Frostbane

🧊 Frostbane

 

🌊 Landmarks Frostbane

1. The Northern Port

Lifeblood and strategic stronghold for eastern Frostbane and the Gray Sea, the Northern Port is a hotly contested port on the frozen frontier. Despite its icy location, the Northern Port is an idyllic Nordic city of rich culture, robust trade, and a diverse population. With former Cascadian’s seeking their fortune by maintaining a vital and lucrative trade route down the eastern seaboard, roaming dwarf clans passing through while mining/settling the Greater Frost Fangs, and the Eagle clan regulating the Gray sea, the groups maintain a steady, but sometimes tenuous relationship built mostly on trade and good business. The population is a melting pot of all the aforementioned groups, creating a culture unique among all Eagle clan settlements. The Northern Port is a strategic strong point as it provides a great port for ships defending the Gray sea, with docks on both sides of the port allowing access to both the Gray sea and the greater Northern Seas. It is very well fortified and armed, discouraging attacks from the average pirate fleet. The Northern Port is the main trade hub for all Frostbane viking clans, Northern Cascadians, and even services northern Garnath. With all the trade passing through, duty fees and strategic advantage provide an immense financial incentive for the Eagle clan to maintain the Northern Port, however, these advantages also create envy among all the northern factions. Thane Alric Asgeirsson governs the city, answering to Starolf Thorbjornsson, King of the Northern Viking Clans.

 

2. The Lesser and Greater Frost Fangs

The Greater and Lesser Frost Fangs are the eastern and western (respectively) frozen mountain ranges of Frostbane. The Lesser Frost Fangs and the Eastern Section of the Greater Frost Fangs separate Frostbane into three major divisions, each controlled by a Viking clan. The Greater Frost Fangs contain several small dwarven colonies and nomadic ice giant tribes. The Lesser Frost Fangs are swarming with aggressive ice giant tribes and only the toughest of dwarven clans. Hrothgar, crown jewel of the Greater Frost Fangs, is home to High Hrothgar Hall, capital of Eagle Clan territory.

 

3. The Polar Fields

The Polar Fields is a huge expanse of snowdrifts situated between the Lesser and Greater Frost Fangs. Considered the most uninhabitable part of Frostbane, only scattered tribes of ice giants and polar creatures coalescing from the frozen tundra exist on the Polar Fields. This desolate place serves as a buffer for the southern border of Wolf clan land.

 

4. High Hrothgar

High Hrothgar is the capital of the Eagle Clan Kingdom, situated in a large cleft, midway up Mt. Hrothgar. High Hrothgar Hall is where the throne of Starolf Thorbjornsson, King of the Northern Viking Clans resides. The city boasts formidable fortifications, bountiful resources (farming, fishing, hunting, mining), and the mighty Frostfall fjord winds by, allowing the Eagle Clan to readily access the Gray sea. Traders and merchants often travel from the Northern Port to sell their wares using the Frostfall fjord. 

 

5. Mount of Eternal Fire

At the north-western most reach of Frostbane, at the beginning of the Lesser Frost Fangs, sits the Mount of Eternal Fire. This volcanic mountain serves as a holy site for the Wolf Clan. Always bubbling, always simmering, this mountain is the volatile and raging personification of the Wolf Clan.

6. Barrier Isles of Frostbane

The western most isles of Frostbane serve as holy sites for the Bear Clan. Norse medicine shacks and hot springs dot the landscape where Bear Clan seekers look for the secrets of the universe or for guidance on future events. The waters around the islands are rich in fish, attracting Bear Clan fishermen.

---

⚓ Culture of Frostbane

1. The Eagle Clan

The Eagle Clan is the preeminent Viking clan of the North, having liberated the Bear Clan during the great Viking conflict and unifying the Viking clans. Now focused on carving out a place for Vikings in the ever-changing world, Starolf Thorbjornsson seeks to grow his kingdom through alliance building, trade, and settling Frostbane. A tenuous peace is maintained with the Wolf Clan in an attempt to unite the strength of the Viking clans and keep shipping lanes open. The Eagle Clan maintains a large fleet of small “light-ships.” The ships are small Viking vessels capable of fjord and ocean travel, lightly armed, but unbelievably fast. Viking captains must be crafty and strategic, aiming to ram and board ships much larger and heavily armed before their guns sink them. The Eagle clan also maintains a strong standing army, with outposts all along the Greater Frost Fangs, maintaining border security, surveillance, and alarm if invaders attack.

2. The Wolf Clan

The Wolf Clan is a Viking clan consumed with dominating its lands through recapturing the fearsome nature of the Viking clans of old. The Wolf Clan cultivates a warrior culture that values strength, ferocity, and military prowess. In the past, the Wolf clan sought to dominate the other Viking clans after Rodmar Skuldsson received a vision from a pitch-black wolf that the Wolfclan would dominate the sons of Oden (The Eagle Clan). Even after their defeat and reconciliation, sects of the Wolf Clan believe that destiny still awaits them. The Wolf clan practices dark rituals at the Mount of Eternal fire, seeking direction from this otherworldly dark wolf. Cities are utilitarian and strategic in nature built out of stone and iron, with towering rock walls and iron gates. The Wolf Clan maintains a smaller navy of large and mighty Viking boats. More heavily armored than the Eagle Clan light ships, these ships are a formidable force, however, they are relatively slow. Wolf Clan captains are highly regarded in society and serving in the Wolf Clan navy is seen as a great honor. Glory and honor is won by defeating the enemy and looting those unluck enough to come upon a wolf clan bow.

