Nebelkuste

Nebelkuste is the land at the top of the world. It is the land hidden by mist. It is the land of dwarves, fae, fomorii, sidh, and giants. It is the land of nobles and rich merchants. It is the land of revolution, industry, and progress. It is the land of hardy folk. It is the land of barbarian hordes. It is the last bastion between the world and whatever lies beyond the keep of the Necromistress.

The Land
Nebelkuste is a thin whip of landmass located at the top of the world. It is the northmost continent of the planet Eisal and it floats alone in the frigid seas. On our globe Nebelkuste would be located on the northern hemisphere located just below the arctic circle. It would be colinear with Alaska, Iceland, and Scandinavia. Its climate is Marine with Humid climates in the southeast. Beyond the Geralf Mountains the climate transitions from taiga-like to arctic. Nebelkuste is mostly comprised of deciduous forests and grasslands. Locals harvest tubers, legumes, and various fruits and vegetables during the warm seasons; they fish, hunt and pastoralize year round.

Nebelkuste's shores are surrounded by an ever-present mist. No one knows the cause of this mist but its origin has been traced to above the clouds of the Geralf Mountains. Folklorists spin tales of ancient giants living on clouds bellowing breath that turns air into mist. Of this there is no proof but locals know that before even before the barbarian hordes ruled Nebelkuste, the giants walked the land. Some say they still do.

Giants
Sightings of giants are numerous along the coast and surrounding settlements. The validity of these sightings is supported by evidence left in the giants' wake: footprints, felled trees, and refuse. Despite their size they are incredibly elusive and only seen in the corner of one's eye or off in the distance as a grey shadow hidden in the mist. Skeletons of these creatures have been discovered in mass graves scattered throughout Nebelkuste. The shortest of these skeletons measures at 16 feet and the tallest at nearly 25 feet. Occasionally giant sized structures comprised of stone will accompany these remains.

Sidh
Cousins to the giants are the Sidh. Sidh are petty, fickle, selfish creatures. They are shorter than the shortest giant skeleton discovered but still taller than two men standing atop shoulders. Sidh can appear animalistic, often sporting the head or feet of a particular animal. (If this is a trait shared by their supposed cousins the giants, this is not known.) They live in earthen mounds of their own creation and prefer compact spaces. Sidh are capricious creatures, often wanting one thing to only hate it a moment later. However they do possess unnatural abilities the likes of which no man possesses. In simple terms they control nature. They can make crops grow, the rain come, the cattle fat, etc. Sidh are aware and proud of their powers and offer them as service to those willing to make the proper payment. This payment usually takes the form of a celebration, ceremony, and sometimes sacrifice in the name of the Sidh. (Sidh love nothing more than to have their ego stroked.) Woe to those fools who cross a Sidh for they are known to enact terrible curses on transgressors if they do not smash them first. Because of their contributions to their survival Men are wont to form communities around Sidh. These communities usually fall just short of complete worship of the Sidh.

Fae
The Fae are below even the Sidh and they often serve them. Fae take many forms: fairies, hags, saytyrs, centaurs, and the easy-going Halflings and Intelligent Elves. The Fae almost entirely prefer the forests for shelter. Not much is known of fae settlements as they are reclusive and nearly impossible to spot with human eyes. What little reports that exist of Fae settlements come from humans escorted personally by Fae. However the number of individuals that never return from these excursions is exponentially higher than those that do.

Dwarves
The Dwarves find home underground, usually beneath the Geralf Mountains. Dwarves are peculiar. They are almost completely anti-social even among themselves and exhibits a caste system not that different from a beehive or anthill. A dwarf is always working for and contributing to his clan. It's important to note that there are no female dwarves and they seem to procreate by creating "sons" out of enchanted stone. It's only recently that dwarves have "warmed-up" to the presence of Men and began trading with them. It is not known how long the dwarves have called Nebelkuste their home for they are wont to not discussing such information.

Fomorii
The Fomorii claim the seas around Nebelkuste—in addition to all the seas—as their own. Formorii are eerily human-like. The only calling sign of a Fomorii are their distinct reptilian eyes. They are capable of swimming at great speeds and distances and can breathe underwater indefinitely. They are known to live in underwater cities. Folktales claim these cities boast structures of pure silver and roads lined with precious gems.

Man
Before the age of the empire barbarian hordes roamed Nebelkuste as hunter/gather nomads. They were eventually erradicated or incorporated after the empire discovered Nebelkuste and claimed it for the emperor. The empire brought agriculture and government to the mist coast and Man prospered. In recent years Nebelkusters have been appearing on the world stage as the capital Wundergauss is quickly becoming a popular point on trade routes. Progress is on the upswing and discoveries are made everyday. Serfs are abandoning their lord's land to work in factories while enterprising merchants are scooping that same land up to make farming an industry. Political upheaval is on the rise as Nebelkusters are becoming more aware of their growing independence from the empire and the one-sided relationship that empire offers them. With that a growing sense of nationalism is on the rise. The people cry out for revolution but the nobility argues otherwise.

Commentary
Every referee has a pet setting they fall in love with and Nebelkuste is mine. It is a shameless analogue for Nordic, German, and Celtic mythoi and the lands that spun them. However its spiced with a dash of high fantasy, sometimes Gothic horror, and the weird—always the weird. It is the land of butt-german names shamelessly plucked from google translate. It is even an avenue for my love of swashbuckling and age-of-sailing settings. It is the land that I've found that I can wantingly pour my creative energy into and be proud of the result.