot of the terrain is made up of ice sheets. Some areas are flat and capped with mounds of snow, others are craggy and contain many icy fissures that open and close at random. The Ice's random behavior has led many to believe that the ice is alive and that it is malicious to travelers. The region's miners have special techniques to deal with ice when digging a new mine, such as melting vast swaths of ice and using simple magics to prevent the ice from growing back.
The most common vista is that of a vast, snow-covered land. During particularly strong blizzards the horizon becomes indistinguishable against white-out conditions. Travelers are advised to wear some kind of eye protection if traveling through such conditions to prevent blindness.

Fauna & Flora

Flora

(not exhaustive)

• Evergreen trees (rare), Moss (common), Shrubbery (uncommon)

Fauna

(not exhaustive)

• Arctic Wolves, Arctic Bears, Ice Golems, Snow Golems, Ice spiders, Seals, Walrus, Orcas, Penguins

Natural Resources

Gold, silver, iron, tin, copper, ice

Alternative Name(s)

The Winter Lands

Type

Desert, Ice

Location under

Quassus Continent

Owning Organization

The Seven Northern Tribes of Quassus

Contested By

• Kingdom of Helia

Note(s) from the Archivists:

I've been to this region. It's very cold. - Archivist Rena
Tell me more! - Archivist Bob
It also has a lot of ice. - Archivist Rena
Fascinating! - Archivist Bob
And people build things out of the ice. - Archivist Rena
What resourcefulness! - Archivist Bob
Are you okay? - Archivist Rena
I'm not sure. - Archivist Bob