Crater Lake

Lake of Glaciers

Saws echo across the desolation as a hole is cut through the thick ice, making way for the poles and lines that will fish out what still lives beneath the surface. Small huts of hide and ice are created around the holes, making small shelters the fishers will sit in for hours, waiting to catch a behemoth fish, a catch to feed them for who knows how long. Even amongst the drifting snow of the north, this sheet of ice is a reprieve, a place where the snow stops except for a handful of whisps dancing across the surface.

In a landscape of snow, the ice is a nice difference, even if it keeps us from the bounty beneath. The lake is a place of solitude, far enough from shore that it becomes a hobby that calms the soul.

— Ice Fisher

Crater Lake is the second largest lake on the Northern Continent, much smaller than Lake Idryl, but large enough to support a thriving ecosystem of aquatic plant and animal life. Situated north of the Snowrun near the middle of the Neither Tundra bordering the Elven Forest, the lake was carved by the movement of a glacier long before the Elder Races entered the world. It is unknown if the lake predates the arrival of the Divine Races to the world or whether the glacier still existed at that point.
While much of the Neither Tundra is stifled by freezing winds and blowing snow, the lake sustains a wide variety of plant and animal life that is not found elsewhere, even in the waterways of the tundra. This ecosystem draws a number of Adventurers and hobbyists who wish to spend time cutting through the ice and fishing in small huts that are erected around the cut hole. Various inhabitants of the surrounding area capitalize on this tourism by providing guides or necessary goods to those who wish to have this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Geography

Crater Lake covers roughly fifty-six square miles and is located north of the Snowrun roughly one hundred miles west of the headwaters of the Gweyr River. The river is roughly twenty-two miles in length and four miles at its widest. Some report that the lake has a depth of nearly one hundred forty feet in its center. During most of the year, the ice covering the lake is anywhere from six to ten inches thick.

Quick Facts: Geography

Location:North of the Snowrun, West of the Gweyr

Length: 22mi
Width: 4mi

Surface Area: 56 sq mi
Depth: 140 ft

The area around the lake is mostly plains, with a few hills rising the further away from the lake you get. Away from the northern shore is where most of the hills are, allowing for more snow to blow off the hills and onto the ice covering the lake. The southern side of the lake is marked by clear ice that allows the rocky bottom of the lake to be easily seen. Some have noted that the ice along with the clear water gives one an eerie feeling when walking across the lake.
No matter the time of the year, the climate of the area is often below freezing with whipping winds and sharp snows that can cause frostbite very quickly. Without more hills, the temperatures on the lake itself can drop precariously low, causing the fishing huts to be extremely important to any who wish to fish on the lake. The closer to the middle of the lake one gets the more the temperature drops.

Torinth

Torinth by Image via Midjourney, created by Riverfang

The Torinth is a variety of freshwater fish that can survive in some of the coldest waters. Found only in the Crater Lake, this fish is coveted by nobles and is often the subject of Cryofishing, a technique used to transport live cold-water fish.

Fauna & Flora

Crater Lake is home to a wide variety of aquatic flora and fauna that are not found anywhere else in the world. These creatures and plants are considered to be extremely hardy as they can survive the ice-cold temperatures of the waters of Crater Lake. Torinth, Crater Salmon, and Corfus are the most common fish, their scales in shades of rainbows that stand out through the crystal ice of the lake.
Even with cold temperatures, a number of aquatic plants thrive at the bottom of Crater Lake. Diatoms, different species of plankton, and Polar Algae are the most common. Polar Algae is often white in color, making it stand out starkly against the darker greys of the stone at the bottom of the lake. These plants can survive in the coldest of water but also require freshwater to thrive to such an extent.
Some fauna of the Neither Tundra will come to the lake to drink or forage, often utilizing the holes created by fishermen to reach beneath the ice. Nordland Bears and Winter Stoats may catch fish through the ice or may dive beneath the surface to find algae if the fish is not plentiful enough. These creatures will only venture out on the lake if there are no people, choosing to do so often under the cover of darkness.

Type

Crater / Crater Lake / Caldera

Location under

Neither Tundra

Owning Organization

Kingdom of Giants

Tourism

While most Ursakin that call the Neither Tundra their home prefer living in small family units far away from others, a few have chosen to live near Crater Lake and make a business out of serving as fishing guides to those who wish to ice fish. Most of these people are Nether, utilizing their heavy fur to keep them warm while out on the ice.
These people have also created small trading posts around the lake that are hidden in igloos made to look like snow drifts to keep them hidden from the gaze of the Giants that sometimes roam here. The depth of the lake and its thin ice have kept the Giants mostly away, but doing such business could draw the ire of the Kingdom of Giants.

Exports

Because of the rarity of the fish in Crater Lake, some have capitalized on exporting these fish to those willing to pay the high price. In most cases, only nobles are able to afford the high cost of traveling with special ice chests crafted outside of the Neither Tundra to transport these fish alive to their final destinations.