Ice Steppes

The Ice Steppes is a harsh and frozen tundra located in northern Iobaria. Bordering on the Crown of the World, the Ice Steppes are covered in snow year round, and even in the summer months the temperatures barely rise above freezing, while in winter the land is covered by polar night and almost daily blizzards.

Geography

An ice-frosted desert, life survives in the Ice Steppes thanks to the region's overactive volcanoes. Lava outpourings from the volcanoes solidified over glaciers, which were then melted by geothermal vents, creating large volcanic caverns kept temperate by volcanic activity. These caverns serve as homes and shelters for the inhabitants of the region, including the Tsolniva centaurs, trolls, and various giants.

The Eastern Ice Steppes are considered to be part of the Dvezda Marches.

Inhabitants

The Ice Steppes are more populous than one would expect of such a harsh and barren land, inhabited by creatures not seen in other lands, including ice wolves, hoarpanthers, and other dire animals. Among the more intelligent inhabitants are tribes of adlets, frost giants, and taiga giants, packs of polar kamadans, clutches of ice drakes, and barbaric clans of Tsolniva centaurs.

Tsolniva centaurs

While the Tsolniva centaurs have found comfortable homes in the volcanic caverns of the Ice Steppes, the lack of food in the region has pushed many towards a life of raiding and barbarity. Some clans of Tsolniva have descended into demon worship, while at least one clan has allied themselves with the white dragon Sjohvor.

Giants

While frost giants are the most common form of giant in the Ice Steppes, living in a land once ruled by Kostchtchie, nomadic taiga giants also call the region home. The Wyrmtooth Tribe of taiga giants has remained in Ice Steppes for two generations, putting them into conflict with both their frost giant kin and the Tsolniva centaurs.