The Frosted Fields

The beautiful shimmering snow seems to go on forever. Everything is quiet and still, the snow lazily falling from the sky. And it's easy to forget the danger that you're in until you realize that your footsteps are slowing disappearing behind you, that you're going blind from the sun glaring off the fresh snow, and the wind is picking up.

— Anonymous

The Frosted Fields is the name given to the large expanse between the cities of Ice territory. Though, this name is more misleading than descriptive, as the expanse is hardly just "frosted" or fields. Instead, what lies underneath the packed snow is hard to know in some places, and impossible in others. Occasionally the ground is only a couple feet away from the snow you stand on, but in others glaciers have formed, kilometres deep. Old human cities from the Age of Mourning are buried below, and if you aren't watching for the crevices, you'll join them.

All the rivers along the Frosted Fields are frozen, at least on the top. But you would be hard-pressed to break the ice without gear if you really needed water from them, unless you're an Ice or a Fire Elemental. Blizzards are common, and the snow often builds up enough on the mountains cliffs to lead to the perfect opportunity for avalanches. When it isn't snowing, the snow shines off the extreme amount of snow to cause "snow blindness". Among the white expanse of hills, cliffs, and snowbanks, the wind can easily throw you off.

Aside from the natural dangers, the Ice themselves thrive in this environment, as their skin blends perfectly with the shining snow. They traverse the snowbanks with grace, either not sinking into them, or simply "swimming" in the waves of snow. Generally, the Ice excel at setting up ambushes, often combined with setting off whole avalanches to wipe out their enemies. And as the Frosted fields cover most of their own territory, they make the most of it.

However, the Ice Elementals are not the only ones to call the Frosted fields home. Despite every hurdle, animals of many shapes and sizes still dot the landscape. In a place with little soil that isn't hard with permafrost, few plants grow here aside from the Silver Leafed Snowdrop, which acts as a keystone species for the ecosystem that exists in the harsh climate.

Type

Desert, Ice