Wulfsmund Jarldom

## The Land of Sails and Warriors

The Wulfsmund Jarldom is a country located on the north-west coast of Zyreema, north of Nimbadnur and west of Galande. The land of Wulfsmund is covered in snow and ice year round, making it very inhospitable to any who are not accustomed to the cold climate.

The northerners that make their home in this region are renowned for their mettle and their hardy lifestyles and sometimes it is hard to believe that Wulfsmund is truly a member of the League of Good Nations.

Due to the land being very difficult to cultivate the Jarldom relies heavily on fishing in the bountiful waters off of the coast.

## Shadow of Its Former Glory

Unfortunately for all the people living in the Jarldom at the time, Wulfsmund was among the first of the territories to come under attack during the the 5th Black Crusade. The once mighty nation fell into pieces as the former capital of **Snowprayer** was razed to the ground, leaving behind scattered tribes and groups that, only within twenty years before Mordred's invasion of Albion began to unify under one banner again.

The current **Jarl Gulbjorn** is the first person to gather up the scattered nomads and reconquer the towns that have separated from the worship of The Light.

## Home of the Ice Giants

The north of Wulfsmund is home to a kind of Giant commonly referred to as "**Ice Giants**". Since day of old they have lived side by side with other races of the region, fighting alongside them against the forces of Evil.

Or at least they did until the 5th Black Crusade.

During the conflict, many warriors and non-warriors alike on both sides died - including **the** **decedents of the first Beserkers**, with whom the Ice Giant had an ancient alliance and brotherhood. When the last of the old bloodline fell (leaving the people of Wulfsmund without their Heroes and their Jarl) the relationship between the Ice Giant and the former people of the Jarldom became strained and distant. The Jarldom split into many portions, each with their own leaders, and many of them outright turned their backs of on the Virtues and The Light.

As a consequence, the Ice Giants segregated themselves from the rest of Wulfsmund, living and trading only with those they deem trustworthy. Presently, they refuse to deal with the current Jarl on account of some of the actions he had taken to unify the Jarldom.

### The Greatest Sailors of the West Sea

> *"What emerged from the fog seemed far too large to be ships. The gargantuan vessels crushed the waves under their bows, moving forward not by wind but by ancient spells. The ships were not made of wood nor were they made of metal - but of massive blocks of ice, clear and as pristine as gemstones."*
>
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The Ice Giant are renowned as some of the greatest sailors The World over, second only to the famous navy of the Shining Concord. And they have to be, for their large bodies require an abundance of nutrition that one can seldom find across the tundra.

It comes as a surprise to some, but the Ice Giant are very good fishermen and swimmers. Using their traditional Magics to shield themselves from the freezing cold, they sometimes even dive into the waters with spear in hand to finish off the immense Magical Beasts that can be found in the Magical Hotspots located off the coast of the Jarldom.

But more often then not, they prefer to make use of their massive magical ships and a well lobbed harpoon, tiring their prey before dragging them on board their ships and finishing them off.

For even the kin of Titans can not allow themselves to take the monsters of the waters lightily.

While it is rare, there have been occasions where a Dungeon Keeper or similar evildooer attempted to attack an Ice Giant vessel - these raids rarely end well for the attacking party. While the Ice Giant sailors are fishermen and hunters first they are warriors second. Unless the attacker is well prepared it is often considered a downright foolish idea to attack the kin of the icy mountains when they are in their favored conditions.

### Regional Magical Beasts

* **Winter Wolves** are believed to be the progenitor species to Worgs. They are larger then Worgs, white of fur and possess the ability to manipulate ice and snow. Even young Winter Wolves posses a keen animal intellect, older members of the species have been known to possess a high intellect. Winter Wolves often appear within Wulfsmund folklore as wise guides, showing Heroes the way trough inhospitable lands and offering advise in the face of trials.
* **Regal Mammoths** are some of the most powerful singular creatures in the region. Their size dwarfs even the Ice Giants. They live predominantly in the volcanically active regions on the north of the continent. These creatures are innately very magical and nigh invulnerable to anything less than magically enchanted siege weapons. They feed by ramming their long, armored noses into the ground and drinking magma and mana. Regal Mammoths are essentially unstoppable while on the move, plowing trough even solid obstructions as if they were no more than loose snow. They are referred to as "Regal" for that behavior. Hunting Regal Mammoths is very rare, in part because they are so hard to take down, but also because the areas where Regal Mammoths make their domains are extremely inhospitable to most creatures.
* **Kraken** are enormous tentacled monsters that make their homes in the waters around powerful cold water currents to the west of Zyreema. Kraken often migrate as they grow in age and size, seeking waters that are rich in potential prey and denser in magic. This leads to many territorial bouts between Kraken, as well as between Kraken and other creatures. Kraken are considered delicacies in Wulfsmund and sailors, both Human and Giant alike, often compete over "the biggest catch" they made in their lifetime.
* **Whisperbites** are a kind of small white Magical Beast that borrows beneath the snow. They can grow up to Human knee height and are fairly harmless under most circumstances. But these omnivores are a kind of scavenger and they posses the ability to mimic sounds they have heard. This could lead unwitting travelers or creatures to spend their energy wandering in search of the cries for help or even expending their energy digging what they thought was a person buried beneath the snow. The Whisperbites then usually begin to release a loud cry to attract predators, emerging from beneath the snow to claim their leftover spoils.