Northern Wastes

The Northern Wastes used to be a vast and powerful kingdom in ages past, before the Calamity. Now, old fortresses and ruins dot the landscape, becoming a place where few dare to venture, and few hardly ever return. Goblinoid war bands roam free, orc tribes constantly compete for dominance, while frost giant clans wander the harsh landscape looking to raid wherever and whenever they can. While even still, the remnants of great castles left behind, are rumored to still hold dark secrets...

Geography

The Northern Wastes are a vast wasteland that stretch from the Iron Mountains & Northern Hills in the east to the Thetis Sea in the west. The Howe River and Caledonian Mountains form the Wastes' southern border, stretching north all the way past the Mountains of Nal-Khaldur. The exact size of the Northern Wastes is unknown, and it is unclear as to how far north the region actually stretches, or if it continues stretching in a northerly direction at all.
The southern part of the Northern Wastes is home to vast plains that eventually give way to rolling hills the farther east one goes. These hills are known as the Northern Hills, which are home to the Northern Hill Dwarves. A people who excel at the arts of smithing and magical enchantments. They are also a dependent vassal state to the Iron Mountain Dwarves and the Kingdom of Rheged. This southern section of the Wastes is definitely more hospitable, with a slightly warmer climate than the rest of the region, with more vegetation such as grass, several types of bushes, and sparse trees.
Venturing farther north, the Wastes become a desolate wasteland of ice and snow with harsh howling winds. The region's northern most point (on the recorded map) are the Nal-Khaldur mountains, which is a small mountain range that juts high up into the bleak gray sky. Nothing is known beyond this point.

Ecosystem

It is no secret that the Northern Wastes is a harsh environment. Anything that grows and lives here has adapted to be strong and sturdy. There is no room for weakness. Survival goes to the strong. The southern region of the wastes is by far the most habitable, as it is home to the Northern Hill Dwarves, and the area is a tundra. Sparse trees, bushes, and other vegetation dot the landscape with a wider variety of animals. The hill dwarves hunt them for game, but have to be wary of predatory animals, and other races of a predatory nature. 
The Wastes are not just home to the Northern Hill Dwarves, but also to orcs, goblinoids, hill giants, and frost giants. In the warmer months, the orcish war tribes venture further south to follow game and to make attempted raids on the hill dwarves, the Rheged border fortresses, and across the river into the Berwick, and Calanais. Goblinoids will typically do the same, while everyone tends to steer clear of the frost giant clans.
Above the tundra that is the southern part of the Wastes, every organism struggles for dominance and power. The orcs and goblinoids tend to take over the abandoned Borith fortresses that dot the landscape. Ransacking the area of what little goods they can find before moving on. This tends to put them at odds with each other, the goblinoids, and frost giants, in a constant vicious cycle for survival and resources.

Ecosystem Cycles

During the spring and summer months in the Northern Wastes, the southern part of the region tends to have very little snow, but snow is a constant throughout the year. Grass and what little vegetation there is will grow and herds of animals will make their migrations to gather food. The mid-region of the Wastes tends to be bound with snow year round, with the snow being lighter during the spring and summer, but during the fall the snow returns in full force. While during the winter, large snow drifts carry themselves across the desolate landscape. In the regions farthest northern reaches, it is full of ice and snow year round with little sunlight. Blizzards and snow storms blow through almost every month, making it the least habitable part of the region.

Localized Phenomena

There is talk that in the Nal-Khaldur mountains, a great shadow has taken up residence within the mountains. A dark presence that even the vampires avoid. There are rumors of it being called the "Goat-Man," but no one has seen this phenomena to confirm or deny its existence. 
After the destruction of Borith, the kingdom left behind a multitude of fortresses that are now home to orcish war tribes, goblinoid bands, frost giant clans, and the vampiric aristocracy. Legends persist of dark magical secrets and lore that can still be found within these castle's deepest depths for any adventurer brave enough to venture north to claim them.
Closer towards the Iron Mountains, the hill dwarves talk of a dragon skeleton that has melded into the mountain, buried under ice and snow. Some say it comes to life and devours anyone unfortunate enough to venture close.

Climate

For the most part, climate throughout the Northern Wastes is rather steady. Throughout the southern part of the region, it is mildly cool with partly cloudy skies. Rain is common during the Spring with almost steady constant snowfall throughout the Winter months. Within the mid-section of the Northern Wastes, it is a land of always winter. Snow blankets the ground throughout the entire year with temperatures ranging from cold to freezing throughout certain seasons of the year. Snowfall is common from Fall unto Spring. Summer being the only season where snowfall is scarce. If it rains it automatically turns to ice, resulting in ice storms. In the northern most part of the wastes is where the climate is most brutal. It is inhospitable, except for the undead who dwell within their lonely fortresses. Clouds blanket the sky year round, leaving no room for the sun to shine. Snow is almost constantly falling, blizzards and snow storms a common occurrence. Temperatures are below freezing on an almost daily basis, with any who don't properly prepare freezing to death rather quickly.

