Eiselcross

Fan-made map of Eiselcross, by West Haberlein

Eiselcross lies north of the Greying Wildlands of Wildemount in the Frigid Depths. It is a group of imposing icy islands, known collectively with the Wildlands as the "Biting North". The site of the crash of the Pre-Calamity floating city-state of Aeor, it is the location of multiple strange artifacts and powerful beasts.

Description

Eiselcross is considered part of Wildemount overall, but it is a frozen arctic area separated from the mainland by the Frigid Depths. Most of its islands are open snowy tundra, blizzard-scarred landscapes, and snowy mountains of grey and white stone.

Transporting to Eiselcross by magical means is hazardous, so visitors tend to travel by sea. While the shortest sea route between the Empire and Foren would be via Icehaven or Bysaes Tyl, the Frigid Depths there are extremely dangerous, and therefore most people prefer to go through Palebank Village in Uthodurn.

The ballista used in Bazzoxan was partially constructed from "something" recovered in Eiselcross.

Geography

Eiselcross contains two very small ice fishing villages that are expansions of the Dwendalian Empire. Aside from those, it is mostly uninhabited and unvisited. It consists of a collection of eight icy islands, some of which have small, snow-covered mountains ranges:

Beissel

The third largest island, it is also the farthest north, and the home of white dragons.

Dampfkan

The location of an active volcano.

Foren

Eiselcross's largest island and the site of the ruins of Aeor, it is a magnet for treasure seekers. For that reason, mages of the Cerberus Assembly maintain a fort there called Balenpost, and mercenary explorers of Uthodurn populate the small settlement of Syrinlya. One of the Aeorian artifacts was responsible for transforming a frost giant castle into the Fortress of the Dead Jarl around 635 PD.

Vess DeRogna stated that Aeor's presence has continued to weave unchecked magical oddities and wild magic in the area, such as the perpetually flowing river of lava that bisects the island. Teleportation to the area is disrupted as well.

Frostbogen

Little is known of this island save that it is incredibly dangerous.

Gelier

Eiselcross's second-largest island, it holds the body of Quajath the Undermaw, and its wormkins.

Kaltsel

The smallest of the islands, located southeast of Foren.

Schneescel

This small island lies southwest of Foren.

Taergoss

Eiselcross's second smallest island is a favorite spot for fishing vessels to anchor overnight.

Fauna

Eiselcross holds many creatures that have spent a millennia or more living there and are extremely dangerous.

History

Eiselcross remained mostly unpopulated because of its near-polar location, having only a small Uthodurnian fishing village named Syrinlya on the largest island of Foren. Over the past half-century, however, strange small artifacts began to be found in the ice there and be traded south, and this drew the attention of the Dwendalian Empire. They created the outpost of Balenpost to further their explorations for what they believed could be the lost ruins of Aeor.

Many nations have become interested in the potential wealth of knowledge and power that would be contained within Aeor, and tensions have been and remain high there between Empire and Kryn Dynasty representatives.

References

Art: