Northern Ice Wastes — Stormfront Rising

Where the Dragons’ Teeth meet the endless cold, the world itself seems to hold its breath.

Terrain

Endless plains of wind‑scoured ice stretch between jagged ridges. The snow here never melts — it drifts in sculpted dunes that whisper across the frozen stone. Beneath the surface lie ancient tunnels carved by glacial rivers, now solidified into glassy corridors. The mountains rise like frozen fangs, their peaks shrouded in perpetual stormclouds.

Climate

Temperatures plunge far below freezing even in daylight. The air is thin and sharp, carrying the scent of ozone and frost. Blizzards roll down from the high passes without warning, burying camps and erasing tracks within minutes. Auroras shimmer faintly at night, painting the ice in ghostly green and violet hues.

Inhabitants

• Ice‑Tribe Nomads — Hardy clans who follow migrating herds of frost elk and snow‑bison. They wear layered hides and wield bone‑hafted spears tipped with obsidian.

• Frost Spirits — Ethereal entities that drift through the blizzards, whispering warnings or curses to travelers.

• Snow‑Lions — Apex predators that prowl the valleys, their golden eyes gleaming through the storm.

• Ice‑Wyrm Spawn — Rare, serpentine offspring of the legendary wyrm beneath Sky Lake, seen only during deep winter migrations.

Hazards

• Whiteout Storms: Visibility drops to nothing; travelers risk wandering into crevasses or thin ice.

• Frozen Echoes: Sound carries strangely — a whisper can seem like a shout, and footsteps echo from unseen directions.

• Glacial Collapse: Entire ice shelves can shear away, plunging explorers into abyssal chasms.

Points of Interest

• The Shattered Obelisk: A monolith of black ice inscribed with runes that glow faintly under moonlight.

• Frosthelm’s Northern Watch: A dwarven outpost built into the cliffside, its beacon fires visible for leagues.

• The Silent Vale: A valley where no wind blows and no sound carries; said to be haunted by the first Ice‑Tribe chieftain.

D6 Adventure Hooks — Northern Ice Wastes

1. The Frozen Messenger — A Frosthelm scout is found encased in ice, clutching a sealed rune‑tube. The message inside is still warm… and ticking.

2. Tracks of the Snow‑Lion King — A massive snow‑lion has begun hunting Ice‑Tribe caravans. Its tracks lead toward a storm‑shrouded valley no one returns from.

3. The Aurora That Whispers — During a rare crimson aurora, voices call out from the sky, begging for release. Ice‑Tribe shamans believe a spirit has been imprisoned beneath the glacier.

4. The Lost Warband — An Ice‑Tribe warband vanished while pursuing a wyrm‑spawn. Their abandoned camp shows signs of a struggle… and something burrowing up from below.

5. The Black‑Ice Obelisk — A new rune has appeared overnight on the Shattered Obelisk. Frosthelm scholars fear it is a countdown.

6. Tremors Beneath Sky Lake — The lake’s frozen surface cracks with thunderous force. Locals claim the Legendary Ice‑Wyrm is stirring — and something else is waking with it.

d20 Northern Ice Wastes — Wilderness Encounters 

1. Whiteout Storm — Total loss of visibility; frostbite and disorientation risks.

2. Snow‑Lion Pride — A trio of apex predators stalking from the ridges.

3. Ice‑Tribe Hunters — Cautious nomads offering trade… or testing strength.

4. Frozen Corpse — A half‑buried body clutching a dwarven relic; disturbing it may awaken spirits.

5. Avalanche — A thunderous collapse of snow and ice; Agility rolls to escape.

6. Frost Spirits — Whispering phantoms drifting through the blizzard.

7. Ice‑Wyrm Spawn — A juvenile wyrm bursts from beneath the snow.

8. Lost Caravan — Frost‑bitten traders with wagons hiding something unnatural.

9. Glacial Crevasse — The ground gives way into a deadly abyss.

10. Aurora Spirits — Spectral beasts dancing beneath the shimmering lights.

11. Frozen Lake Crossing — Thin ice groans; something moves beneath the surface.

12. Ice‑Tribe Warband — Mounted warriors on frost elk charge from the mist.

13. Frosthelm Patrol — Dwarven scouts searching for missing miners.

14. Frozen Obelisk — A black‑ice monolith humming with ancient runes.

15. Snow‑Bison Herd — A migrating herd thundering across the plain.

16. Ice Elemental — A sentient shard of living frost rises from the glacier.

17. Frozen Vale Spirits — Ghosts of the Silent Vale seeking warmth and memory.

18. Frosthelm Relic Hunters — Dwarves searching for lost artifacts.

19. Ice‑Wyrm Tremor — The ground shakes; distant roars echo beneath the ice.

20. Legendary Ice‑Wyrm — The ancient wyrm itself rises from beneath Sky Lake.