Fauna & Flora

In the southern part of the region, one can find deer, wolves, and an assortment of ground rodents. Several types of shrubbery grow throughout as well as wild forms of grass. There are sparsely any trees, and those that grow get harvested for resources by giants, orcs, goblinoids, and hill dwarves. In the central section of the Wastes, dire wolves rove in packs, usually ending up being tamed by the orcs, giants, or goblinoids. Snow foxes make their burrows, with polar bears in search for food. Snow owls make their perches in the many different fortresses that dot the landscape, keeping an eye out for winter ground rodents that dig deep beneath the snow to stay warm. In terms of the more monstrous creatures, white dragons are a common sight further north and even in the mid section of the Wastes; making their homes in the mountains and glaciers. The Iron Mountain Dwarves talk of large furry bipedal horned apes known as yetis that travel in familial units hunting for food. Others say that when the ground shakes, the gargantuan purple worms are boring through their tunnels devouring all in their path. Bheur hags and frost trolls dot the landscape as well, along with an untold multitude of monstrous creatures yet to be discovered.

Natural Resources

There are little to no natural resources within the Northern Wastes. When it existed as the Kingdom of Borith before the Calamity, historical records tell of the kingdom being rich beyond reason. Now, the dark powers have taken hold. Other than the scarce lumber within the southern most reaches of the Wastes, there is little else other than stone to be mined from the Caledonian, Iron, and Dark Mist Mountains. Any precious metals are already being pocketed by the dwarven realms. If anything lies within the Dark Mist Mountains, nobody is sure, as no one has yet traveled that far.

History

Before the Calamity, the Northern Wastes was a prosperous kingdom known as the Kingdom of Borith. It was home to valiant knights, adept magic users, and scholars of the most renown. Until the kingdom's rulers fell to decadence, greed, and corruption. They made pacts with dark entities that simply obliterated the kingdom overnight, leaving the wintry waste as a result. This event came to be known as the Calamity, as it not only rocked the once great kingdom, but several other natural disasters rocked Laurentia itself, flooding Thule and submerging most of the region to give way to the Skofnung Islands. 
In the kingdom's place, a cold hellish wasteland sprung forth. As well as the demon kings. Historical records are a bit clouded as to whether or not the Ten Demon Kings were the same entities that made the vile pacts with Borith's rulers, but nevertheless, the Calamity opened a doorway out of the Abyss and into the Material Plane where they made themselves manifest. The first century or so after the Calamity, saw holy orders, heroic knights, blood hunters, and adventuring parties doing what they could to rid the demons of this world. Most of the demon kings perished, with the exception of two: Crom-Cruach the Bloody Crooked One, and Karnun the Corrupted Wyld. 
It was also after the Calamity that orcs and goblinoids first made their appearance, and seem to have made the area their home after the defeat of the demon kings. Some orcs and goblinoid war bands would occasionally try to raid and reave south, but without much success. That was until the rise of the vampires. It is unclear as to whether or not the vampires existed before the Calamity, or were a product of it. Nevertheless, when Nosferatu arose and spawned forth the rest of his blood-sucking race, the orcs, goblinoids, and frost giants tried fleeing south in the wake of the undead onslaught. Kingdoms of elves, men, and dwarves held fast against the hordes that battered themselves against their borders like water upon rock. 
The vampires took residence in the old Borithian fortresses that were left behind, creating a realm of undeath within the wastes, with the orcs, goblinoids, and frost giants seemingly allowed to exist within (if only to be a source of food). When the Nosferatu was killed, a civil war broke out between the vampires with one faction led by Conrad von Halter, and the other by Jorg Bathory. Von Halter and his forces emerged victorious with him being bestowed the title of Nosferatu. From here, he pushed forth to create a world of eternal night, with the vampires as its masters. Like with the demon kings, knights, holy orders, blood hunters, and adventurers rose to the occasion to combat this new menace. A paladin of Belenus by the name of Irven Ward--who made a name for himself by defeating the great hag Hallgerd--ventured north to defeat the vampire lord. Shortly after, the forces of undead withheld their advances, retreating back into the wastes; Ward and the new Nosferatu never being seen or heard from since.

Skull by Joon Ahn

Alternative Name(s)

The Wastes, Old Borith

Included Organizations

• Vampiric Aristocracy

Owner/Ruler

Conrad von Halter

Ruling/Owning Rank

Nosferatu

Owning Organization

Vampiric Aristocracy