Ice Barbarians

In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the Ice Barbarians, properly known as the Kingdom of (the) Cruski, is a political state of the Flanaess. The people themselves are sometimes referred to as simply the Cruski.

Geography

Within the game world of Greyhawk, the lands of the Ice Barbarians are located in the far northeastern portion of the Flanaess, on what is known as the Thillonrian Peninsula. They occupy the coastal regions to the north and east of the Corusk Mountains, lands that are among the coldest and most severe in all of the barbarian kingdoms. As of 591 CY, the most populous towns are Glot (pop. 5,100) and Jotsplat (pop. 3,200).

People

As of 591 CY, the population of Ice Barbarians in the World of Greyhawk campaign setting totaled 158,800 persons, almost exclusively humans of Suel stock. There are also a small number of dwarves (the mountain variety outnumbering the hill variety by about 2-to-1) and halflings (mostly stouts), but few other races call this region home.

The most popular deities among the Ice Barbarians are Kord, Llerg, Norebo, Xerbo, and Vatun. The most widely spoken languages in game world's lands of the Ice Barbarians are the Cold Tongue, Common, and Dwarven.

Government

The Ice Barbarians in the World of Greyhawk maintain an independent feudal monarchy with hereditary rulership, currently ruled by His Most Ferocious Majesty, Lolgoff Bearhear, the King of Cruski, Fasstal of all the Suelii. Despite directly controlling the area around the capital, he has very little actual control over the jarls of the realm. The national capital is Glot. The Ice Barbarians' coat of arms is blazoned thus: Azure, a roundel argent.

Economy

In Dungeons & Dragons, the Ice Barbarians are noted for producing furs, copper, low-quality gems, and rare wood (sablewood, though this product is not actively exported). The Ice Barbarians' standard coinage consists of the gold kronar (gp), electrum haf-kronar (ep), silver linnwurm (sp), and copper thrall (cp).

References

• Gygax, Gary. The World of Greyhawk (TSR, 1980).
  • Gygax, Gary. World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting (TSR, 1983).
• Holian, Gary, Erik Mona, Sean K Reynolds, and Frederick Weining. Living Greyhawk Gazetteer (Wizards of the Coast, 2000).
• Moore, Roger E. Greyhawk: The Adventure Begins. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 1998.
• Sargent, Carl. From the Ashes. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1992.