Frostfolk, Alnea

• Large, fluffy, and hyper-intelligent creatures that have the technological upper hand within Alnea. Almost comically fluffy, as their fur makes them look like a puffball.
• They only live in one camp in the center of the Frostlands, which are known widely as the most dangerous lands in the world for their extreme cold, deadly predators, and no sunlight for most of the year.
• The camp chief is the only Frostfolk allowed, or able to use magic of any kind, which encourages the other Frostfolk to invent ways of staying alive.

Technology

• Rudimentary steam engine
• Muskets
• Heated floors, and heat lamps that do not require magic

Nathaniel Morris’ Encounter with a Frostfolk Camp

October 14, 1955

Another journey across the oceans, climbing over perilous mountains, and navigating through the thick uncharted Nyain jungle has been completed, this time rather quickly I must admit. I feel as if I’m learning how to do all these things faster, even with an aging body.

My crew and I successfully made landfall this morning, after the grueling six-day journey across the South Sea. The waters did not treat us well, however, we felt safe and protected on the illustrious ‘Galay,’ a ship I myself commissioned to be built a few years ago.

Finding the port city of Rinus was not as difficult as I was led to believe, for the path through the thick ice fields was wide enough to fit an entire town in between, much less an adventurer’s ship. After docking our rather large ship compared to the townsfolk’s fishing vessels, we all made our way to the nearest pub, glad we had solid ground for once. It was there where I heard a tale from the barkeeper that rivaled even the ‘Tale of People and Portals’ in its ludicrous impossibility, one about a certain tribe that lives in the open expanses of the Frostlands, the Frostfolk.

The tale goes as such: “Deep within the Frostlands, a group of intellect that rivals even the most scholarly of scholars live peacefully out of reach from humanity. Their inventions rival those from the far north and allow them to live comfortably within the most inhospitable regions on the planet. Few have ventured into their lands and survived, for meeting a Frostfolk requires intelligence that surpasses that of the common man.” The barkeeper was more than willing to hand over a map of the Frostlands to me, for a price almost unreasonable. 100 gold coins.

However, my pockets run far deeper than a meager 100 coins, and given that I am a true adventurer and explorer, I felt I must try to invalidate this tale, and so, disregarding my duties as an ambassador of Risat for a while, and with the support of my fun-loving crew, we shall depart tomorrow, heading southeast towards the heart of the Frostlands, with little supplies and high hopes.