Arctica
The Frontier that Cannot be Tamed
Introduction
Orzaal’s northern most continent is the frozen and mountainous Arctica, a frontier that seemingly cannot be tamed. Few people have made the trip across the rough and iceberg infested waters of the Tamraine Ocean to explore the harsh north, and even less have made the trip back.
It’s no wonder that stories abound about the snow swept continent, warning the cautious and daring the adventurous to journey to its ice covered shores: tales of dancing lights in the sky, ribbons of glowing greens and reds stretching as far as the eye can see; stories about valleys deep in the mountains where lush forests, and strange peoples live, defying Arctica’s biting winds and driving snows; and rumours of untapped wealth tempting both the bold and the foolish.
It is impossible to truly know what is up there at the top of the world. With the northern Tamraine Ocean being free of sea ice for only a few weeks in the brief northern summer, venturing to Arctica’s shores is difficult at the best of times, and impossible at the worst.
Atilan Ice Fields
Stretching for 300 miles from the Hfnia Coast to the foot of the Gilrail Mountains are the Atilan Ice Fields; a frigid desert of ice, snow, and rock. Rarely the white landscape breaks for the odd dell of rugged pines, the trees standing proudly against the cold, showing us that even here life finds a way.
Major Geographic Regions
Gilrail Mountains
Known as the Crown of Orzaal, the Gilrail Mountains cover most of Arctica and rise to heights unmatched by any of mountain ranges to the south. Little is known of these icy covered peaks, and even less is known about what secrets may be hidden deep within the range.
Hfnia Coast
The Hfnia Coast is the stretch of frozen ocean that encircles the continent, as well as Arctica’s rocky shore. The ice sheet is constantly shifting, threatening to close off any channel to the shore, and trapping anyone miles away from open water. This shifting sea of ice is as dangerous as the numbly white Atilan Ice Fields, and the glacier covered Gilrail Mountains.
