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 gray and white stone mountains.
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, part of the Uthodurnian Diarchy.
The ballista used in Bazzoxan was partially constructed from "something" recovered in Eiselcross.
Geography
Eiselcross consists of a collection of eight icy islands, some of which have small, snow-covered mountain 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.
- Ruins of Aeor: a floating city that crashed in Eiselcross in the Calamity. Shortly before 835 PD, a few outposts began excavating there in a hunt for ancient relics.
- Allowak's Sanctuary: a small secret village of intelligent yetis on the island.
- Syrinlya: an outpost of Uthodurn.
- Balenpost: a small outpost and research facility controlled by the Cerberus Assembly.
- Fortress of the Dead Jarl: a castle of ice, once controlled by frost giants.
- River Inferno: an unnatural mile-wide lava river that divides the island into eastern and western halves.
Frostbogen
Little is known of this island save that it is incredibly dangerous; a large Cerberus Assembly expedition to Frostbogen once disappeared with no trace.
Gelier
Eiselcross's second-largest island, it holds the body of Quajath the Undermaw, and its wormkin.
Kaltsel
The smallest of the islands, located southeast of Foren and rumored to be home to a warlock of Asmodeus, Mynarc Furdahl.
Schneescel
This small island lies southwest of Foren and is beset by a constant blizzard, possibly caused by an Aeorian relic.
Taergoss
Eiselcross's second smallest island is a popular spot for fishing vessels to anchor overnight, but strange wails can be heard from the center of the island; few leave their ships.
Fauna
Eiselcross holds many creatures that have lived there for at least a millennium, and which are extremely dangerous.
Wildfolk of Eiselcross
A small nomadic human and halfling tribe of wildfolk has lived in Eiselcross for many years. They live a simple life, worshiping forces of nature, and deliberately avoid the Aeorian ruins.
Allowak Yetis
A small group of yetis were changed by an Aeorian crystal, and their intelligence increased. They have since lived in a small society called Allowak's Sanctuary, and mostly avoid outsiders.
History
Eiselcross was believed to be mostly unpopulated because of its near-polar location, with only a small Uthodurnian fishing village named Syrinlya on the largest island of Foren. Beginning in the late 700s PD, however, some strange artifacts were found within the ice and were traded south. This drew the attention of the Dwendalian Empire, who founded the outpost of Balenpost to further their explorations of what they believed to be the lost ruins of Aeor.
As of 836 PD, many nations had become interested in the potential wealth of knowledge and power that could be found within Aeor, and tensions had been and remained high between Empire and Kryn Dynasty representatives, even prior to the War of Ash and Light.
During the apogee solstice of 843 PD many Xhorhasian soldiers were still found in Eiselcross, particularly near the ruins of Aeor.
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