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Eiri (AYR-ree)
The Ice Region is thought, at least to outsiders, to be one large country. However, to its inhabitants, it’s two: The country of Eiri and the Shards. Eiri is what most people call the region as a whole, but it’s residents know better than to suggest the Shards are part of Eiri.
The landscape is more mountainous to the west, but as they reach the east, the lands flatten into extensive plains, which lead to an archipelago as you continue west. The ground is entirely glacial, unmelting snow and ice, especially towards the gate. As such, any farming is an impossibility, so many towns rely on outside trade for crops and keep many animals, usually goats, rabbits, or other animals better suited for the cold climates.
Kirsi Archipelago (KYR-see)
The Kirsi Archipelago is a cluster of islands surrounded by glaciers to the far east of Eiri. The climate is notably warmer here, especially in the very farthest reaches. Due to the warmer temperatures, trees begin to dot the landscape and are a valued resource. Farming is not only more possible here, but much more reliable. Due to this, most trade is wood and crops going west in return for furs and leathers that their coastal life cannot always find.
The residents are mainly Humans and Beastkin, with the occasional Moon or Snow Elf tossed into the mix. Villages are barely villages, rather many houses strung together by twenty or so feet of coastline, with very few homes moving inland except for the more eastern areas where farming and logging are more common.
Many would assume that these people are pretty separated culturally, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Their culture surrounds the ideas of unity and cooperation, and everyone gives freely what they have. Be it knowledge, extra room or food, a warm fur, the people here will gladly share what they have. Festivals and celebrations are a common occurrence, often once or twice a month, and are used to catch up with those in farther reaches of specific areas.
Edurne Flatlands
The Edurne Flatlands is a large glacial flatlands. Not much of the population resides on these plains, and most that do exist reside on the main trade route between Kirsi and the west. Out here, the most produced are animal products, meats, and furs, as the colder temperatures and lack of farmland stop them from growing anything. As such, they rely heavily on trade.
The residents here are mainly Human, Beastkin, and Snow Elves. It’s a pretty even mix of them but there tend to be more Snow Elves towards the west and many fewer towards the east, as they don’t tend to stray from the capital they originate from. There are hearty villages, set in their places and their ways for many many years. These people are very different than those in the Kirsi, their culture leans towards personal gain more so than unity. Their lifestyles depend on trade, and as such their lifestyles have become much more cutthroat than their eastern neighbours.
Eirilys (AYR-i-lys)
The Capital of Eiri, and where the majority of the population rests. Seated in a crevasse created by the jagged pieces of ice coming away from the Shards, this city is mainly made of stone and beautifully sculpted ice. There are many miles of tunnels below ground, carved out of the glacier this city rests upon, that extend the city past what is first seen on the surface.
Eirilys has a fairly isolationist society. They rarely deal with the outside world if it can be helped, and if they do, it is with the Moon Elves to their east, and not the feral Beastkin to their west, those filthy savages. This city is seated above the Gate, and the Beastkin of the west, especially the Khiravi, want to take their city in order to destroy their gate, at least as far as they know. They will not allow this to happen, not allow those creatures to take their home. As such, those of Eirilys despise their western neighbors.
There are four spires towering above the landscape of Eirilys. The Lunos Spire is at the center, and houses nobility and royalty. The three surrounding spires, the Aurus, Tempis, and Exos Spires, each have many tiers, many different pieces built into them. Elaborate bridges made of ice connect the upper levels, and much commerce goes between them. The city is divided into five main sections:
Lunos Spire
Where the nobility of the city reside. Any business is done on the lower levels, the rest is just residential for the wealthy. As such, this is the most grandiose tower, well decorated and a shining beacon for miles around.
Aurus Spire
The second largest spire and main entrance to the city finds itself on this spire, as it is the gate blockading the entrance to the Surface. This spire holds the majority of the merchant district, and is where the Aurora Watch, the city’s guard, is mainly stationed.
Tempis Spire
Being the spire nearest to the Aurus Spire, the majority of the residential finds itself here. It’s lower levels are known for being a bit of a party during the night, with the amount of inns, taverns, and points of interest that find themselves in close proximity due to the nature of the spire, bar crawls are commonplace.
Exos Spire
The smallest spire, it holds both Eirilys’ military and one of the most renowned magical academies and research facilities. Their focus as of current is ensuring the Gate’s safety, and preparing against attacks from their western neighbors.
The Surface
​The Lower Class. This section covers the ground level of the city, into some caves below, as well as a few stories up the spires. Being on the ground level means you deal with the worst of what Eirilys has to offer. The Aurora Watch don’t often go down there, and as such crime runs rampant. If you visit this place, expect to be robbed and beaten within an inch of your life.
The Gatekeeper
The Gatekeeper of the Ice Gate is a position that is a bit… complicated. The Gatekeeper is, by all technicalities, a spirit that was created by the Ice Gate when it was tied to the material plane. However, the spirit itself does not think itself strong enough to deal with all of the threats that oppose the Ice Gate, and so chooses someone to give it’s powers to in order to protect the Gate. The current chosen is the ruler of the Ice Region, a Snow Elven woman, the Queen Isalryn.
With her long life, she has held the throne and the Gate for the last many centuries. While she is a terrifying woman, she is beginning to show her age. For an elf, showing one’s age means only a few years left to live. With the extreme tensions between those of Eirilys and the Khiravi, many believe that her death will mean war.
The Shards
Known to its residents as the Isskår, this is a mountainous region characterized by extremely high glacial peaks, jutting out and away from the Air region, as the strong winds whipping away from the region has morphed the glaciers over time. These high, jagged edges create deep valleys, overhangs, even deep glacier caves at their lowest points.
The Shards are inhabited by many nomadic tribes, with a few larger sedentary tribes that have formed trade alliances with one another. The nomadic tribes tend to stick towards the oceans, while the sedentary tribes move towards the center, tending towards the deep valley to avoid the winds coming from the Air region. Due to the treacherous surroundings and frigid climate, the majority of residents here are Beastkin, and the occasional tribal Snow Elf.
Even in this tribal landscape, there is a form of leadership. Five tribes, the strongest and smartest amongst the Shards, act as the rulers of the entire region. They are an alliance of religious zealots known as the Khiravi, who strongly believe that the Gate leads to their Goddess Khiri and that the ruling class and the Gatekeeper are keeping them from their Holy Lands.
Gigantism
Due to these cold temperatures, most life in Eiri has adapted to being able to retain one’s own body heat. The most common adapted trait is their evolutionary increase in size and mass in comparison to the norm. This form of gigantism has allowed them to endure the cold from their layers of skin being thicker to compensate for their bigger size. However, this has also made the natural wildlife in the Eiri to reach gargantuan sizes, making them all the more aggressive in nature whether it be a territorial challenge or hunting.
The Reality
The Reality of the situation is, their Goddess is the very spirit that Queen Isalryn holds. It was once held by the leader of the Jaecyr, a tribe of Snowy Owl beastkin, many centuries ago, and it’s believed it was stolen away by the Snow Elves of the east. This has caused the century-long war they find themselves in.