The Great Ice
Far to the north lies the Great Ice; an inhospitible region of freezing temperatures and little food.
Geography
The Great Ice is a continental ice sheet which extends from the northern edge of The Rhine nearly all the way to Aren's north pole. It consists of hundreds of glacial mountains, valleys, and crevasses. There are many bodies of fresh water within the Great Ice, most of them frozen. Contrary to popular belief, ice doesn't cover the entirelty of the Great Ice; there are large stretches of oft-frozen ground beyond the southern glaciers.
Ecosystem
The ecosystem within the Great Ice are harsh; tundra plants can grow only within a short four-month period and lie under up to five feet of snow through much of the year. Still, many creatures make their home here: herbivores such as rodents and elk and predators like wolves and yeti.
Ecosystem Cycles
Most herbivores migrate to warmer grounds or hibernate during the winter months. Many travel as far south as the Rhine, where they feast until it is time to head north again for the breeding season.
Predators follow these migrations pretty closely, hunting often while prey is plentiful and burying caches of food for leaner months.
Localized Phenomena
As a result of ice reflecting light, low-hanging clouds over the Great Ice often appear to be glowing when seen from a distance. Additionally, solar winds often create dancing auroras in the Northlands. Depending on conditions, sound can me muffled or heard clearly up to 3km away. Mirages are common.
Fauna & Flora
The Great Ice is home to creatures such as yeti, ice worms, mammoths, mux oxen, saber-toothed tigers, winter wolves, dragons, bears, arctic foxes, hares, lemmings, shoosova, owlbears, and other species suited to that environment.
Natural Resources
The Great Ice makes up roughly 70% of Aren's fresh water. Buried deep beneath the ice are rich deposits of gold, silver, platinum, sapphire, rubies and other precious gemstones; however, the ice makes any effort to extract these riches extremely difficult.
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