As we can see, the land looks pretty barren, but this is an arctic region, we aren't exactly expecting a massive variety of flora and fauna. I already mentioned that Frost Giants and White Dragons will be present in this region. I can also close my eyes and picture Remorhazs and Frost Worms slithering down the countryside, making abandoned ruins their nesting grounds. This is all good and all, but we need fluff. We need stuff here to give the region pizzazz. Adventurers need a reason to come to the land of the ice and snow.
The easiest place to begin adding fluff is in your towns and cities. Let us begin with Skrarut, our only locale that is somewhat safe at Wintermoot. Skrarut, I can picture as a town founded by adventurers. They came long ago to Wintermoot in search of Frost Giant treasure, but were greeted with the barren cold. However, the determination of an adventurer made them fight the bitter cold, and when they began to find treasure, it only attracted all sundry sorts to their city. The city is united by a sort of oligarchy from the heads of the major guilds, in an attempt to keep the peace. They city I can also imagine united in faith, especially around deities of death, which is all to common, but also deities of strength, and also the worship of the god of the Frost Giants. However, the Frost Giant deity (Thrym in the core setting) is more worshiped against, in hopes to keep away the Frost Giants.
It is harder to give examples on what you should do for civilization fluff, because every place is different. My first two, and pretty much only two suggestions on this would be to think about the region the city or town is in, and then think of it's history and psychology. What do the townspeople think? A town or city in the mountains might have an economy based on mining, and probably a Dwarven culture, compared to a town located along a river fork, which would be more focused on trading, and also more cosmopolitan. Sometimes even neighboring locations can be vastly different. Philadelphia and Camden are separated by a single river, and yet both have very distinctive feels as cities. In my more personal campaign setting, the city of Pendragon's Cauldron is even internally inconsistent, showing off it's own history as a handful of towns and trading posts.
And a city built into the side of a waterfall will have a very different feel.
Let your imagination run free.
Then next major piece of fluff you can make is the relationships between the major forces of the region. How does civilization compete with things like dragons and giants. A good stating point, again, is the region and history. The Frost Giants have ruins scattered along the island, which means that they once had a civilization here that was brought down, maybe by the White Dragons? Maybe the current White Dragon is a descendent or even consort to the original menace. Maybe the Frost Giants call her things like White Bitch and Mother Giant Killer, pointing to the fact that she has a clutch of eggs, or maybe wyrmlings. Maybe the original menace is a Dracolich still hiding in Mount Ereberous, clinging onto it's treasure with an unholy death-grip. At the moment, let us focus on one dragon, whom lives on the giant iceberg known as the Ice Palace. Let's leave some mystery on the island.
How does Skrarut fair against these forces. Well, the original adventurers came prepared for giants, and maybe have a very fragile trade plan open with them, one constantly chipped away at by raiding groups looking for treasure. However, Skrarut is laughably unprepared for the White Dragons, and live in constant fear of their attacks, not knowing if their next day will be their last. This is partially what will make Skrarut dangerous, living with such a constant threat does things to people. Again, this goes back to the civilization fluff and psychological conditioning based on the region. Psychology is an unthought of power over people. Its so basic and pervasive nobody ever thinks about it, and yet without it, all we got are cookie cut-out locales and people.
Super-awesome Frost Giant image by Boudiccia
And there we have it, we have a pretty solid region. Now, its a stand-alone place, not really connected to anything. Maybe in a later post I will go over linking areas that are close by, but next Table Plan, I believe we should begin talking about dungeons, and how I go about making them, and maybe giving you an idea or two on how to go about making them to, if you don't have your own process. Maybe next world-building post I can show off my personal campaign world, maybe go on discussions about making governments and homebrew faith systems. But until next time my friends, hapy adventuring. :D
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