3. The Bear Clan

The Bear Clan is a relatively peaceful Viking clan in the western part of Frostbane. The Bear Clan is deeply connected to the earth, with a culture focusing on cultivating the land, hunting, and fishing. This focus on nature and universal connection lead the Bear Clan to be the foremost spiritualists of the Viking Clans, with most clan members possessing some connection to nature, some more powerful than others. Cities are small and modest, usually creating buildings out of clay and logs. In the past war, the Wolf Clan invaded Bear Clan lands and enslaved it’s people before the Eagle Clan intervened. Fishermen, merchants, and privateers sailing to the Northern ports are seen as heroes, providing vital supplies while evading the occasional attack from Wolf Clan ships. While the Eagle Clan maintains peace between clans, it hasn’t been unheard of for a Wolf clan ship to attack a Viking passerby. 

4. Northern Porters

The culture of the residents of the Northern Port is as unique as any other in Frostbane. The culture maintains a Nordic appearance, but is influenced by dwarvish and Cascadian influences. Northern Port is also privy to a wide variety of the newest technologies of the time as well. Despite being protected and ruled under the Eagle Clan, residents feel a city pride and identity, of all walks of life participate in every level of the Northern port. Thane Alric maintains a robust military, complete with a large navy of formidable Nordic frigates that protect the Gray Sea.

5. Ice Giants

Natives of the northern frontier, Ice Giants live in disorganized tribes scattered throughout Frostbane. The most aggressive and resolute live in the Lesser Frost Fangs and sometimes, when they’re not warring against each other, convene war councils to fight Viking’s colonizing the coastal regions.

 

Trade and Coin

In the frigid land of Frostbane, bartering precious resources is typically the easiest way to engage in the Frostbane economy. Cascadian coppers and the Garnathian dollar can usually be exhanged for the Viking Strekel in major markets. 

 

4. Faiths and Fears

• The Eagle Clan - sees themselves as children of the Norse gods, living lives pleasing to Oden expanding in search of their manifest destiny.
• The Wolf Clan - worships the Dark Wolf, the one who prophesied their domination over the children of Oden. Their religion values strength and dominance, pain/sacrifice is seen as necessary for victory. 
• The Bear Clan - worships the Norse gods, but see simple, naturalistic living as the chief pursuit. Violence is a part of life, but not sought after. Medicine people, priests, and oracles guide the clan members. With the extreme focus on aligning with nature, many members gain a variety of nature, cosmic, or extra sensory abilities of varying degrees of power.
• Ice Giants- Worship hundreds of nature gods and spirits. While there is some overlap between tribes, there isn’t a canonized pantheon between tribes.

5. Pirate Factions

• The Eagle Clan Navy/Privateers/Merchants: Led by King Starolf Thorbjornsson. Honor and glory driven. Seeks sustainable and thoughtful advancement. Strong but also smart. Will attack aggressive faction vessels or supply lines/merchant ships of factions not in alliance with them as prudent.
• The Wolf Clan Pirates: Currently led by Thane Volrik Skuldsson. Sects vary in their volatility, violence, and resolve to dominate. Aggressive and powerful, Wolf Clan pirates can attack at any time and if accused will deny involvement. Many don’t live to tell tales.
• The Bear Clan Privateers: Led by Thane Agnar Pltrok. Peaceful and calm. Privateers are voluntary and serve as protection for merchants and for the waters of the Bear Clan.
• The Northern Port Navy/Privateers/Merchants: A mixture of full-time military members and volunteers from many backgrounds and communities, these captains primarily defend the mouth of the Gray Sea and protect merchant vessels/trade routes along eastern Frostbane and Cascadia.

---

📖 Backstory of Frostbane

Originally inhabited solely by ice giant tribes, Frostbane was a frozen wasteland. No one knows where the Vikings came from. Some think they came from early sea nomads who sailed around the northern pole and found themselves in the Gray Seas. Wherever they came from, the Vikings slowly carved out a place for themselves across Frostbane. The clans lived in relative harmony, trading with each other and allying against the native ice giants, occasionally engaging in small skirmishes over disputed land, resources, or perceived slights. That was, until the Great War of Domination incited by the Wolf Clan. However, the Eagle Clan united what was left of the Bear Clan along with a few bands of dwarves and drove the Wolf Clan back to their land. Before the Eagle Clan could completely destroy the Wolf Clan, in-fighting deposed Thane Rodmar Skuldsson and the Wolf Clan sought peace and reconciliation. Now the three clans live together, allied under Starolf Thorbjornsson and the Eagle Clan, at least for now.