The North Waste

Howling winds descend from snowy mountain peaks through the barren foothills that skirt them. Sparse evergreens spot the landscape, often encased in ice. The dwarfs have constructed a small town nestled between the hills, with a mountain windbreak. They have come here in search of precious gems. Mountains form the northern border of this land and they scoop South along the East and West edges forming a roughly semicircular open area. The mountains give way to foothils where the town and several other camps begin, and a few sparse trees appear. The foothills decrease in size, creating a tundra with scattered clumps of evergreens. This section is host to a single lake in the West. Camps can be found here and there, belonging to both bandits and law abiding citizens. The most notable camp is the established Ranger Post to the Southwest of the dwarven town. This may seem a harsh sounding name for a starting area, but this area provides a dramatic setting for low-level adventures that are accessible and flexible.

The landscape contains limited features so far, but is open to possibility. The dwarven town of Icepick is situated near the eastern edge of the wastes, directly South of Talbreak Mountain. There is a newly opened mine only about two hours journey on foot from the town. It is to the Southeast. This mine was opened to accommodate the slew of new prospectors. A small band of opportunistic goblins have taken advantage of these ill prepared travellers and secured the mine for their own purposes.

The bandits are another option for a low level adventure. The whole tundra is rife with them, so they could easily ambush an unsuspecting adventuring party, or they could be hunted down to help make the area more habitable.

Speaking of habitability, this wild land is also home to wolves and bears that could pose a threat along the road.

Heroes in search of a greater challenge could make off in search of a stolen gem. A group of miscreant kobolds have laid their claws on a magnificent gem of the newly discovered frigynt. The new mineral glows icy blue and seems to radiate energy that is not understood. The dwarven authorities had been transporting it for research when it was stolen. The Kobolds make base near Mount Adrog, which features a gaping cave high on its slopes. It is also the subject of many rumors of dragons in the area, though none of them are confirmed and there is no particular evidence of dragon attacks.

The dwarves have older and deeper running mines that reach beneath Talbreak. Only the dwarves themselves and select expert miners make their way through the tunnels. The quality of the frigynt deposits found has increased with depth, and in addition strange occurrences like mysterious moving boulders have increased with depth as well. Recently the expansion of the mine shaft opened unto an existing abyssal cavern. No exploration has been done within. The warm air that emanates from the cavern indicates the depths are beyond that which is safe for conventional mining. There are occasional rumblings from within, but no other change... yet.