The island known as Kalta'Goor
is but one of many unexplored regions of
Northern Sarvonia. The name "Kalta'Goor" is
orcen, meaning "Ice Fangs" or "Ice Maw", probably because of the twin
mountain peaks that dominate much of the island. Located in the Ice Sea,
northwest of the peninsula of Caaehl'heroth, much of the historical details
surrounding this island are a mystery. Contemporary research has uncovered
several links between the island and the Aeh'os'th'er'oc
orcen clan. One intrepid researcher, Ihea
Miwone, a Kasumarii expert on
ice drakes, spent over ten years
and partook in six expeditions to Kalta'Goor exploring the island. She was
convinced that the rare Guldorian snow
drake, also known as the "White
Drake" and the "Ivorine Drake"
made their home on the island. Ihea discovered far more than she thought
possible and her work answered a few of the many questions surrounding the
mysterious island.
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Picture description. The snow covered island of
Kalta'Goor far up in the North of Caelereth, also known as "Ice Fang Isle".
Pic by
Seeker. |
Description.
According to Ihea's journals, Kalta'Goor is largely a land of ice and snow. The
island is dominated by two mountain peaks. The name "Kalta'Goor" is thought to
originate from a now extinct
orcen
dialect called "Org'kom'gh". It roughly translated means "Ice Fangs". The sea
surrounding the island is thick ice and a ship wouldn't make it within six to
eight peds of the shore
without having to stop before crashing into the ice shelf. The sky is
perpetually overcast with light snow falling at all hours of the day and night.
When stepping foot on the island, the snow is deep, sometimes up to half a
ped. Travel is slow through
the thick snow, which is pristine white and undisturbed of footprints or
trails. Immediately, the two mountain peaks can be seen rising up into the
clouds from anywhere on the island. The tips of which are forever hidden in the
thick, grey clouds that hang low over the ground.
As one moves farther inland, the snow maintains an estimated thickness of
between one palmspan to
half a ped. A traveler must
forge their way slowly into the snow while hiking cautiously over the stony
ground underneath. Snowshoes are recommended when traveling over such deep snow
as fortunately, the cold and damp sleet hardens the snow turning it into a hard
surface. In her journals, Ihea found little evidence of any kinds of bodies of
water such as lakes or streams except for a
small half frozen stream on the western side of the island. It is surmised
that, much like the western stream, any other bodies of
water would no doubt be frozen underneath
many palmspans of snow and
ice.
Surrounding the island, the sea is very icy with large pieces of broken ice
floating randomly in the water.
Approximately four to seven
peds from the shore, there is a solid, unbroken shelf of ice that renders
any traveling ship impossible to get close to. Only by leaving the ship and
walking over the ice can a traveler get to the shore.
The eastern shores of the island are dominated by high, jagged rocks that
protrude from the snow. It is here that one of the mountain peaks slope down
close to the water line. The jagged rocks
make foot travel difficult as the surface is unstable with many rocky pits and
spikes.
The southern shore is marked with six ice caves that begin about four
peds from the shore line.
Three of the six caves run deep into the mountain and have low ceilings with
long, sharp fingers of ice that stab downward. Traveling through the caves is
hazardous because if one tries to stand fully, the ice spikes would easily stab
into one's skull. The ground surface is a mixture of ice and solid soil.
Without a source of light, it is impossible to travel further into the caves
for more than six to eight peds.
The western shoreline is mostly flat ground with a few boulder piles sitting
randomly near the ice shore. The mountainside here is not as smooth as the
other areas and contains many high cliffs and rough surfaces. Most likely, the
boulders are a result of a landslide that looks to have sheared away some of
the mountainside. The snow here is quite deep and almost impossible to cross in
the high winter months. Along a running section of area, the snow is not quite
as deep, perhaps just a few
palmspans. The shallow snow runs up into the mountain side into a narrow
valley. Upon digging through the snow, a stream can be found, half frozen and
covered with a thin sheet of ice.
The northern seed of the island is quite impossible to explore fully as it
contains the deepest snows and there is hardly any flat surface to cross. The
mountainside comes up directly to the shoreline leaving very little flat area.
However, a single ice cave can be seen from the western side of the island, but
access to the cave has proven impossible as it is located high up the
mountainside.
