Guide to the Frozenfar

The Frozenfar is the coldest, most remote region of the North. It comprised the Spine of the World mountains; the frigid lands to the north and west; including Icewind Dale, the Cold Run, the icebergs of the Sea of Moving Ice, and the northeasternmost part of the Trackless Sea.

Across the nations of the Forgotten Realms, the Frozenfar often referred to anything in the far north of Faerun. In the North, the term “Frozenfar” referred only to the lands north of the Spine of the World.

The Frozenfar reached the northern peaks of the Spine of the World and extended northwest through the Sea of Moving Ice. It stretched as far east as the Reghed Glacier.

Areas Within the Frozenfar

The Cold Run

The Cold Run encompasses the icy tundras west of the Iron Trail and extends all the way to the Sword Coast. It isbordered to the south by the Iceflow river, and to the north by the river Shaengarne.

Landmarks

Fireshear Vale: Comprising a deep chasm and its adjoining crater, the origin of this landmark was debated by the sages of Faerûn.

Ironmaster Vale:  A coastal valley where the Shaengarne river opens up into the Sea of Moving Ice. The dwarves of this valley bar any but their kind entrance within.

The Northern Means:  A very practical description of a practical road - the only real connection between Luskan and the frozen lands beyond.

Settlements

Auckney:  Auckney is a small fiefdom near the Spine of the World.  It is ruled by the noble Auck family. Because its cold location was somewhat removed from busy trade routes, it is not often visited. This impoverished town of farmers receives few visitors and even fewer ships from the other towns of the North.

Fireshear: A mining city on the coast west of the Iceflow river at the southern terminus of the Ten Trail. The remote outpost is comprised of buildings dug out of the rock and made of stone. 

Ironmaster: Founded and run by dwarves, this unwelcoming mining city has tunnels that go deep beneath the Frozenfar. Ironmaster is built into the great spires which rise out of the Shaengarne river, and the canyon walls surrounding it.  It is the only city outside of Icewind Dale that is currently within the grips of the Everlasting Rime.

Icewind Dale

The tundra of Icewind Dale was named after the freezing winds and snowstorms that blows down from the mountain of Kelvin’s Cairn. 

The weather in Icewind Dale has been getting gradually worse over the last two years. At first, the people of Ten-Towns believed the changes in weather – dropping temperatures, shorter days, more frequent blizzards – to be just an extended and very harsh winter. But, with each passing month, the temperature drops a little lower and the day – only a few hours of twilight at this point – becomes shorter. Now it has been more than a year since the sun has hung high in the sky and there is no longer any doubt: powerful magic is afoot! This powerful magic prevents the next day’s sun from rising above the horizon, turning midday into twilight and trapping Icewind Dale in winter’s dark embrace, with no sunlight or warmth to melt the snow and ice.

The people of Icewind Dale have a name for the unending winter inflicted on them. They call it the Endless Dark, or the Everlasting Rime.

Landmarks

Kelvin's Cairn:  A solitary,10,000‑foot-tall mountain, fronted by a valley almost as deep as the mountain was high. Its name comes from a Reghedmen legend that Tempos defeated the frost giant, Kelvin, in this spot and gouged out the rocks here and piled them on top of his corpse.

Dwarven Valley: Stretching south-south-west for several miles from the south face of the Kelvin's Cairn is a deep trench known locally as the Dwarven Valley.  It consists mostly of underground mining tunnels and relatively austere living quarters made from expended mining tunnels.  It is the home of Shield dwarves of Clan Battlehammer. From underneath this vale, the dwarves mine iron and forge it into well-crafted weapons and armor that are then sold in Bryn shander. 

The Eastway: The only paved road in Icewind Dale, and it runs from Bryn Shander straight across to Easthaven. Its construction linked Lac Dinneshere to the caravans that came through Bryn Shander, resulting in the explosive growth of Easthaven and a gradual shift in trade away from Maer Dualdon. On many occasions, the people of Targos and Termalaine have considered improving the road north from Bryn Shander to encourage more traffic, but the mistrust between the two towns has prevented them from cooperating long enough to bring the project to fruition.

Settlements 

Ten-Towns – The confederacy of Ten Towns comprised nine settlements situated around the dale’s three lakes, along with the mercantile hub of Bryn Shander‌.

Northeast Trackless Sea

The northeast of the Trackless Sea borders the Sea of Moving Ice. This was immediately west of the Cold Run was considered to be part of the Frozenfar.

Landmarks

Ice Peak Island: This frozen isle, located just off the coast of the Cold Run, southwest of the Sea of Moving Ice, houses three settlements all clustered around a bay. The natives of Ice Peak survive by catching fish and hunting goats, seals, and whales. The Ice Peak itself is rumored to contain the lair of the ancient white dragon Iceclaws, also known as Arveiaturace.

Settlements

Aurilssbarg: With around 3,000 inhabitants Aurilssbarg is the largest settlement on Ice Peak Island, acting as a trade hub for all settlements on the island.

Bjorn’s Hold: About 500 trappers and fishers live in this small coastal settlement.

Icewolf: A small village of Ice Hunters and Northmen led by a shaman.

Sea of Moving Ice

The waters north of the Cold Run and west of Icewind Dale were densely filled with hundreds of shifting icebergs and a number of frozen isles. It was sparsely populated and accommodated only a handful of landmarks and few inhabitants, like ice trolls and tribes of Ice Hunters. 

Landmarks

Tower of the Ice Witch: The sanctuary of the Ice Witch of Auril was constructed from black ice. It is believed this tower has been destroyed. However none have found the island again to verify its destruction.

Settlements

Ulutian Villages: Nomadic villages dot the coast, with the highest concentration of Ulutians occurring during the short fishing season (traditionally, late Mirtul to early Marpenoth)

Svardborg: This old frost giant village was abandoned for centuries.

Spine of the World

The high peaks of the mountain range shelter southern lands from the harsh cold of Icewind Dale.  Crawling with orcs, goblins, and other monsters, the mountains are a dangerous barrier.  By most accounts, the Spine of the World mountains encompasses the southern reaches of the Frozenfar. 

Landmarks

Frost Hills: These rugged hills were found on the southern stretch of the Spine of the World.

The North-South Pass – also called Icewind Pass – this is the pass between the mountains connecting Icewind Dale with the lands to the south.

Settlements

Hundelstone: This trade town of dwarves and gnomes is located in the mountains on the Ten Trail.‌ The town's buildings are built low to the ground, with the majority of living space consisting of cellar rooms cut into the rock. The neighboring dwarves of Ironmaster use underground routes and secret surface caves near Hundelstone for their trading. The town is also home to 100 smiths that produced all manner of iron wares.

Mithral Hall: The famous dwarfhold was located deep beneath Fourthpeak in the Frost Hills.

Reghed Glacier

The edge of the great glaciers rises like a wall to form the eastern boundary of Icewind Dale.  The fierce, howling winds that blow off the glacier give the dale its name.  The region is so desolate and isolated that few travelers dare to cross near its eastern border, let alone venture atop its icy facade. The Reghedman barbarians of Icewind Dale took their name from this glacier.

Settlements

Sheha Alari : The city of Sheha Alari is the only known city of the Snow Elves (Sh’eha).   

The Evermelt: A subterranean hot spring found within a cave at the base of the Reghed Glacier. It is considered a holy place by the Reghedmen barbarians.