The Icehost
Located in the far north of Keshloam, The Icehost is a brutal land of bitter chill and permanent frost. This territory has a thousand names—the Hurl, Godless Wastes, more—depending on the culture and language and overall feeling about this harsh country.
The residents of the Icehost organize themselves into nomadic Clans that traverse the frozen plains in caravans of top-heavy sledges pulled by massive aurochs. Each Clan is led by a ruling council of elders who make decisions about new migration routes or political dealings with others. These Clans all live in a tense peace, keeping to themselves along their migratory trails, sometimes coming to blows over territory or trade disputes. Rarely do the Clans practice open war among each other, understanding that their prosperity on the ice relies on their symbiotic balance.
The Icehost recognizes only one semi-permanent settlement—Lightdrip. This ramshackle conglomeration of rickety structures and ancient salvage serves as a waystation for beleaguered clanspeople, travelers, or those who wish to answer no questions.
Rumors abound that the secretive cartographers of Deneir maintain a base of operations somewhere on the ice. Though the monks of Deneir often have dealings with the Clans of the Icehost, none know the exact location of Deneir's Refuge except the monks themselves.
The Clans
Perhaps two dozen clans roam the Icehost at any given time, but no one maintains any up-to-date records. Several of the larger clans can trace their ancestry to the gigantic Sledgewains of old -- rolling cities pulled across the ice by the extinct anaxauroch. The Clans of the Icehost are also famously diverse and welcoming, despite the rumors down south. This stems from the belief held by most residents of the Icehost that all life originated on the ice, so all should be welcome home. Farlight: A band of traders and seers, the Farlight Clan operates along the southern border of the Icehost and has the most contact with outside nations. Many clans of the Icehost rely upon Farlight for specific goods and message delivery, making Farlight well-liked among most everyone on the ice. Clans often venture in search of Farlight, following rumors of rare spices or silks rarely found in the Icehost. Chullat: Were you to ask the Chullat how they serve the Icehost, they would claim they keep it safe. Known to traverse the northeast region of the Icehost where the borders of Gavros, Gattland, and the Free Cities near, the Chullat revere physical might above all else. The Cullat see endurance as a blessing from the ice and eagerly display their might whenever possible. The Chullat do not make war with clans that displease them, but solve their disputes with Truth Pools. When vu Chullat challenge another to the Truth Pool, the elders light small magical fires in a 10 foot circle. The disputing parties will undress and wrestle within the circle of flame as the ice within becomes more and more unstable. The first to fall through the ice or leave the Pool loses their claim in the dispute. Waterwend: Found mostly in the northmost jetty of the Icehost locally called Houndsmelt, the Waterwend are sailors of a sort. Their sledges do not ride atop the ice but cut through the thin layers of these treacherous northern drifts to skim along the water beneath. The Waterwend also travel in larger, pole-driven boats about the shores of the frigid sea, and reportedly sail beyond. The elders vu Waterwend speak of wild and rich foreign lands north and west of Keshloam, and often cite the treasure hunting adventures of Pallau vu Waterwend, who has yet to return from her latest adventure west, when Gnet last adorned the Gavrosian sky. Kylvasled: Numbering among the most ancient clans of the Icehost, the Kylvasled Clan formed in the wake of The Shattering. Isolationists among other Clans, few residents of the Icehost have dealings with the elusive peoples. Their aim is straightforward enough though: they revere Kylvas vu Buntoro, widely held responsible for the Shattering of the Sky-Bridge and separation of Gnet and Gavros. vu Kylvasled do not believe this act to have been one of malice or greed as the Bridgewalkers would have you believe, but an act to save all of Gavros from the evils Stiga awakened in the Starpool. With Gnet set to return soon, the Kylvasled gird themselves for war against the monsters that they fear could descend upon the world any time the cursed moon is in the sky.Language
Hailing from as many southern states as born in the Icehost, the Clans speak mostly in whatever common dialect they are geographically closest to. However, the clans have a pidgin language amongst themselves, designed to be heard in pitch darkness over howling winds. These sharp barks, claps, and grunts are designed for quick greetings, warnings, or statements of purpose so that travelers who happen upon each other can quickly discover if a conflict is imminent.Religion
The Clans of the Icehost are a mongrel bunch and do not concern themselves with an individual's worship. The desperate nature of life on the Icehost has led these people to not be picky when asking for divine assistance. Their view of religion is primarily shamanistic, calling power from elements and ideals rather than named individuals. They see named Gods as facets of these elements, and may beseech these deities given the circumstances. Many of their beliefs and customs revolve around stories of great heroes that have been passed down through clan archivists, the Whitespeakers, for generations. It is now common among all Clans to refer to someone who is overly verbose as "speaking white," a reference to the frozen breath that escapes one's mouth in the frigid temperatures of the north. Most every clan in the Icehost does support a family of Bridgewalkers who beseech the stars for guidance when the elders cannot agree. The Kylvasled infamously reject this notion and all reverence paid toward Stiga Star-Crosser and the Sky-Bridge of Gnet.
Alternative Name(s)
The Hurl, Stigaria, Shiftland
Type
National Territory
Included Locations
Related Reports (Primary)
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