Frostfell

As the name suggests, the Frostfell is a region of polar winter at the far north of the world. The name can be used to describe any area of dangerous winter weather and frozen precipitation, but is mainly specific to the area surrounding the Moon Fey city Frigmount. There are several features that make the Frostfell unique from southern lands during the winter.

## Death of Magic

Since the DoM, travel in and out of the Frostfell has been virtually non-existent, though there does not seem to be any particular reason why. People approaching the invisible border from either side ended up turning back, their decision to wander suddenly changed for them by some mysterious force. Only since the first day of 300 DM have people begun to cross again.

## Weather

The single-most defining feature of the Frostfell is that it is always cold. Precipitation is always frozen and creatures without some kind of added protection or natural adaptations to freezing (or worse) temperatures will not be able to survive. The highest temperatures can reach just above freezing for a few weeks of summer and during the depths of winter or supernatural winter conditions, temperatures can plunge to below -50F.

The Frostfell includes many types of terrain, from the windswept tops of glaciers riven with deep cracks to the bare permafrost plains at their feet, the grass short and dry for all but a few weeks of the year. There are rugged frozen mountains and huge swaths of coniferous taiga forest where the trees grow slowly but seem to live forever. Each type of terrain has its own dangers.

While the frosty landscape is almost supernaturally beautiful with prismatic colours reflected through ice and sweeping landscapes of pristine snow, the deathly cold lurks silently, waiting to smother the life out of the unwise and unprepared.

## Common Hazards

**Altitude Sickness** A concern for creatures climbing or flying too high. Not only does the cold become dangerous the higher you get, but the lack of oxygen can cause creatures to become disoriented before leading to hypoxia.

**Avalanches** Deep snow drifts on the slopes of mountains are sensitive to noise and vibration. These sliding slabs of snow can be small enough to bury one creature or large enough to obliterate an entire village. Even when nonfatal the deep drifts can change the landscape enough to block travel. Creatures trapped under avalanches can be killed by the sheer force of sliding snow. If they survive, suffocation becomes an immediate concern, followed closely by hypothermia and frostbite.

**Cold** The effects of cold damage depend on how extreme the temperature drops and how much protection a creature has. Creatures without enough protection will begin to suffer the effects of hypothermia at a rate that depends on their circumstances. Altitude, Nightfall, and Wind Chill can all intensify the effects of sheer coldness.

**Frostbite** This nonlethal damage causes extremities to become cold and pale as the blood supply decreases due to inadequate protection from cold temperatures. Creatures will begin to have difficulty performing tasks with hands. Can be made worse by touching frozen metal with bare skin.

**Hypothermia T**his is a condition caused by the lowering of a creature's core body temperature and is marked by pale skin, rigid muscles, and loss of consciousness. Hypothermia gets worse the longer it goes untreated and can be fatal. This is perhaps the most common danger of life in the Frostfell.

**Light** While most of the Frostfell adheres to normal laws of daily illuminations, there are certain times of year that the region can lie under a blanket of night for several weeks. During polar winter, the Frostfell experiences an Eternal Twilight, a time where the sky can lighten during daylight hours but does not actually rise above the horizon. During the summer, the reverse occurs when the sun does not set for several weeks, providing 24-hour sunlight. It is during this time that plants bloom rapidly. These two extremes can be the source of much celebration or superstition. During nights and any period of polar winter, the Aurora Polaris or Northern Lights can be visible for as long 12 hours at a time or as little as a few minutes. These lights can appear in many forms, including sheets, haloes, ribbons, pale curtains, pillars or wisps of vibrating colour and are usually silent, though they can occasionally be accompanied by a distant hissing crackle. They provide an illumination equivalent to full moonlight and are usually pale green, purple, or blue. Different cultures attribute much folklore to this skyfire, considering them the souls of either their ancestors or unborn children, or even the ghosts of their enemies.

**Snow Blindness** This condition results from the sun's burning of the sensitive eye tissue, making the eyes dry, swollen, irritated, and extremely sensitive to light. Snow blindness can occur when a traveler spends time on a snowfield, glacier, ice sheet, or similarly bright terrain on a clear sunny day without the protection of snow goggles, a veil, or other eye protection. Snow blindness is not permanent and will begin to wear off as soon as the creature leaves the bright area or acquires protection, but is effectively blind until then.

**Whiteout** These conditions occur during a snowstorm or a blizzard accompanied by strong winds. However, precipitation is not necessarily required, as loose snow buffeted by strong wings can easily become whiteout conditions. Traveling in a whiteout is extremely difficult, with visibility reduced to no more than 5 feet. Most of the senses are obscured by the noise and the driving snow or ice, making navigation or performing tasks nearly impossible.

