The Norden Wastes are a vast, frozen expanse of barren tundras stretching for thousands of miles across the southern reaches of Norska. This desolate region is known for its inhospitable climate, where icy gales whip across the land, and constant snowstorms swirl ominously on the horizons. The Norden Wastes are one of the most unforgiving environments in the world of Tolria, where only the most resilient creatures can survive. The wastes serve as a natural boundary, separating the northern reaches of Norska from the fiery lands of the Forlorn Flames of Fyrashan to the south.
Geography and Climate
The terrain of the Norden Wastes is largely flat and featureless, a barren tundra covered in thick layers of ice and snow. Jagged ice formations occasionally pierce through the snow-covered plains, while frozen rivers and lakes dot the landscape. However, the most notable geographical feature of the wastes is the unrelenting, bone-chilling cold. Temperatures regularly drop to lethal levels, and the winds tear across the tundra with incredible force, making travel nearly impossible for those unprepared.
Snowstorms are a near-constant threat, with massive blizzards capable of disorienting even the most experienced travelers. These storms can last for days, blotting out the sky and burying anything caught in their path under mountains of snow. Even more dangerous are the sudden maelstroms and ashen blizzards that occur when the freezing temperatures of the Norden Wastes collide with the volcanic heat of the Forlorn Flames to the south. These weather events are unpredictable and can devastate entire regions, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake.
Flora and Fauna
Few living things can survive in the brutal conditions of the Norden Wastes. Plant life is virtually nonexistent, save for a few hardy, frost-resistant lichens that cling to life in the cracks of frozen rocks. The scarcity of vegetation has led to an ecosystem dominated by predatory creatures, each adapted to hunt and survive in the wasteland’s harsh environment.
Among the most dangerous predators are the Ice Wyrms, massive serpentine creatures that burrow beneath the ice and snow, waiting to ambush any living thing that crosses their path. The Ice Wyrms are feared for their speed and ferocity, as they can strike from below without warning, dragging their prey into the icy depths.
Another fearsome creature that calls the Norden Wastes home is the Rhemoraz, a gigantic, insectoid serpent known for its heat-emitting body. The Remorhaz is capable of melting through ice and snow as it tunnels through the frozen earth, hunting down anything unfortunate enough to cross its path. Both Ice Wyrms and Remorhaz are apex predators in the wastes, and only the most skilled hunters dare to challenge them.
The Fall of Skald
Legend has it that the Norden Wastes were once a more varied and rugged landscape, but the fall of Skald, the Elementari of Ice, reshaped the region. During the ancient wars of the Second Age, Skald was sealed within a massive glacier beneath the continent by the gods. The battle between Skald and the Unknown gods -- particularly Borealis -- flattened much of the region as the Elementari’s immense power reshaped the land, turning it into the icy wasteland it is today.
The influence of Skald’s presence is still felt throughout the Norden Wastes. The elemental power of ice that radiates from his glacial prison keeps the land locked in perpetual winter, and many believe that the freezing temperatures and deadly snowstorms are a direct result of Skald’s slumbering wrath. Some Unknown shamans even claim to hear the distant echoes of Skald’s fury in the howling winds, a constant reminder of the elemental titan's power.
The Maelstroms and Ashen Blizzards
The southern boundary of the Norden Wastes, where the tundras meet the volcanic lands of the Fyrashan, is a region of extreme and volatile weather patterns. The mixing of the cold air from the wastes and the searing heat from the volcanic plains creates powerful and destructive storms known as maelstroms. These storms often bring with them ashen blizzards—snow mixed with volcanic ash—that can bury entire villages and freeze the land beneath a layer of darkened snow.
These maelstroms are highly unpredictable and can strike with little warning. The combination of snow and ash creates an otherworldly landscape, where the ground appears blackened and the air is filled with swirling gray particles. Travelers caught in these storms face not only the danger of freezing to death but also the choking hazard posed by the ash-filled winds.
The Wastes and Norskan Tribes
The Norden Wastes are home to some of the most hardened and ferocious Norskan tribes, including the Tribe of Ulfbjorn, whose village lies on the edge of the wastes (Ulfbjorn Village). The tribes that inhabit this region have adapted to the harsh environment, their strength and resilience allowing them to survive where few others can. The barren tundra has shaped the culture of these tribes, who rely on hunting the dangerous creatures of the wastes and raiding southern settlements for sustenance.
The Werebear of the Ulfbjorn Tribe, in particular, are renowned for their ability to hunt in the open tundra. Their primal, animalistic nature allows them to thrive in the icy expanse, and they view the wastes as both their home and their hunting ground. The harsh conditions of the Norden Wastes have forged these Norskans into fearsome warriors, their survival instincts honed by generations of life in one of the most hostile environments in the world.