The Crystal Tundra
A changing landscape
...and as the land heaved, thick spires thrust forth from the earth. Strong and harder than diamond, yet beautiful and fragile to look upon. When the land had settled, the God walked out upon the plain and as he touched each spire, they began to sing..... Old hunter to his grandson, as they sit by the fire, in the depths of the Long Dark
For most of the year this land is barren and snow or frost covered. During the 3 summer months, when the sun never really sets, life springs forth.
Geography
Hardy grasses and shrubs cover the landscape, small wild flowers bloom and the feathered, scaled and furry denizens come out to play. The contrast between the harsh, inhospitable winter and the fresh, welcoming summer is felt keenly here. The joy of life springing forth from where there was little before, pales in comparison however to the change in the Crystals. Those who eke out a, surprisingly rich, existence in these lands tell stories round the fires, during the cold winter months. Stories of how the Crystals were forced up from the ground when the Gods reforged the World, alive but not alive.
During the winter months the numerous crystal formations dotting the landscape close in upon themselves and appear as giant icicles thrusting up from the land, standing alone or in clusters. Like stalagmites, but seemingly made of pure ice. As the winds sweep down from the North during the harshest time of winter, the crystals "sing". A haunting, mournful tune that howls upon the winds, thus the locals often referring to this place as The Howling plain.
In the summer though, as the sun melts the snow and warms the land, the crystals open. The jagged icicles split apart into slender tubes and spread out like anemone opening up. As the sun catches them, they glow softly and colours shift across their surface. The light refracts off their smooth shiny surfaces, shimmering, sparkling, casting rainbows of light across the plain. As the occasional brisk breeze blows across the plain, the crystals chime softly, thus the locals also often referring to this place as The Chimes.
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