Froderlands

## Description:

The Froderlands, also referred to as the Islands of Avalon, Islands of Apples and Fruit, or the Frigid Lands, is an Anchored, Locked, and Veiled Hinterland with anchors in the Material Realm located in the North-Atlantic Ocean between the British Isles and the Nordic countries. The Hinterland contains two (2) primary continents: Avalon to the west and Hyperborea to the east. Both continents, despite having frigid climates, are deeply magical and innately blessed by the gods which reside within the Hinterland; early reports collected on the Hinterland from ancient scholars claim that both continents are warmer and more temperate than one might expect, that the seasons are strange and varied for such a cold location; additionally, the islands are said to produce fruit and vegetation despite the tundra without the need for excess farming, that life springs up from the ground itself without requiring tilling or plowing.

The Froderlands were discovered by the JPCU following an incident (See: Addendum HF-#1) in which several JPCU assets investigating rumors around Arthurian myth found themselves transported to Avalon through unknown means. The assets managed to find their way back out of the Hinterland and into the Material Realm some days later, at which point they were immediately debriefed. Research on the Hinterland began in earnest, and a proper expedition conducted by SU-3 "Wander Company" was authorized and carried out.

### Physical Description & Attributes:

The Froderlands are divided primarily into two (2) main islands (Avalon and Hyperborea), and each is associated with a different set of mythologies; Avalon is associated with British and Celtic myth while Hyperborea is Norse. Smaller island chains dot the wide ice-covered ocean, although many of these islands are said to be uninhabited.

Both islands are very cold with ranges of incredibly tall and imposing mountains streaking across them; despite the cold, plant life is bountiful and food freely available, a fact which has allowed the Hinterland to serve as the home for thousands of species of plant and animals not found in the Material Realm. The strange climate is maintained by a primordial winter goddess that predates even the Giants, known only as Mother Winter; her influence, personified by the Hinterland's moon, Baogan, induces the extreme cold during the winter months. The higher Baogan sits in the sky, the colder the Hinterland is. The Hinterland is also closely placed to the Faewild, which allows Fairies to have an incredible amount of influence within the Hinterland; Fairy Kingdoms are also relatively common, and many prominent religions in the Froderlands are based on Fairy-worship.

The Froderlands have no set entrances, being a Veiled and Locked Hinterland. Instead, anyone traveling between the British Isles and Norway, Sweden, or Denmark may find themselves beset on all sides by fog; if the traveler knows the correct Spells to open the way, the Froderlands will come into view, but if the traveler does not have access to the Hinterland, and is not allowed in by the Hinterland's enchantresses, they will pass through the fog unharmed and unchanged.

#### The Rocking Sea:

The Rocking Sea is the name given to the large expanse of water which surrounds and separates the continents of Avalon and Hyperborea. The ocean is vast and dark, and inhabited by all kinds of Mutants and horrific sea monsters; Mermaids and Sirens call to sailors from across the open waves, giant serpents wrap around and crush unwitting ships, and great Elementals and forces of nature personified bear down on those vessels deemed unworthy of making their trip successfully. It is said that the many gods of the sea take a particular interest in The Rocking Sea, demanding great amounts of praise, worship, and sacrifice in order to let a single ship make it across safely; it is for this reason that so few sailors are willing to make the trip, and those that do always have terrifying stories to tell. The ocean's depths are unknown, as no one has reached the bottom and told the tale, but many religions within the Froderlands claim that the sea is a portal to the Faewild should you reach its deepest depths.

Its name derives from its perpetually choppy surface, plagued by the tumultuous winds created by the drastic temperature differences found across the Hinterland's land masses. Waves reach titanic heights and throw even the largest of ships aside like driftwood, tossing them against small islands and chunks of rock which protrude from the sea's surface. The choppy seas are also wracked with storms almost constantly, accompanied by a constant overcast sky which darkens the Hinterland's sun and cloaks the already dark waters. These low-light conditions are ideal for Vampires and monsters, hunting horrors which stalk the waves and prey on the unprepared or fearful.

The Sea is also incredibly cold, perpetually maintained at just above freezing temperatures thanks to the Hinterland's moon, Baogan. The frigid waters will send any normal human into hypothermia in a matter of moments, and kill them soon after, making travel across the sea even more dangerous and preparation even more important. Traveling the Sea in winter requires even further consideration, as the winds are known to freeze the sails of ships solid and weigh a vessel down with so much ice that the boat sinks under the weight.

#### Baogan:

Baogan is the bastardized name for the Froderlands' moon. This celestial body does not function according to normal gravitational laws, and is far closer than normal moons; Baogan is so close to the ground that its detailed surface is easily visible, and those standing in the Froderlands can clearly see the massive layer of crystal-clear ice which covers the moon's gray exterior. The higher and larger Baogan sits in the sky, the colder it will be; upon the Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year, Baogan reaches its pinnacle and, for a few hours, threatens to freeze everything solid.

But this strange moon has more effects on the Hinterland than foretelling the temperature. Baogan's eerie clear light, sharp and geometric in its appearance, serves as a powerful weapon for the moon's patron; this light acts as the cause for Lycanthropy in the Froderlands, causes mist and fog to rise and hang in the air longer than usual, and surges the ocean's tides to generate waves as large as buildings. It serves as an important religious symbol, used by many faiths around the Froderlands as a source of Divination and wisdom; its alignment with other celestial bodies can weaken or strengthen the border between the Froderlands and other Realms, especially the Elemental Realms.

Mother Winter makes her domain on Baogan, and was responsible for giving it its glacial coating. Mother Winter can weaponize the moon's light, flash-freezing entire regions of the Hinterland if she so desired; this potential is often utilized by her servants, mortal or Undead or otherwise. Additionally, the moon is often called "Winter's Eye," because it is believed that Mother Winter can use it to observe and spy on anyone and anywhere in the Hinterland with it. Mother Winter is accompanied on Baogan with her army of servants, most of whom are Undead.

Baogan also serves as the home for the Wild Hunt, a host of Undead that serve several gods and goddesses across the K2 Universe. During the winter months, Baogan obtains a series of misty rings which spin around its equator; this ring is really the Spirits of the Wild Hunt, running around in preparation for their mission. Should the ring be absent during winter, the Hunt is away on business, killing or kidnapping those who displeased Mother Winter over the past year and punishing anyone who attempted to fight against their fate.

### Contained Nations:

#### Avalon:

1. Kingdom of Camelot
2. Empire of Avalon
3. Fisher King's Domain
4. Kingdom of Khathuza
5. Kingdom of Schobern
6. Dominion of Kuldrithe
7. Fairy Kingdom of Veralia
8. Cambran Tribes
	1. Tribes of Avonia
	2. Tribes of Dulain
	3. Tribes of Anaid
	4. Tribes of Eresk
	5. Tribes of MacKrai
	6. Tribes of Kinland
	7. Tribes of Eclia
	8. Tribes of Kirdaug
	9. Tribes of Goden
	10. Tribes of Aran
	11. Tribes of Aberfren
	12. Tribes of Bretneshia
	13. Tribes of MacAbernant

#### Hyperborea:

1. Kingdom of Ashlindor
2. Divine Kingdom of Boreas
3. Empire of Ishahr
4. Empire of Yinezdus
5. Kingdom of Barazin
6. Kingdom of Gamunz
7. Dominion of Melindratha
8. Hordes of Charnazin
9. Kingdom of Viklausia
10. United Tribes of Flavikia
11. Empire of Keathyr
12. [REDACTED]

### Other Factions:

1. The Geats
2. Wild Hunt
3. The Ladies of the Lake
4. The Ember Council