Near the center point of the borders of Dae'tok, Ganth, Darkonin, and Mahn-tor the Viking freehold of Thagaard Faste has been all but destroyed by an avalanche caused by the destruction of Dae'tok. The crops necessary to see the inhabitants through the harsh Icewall winters lie buried, along with the keep that protected them from raiding parties and the elements, beneath a mountain of packed ice. Aside from being their only, rapidly dwindling source of food, their remaining livestock is whittled away by Yinn raiding parties almost nightly.

Of the original nine family-clans residing in Thagaard Faste only six remain. Their numbers slowly dwindling away as they move southwards into the northernmost highlands where they hope to establish a new freehold before they are all taken to sit beside their Gods. The Karlsamne which has ruled the freehold since its founding, the Hakonsen, the Arnason, the Kyrre, the Skotkonung, and the Tryggvason, the Greske and Sturluson family-clans are no more.

The Vikings now make their way across Icewall seeking to find a place they belong, a place to survive.