Fenris Tundra
In my many travels across this world I have never been through a place more ripe with peril, and more abundant with mystery and aw then the northern tundra of Ardath. A land nearly annually covered in a blanket of snow, the Fenris Tundra is one of the most inhospitable places within the world, which makes its people some of the greatest survivors and hardiest of adventurers.- Thorn Wood
Geography
The Fenris Tundra is an almost entirely barren region of snow covered plains and rolling hills that stretches across the entire northern third of the continent of Ardath. It is only lightly wooded with patches of pine trees popping up along the shores of narrow half frozen streams and rivers that snake along the vast plains, like large cracks on the surface of melting ice. Small mountain ranges protrude here and there along the vast emptiness of the tundra, providing some refuge from the nearly ceaseless winds that sweep across the region, the largest of these ranges is the Frost Tip Mountains. Which acts as the regional boundary between the Jabari Plains, among the mountains is the largest peak within the world The Throat of Heaven. In the western reaches of the tundra lies a rockier region of lightly wooded hills and small mountains that extend toward the coast of the western Narrow Sea, this region is primarily marked by the largest river system in Ardath, the Wolf Song, it is made up of three branch rivers that all converge into a short stretch of river that ends at the foot of a large glacial mountain around which the city of Vulora is built. The first of the rivers is Skoll, it is the furthest north of the three and flows the fastest due to its straight canal like shape, it is known for its ferocity and rapids making it one of the most dangerous rivers in the world. The middle child of the rivers is named Geri, it begins as an offshoot from Skoll and as such retains some of its northern brothers ferocity, but as it follows its taper further south along the northern foothills of the Frost Tip Mountains it begins to slow, and due to its absence of rapids and rock it is used often for quick trade between the cities of the dwarves of Veturstein. The final river's name is Freki it is the largest of the three and extends deeply southeastward until it ends just a few miles within the northern hills of the Jabari Plains. Just east past the Frost Tip Mountains is a dense tree line that marks the end of the tundra and the beginning of the largest forest in Ardath, The Jotun Forest. Along the northern shores of Ardath runs the expansive glacial desert that is the Frozen Sea, is is one of the largest seas within the world and is the only one of those seas to be completely covered in a sheet of ice that delves miles below sea level and spans the length of the continent. The Frozen Sea acts as both an access point and a barrier between Ardath and the Northern Nexus.
Ecosystem
Winter is the dominant season within the tundra it purveys for 9 months out of the year and varies in its intensity during that time. The winter is ushered in with a region spanning storm that blankets the entire tundra and neighboring forest with a heavy coat of snow some 2-3 feet deep, the storm has been called many names over the course of history but the current one is the Frostverachtung. This storm sustains for roughly 2 months and grows and wanes randomly in intensity, once it relents the winter period of the region begins in full and is sustained by prevalent winds that sweep like harvesting scythes across the tundra. Spring begins with a steady stream of sunlight into the empty vastness of the tundra and with the sun comes the thaw, the early spring is marked with rain and fog as the heavy snow fall is slowly but surely melted until just a sparse patchwork coating remains within the region. The melting of this snow feeds into the rivers and streams of the tundra causing seasonal flooding and a strengthening of the Wolf Song river system, there is no summer to speak of within the tundra as temperatures never reach the level necessary for summer to come, the warmest it gets is roughly mid summer temperatures.
Localized Phenomena
The most prevalent phenomena found within the tundra is the aurora that stretches from out from its root at the northern nexus, these lights bathe the sky in an array of multicolor radiance that can be seen in all along the coast the the Frozen Sea.
Fauna & Flora
The tundra may be barren but it is home to a variety of creatures both magical and monstrous in nature, as well as a swell of plants and fungi that grow on the banks of the rivers, ponds and lakes of the region. At the bottom of the regional food chain is a species of moss that grows on the rocky banks of the rivers that run through the tundra, this moss called Grimen Moss is the most abundant of the plant life within the region and is largely used by the Veturstien Dwarves to make potions used to combat the cold and cure mild paralysis. Just above the moss is a more deadly plant with its own medicinal purposes, its name is Draugr Leaf, it is a large leafed fern whose stem is lined with thick black thorns that secretes a vile smelling venom that when injected into a creature, causing an effect that mimics decay. However the leaves of this plant can be brewed into a psychedelic tea that is used by many clerical orders and religions that use it to convene with their deities, the Draugr Leaf plants tend to grow in small bunches at the base of the Wyrd Pines that grow in small groves that dot the tundra. Wyrd Pines are the largest plant that grows within the tundra, they are massive towering dozens of feet into the air and whose branches stretch out creating a thick canopy that creates a safe place during the winter. The pines bleed a sap that evaporates quickly when outside of the tree, and is highly flammable, the sap when it evaporates is heavier than air and creates a strange fog that surrounds the groves giving them an eerie look when viewed from afar.
Just above the plants of the tundra is a species of elk called Dainn Elk, brown colored fur that is blonde or light brown around their neck, and darker going down their legs and running down the length of their backs. They have large antlers that are covered in a light brown velvet in the spring, but as winter approaches the elk scrape off this velvet on the bark of the Wyrd Pines, covering them in the sap and staining their normally beige antlers to a blooded bone coloration. These Dainn Elk eat the leaves of the Draugr Leaf and the Grimen Moss, making their meat have strange properties, and making them naturally resistant to paralyzing effects and the more brutal magical colds. Along side the Dainn Elk is a species of Bison that is much larger than any normal bison should be, they feed on the roots of the Wyrd Pines and drink their sap, these Bison are said to have flaming eyes and hooves that can spark and erupt in small flames when they stamp along the ground. They are white in color with thick, wooly fur and large black horns that grow the sides of their massive heads and curve upward toward the sky. What hunts these animals is an array of predators ranging from the arctic wolves and dire wolves to the many brown bears that roam the region and the Jotun Forest to the east. Along with these natural creatures are the many beasts that dwell within and above the tundra, the most terrible of these is the remorhaz a terrible fiery insect that burrows through the earth below the tundra in search of prey.
Type
Tundra
Included Organizations
Related Ethnicities
Inhabiting Species
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