Location. Kalta'Goor is
located northwest of the peninsula of Caaeh'heroth in
Northern Sarvonia.
The island is part of a group of islands and peninsulas that surround the Ice
Sea. To the east of Kalta'Goor is the Icelands of Aeh'Os'th'er'oc, where the
rare
ice dragons
makes their home. To the southwest is a very tiny island called Krooj, while a
small distance further south is Kalta'Goor's sister island, Karma’Goor, which
contains the ruins of a possible
orcen
village called Hol'mangar. The name Karma'Goor roughly translated means "Ice
Maw" in ancient Org'kom'gh. An old story persists among the
Osther-Oc that Hol'mangar was a
dragon aviary during the Third Sarvonian
War, or even possibly during the War
of the Chosen.
People. There is little
evidence that Kalta'Goor is, or was, inhabited by any specific race or tribe.
The island is so remote and largely inaccessible that it is doubtful that any
race could travel there easily. And, there is little evidence of any flora or
fauna that could subsist anyone living there.
One possible theory brought forth by the researcher Ihea Miwone is that the
island once was visited by a little documented orc
tribe called the Aeh'Os'th'er'oc, for which the nearby icelands are named. The
Aeh'Os'th'er'oc are thought to be a small clan related to the much larger
Osther-Oc tribe who dwell on the
mainland Caaehl'heroth. It is possible that at one time, the Aeh'Os'th'er'oc had
perhaps a small village or outpost on Kalta'Goor during the past.
Ihea found such evidence when she crossed the eastern ice shelf of the island.
There, half buried in snow and ice, were blocks of ice and a few stone monuments
protruding from the ground. Ihea surmised that perhaps whoever may have settled
the island long ago carved for themselves shelters made of ice blocks and snow.
The stone boulders were carved with runes and lettering thought to be ancient
Org'kom'gh. The island of Karma'Goor to the south contains some ancient ruins
that are more extensive known as Hol'mangar, so it would be safe to assume that
Kalta'Goor was also settled. One of the biggest unanswered questions is: what
happened to the settlement? Why did the Aeh'Os'th'er'oc abandon the islands? Did
the snow drakes drive the orcs out?
Climate. The climate
of the island of ice is not a varied one. Being located so far north, the island
is trapped in perpetual winter with even the summer season bringing very little
sunshine and warmth. Snow fall is constant
all over the island with heavy snow falling during seven months of the year
along with freezing rain and low fog. Summer months bring warmer temperatures
(still very cold however) with winter months bringing harsh, blizzard-like
conditions with biting winds that blow from
the Ice Sea.
Flora. The near constant
snowfall and overcast skies make for a harsh environment for many kinds of flora
that would require sun and hardy soil. Hence,
one would not find many kinds of green flora on the island.
However, one such unique flower does grow on the island and that is the
tear frost flower. The flower is unique in that it can grow in cold, hard soil and the seedling
pushes its way through the snow to produce fantastic translucent blooms. The
leaves of the flower are a shimmering light blue in colour with pure white stalks.
The plant requires little to no sunshine and
the cold climate enhances its blooms.
Fauna. Kalta'Goor is
known to be one of the few locations where the rare and beautiful
snow drakes are known to live.
Although no nests have ever been seen or studied, Ihea had the pleasure to watch
a snow drakes hunt their sole source
of food - the pinnip seal.
The Guldorian snow drake is covered
along its eight-ped-long-body
in white coloured
fur, rather than the hard scales or thick skins typical to
drakes, undoubtedly an aid against
the colder climates and higher altitudes it will sometimes fly to. There are no
noticeable horns or spikes on the body, but it does have two delicate looking
ears that tip back from its head. The eyes are golden, with deep black pupils
set in an elongated face. The four black claws contrast rather sharply with the
whiteness of the beast, and the paws are almost hand-like in shape. The wings
span somewhere between sixteen and twenty
peds, and rather than the
thin skin of most drakes they sport
long white feathers, making them very capable fliers.
