The White Expanse

"You know why there is so much magic in the North? All the dumbass wizards who died trying to get more magic."

— teacher to student

Located at the top of Allurel is the vast stretch of arctic known as The White Expanse. Acting as the unofficial northern border, no one alive knows what lies beyond the ice and snow. Featureless landscapes, navigational hazards, and a near-constant blizzards prevent all but the most foolish of explorers from traveling past the Edgelands. Yet rumors persist of the untold riches and limitless quantities of magic that may exist for anyone who can make it deep within the icy plains.

Geography

One of the most notable features of the White Expanse may actually be the near lack of any. Most of the land is flat and barren, with few geographical features to help mark progress. A few crags of rock stick out from the ice, but beyond these the landscape offers nothing to protect from the storms that batter the inner lands. The transition from the Edgelands to the ice fields is almost invisible; the snow covered ground heavily obscures the border of ground and ice.
On the western side of the Edgelands is The Frozen Forest. Miles of trees stand among the snow and ice, dozens of feet apart and yet unbroken despite the weather beating down upon them. These trees, while appearing to be frozen dead, are actually still slowly growing. They are tended to by the Tuath'dion, who alone know the secrets of harvesting frostwood without killing the trees.

Navigation

As one travels deeper into the White Expanse, standard navigation becomes near impossible. Compasses begin to point erratically, sometimes even spinning around non-stop. No maps exist of the area, and the storms are so frequent that astrological navigation is all but useless. Even magical sources of navigation begin losing effectiveness, becoming inert or inaccurate. No cause has ever been found for this, and a reliable source of navigation for the White Expanse would be highly sought after by numerous parties.

Localized Phenomena

Living Ice

After the Damnation, magic seemed to congregate in the White Expanse. Travelers began seeing what looked like floating creatures made of ice wandering the fields. Further investigation found that motes of magic that formed in the Expanse collected a "shell" of ice and snow around them. While this made finding motes much easier, the shell prevents the magic from being siphoned by normal means. Destroying the shell causes the magic to dissipate, making harvesting impossible.
Despite this fact, many novice wizards still make their way to the White Expanse to try to harvest magic from these motes. The resulting deaths from so many magical persons in the Expanse has led to the theory that more magic has been lost to the ice fields than has actually been successfully siphoned.

Fauna & Flora

Frostwood Trees

Given its inhospitable nature, the White Expanse is almost completely devoid of life. The only known living thing found naturally in the Expanse are the frostwood trees of the Frozen Forest. Kept alive by unknown means, the trees grow yards apart from one another.

Alternative Name(s)

The Frozen North, The White Death

Type

Desert, Ice