The Frigid Waste
In the far north of the Howllands past the Scarlet Mountains is the snow covered plains of the Frigid Wastes. Brutal freezing winds sweep across the snowy hills and through the frost covered trees giving this land a constant bitter cold to even the warmest of days here. The southern forest which breaks just at the base of the scarlet mountains is the only place within this region that allows for partial sunlight to break through the thick covering of clouds, as for the northern tundras the only lights that shine there are those of the magic auroras that come from beyond the Frozen Sea toward the Northern Nexus. The people of these lands are a hardy and bitter lot, the dwarves of Whitherfrost ruled by King Flokir Nymph Layer personify the unyielding stubbornness and apathetic nature of the lands they inhabit. Life in the icy underbelly of the Frigid Waste is often even more inhabitable than the surface and this can make even the most kind hearted of people as cold as ice. In the eastern tundra beyond the glacier mountains is built the once mighty kingdom of Etherfrost ruled by king Tormund Troll-Bane, they embody the harshness of this land and its resilience to all outsiders who do not know its ways. To this day Etherfrost has never been conquered by any outside force and has stood as a monument to the shear aptitude and hardiness of those who dwell within the frozen hell that is the Frigid Waste
Geography
The Frigid Waste, the lands beyond the Scarlet Mountains, a place of endless snow, freezing winds, glacial mountain ranges, and beyond a ever expanding frozen sea. These lands are a mix of frost covered pine forests, snowy tundras etched with iced rivers and frozen lakes, and an endless expanse of glacier dotted snow covered plains as far as the eye can see. A forest is located in the southern most parts of the region, it is a vast and lightly wooded pine forest which is home to the bulk of the regions animal population, it breaks just a quarter mile from the base of the scarlet mountains and continues on for several miles into the more snow covered regions of the waste. The forest hugs the edge of the mountain range and stretches itself from the foot of Big Red all the way to Journey's end on the far western edge of the waste. Immediately to the north of the forest is the great southern tundra which acts as the buffer zone for the more northern glacial wastes and the southern forest, this tundra stretches for countless miles and is the location for many of the frontier settlements within the Frigid Waste. The tundra stretches from the edge of the Sunless mountains in the west to the base of the Glacial mountains to the east, and slowly turns into the glacial wastes as it climbs further north. The glacial wastes is the lands the span from the northern edge of the southern tundra to the ice capped shores of the frozen sea, it is a labyrinthine expanse of calving glaciers and massive frost fused snow mounds. Deep cavernous trenches scar across the landscape and many of the snow mounds are both deeper and more difficult to tread upon than expected. At the eastern edge of the glacial wastes lies the tip of the glacial mountain range and Shear Point the tallest peak within the frigid waste which marks the separation of territorial borders between the eastern Etherfrost and the central Whitherfrost kingdoms. Eastward beyond the Glacial Mountains is the lesser eastern tundra which edges up directly to the Sacred Mountains and the gap of The Hallowed Forest. This tundra is far smaller than its western counter part and unlike its twin its rivers are actually capable of flowing throughout the landmass allowing for small boats and rafts to be used without much difficulty in the warmer months. This tundra is largely flat with some small inclines but nothing major, it is here that the kingdom of Etherfrost resides.
Fauna & Flora
A few species of bush, tree, and flower can be found in the Frigid Waste but only in the southern forest and the eastern tundra. The trees of the southern forest are a species of pine, they have a black exterior bark but a more bright maroon interior wood, their needles are a snow white and are as hard and cold as the frost that covers them during the long winter. Upon the base of the trees are grown a species of red bush with white berries, the stems and branches of these bushes are covered in large and poisonous thorns, but the berries are said to have a very sweet taste though they can only be consumed by a few select species such as Skaipipuru, forstborne dwarves, snow goblins, and pale deer. This bush has come to be called Red Thistle and the trees that they grow upon are called Black Barked Pines or Black Pines for short. The only flowers within this land are located in the eastern tundra along with a few other species of bushes and very small trees. The flower is called the Ice Lilly and is known for its medicinal properties in the healing of burns both magical and non magical. Its pedals are of an ice blue color and its stem and leaves are a pale green with a white border around the edge of the leaves. These flowers grow in groups of three and are commonly found under the branches of the small willow trees that grow within the tundra, called the Frost Mourn Willow their leaves are a grey and white color, and their bark is that of a light pink almost off white color. Three species of bush grow in the eastern tundra they are The River Thicket, Hailstone Shrub, and Blizzard Maple. River Thicket is a species of thick spike leaf shrub that grows in large patches along the many river beds of the eastern tundra. Hailstone Shrub is a species of brush that grows alone in the more elevated regions of the tundra preferring to grown near more icy and permafrost ridden areas than anywhere else. Blizzard Maple is a species of maple tree that grows in tandem with the River Thicket near and will grow on or in close proximity to river beds. The leaves of this tree have a light red tone to them with spots of white dotting them, the bark is a snow white almost very light blue color and the interior wood is a more baby blue. The beasts of this land are far more diverse than that of the plant life, with most of the animal species being located within the southern forest, with only the most dangerous and mythical of creatures being found in the more northern regions of the Frigid Waste. The most common species within the waste is the Pale Deer, they are slightly larger than the common white tale, their pelts are a snow white but have pink spots upon their backs during their time as a fawn. During the warmer month the males large antlers are covered with a red felt like material which is later rubbed off just before mating season begins. They are largely a docile species but they can be a hazard if encountered in a large herd. A species of wolves roams the forest as well, their coats are dark gray with a snow white under coat, they hunt in packs of ten to fifteen and are known to be able to take out small herds of pale deer. The wolves are called Frost Fang as their bite is said to be as cold as the snow that they tread on. Above the wolves is a species of bear which dwell in caves they dig out of large snow mounds in the few clearings within the forest, they are large, just a few feet larger than a grizzly bear, they have a grey coat with red claws, they are called Mound Bears and they are solitary hunters primarily choosing to scavenge off of pale deer carcasses and the berries of the Red Thicket. Going farther north is the Great Southern Tundra and roaming within is the first wave of magical creatures that hunt within the snow, they are great terrible beasts who know only of the hunt. One of the most well known and fierce of these creatures if a large centipede creature with thick blue scales and orange glowing hot spines arching down its back from head to tail. It has a set of large bony fins that protrude from its sides which give it a cobra like appearance. Its two dark green bug like eyes are the main feature of its face, it has no teeth except for its jagged chitinous jaw which acts as both mouth and teeth. It has two sets of antenna one large pair at the top of its head and one slightly smaller pair at the bottom of its jaw.
Natural Resources
The ice and snow of the Frigid waste is so cold that it can heal even the worst of burns in a few minutes. The beasts of the waste are said to have magical powers but nothing is for certain.
Alternative Name(s)
The Frozen Plains
Type
Tundra
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