





                                    Arctic Domain
                               Domain Lord : Lady Shya
                                 Start date 8-1-2000


                                      Terrain:
                                     Mountainous
                                       Tundra
                                      Sea Side

            The arctic area is bounded on three sides.  To the east and
            west is open water with frequent icebergs.  The ocean to the
            north is under a permanent ice pack.  Icebergs break off
            this ice pack and drift to the south, occurring most
            frequently in the spring.

            The western terrain is mountainous, with fjords. To the
            north glaciers empty into the fjords while to the south
            rivers are more common.

            Central terrain consists of rolling hills and drumlins.
            Drumlins occurring mainly to the northwest, abutting the
            mountainous areas.

            Eastern terrain is generally flat tundra, with infrequent
            rivers.  Frozen marshes occur often in the northern reaches.

                                     Population:
                                        Human
                                      Non-human

            Human population is concentrated primarily along the
            coastlines.  Most settlements occur mainly next to the
            natural harbors formed by the many fjords of the western
            coast and at the mouths of the larger rivers along the east
            cost. In general, southern settlements are older and larger
            than those to the north are.  The abundant supply of wood,
            especially in the western mountains, means most construction
            is of wood; including the walls surrounding most villages.
            Occasionally the older and larger towns to the south have
            stone walls, and even keeps.  The largest of these towns,
            however, have long outgrown their stone defenses, but only
            the most affluent will have added wooden defenses
            surrounding the growing area; leaving the residents of these
            new areas to fend for themselves or find refuge within the
            city's primary defenses.

            Human population in the central tundra is limited to the
            occasional trading outpost and small bands of wandering
            hunters, which spend their lives following the large,
            frequent caribou herds and avoiding the large predators
            (mainly wolves and Polar Bears) which do likewise.  What few
            permanent settlements there are will be very small and
            located at strategic points along the few rivers flowing





            south into the more heavily populated, temperate region to
            the south.

            Non-human populations appear with significantly less in
            frequency than their human neighbors do.  Owing to the
            remoteness, however, non-human settlements are far more
            common (if you can call the few there are _common_) than in
            the temperate and tropical areas.

            Elves and Dwarves appear throughout the western mountains.
            Elves, being (slightly) more tolerant of human proclivities
            remain along the seaside.  Dwarves, however, have retreated
            to the more-barren eastern slopes where they may better
            avoid human contact.

            The lack of any significant mountains in the central tundra
            and along the eastern coast limits Dwarves to the western
            mountains.  Elves, however, still maintain settlements
            throughout the entire arctic; those living the central
            tundra and along the eastern coast, however, hold humans in
            lower regard than their western relatives (who they consider
            slightly insane for having any commerce with humans).

            Due to lack of any large wooded areas in the central tundra,
            Elven settlements are very rare in the region.  Legend,
            however, reports a vast forest somewhere in the northern
            tundra where the Elves still hold sway under the leadership
            of a mighty king who rules from a mighty throne of living
            wood at the center of a vast Elven city.  The truth of this
            legend, however, has never been verified; searchers have
            never returned; and if the southern Elves know the truth of
            the matter, they keep it close.

            With the exception of hunting parties (which are not
            nomadic), and armed groups chasing down marauders, Elves and
            Dwarves rarely leave their home territories.

            The more feral non-humans (Goblins, Orcs, Kobolds, etc.)
            appear most frequently throughout the central tundra (having
            been run off by the Elves, Dwarves and Humans to the east
            and west).  Probably owing to the lack of Dwarves along the
            eastern coast, some Goblin and Orc population centers [Ed:
            I'm loath to dignify them with the word _city_ or _town._]
            remain.  Unconfirmed reports even have it the Kobolds have
            managed to stop bickering long enough to congregate into
            something resembling a village.  [Ed: I have my doubts, but
            the frequency and veracity of these reports remain, even
            increasing in recent years.]

            Larger non-humans (giants, gnolls, etc.) are extremely rare
            and appear only in the western mountains.

            The sylvan races (sprites, pixies, etc.) prefer the warmer
            climes to the south and so are not seen in the arctic.