Camp Frostbite

Camp Frostbite is a somewhat large collective town that exists in the summer months in the northern tundra of Ayndrinor, known simply as the Frozen North. The moniker is what the town is called by "southerners", but each tribe or clan in the north has its own name for the settlement. These nomadic peoples of the tundra congregate here to trade and interact every year for the roughly four months that the town is inhabitable. As soon as the first snows appear on the horizon, the nomads pack up and seek warmer haunts for the winter - often trying to seek temporary refuge in the northern towns of Oestbernia or keeping to the forests and mountain caves if they don't want to deal with their southern "neighbors". Many head to the Backbone Spires and seek out the warrens of caves they have been wintering in for generations.
The tundra around Camp Frostbite is hostile and unforgiving, which is why the nomadic peoples have to leave when the tundra's primary season starts to set in. Not long after the first freeze, the town is completely buried under snow, which then freezes and accumulates more snow until the "spring" thaw. The various tribes and clans that travel south for the winter wait until their areas begin to thaw, then head north and follow the signs that are passed down through the generations to reach the Camp and excavate what isn't already uncovered. Most houses in Camp Frostbite are simple wood frames with sewn-together hides stretched out over them, but a few are fully wooden. Upon abandoning the town each year, the hides are removed from their frames and folded intricately, then buried just under the ground. Each frame has a length of rope tied around it, with different paints and patterns to identify clan or individual family ownership. Upon returning in the spring, the nomads look for the ropes and frames that belong to their family or clan - different clans have different traditions and rules for building or owning houses - then dig up the hide exteriors and re-attach them to the frames. The wooden houses have to be built to resist the weight and pressure of snow and ice build-up, and part of winterizing them involves boarding up the door frames - which are typically left open - to keep snow and ice out.
Though the nomadic tribes are somewhat territorial and competitive, when they meet in Camp Frostbite, they are all sworn to an oath of peace, among themselves and involving any outsiders that wander into camp. It is during this time that most scholars and anthropologists make the trek up north to study or observe the nomadic peoples and their customs. During the summer months, sunlight is almost ever-present, and community feasts occur daily. Clans send out their hunters and gatherers to bring back what they can from the tundra: reindeer, elk, and bear for the meat, as well as various berries and tubers. Food is distributed amongst each clan, but leftovers are always offered up to the broader community so no one goes hungry. Nights are traditionally filled with all sorts of wrestling matches, dice games, and stories from the elder skalds - as well as copious amounts of drinking. The meads and ales that are consumed are typically harvested and begin fermenting in the early spring, when the tribes leave their various winter dens and travel through forest or trade with civilized peoples for the necessary ingredients. The barrels are transported across the tundra until they reach the Camp, constantly aging and fermenting further until they are ready to drink. The gatherers and traders continue to accumulate ingredients over the summer, making more batches of mead and ale for the festivities but also some to carry with them to the winter caves.

Demographics

The nomadic tribes of the north are made up of many different races but heavily feature humans, goliaths, dwarves, and huundari. Clans tend to be diverse, with only a few of the smaller ones made up exclusively of one race. All who gather in Camp Frostbite are nomadic and poor, though each clan's Elders are revered and often receive preferential treatment when it comes to food or the limited treasure that shows up with foreign travelers. For the most part, the Camp is a very egalitarian society with each clan looking after its members and then taking care of other people in the community when possible.

Government

Each of the roughly twenty nomadic clans that congregate at Camp Frostbite has its own leader - either through virtue of age, combat/hunting prowess, or whatever other indicator the clan wishes to use. These leaders all live along the inner circle of Camp Frostbite, with the other houses and buildings radiating out from the center and each clan tending to live in line behind their leader's house. In most matters of the town, each clan polices its own members and traditions, but when a dispute crosses clans, all the leaders are summoned, and the matter is discussed before the leaders in the central Clearing. Many of the clans are in various states and intensities of conflict with other clans, yet the clans and their leaders are expected to set all disputes aside when they convene for the summer. Of course, these hostilities get reignited as soon as the clans leave for the winter, but the area of the Camp is sacred and should not be defiled by any malice or violence.

Infrastructure

There are no paved or gravel roads in Camp Frostbite, but after many decades the regularly used paths have been marked deep in to the ground. The town is set up in a series of circular shapes, with the Elders' circle in the center, then the areas of each clan behind their leader's area in a swirling series of circles and semi-circles. Fresh water is found in relative abundance by the town during the summer months, as snows melt into the ground for the shallow wells and cisterns to collect.

Founding Date

Unknown

Alternative Name(s)

The Town of Summer, The Town of Concord

Type

Town

Population

5,304 (rough average from most recent surveys)

Location under

Frozen North