Sages of Khromarium posit that under the rule of the right leader, Orcust could eventually rival any of the last great nations of Hyperborea, but infighting and lack of organization thus far preclude this. Presently, Mag Nor is the orc king of Orcust, a massive humanoid who eats the raw flesh of his enemies and any servants (or family) who instigate him. The City-State of Orcust is known to engage in trade with Fazzuum.
Betwixt Skarag Coast and the Diamond Desert lies a river-fed bay hemmed in by misty fens. Here can be found the secluded village Wold Phellora, founded some two-score years ago by a priest of Kthulhu named Guthlak. This tall, sallow-skinned ecclesiastic led his followers to the site of a green-black stone sculpture carved to portray a bloated, corpulent, octopoid being set on an oblong pedestal etched with indecipherable characters. The wicked people of Wold Phellora are said to harvest a strange brown mould, the spores of which they introduce to their food and wine. In high concentrations this produces an hallucinogenic effect that intensifies their dream quests to liberate Kthulhu. Presently, inbreeding in Wold Phellora is cause for some disturbing deformities; hence, the cultists have begun to abduct outsiders so as to preserve their abominable ways.
The Striped Gulf is renowned for its bounty of striped bass and shellfish. Esquimaux tribes and the crab-kin of the Crab Archipelago ply these waters, conflicting territorial claims sometimes resulting in bloodshed. In the subaqueous depths of the Striped Gulf, crab-men are said to breed giant crabs.
This extinct chain of volcanoes emerges from the waters at the Rim of the World. Barren cones rising sharply from turbulent waters, they are named after the cruel Dæmon Lord Thaumagorga. Some dare whisper that the Dæmon Lord himself maintains a secret lair within; too, legend tells of him holding conclave here with the six dæmon princes. Many unfortunate vessels have been driven to Thaumagorga’s Teeth, to certain doom. Through the ages, many a captain has confronted a difficult choice: fall off the Rapids at the End of the World, or face shipwreck and eventual starvation on the barren slopes of Thaumagorga’s Teeth. Pterodactyls seem to favour this impossible region, building their aeries high on the cliffs; these ancient pterosaurs will fly down to pick the bones of castaways, or feed them to their young.
This shunned, volcanic island is the domain of a feared and maligned Viking witch and her naked horde of lotus-chewing wild berserkers, an odd mix of Vikings and Kelts who regard her as their goddess. She is reputed to have dwelt on this isle since before the first Vikings arrived in Hyperborea.
Essentially, Tinsaar is a piece of rock thrust from the sea. The isle is blasted by high winds, for it lies on the verge of River Okeanos. It supports no forest, soil is minimal, and the grasses are scraggly. Notwithstanding, it serves as a key port of call for Amazons and those who trade with New Amazonia. Consequently, Tinsaar is loosely under the ægis of the Amazons, despite its independence.
This port once served a pirate outpost, the formidableness of which proved unassailable. Hun dred-foot cliffs surround Port Tinsaar, which made it nigh impenetrable to invasion; too, the pirates set the cliffs with catapults and ballistæ. Regardless, the Green Death accomplished what no warships could—wiping out the entire population of the island. During the last century, Port Tinsaar has been resettled by a mix of merchants, traders, expatriates, and rogues. Mostly these are racial admixtures, with a decent amount of Viking and Amazon blood in the mix. Fewer than 1,000 permanent settlers dwell here, one-third of whom comprise the militia.
This narrow inlet is considered hostile waters, controlled by the ape-men of the City-State of Kor. The gnarled humanoids patrol these waters on their crude war canoes. Too, the ape-men range the coastline of Trogos, and from their wooden towers they will send volleys of arrows, bolts, and sling stones at trespassers. During the winter years, Trog Inlet freezes solid, thawing by mid-Renaissance (Fish, Year 2).
This forest is cut by deep slot canyons where streams and waterfalls flow. Ferns and stunted evergreens line the moist walls of these impossible gorges, whence rise rolling mists that fill the whole of the forest Trogos. Rare woods and strange herbs are cultivated in the surrounding woodlands. Besides roving bands of ape-men from the City-State of Kor, no settlers live in the forest Trogos, at least not since the immemorial time prior to the Green Death. In the canyon streams, however, some prospectors have made their fortunes panning for gold. No one ever has accounted fully the abysmal depths of the slot canyons of Trogos, whence terrifying creatures are reputed to issue—particularly the lamp-eyed troglo dytes. Other reports speak of the Oon, a strange sub terranean race, emerging from the canyons. It is said that surface-roaming Oon oft are preyed upon by the otherworldly, insectan phoongh.
