The Forgotten History...
Thousands of years ago, a lone representative of the interstellar race of immortals known as the Jef’a landed his strange, space-faring craft on the surface of Terrinoth. He was known as Arshan, and he had been sent to create the infrastructure for a new colony, an idyllic paradise for future Jef’a travelers to populate.

Arshan and his mechanical servants began preparing the new home for his fellow immortals. They disassembled his ship and used the parts to construct an enormous mechanical city filled with incredible machines. He named this vast and shining metropolis Green Vale. His task complete, all was ready for the arrival, 100 years later, of the massive colony ship that would deliver thousands of Jef’a citizens. Among these new colonists would be Arshan’s wife to be, the beautiful Princess Taira. Arshan placed himself and his servants in stasis, knowing that when he awoke after his century-long sleep the ship would be landing, and he and his beloved Taira would be reunited.

But when Arshan awoke, there was no colony ship. There was no Princess Taira. Unbeknownst to him, the craft had suffered a navigational error while approaching the planet, and had careened out of control and crashed on Terrinoth’s surface before a signal could be sent to Green Vale. Unaware of the accident and unable to find any trace of the vessel, Arshan could do nothing but wait. Decades passed, and still Arshan waited for the ship’s arrival. Decades became centuries, and centuries, millennia.
In time, loneliness drove Arshan mad with despair. Eventually his madness infected his machines, including the ones responsible for maintaining the land. Over the years, the climate changed, growing colder, darker, and more isolated from the rest of the world.

Even so, a few hardy humanoid races did migrate to Arshan’s Frozen Wastes. The Weik, a fierce people whose sailing ships raid and plunder friend and foe alike, have settled along the coasts. Meanwhile, the nomadic Onoit, dark-skinned and amiable halflings, live inland, allying themselves with the Ulfen, a race of enormous, intelligent dogs. The Weik and Onoit have come to know their lands as Isheim, the land of ice.

The Ominous Foreboding...
Now, a new terror is rising. Sarscha the Vile, the evil Icewyrm queen, has befriended Arshan and is twisting his mental anguish into an insane rage. Sarscha has convinced him that the Onoit and Weik are somehow responsible for the death of his princess, in the hopes that Arshan will help her to conquer all of Isheim. Believing her insidious lies, Arshan has awakened the ancient Jef’a machines, re-lighting them after their having lain dark and dormant for thousands of years. Now they rise from beneath snow and ice to assault Weik and Onoit alike. The terrible Icewyrms and their queen have joined the attack, pleased at the chance to vent their ancient hatred for the warmbloods and rejoicing at the opportunity to destroy them once and for all.

Weik runecasters and Onoit shamans have long foretold these days of white death. However, their prophecies have also foretold the emergence of brave heroes, ones who would conquer the Ancients and save the land of Isheim.