02 - Iron Kingdoms W.. - Captain Spud Is Amazing

368 Iron Kingdoms
108.1.141.197
not carved where they stand but came from elsewhere
in the Marches. It is a complete mystery as to whom—or
what—erected the Pillars of Rotterhorn and why. One
thing is for certain: barbarians still visit the pillars from
time to time, sometimes en masse for primitive rituals,
but most scholars agree they had nothing to do with
the raising of these gargantuan artifacts. If they do, the
records have been lost to time. It is conjectured that the
pillars instill as much mystery and awe in the barbarian
mind as they do in those of the enlightened.
The Nyss
Do not trust them. They are
treacherous. Venture not far into their
lands, and be wary of their tricks and
traps, for they seek our death… or to
cheat us of what is ours.
—Falcyr Raefyll, Nyss sorceress, to the hunters
of her shard regarding the humans of Tverkutsk
In the uttermost reaches of the north beyond
the taiga, a harsh and unforgiving domain offers
little respite from the elements. Intense cold, scant
vegetation, and the prolonged darkness of lengthy
winters combine to make this a truly grim place. Long
months with little sunshine make the far north a frigid
realm indeed, and not even the stanchest Khadoran
explorers care to venture too far into the remote
fringes of the Motherland, for if the elements do not
take their lives and breaths, the wrath of the winter
elves will.
Truth be told, the winter elves of western Immoren,
called the Nyss (see more in the MN1; for information
on Nyss PCs, see the L&L:CP), are actually less
isolationist than their Iosan kin. Nyss society is entirely
separate from Iosan society, and the two peoples have no
contact with each other. However, the Nyss are known
occasionally to trade with outsiders—something Iosans
never do. The Iosan border is sealed on pain of death,
but the Nyss occasionally permit visitors to approach
within a few hundred feet of their communities
providing they obey the rules of hospitality. Part of the
reason is because the Nyss do not mine yet have a need
for metal and fine wood, so they trade pelts, ivory, and
handmade items for ores and other goods. One never
knows when a deal is going to go bad with the Nyss
however, for one misstep can mean sudden doom. The
most successful traders are those who have taken the
time to learn as much as they can and are earnest about
respecting Nyss tradition.
As such, secrecy is among their topmost tenets and
makes knowledge of Nyss customs to outsiders scarce.
Nyss never speak of their culture or religion with
strangers, and they are typically hostile to trespassers.
Their borders are not nearly as well defended as those
of other nations as they tend to rely on the rugged and
bleak remoteness of the far-flung north for protection.
The Nyss lay traps in certain areas, and if one spots their
signature monoliths, called winter stones, used to mark
their territory, it should be taken as a warning to turn
the other way, for only death or misfortune is ahead.
The Nyss are tall, thin, and as pale as the frostcoated
peaks of their realm. Their hair is typically
black or nearly white, and their eyes have an icy blue
or sometimes violet or amber hue. They have divided
over the millennia into twelve major tribes—though
smaller tribes exist—and each tribe is further
broken into four or five “shards.” Shards are closely
interrelated bands of families comprising the core unit
of their society.
They are nomadic hunter-gatherers, often
following after migrating herds of wild musk oxen
and caribou as well as seals, hares, lemmings, and even
white tundra wolves. They are also expert bird hunters
able somehow to find and shoot snow geese, great auks,
ptarmigan, and skua in their bleak environment. Their
habitations are seasonal though some shards remain
in the same location for decades at a time. In fact those
dedicated to their god Nyssor never leave his vicinity.
Each tribe has its own ancestral holdings, and they
maintain fortresses that are shared amongst shards.
Some of these fortresses are seasonal; others are used
year round. Indeed, some shards travel throughout
the year, rotating through a number of fortresses,
while others leave their holdings during inhospitable
seasons to go stay with neighboring shards. The Nyss
rely on frequent travel to bring news from distant