Overview: The world is covered by ice. From the smoking mountains far to the north to the dwarven halls of the west to the north and south icefields, there is only the ice. Philosophers debate as to whether there has been a time when the world was not covered with ice, but that is not important. For as long as anyone can remember, there has only been the ice.
Geography: There are mountains far to the north and to the west. There are great barren areas of ice to the north and south that serve as migration points for the land whales. In many areas, great bergs of ice thrust up out of the landscape, blown into fantastic shapes by the wind. There are warm pools, located in many areas, that are inhabited by seals and other aquatic animals. These areas are very dangerous. They are know as ‘ice breaks’ and have destroyed many ships that broke through the thin ice and fell into one of these pools.
Weather: Average daytime temperature in the summer is 30 degrees with a constant wind of 10-15 mph. Spring and Fall bring snowstorms and wind speeds of 50 mph or greater. The long night of winter brings temperatures of 30 below and heavy snows. The weather is almost always unpredictable, however, and a snowstorm can occur even on a Summer day.
Seasons: The year starts with spring, which begins when the sun rises after the long night. It lasts four months and marks the beginning of the whales migration from the south ice field. Spring gives way to a short summer that lasts only two months and during this period, the ice ships hunt the whales on the north ice field. The sun never actually sets in the summer only hanging low in the sky. Summer ends when the whales begin their migration south. Fall begins when the sun finally sets. Fall ends when the whales reach the south ice field and lasts two months. The Winter is a time of total darkness. The temperature plunges and blizzards blow out of the north. The ice ships stay in port during this long time and most humans stay warm in their crevasse cities, away from the night and the evil things that live in it.
Flora and Fauna: The great land whales are the largest and most important of the world’s animals. Some grow to over 100 feet in length. They move across the ice at a surprising speed on their stubby flippers. They feed on the krill that blows around the ice fields and collects on the ice. The krill itself comes in many colors, some being poisonous and others used as material components by mages. The whales ingest the krill by opening their huge mouths, turning into the wind and filtering it out of the air. Smaller whales and other animals also eat it directly as it collects on the ice.
Animals and Plants: Seals of various types live in the warm pools and so do various other creatures. Some small plants and fungi also live by the warm pools. Some of these plants are collected for their medicinal or magical qualities. There are many other animals, including birds, dogs, lynx, wolves, the huge bears that are ridden by some barbarian tribes, hares, musk oxen and others. All of these either eat the krill or other animals that eat the krill.
Monsters: Ice goblins live almost everywhere, carving tunnels from the bergs and raiding ice ships and cities. There are ancient white dragons and the evil undead that appear during the long night. There are many other monsters; oozes, behir, bugbears, frost giants, wargs, winter wolves, snow serpents, elementals, golems and others.
Races: The only races in the world are the humans and the dwarves. Humans either live in the cities or wander as part of one of the barbarian tribes. Dwarves all live in one the great halls in the western mountains.
Religion: The Ice Mother is the goddess of the whole world. She created the world and everything in it. Her priests live in all of the seven cities. There are several subsets of her worship, including The Cult of the Navigator, whose members serve aboard the great ice ships and the monastic Brothers of the Way. Even the barbarians give her homage. She has two daughters that are the twin moons in the night sky. Only the dwarves offer up sacrifices to other gods. They worship their own set of deities that live deep in the bowels of the world.
Magic: Mages are a powerful force. Their spells shape the very world around them. The mages of The Shipwrights Guild are particularly powerful. They alone can create the wood to build and repair the ice ships. They also sell many minor items like light stones and fire pots, though they usually can only be afforded by the rich. Ancient items of magic also appear and are usually wielded by powerful heroes or power hungry villains.
Commerce: Almost all trade and commerce centers around the ice ships and whaling. The great land whales provide bone, skin, meat, oil and ambergris. The ice ships are the only dependable way to travel long distances. Wood and metal are precious resources. Wood can only be obtained by magic from the Shipwrights Guild and metal can only be obtained from the dwarves, who forge it in their halls. Most transactions are conducted through barter or letter of credit that can be carried from one merchant to another. The only currency is the ivory piece that is manufactured in each city and the golden hammer that is made by the dwarves.
Cities: Most humans live in one of the seven cities. The cities are all built into great cracks or crevasses in the ice. The crevasses are all at least a mile long and half as deep. The cities themselves are actually carved out of the living rock of the crevasse itself and linked by bridges of bone and skin. The upper levels of the cities are carved out of the ice and serve as warehouses. The cities entrances are protected by walls of ice and manned by the city watch. Each city is run by one by one or more great families that serve as the political and economic force of the city. The families usually control most of the commerce of that city and maintain the law and order. They also own most of the ships that ply the ice. The only humans that do not live in the cities are the barbarians that live in tribes to the south. The barbarians sometimes come north to trade or raid against ice ships or one of the southern crevasse cities.