Hemmed in by glaciated mountains and volcanoes, this massive chasm billows a steady flow of frigid vapours. The valley’s black gneiss slopes fall precipitously; too, they glitter with tongues of solid ice. People sometimes attempt to descend these impossible cliffs, believing the floor to be a few hundred feet below, but usually re signing to failure after no bottom is achieved. A bard’s song tells of a bubbling lake at the bottom of the valley whence the mists are birthed. Half-Blood Pictish sha mans say that a god called Khalk-Xu dwells below the mists. Descriptions of this god and his appalling appe tites suggest him to be one and the same as Kraken, “The Dimensional Dweller.” His worship in this region is traced back to people of Yakut lineage, considered nearly extinct, though recent reports indicate tribes of Yakuts convening at this site when both moons are full.
This island group is the Viking kingdom of Hyperborea. Here is where the lost ships of Erik the Red’s f leet touched land after being swept away by the North Wind. Those 350 men, women, and children would call it Vikland, and here they settled and built their longhouses. They named their village Erikssgard after their lost (presumed dead) leader. Soon the Vikings were graced by the presence of Ullr, the exiled god who once sat on the throne of Odin. The Vikings offered to him their most handsome daughters in return for his favour. Ullr walked amongst those early Vikings for a time, and they soon learnt that he paid tribute to Ymir; thus it came to be that the frost giant god became their supreme deity, and the precepts of the Æsir were abandoned. Eventually the Vikings struck afar to víking, raiding the villages of the Esquimaux and half-blood Picts (both of whom they called skrælings), but they avoided the old ghost cities, such as Khromarium, still vacant since the coming of the Ashen Worm. When at length the Hyperboreans returned to reclaim the jewel of their former empire, the Vikings largely kept their distance. Then came the Green Death. The Viking race was devastated by the plague, and yet they persevered. Vikland is on the cusp of the River Okeanos, a span of latitudinal degrees within which hazardous whirlpools manifest and strong belts of wind persist. The Vikings have mastered these winds and use them to their advantage, circling the realm in their drekar (longboats), and then veering landward to targeted destinations. Shipbuilding is a major vocation in the kingdom, and shipyards are found in nearly every village and town, all of which are ruled by jarls who answer to the king in Erikssgard. The woods teem with wild beasts, so furs and skins are valuable commodities, too. Lastly, Vikland is an excellent source of iron, copper, silver, gold, and gems; mining operations are extensive.
This is the capital city of Vikland, whither all Vikland jarls pay tribute. It boasts a population of some 11,000 Vikings, all derived from the initial 350 settlers, though it is estimated that some 40,000 populated this city before the Green Death. Erikssgard is not viewed favourably by other cities and towns, for “unsanctioned” Viking raids persist; notwithstanding, the city engages in trade with Gal, Khromarium, Pandoros, and Port Zangerios. The finest shipbuilders in all of Hyperborea call Erikssgard their home. The city is 95% pure Viking stock. Non-Viking men are forbidden to have relations with Viking daughters; failure to abide this law results in the guilty being shackled to a wall where they become axe-hurling targets. Likewise, Viking men known to have relations with non-Viking women face exile. Ullr’s Island: This wild and pristine island is the dwelling place of the god Ullr. Per Ullr’s decree, no permanent settlements are here, though hunting trips are encouraged, and sometimes the god himself deigns to join the hunt. Viking sages and shamans take long sojourns here—sometimes never to return, other times returned the wiser. To maintain his favour, jarls and riddere (knights) send Ullr the fairest of their daughters.
This island is the dwelling place of the god Ymir, most hallowed amongst the Vikings but also venerated by some Kelts and Kimmerians. The island features one enormous peak (Mount Ymir), which rises some 20,000 feet above the sea and to which cling no fewer than 20 glaciers. The whole of the island is gripped by ever-shifting ice and is constantly aswirl with lashing, frigid winds. The coast is locked by ice sheets from which icebergs detach. Even the sturdiest of icebreaking vessels cannot achieve three miles of the coast. Somewhere within Mount Ymir dwells the brooding, irascible god himself, who seldom condescends to vacate his fastness.