Skelheim

Skelheim

Climate: Perpetually frozen, sub-zero temperatures year-round
Population: No formal civilization; inhabited by three nomadic tribes
Dominant Species: Alonzites (polar bear folk), Dohwar (penguin folk), Tusk Brood (walrus folk)
Known Deities: Syncretic god formed from aspects of Boann (Water Primordial) and Vayu-Vata (Wind Primordial)
Explored by: The Cobalt Soul (partial), various independent expeditions

Overview

Skelheim is a blighted, ice-locked island, perpetually gripped by the chaotic aftermath of The Rending. Temperatures remain below freezing throughout the year, resulting in a harsh and barren landscape where little grows and survival is a daily struggle.

Inhabitants

The island is home to three distinct clans of sentient animal-folk:

• The Alonzites – Polar bear-like nomads known for their strength and stoic traditions.
• The Dohwar – Agile and clever penguin-folk who often claim the southern coasts and sea-adjacent hunting grounds.
• The Tusk Brood – Walrus-folk with a warrior culture, known for their endurance and fierce territorial defense.

These clans are in a near-constant state of conflict over limited resources, including hunting grounds and foraging territories. Despite the scarcity, a rough balance of power has formed, punctuated by brief periods of diplomacy and uneasy truces.

Religion and Language

Though their customs differ, all three tribes share a deep reverence for a deity that appears to be a fusion of Boann, the Water Primordial, and Vayu-Vata, the Wind Primordial. Their worship is expressed through elaborate rituals tied to combat, death, and survival.

Each tribe speaks a unique dialect combining ancestral animalistic sounds with elements reminiscent of ancient Primordial. Tribal leaders, however, are known to speak a dialect of Common, allowing for limited diplomatic discourse between the factions.

Exploration and Study

Attempts to explore and study Skelheim—most notably by agents of the Cobalt Soul—have met with mixed success. The environment is unforgiving, and outsiders are rarely welcomed. The Cobalt Soul has managed to document cultural practices and some linguistic structures, but deeper studies have been impeded by both the hostility of the terrain and the guarded nature of the tribal societies.

Advisory

Travel to Skelheim is not recommended. The region remains volatile, and continued tribal conflict makes the island dangerous for outsiders. Current consensus advises that the peoples of Skelheim be left to govern themselves according to their own customs.