The cold, militaristic heart of the northern region. A harsh land of ice-capped mountains, dark forests, and unforgiving seas where survival is a daily battle against winter, monsters, and human greed. Ruled by a distant king from Eirheim, real power often lies with autonomous city governors, noble houses, and criminal guilds. Skarnheim is a place of grim warrior culture, ancient rune magic, and resurfacing primordial evils.
Eirheim – The Capital
The ancient seat of Skarnheim’s kings, built into the cliffs of the northern highlands. Its massive granite walls and towering spires are constantly battered by blizzards. Home to the royal palace, conservative noble houses, and the Grand Hall of Skalds. Eirheim is rigid, traditional, and deeply suspicious of outsiders. Power here is centralized but distant from the realities of the frontier.
Frostheim – The Black Port
The largest and most prosperous city in Skarnheim, located on the icy southern coast. A sprawling, chaotic port where ships from across Vaelor dock. Famous for its corrupt city guard, powerful criminal guild The Hand of the Port, diverse population (humans, beastmen, dwarves, lizardfolk, tieflings), and the Noble District. The harbor’s Bay of Bones reveals submerged ruins at low tide.
Mountains of Ice
The colossal, snow-shrouded mountain range that forms the northern spine of Skarnheim. Home to ancient ruins, Half-Giant tribes, dire beasts, and forgotten dwarven holds. Many believe the heart of the Primordial Vael lies somewhere deep beneath these peaks.
Frozen Wastes
The uninhabitable tundra far beyond the Mountains of Ice. A desolate expanse of endless ice where only the mad, the desperate, or the monstrous dare travel. Rumors speak of ancient prisons and entities still trapped in the permafrost.
Other Notable Settlements
Thornwald: Small, beleaguered village near Vintermort Forest.
Brighthollow: Waystation town on the road between Eirheim and Frostheim.
Aldrune: Remote northern settlement often used as a staging point for expeditions into the Mountains of Ice.
Galab Thul: A temporary city, created every five years in the Mountains of Ice by nomadic tribes of half-giants, serves as the gathering place for the grand tournament of Babban Gasar. It is a fierce competition where warriors fight for glory and great prizes.