## Common Races

While many races can be found in the Frostfell region, there are some there who are more prevalent or nearly exclusive to this frigid land. Moon Fey, Frost Giants, Frost Trolls, and Chillborn Humans are all especially common in the Frostfell. These peoples exist in a few rare cities, such as Frigmount, but are more commonly isolated in small seasonal villages, often living partly subterranean lifestyles for protection and travel that allows them to avoid some of the worst weather hazards. The people of the Frostfell are at odds with their environment in a constant struggle to simply survive. Many people here prize hunting and survivalist skills, as finding food and navigating the treacherous and ever-changing landscape is an ever-present concern. Softer skills such as art and knowledge are often seen as frivolous.

## Common Creatures

Animals in the Frostfell are specifically adapted to the extremities of this region. Mammals and birds are the most common wildlife, with reptiles and amphibians almost non-existent. There are typically two ways creatures endure the worst of the winter's harshness: migration and hibernation. Herbivores, such as elk, caribou, steppe horses, mammoths, and woolly rhinocerous tend to migrate south during the winter, returning in the summer. Some carnivores range after their prey (wolves, cave lions, sabre-toothed cats) and some hibernate until they return (polar and grizzly bears). Birds such as terns and albatross fly south for the winter, leaving eagles, falcons, and snow owls to hunt dormice and shrews.

Many animals are known for changing their coats in the winter to better match the deep snows in the forests where they live, such as foxes, rabbits, stoats/ermine, and lemmings. There are also ice age beasts, larger and cold-adapted versions of their warm-weather kin in the sweltering south. These include mammoths and rhinos, cave bears, megaceros, giant sloths and smilodons. Along the coast and inland seas, whales and seals are also common, and many cultures exist almost exclusively on hunting these massive aquatic beasts.

Dire animals are rare primal versions of common animals that can be found all across Tessanis, but are more common in the Frostfell than anywhere else. Dire wolves are the most well-known, but just about any species can become dire.

In addition to normal animals, there are some monsters in the Frostfell as well. These include Gryphon, Roc, Treant, Snow Ooze, and the occasional cold-aligned Dragon. It should be noted that while not native to the region, undead creatures tend to last longer here than in hotter climes.

## Special Equipment and Material

While magic might be the most efficient and powerful force to help the denizens of the Frostfell adapt and thrive, the Death of Magic forced the people of this harsh existence to fall back on specialized tools and unique materials to ensure their survival. In general, clothing is commonly insulated with animal fur and layers of quilting.

### **Weapons**

Bone bows, clubs, and pikes (shugliin): Crafted out of the massive skeletons of oversized Frostfell animals such as whales and mammoths, these weapons are used primarily in the hunting of the same creatures.

Harpoon: A broad-bladed spear forged with barbs, this thrown shaft is attached to a trailing rope to haul victims back towards the wielder.

Glot and Slipdisk: These metal spheres or discs are designed to be skipped or rolled across smooth ice surfaces to trip up enemies or lacerate their feet.

### **Gear**

Crampons: These metal-spiked straps can be buckled over shoes or gauntlets to improve traction against icy or steep surfaces.

Snow Goggles: Acid-washed dark glass goggles can be worn to reduce glare and avoid snow blindedness.

Snowshoes: Netted hoops that fit over shoes to negate the restriction of movement through deep snow. Also improves traction on ice but can not be used on anything but fairly flat terrain.

## Cities and Settlements

The Frostfell is located to the north of Stone Crest. The same Indiga Mountains run northwards into Frostfell territory. To the west of the mountains is the Bahora Forest, which becomes almost exclusively coniferous until it gives way to the open Holoka Plains where ice age creatures roam. The landscape is riven with quick, clear streams of meltwater that have formed narrow valleys. Further north is the land of glaciers hung between the jagged east-west Baltas Mountains.

**Frigmount**Located where the Indiga Mountains join with the Baltas. It is positioned high in the peaks within easy reach of a huge glacier to the west and the plains at the foot of the mountains to the southwest. Northeast of Frigmount is a vast inland sea called the Nambawa where ice floes and iceburgs are common.

**Krarik** A seaside settlement east of Frigmount. Populated by humans and frost trolls. Primary occupation is fishing and whaling and shipbuilding, trading meat, whale fat, and salted fish down the coast for wood to build more ships.

**Wildholm** A trapping settlement deep in the Bahora forest, northwest of Stone Crest and southwest of Frigmount. Fur-trappers of any race stalk the wilds for furry beasts and meet in Wildholm to trade.