Irrissen
Irrisen (pronounced IHR-ih-sehn) is a harsh, cold northern land covered in the snow and ice of a winter that has lasted centuries. The snow never melts, and almost as omnipresent as the snow and ice, is the feeling of dread that pervades the nation, for as harsh and unforgiving as the land is, it is nothing compared to those who rule it. The land has traditionally been governed by the White Witches of Irrisen, descendants of the terrible crone Baba Yaga. All the White Witches are obedient to their queen, who is traditionally a daughter of Baba Yaga, although the current queen Anastasia is Baba Yaga's granddaughter and the first of the line to not be a winter witch herself.
Irrisen is the Land of Eternal Winter, the country locked in an endless season of cold. Little grows in this realm, forcing the people to subsist on scrawny game and the few strange plants hardy enough to survive despite the cold. Glacier Lake and the slow-moving rivers that branch from it transport goods across the country, but are jealously watched by the nation’s rulers, the White Witches, and their monarch, Queen Elvanna. From the capital of Whitethrone the Jadwiga, the country’s elite, hoard the nation’s riches, leaving the larger Ulfen populace dreaming of revolution in their poor but tightly knit villages. To the north, the Winterwall Glacier intrudes from the harsh arctic lands known as the Crown of the World, a trackless expanse of blizzards and creatures savage enough to survive the soul-chilling frost.
Geography
Irrisen is a land dominated by the cold. It sits at the northernmost limits of Avistan and borders the Crown of the World where its glacial sheets form Irrisen's northern border. Its northern location is not the only reason for its cold climate. Ever since being conquered by Baba Yaga, Irrisen has been locked in an eternal winter. This harsh climate gives Irrisen a palpable sense of dread. The second biggest geographical feature of Irrisen is Glacier Lake, which takes up a large area within Irrisen's interior. Two of Irrisen's three largest settlements are built either on its shore or on one of the rivers connected to it. Irrisen's capital, Whitethrone, sits on the lake's northeastern shore.
Weather Magic
Irrisen's persistent winter is the result of powerful magic that resists attempts to alter it. Spells that change the environment have a greatly reduced duration when cast within the borders of Irrisen.History
The history of Irrisen as a nation begins in 3313 AR — the territory before this belonged to the Lands of the Linnorm Kings. The winter of 3313 AR was particularly cold and harsh, even by the standards of the north. The first warning the men of the Lands of the Linnorm Kings received of Baba Yaga's fell intent was when her armies of cold fey and blue-skinned ice trolls marched down from the Crown of the World. Led by Baba Yaga herself, the Queen of Witches was all but unstoppable, killing any who resisted her and enslaving the rest. It took her only 23 days to claim the lands that would become Irrisen. Strangely enough, almost as soon as she had conquered Irrisen, Baba Yaga seemed to lose interest in it. She instead installed one of her daughters as the reigning monarch, and then returned to her life roaming the myriad planes. She returned a hundred years later to place a new daughter on the throne in Whitethrone. This pattern has repeated itself every century.
Comments