Frostide

The Frostide is the northernmost continent of Kerebos, a subarctic taiga known for its rich, earthy valleys and ancient pines scattered across the harsh and unforgiving environment. Once an untouched paradise, home to the Goliaths who still inhabit the Glass Peaks, human settlement spread rapidly as adventurous pioneers sought to establish a foothold in the region prior to the Upheaval. The continent underwent swift and significant change afterward, with the population dwindling and most choosing to leave the barren tundra.

For centuries, the ancient magic locked away within the Alderwood slowly drained away, killing the forest and leaving corruption in its wake. In Y471 DA, The Obsidian Spire — a conclave and scholastic proving ground for the magically inclined — suffered a terrible fate: an arcane implosion which destroyed it, as well as the settlements of Wake and Hope. Due to its isolation, a proper investigation has never been held, and the cause of the destruction is unknown. However, it appears to have quickened the decline of the Alderwood, and the region finds itself on the cusp of total annihilation, prompting members of The Alderwyrd to reach out to The Wild Hunt for aid, setting the scene for the opening arcs of Campaign: Wither and Bloom.

Frostide's foundation is a mix of shield and taiga, with cold and relentless, dry winters and summers that rarely raise above freezing. What plantlife flourishes there is hardy, rigid, and ancient. The Glass Peaks cut tall, imposing silhouettes from the south and west, serving as protection against storms and invaders alike. The mountains slopes are steep and passages through are narrow, with only a handful of roads leading through the passes. Goliath villages are built into the cliffside plateaus, cutting themselves off from the outside world, placing their faith in the elements that surround them.

Beyond, The Alderwood stretches to the northern and western tips of Frostide. This ancient, gnarled forest predates civilization and the arrival of the Celestials, imbued with magic that sings with the words of the wild gods themselves. The weald is long dead, with only a few trees still breathing within its corruption. The Ring Road, an old highway cut and worn by the first settlers to the region, cuts through parts of the Alderwood, but centuries of neglect have seen it encroaching upon once-safe highway.

To the north, the Shivering Sea flows into the impassable Manastorm. The water here is crystalline blue and impossibly still, and the further north one sails, the colder the air becomes, from brisk to bone-chilling in a matter of meters.

Isolation (Frostide) by LeonardoAI

The oldest known civilizations upon Frostide belong to the Dwarf kingdoms of old. They carved expansive tunnels and massive masterwork cities beneath the surface of the Reach, with empires spreading well beyond the continent's borders, though the bulk were centralized beneath The Glass Peaks, with some of their burrows reaching as deep as the mythical Underdark. These kingdoms collapsed eight centuries ago due to depleting natural resources, not long before the arrival of human settlers.

Stories of the first Goliath are little more than myth, but their ancestral Oro'kyr roots are evident. In the time between the rise and fall of the Dwarven kingdoms, they came to inhabit the land above, first forging a connection with the ancient wisdom of the Alderwood before retreating fully, now inhabiting the Glass Peaks. Their stories speak of wild gods who predated the Celestials, though only worship of the The Herald of the Sky still pervades their culture, even spreading it to the human settlers who sought to harness their knowledge of the elements and surviving upon Frostide.

The first Human pioneers arrived to flee the growing oversight and guiding law of The Elysian League. Their communities prospered in spite of the hardships faced against the elements, territorial gnolls, and the beasts of The Alderwood, building nearly a dozen major settlements spread across the continent, connected by the Ring Road which allowed for easy trade and travel between them.

The arrival of The Prime Dragon Hierarchy saw Katulma, the Tidemother, take special interest in the landmass, particularly with the chaotic magic of the Alderwood. Always a dangerous place, her arrival coincided with the rapid decline of its vitality. In the centuries that followed the establishment of her lair, linked to her plane of The Eventide, the Alderwood died a slow, yet sudden, death. This fate was worsened in Y471, a decade ago, with the destruction of The Obsidian Spire unleashing a catastrophic wave of unshackled arcana, spurring unchecked growth of strange, unidentifiable fungal spores across the continent. Key Locations

• The Rookery — The de facto capital of Frostide, located upon the southern tip of the continent. Once a thriving port city, it has come to the precipice of ruin under corrupt leadership by The Stormcallers and a fatal coup staged by The Broken Blade.
• Sanctum — One of the few cities of Frostide to still be thriving due to the spread-too-thin efforts of The Lamplighters. As part of the Frostide Expedition, the Wild Hunt set base camp on the outskirts of the city, assimilating well to the quaint city.
• Fortitude — Once famed for its high walls and impregnable gates, the glory of Fortitude has been long forgotten, with many of the able-bodied fighters and mercenaries leaving behind the sick, infirm, elderly, and children. Now, the legacy of the once-great Knights of the Stone Wheel rests on the shoulders of a band of teenagers left behind to defend their home.
• The Obsidian Spire — Once a hub of magical learning prized for its isolation and separation from civilization, the Spire's destruction a decade ago shook the very foundation of Frostide. To most, however, the site had long gone rogue, separating itself from Ostean influence, leaving the truth of its destruction still a mystery, as reaching the tower's base requires dealing with dangerous arcane fallout that spreads for miles.
• The Alderwood — An ancient forest always twinged with the spectre of dark magic, the arrival of dragons only seemed to spur its decline. Now, a shell of its former self, it haunts the people of Frostide and serves as the heart of the lingering corruption that threatens its people.

The flora of Frostide was once rich in biodiversity, with coniferous trees mingling with ancient deciduous forests that originated before earliest civilization came to the region. Liferoot, Witherbark, and Bubblebulb are bountiful around the Glass Peaks, while the Alderwood is home to dozens of unique species, such as Mossblood and Pinkthorn Berry, that cannot be found outside of its unique ecosystem.

Biodiversity has suffered greatly with the fall of the Alderwood, with entire swaths of fauna wiped out by its destruction. The forest is famed for its monstrous beasts that appear from nowhere, massive monsters and elemental surges that threaten the safety of border-towns. Gnolls once occupied the western edge of the continent, preferring the bases of mountains and craggy cliffside to build their camps. Rumours of Hagravens, a coven of at least five, have persisted as long as humans have lived upon the continent.

Recently, fungus that should neither thrive nor grow upon such cold, infertile soil have cropped up at the base of lightning-charred Witherbark. Additionally, much of the wildlife — particularly wolves — have suffered parasitic infestation, with long, wispy white mushrooms growing inside of their bodies, overrunning vital organs and even replacing bloodflow in favour of its symbiotic override.

Like most Ele'nar, many of the humans of Frostide range between non-religious and worship of the Seven Sisters. However, early settlers who traded and developed relationships with the Goliath also adopted their worship of the natural world, particularly with The Herald of the Sky.

Following the Upheaval, worship of the Herald waned as her influence was less often felt by the humans who revered her. Only The Stormcallers continued their fervent worship, shifting from a full-blown faith militant to little more than a cult without influence beyond the walls of The Rookery. With the corruption and death of their leader, Meredith Stormguard, it is unclear how worship of her will continue beyond the pockets of casual worship upheld by The Alderwyrd.

The Harlequin is worshipped by some members of The Lamplighters, hoping for good fortune and twisting fates. Organizations

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