The Frozen North
The Frozen North is a large expanse of desert ice at the northern side of the main continent1. It's mainly unexplored, but adventurous explorers have started to organize expeditions in the hopes of making a name for themselves.
Geography
The Frozen North has been growing over a period of hundreds of thousands of years. The southern part consists of a snowy desert, with very little in the form of landmarks to guide would-be explorers. Those who reach further north are faces with a large ice field, that's a ~100 feet (30 meters) high before reaching a plateau that stretches for miles and miles. The plateau is riddled with chasms and crevasses, some easy to spot, others hidden by snow or by the refraction of light.The search for a library
Osnaghar
The expeditions were started by Osnaghar, who's a Cleric to Oghma, the God of Knowledge. He claims that Oghma gave him a vision, showing a library buried beneath ice. Osnaghar, knowing The Frozen North is recorded to be growing, quickly came to the conclusion that this can only be a library of a previous civilization hidden within ice sheets up north. With literally no references about a previous civilization in any of the books in his library, this claim had no substantiated evidence. Yet, he received funding for the expedition. Osnaghar was a prominent wise man, scientist and researcher from the Aleksondrièl Empire2. He's been an adviser to King Alexander XII (the 12th) for years. When he talked about this library covered by ice, the king trusted his claim with no hesitation and sponsored the expedition.3Settlement
Because The Frozen North is such a dangerous place, the expedition required a very careful approach. Osnaghar traveled with large group of people and built a settlement at the outskirts of the snowy desert, which he called Oghma's Retreat. However, the settlement soon got widely known as Oghmania, because they thought the mission was idiotic. Once the settlement was finished, he commissioned a wizard to be stationed there and build a permanent portal, allowing for direct travel to the citadel1 of the Aleksondrièl Empire.Exploration
Once properly equipped, with ample rations and access to a husky sled, they set out to explore The Frozen North. Once they reached the ~100 foot high ice sheet, they started to excavate a staircase into the ice, using wooden planks with large nails to make it less slippery. To this day, they haven't found the library. Apparently, Oghma didn't give clear directions to where the library is supposed to be, so their search continues. Many people around him have lost faith, but Osnaghar keeps working hard towards finding the library. A lot of time is lost having to travel back to the settlement to resupply, recover from the dead cold and find new people willing to help look for the library.Other expeditions
As news spread of Osnaghar's ("foolish") expedition, some are intrigued to explore The Frozen North for themselves. These people congregate in the settlement, which now sells all the equipment they need. An entire economy is created around exploring the snowy deserts and ice sheet. For most people, the husky sleds are too expensive though and they are left to explore the snowy desert. Those with wealthy benefactors hire the husky sleds to explore deeper into the snowy desert or go on top of the ice sheet. Their motivates have a wide range, from thrill-seekers, those looking for fame or fortune, to map makers looking to draw out unexplored territory. Others just see an opportunity to make some gold within the new settlement undergoing economic growth.Footnotes
1. Pending actual name.2. Name subject to change.
3. Should probably be moved to a different article
