The Isle of the Icebourne is a frozen, desolate landmass in The Storm-Shattered Straits, lying to the northeast of Unknown and west of the Spine of the World, where the frigid waters of The Earth Realm's shorelines crash against towering glaciers and treacherous ice floes. Known for its unrelenting cold, towering frozen peaks, and ancient myths, the isle has long remained an enigma to sailors, scholars, and adventurers alike.
Legends speak of an otherworldly presence buried deep within the Unknown, a force of pure elemental frost that some believe is the very source of the unnatural, bone-chilling cold that blankets the island year-round. Few who dare set foot upon its shores ever return, and those who do speak in hushed whispers of the isle’s frozen heart and the being that slumbers within.
Geography & Environment
The Isle of the Icebourne is one of the most inhospitable locations in the known world, dominated by jagged mountains of frozen rock, towering glaciers, and tundra wastelands locked in eternal frost. It is believed that the isle was not formed naturally but rather birthed from the body of a fallen titan, an Ice Elementari who perished in The Planar Rapture when it was struck down by Ember, the Great Phoenix, Archon of the Sun. As the Elementari fell, its frozen form shattered upon the icy waters of the Shattered Straits, giving rise to the mountainous terrain and the lifeless tundra that exists today.
The climate of the isle is unnaturally cold, even for the northernmost reaches of Osira. The freezing ocean surrounding it is dangerous even to seasoned sailors, its tides shifting unpredictably with waves of black ice crashing against the shores. Blizzards ravage the land without end, and unnatural frost creeps across ships that come too close, consuming them in an icy grip. Even in the heart of summer, the temperature never rises above lethal levels.
At the island’s core stands the Icespire Mountain, an impossibly vast, jagged peak of translucent blue ice that pierces the sky like a frozen spear. It is within this mountain that the myths of the Archon of Ice originate.
The Archon of Ice
Legends claim that within the frozen depths of Icespire Mountain, the heart of the fallen Ice Elementari still beats—though not as it once did. Instead of perishing entirely, it transformed into something else: an eternal consciousness of cold, an entity known only as the Unknown.
Some believe this being to be a god of frost, formed from the very essence of the slain titan. Others claim it is the last remnant of the Ice Elementari’s soul, twisted into something new by its ancient death. Whatever the truth, one fact remains: the unnatural cold that grips the Isle of the Icebourne originates from Icespire Mountain.
The myths vary wildly—some say the Archon slumbers, waiting for the day it will awaken and reclaim the world in ice, while others claim it is conscious and watching, an intelligence buried beneath centuries of ice, whispering to those who dare enter its domain.
There are even whispers of an Icebourne race, creatures born from the frozen land itself, said to guard the mountain and spread its influence beyond the isle. If these beings exist, they are rarely seen, lurking in the endless storms that rage across the island, their presence felt only in the eerie silence that follows the howling winds.
Myths & Legends
The Isle of the Icebourne is the subject of countless tales told by Solir sailors and Vanir scholars, though few have ever set foot upon its frozen shores. Some of the most enduring legends include:
- Ancient myths speak of creatures that spread ice like a disease, their mere presence capable of freezing entire ships solid in an instant. Some sailors claim to have seen figures moving within the blizzards, humanoid shapes wreathed in frost, but none have lived long enough to verify the truth.
- Some believe that the Archon of Ice is not dead but sleeping, and that one day, the mountain will shatter, unleashing an ice age upon the world.
- Shipwrecks that venture too close to the Isle are sometimes found entombed in ice, their crews frozen in place as if caught in their final moments. Some say these ships drift upon the tides for eternity, lost vessels forever trapped between time and ice.
Despite its dangers, the Isle of the Icebourne remains a subject of fascination for scholars, sorcerers, and cultists alike. There are rumors that the Empire of Bastile has sent expeditions in search of ancient artifacts buried beneath the ice, though none have returned.
Whatever secrets lie within the isle, they remain buried beneath endless frost, waiting for those foolish—or brave—enough to uncover them.