Norvaskr
Norvaskr, the Realm of the Tundra, is a vast expanse of frozen plains, permafrost-covered ground, and relentless winds, where the land never fully thaws. Unlike the glacier-ruled expanse of Glacian, Norvaskr is not eternally frozen—but what little warmth it receives is fleeting, and life clings to the edge of existence.
It is a realm of hardship and endurance, where the strong adapt, and the weak are lost to the endless frost.
Geography
Norvaskr’s landscape is treeless, wind-scoured, and stretching endlessly toward a distant, ice-covered horizon.
- The Frostbitten Expanse – The heart of Norvaskr, a vast, open tundra where the permafrost never fully melts. - The Icebound Rivers – Once mighty waterways, now frozen solid for most of the year, with only brief, frigid thaws. - The Windscarred Plains – A region of rocky tundra, where gale-force winds carve patterns into the ice and soil. - The Bonefields – An eerie wasteland littered with the remains of long-dead creatures, frozen in time by the relentless cold. - The Twilight Veil – A region where auroras dance eternally across the sky, casting ethereal light upon the endless snow.
Climate & Atmosphere
Norvaskr experiences near-constant cold, with short, harsh thaws followed by months of relentless frost.
- Eternal Winds – The air is never still, carrying the bitter chill of Skaldrith’s breath across the tundra. - Unpredictable Snowstorms – Blizzards descend without warning, burying the land beneath fresh layers of ice. - Brief Thaws, Sudden Freezes – For a short period each year, the ice cracks, rivers begin to flow, and the tundra stirs—only to be swallowed again by winter’s grasp. - The Twilight Sky – The sun barely rises in the coldest months, leaving the land in perpetual twilight, illuminated only by the pale glow of the auroras.
The Spirit of Norvaskr
Skaldrith, known as the Frostborn, is the Ascended Spirit of Norvaskr, embodying the cold, the wind, and the will to survive in the harshest conditions.
- He is neither kind nor cruel—only unyielding. - He is said to be a great, towering entity of ice and storm, his presence felt in every biting wind and every frozen breath. - Unlike the stillness of Glacian, Skaldrith is ever-moving, his winds whispering tales of endurance to those who listen.
Mythology & Legends
- The Trial of the Frostborn – It is said that only those who survive a night alone in the Bonefields earn Skaldrith’s blessing. - The Wind’s Warning – When the winds fall silent, the tundra dwellers know a storm unlike any other is coming. - The Everfrozen Beasts – Some believe that the largest creatures of Norvaskr never truly die, but instead become one with the ice, waiting for a time when the thaw may come again.
Connection to Other Realms
Norvaskr exists at the borders of ice, earth, and wind, a place where life struggles against the elements.
- To the Frozen Glaciers of Glacian – The farthest reaches of Norvaskr give way to the eternal ice sheets, where even Skaldrith’s winds are silenced by the weight of the frost. - To the Stormlands of Aetheris – Where the tundra meets the endless tempests, the winds grow wild, blending Skaldrith’s chill with the power of the Tempest Realm. - To the Highlands of Galdros – The highest plateaus of Norvaskr rise into the wind-carved heights of Galdros, where cold and stone meet in jagged harmony.
Influence on Adaris
Norvaskr is revered by those who value resilience, endurance, and survival against all odds.
- The tundra dwellers of Adaris see Skaldrith as a harsh but fair god, rewarding those who fight against the cold and endure its trials. - Warriors and nomads take "Frost-Walks," journeys into the tundra to prove their strength and earn the favor of the wind. - It is said that those who die with ice in their lungs become part of the wind, whispering to travelers as they cross the frozen wastes.
"The Cold Does Not Care, But It Remembers"
A saying among those who live in Norvaskr, reminding all that the tundra is merciless, but those who endure will be immortalized in its frost.