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Picture description. A
snow drake is perched atop
a shelf of ice hunting his favorite prey, the
pinnip seal. Image drawn by
Sheil. |
The Snow Drake Dines. "During my third
expedition to Kalta'Goor, my team of explorers consisted of an
Osther'Oc guide, two
dwarven adventurers and a
Erpheronian ranger. We ventured
around the east side of one of the mountains, keeping low to the shore. I heard
barking noises, like a dog, only deeper and longer. We waited in between two
large boulders and watched as a group of
pinnip seals crawled upon an ice shelf to bask. Several of them had fish in
their mouths and were quickly devouring them. The seal's social gathering was
truly astounding to watch but not as much as what happened within the next few
moments.
I felt a strange sensation along the back of my neck as if something was
watching me. I peered upwards and was met with only the overcast sky and the
blowing snow stinging my eyes. I ignored the feeling and continued to watch the
seals. Suddenly, there was motion
above. I instinctively lowered my head and gasped. A rush of white feathers came
diving from the clouds and landed amidst the group of
seals. Dumbfounded, I could only stare
as my first snow drake sighting had
come at last.
The magnificent beast was almost pure white, covered in what looked like
feathers. It appeared as a bird with the head of a large
lizard. Its talons were long and curved
much like a Kasumarii moonblade.
The drake emitted a screech that
pierced the cold wind and made me wince in
pain. The seals scattered in a
panicked rush to the open waters to escape
the drake, but one was not so
fortunate. The drake had underneath
it a lone pinnip seal still struggling
for its life. The beast gave one long screech that sent chills up my spine
despite the cold before tearing into its prey with hungry abandon.
I waited and watched the drake
bloody its pristine feathers with the
seal's meat before it took wing and disappeared above the clouds. The
seal's remains, what little was left,
were abandoned. It took me several moments to make myself move after watching the
spectacle and when I finally did move on, it was far away from that ice shelf as
it was an obvious hunting spot for the
drake and I did not want to be mistaken for another
drake meal."
Clash of the Dragons. "My sixth and final
journey to Kalta'Goor was my most memorable. It was this time I proved that not
only do the snow drakes inhabit the
island, but perhaps the great ice dragon does as well.
I sat upon a cliff of ice hoping to catch a glimpse of another successful hunt.
For several hours, I had tried to locate a
snow drake nest but had been
unsuccessful. It would appear that the
snow drake nests high above in the very peaks of the mountains, far beyond
the reach of most men and beasts. Hence why there have been no documented
sightings of the drake's nest and
eggs. It was just as well as I had no tools with which to make such a climb
anyhow.
Again, the sound of the drake's
screech met my ears, even over the howl of the
wind. The screech had become a normal sound to me but rarely did I ever see
the drake that made the screech. The
sounds always seemed to come from the perpetual overcast sky above. I heard a
second and third screech followed by a deeper, louder noise. It was not a
screech, but almost like a roar.
Startled, I backed against the rock wall behind me and looked up hoping to see
the source of the roar. I was rewarded not a moment later when a massive beast
came soaring down from the clouds. It was large than a
snow drake and had ice blue scales
over its body with leathery looking wings that stretched almost twenty
peds from end to end. It was
a pale blue colour and glanced at me with piercing dark blue eyes.
I gasped as I realized what I was seeing. An adult
ice dragon. I was simply shocked to see
such a wondrous beast on the island, but then was struck with a thought. What
was an ice dragon doing among the
snow drakes? Was there an
ice dragon nest on the island? Was the
dragon from the Caaehl'heroth mainland? I
soon had my answer and, as most always, nature spoke for me.
The ice dragon had clutched within its
claws a large stryker shark. The huge fish was thick and well muscled but it
could only squirm in the dragon's powerful
clutches. The dragon began to feed when
suddenly a symphony of screeches seemed to come from all directions. I counted
six snow drakes diving out of the
clouds to attack the ice dragon.
The behemoth bellowed a challenge and took flight. The
snow drakes circled around the
dragon, dipping in and out, each time
biting the dragon's skin. The larger beast
whirled and circled, exhibiting dexterity unheard of in a creature its size. Its
jaws snapped once and a snow drake
was gone. The others screeched and nipped at the
dragon all the while the larger
drake whipping its tail and
launching its head around in hopes of snatching one of the pestering snow
drakes.
The aerial battle continued for a few moments before the
dragon landed atop its kill and attempted
to take it up with it. The drakes
descended upon the dragon with talons and
beaks in a courageous display of battle. Never before has a documented battle
been witnessed between a drake and a
dragon. The
dragon was covered in bloody wounds while
the group of six drakes was now down
to three. The obvious ferociousness of the
snow drakes was more than a match
for a single ice dragon and the larger
beast knew it. It backed away and flew off, its great wings carrying it higher
and higher until it vanished among the clouds.
The remaining snow drakes screeched
and called and feasted on the dragon's
abandoned kill. I sat back and sighed, wondering how to possibly document such a
fabulous spectacle. I realized that my study of Kalta'Goor was at an end. The
harsh environment of the island was not suited for
humans. The island would remain a
snow drake home for the foreseeable future."
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It is evident therefore that
the pinnip seal makes a home on the
island and serves as a food source for the
snow drake. One of the
seal's favourite prey is the
silverpearl fish. These fish thrive in the ice waters around the Ice Sea and
provide the seals with a hearty meal.
The seals store thick fat on their
bodies that enable them to withstand the cold climate. Ihea Miwone suggests in
her brief research that the drakes
do not hunt the seals often and
perhaps the drakes only feed
irregularly throughout their lives. The
seal sightings on the island are numerous, which suggests that the island is
perhaps one of the breeding ground locations for the
seals.
Resources. The
island of Kalta'Goor has no natural resources to speak of as there is no
evidence that the ancient Aeh'Os'th'er'oc tribe ever produced any natural
resources from the island. However, Ihea surmises that the
tear frost flower fern could
possibly be used as a magic reagent and be
quite valuable in performing spells from the Ximaxian
water school of
magic. The flower's cold properties and unique
way of survival among the cold climate of the island could perhaps be studied
further by a trained herbalist.
The island also contains many varieties of crystals buried under the mountains
that could be mined and used in jewelry, as reagents or for other uses. Ihea
Miwone found several such crystals crushed and scattered around some of the ice
caves, perhaps as a result of the snow
drake's digging through the ice to make a nest. The crystals were
multi-coloured in hues of blue, white, purple, and deep black.
Myth/Lore. As
previously mentioned, the name Kalta'Goor is thought mean "Ice Fangs" in the now
little used orcen dialect called Org'kom'gh.
According to the lore of the reclusive orcs of
the Icelands of Aeh'os'th'er'oc, it is told that the island was long inhabited
by dragons. The story goes that after the
War of the Chosen, the remaining
dragons fled to the nearby island and dwelt
there away from civilization. The orcen
colonists settled Karma'Goor for a time, and aptly named it "Ice Fangs" in
honour of the twin mountains that dominate much of the region.
One possible reason that the colony was abandoned was perhaps the harsh climate
proved to be too much for the orcs. However,
this explanation is not viewed as legitimate as the current home for the
orcs, the Icelands of Aeh'os'th'er'oc, are not
much warmer or more hospitable than the island. The second reason is that
perhaps the snow drakes drove the
orcs off the island. The question being then,
why settle on an island known to be inhabited by
drakes? Ihea surmised that perhaps
the orcs were
dragon hunters who pursued the
drakes for food or trophies. The smaller
snow drakes were a friendlier game
than the massive ice dragons and
thought to be easier to kill perhaps. Rumors persist that the Aeh'os'th'er'oc
eat dragon meat to this day so perhaps the
beast's meat has been a dietary staple for the tribe for centuries.
The southern sister island of Karma'Goor holds one of the two settlements among
the islands, Hol'mangar. It is believed that this settlement was once a thriving
orcen colony long ago with the inhabitants
working to draw out the islands' natural resources. However, the colony has long
been abandoned and as Ihea writes in her journals, she visited the ruins of the
colony only briefly and found several archaic pictures carved into some stones
depicting dragons fighting in a great
battle. Similar stones and runes were found on Kalta'Goor possibly indicating
that both islands were settled at one point with Hol'mangar being the larger
colony.
Could these runes be a picture from the
War of the Chosen? One can't be
sure. If it is, then perhaps whoever carved the pictures had first hand
knowledge of drakes living on the
islands long ago, and while the orcen settlers
disappeared, the drakes lived on.
