Prince of Ice
Nifl is a kingdom of ice and is protected by a powerful ice dragon of the same name. The world is rich in forests, rivers, and surrounded by snow-capped mountains that not even wyverns dare fly across. Although cold grips the world year-round, both the people and the land have adapted to survive. The residents find a chilly day nothing more than temperate weather. This lets them survive in the extreme weather. They possess little in agriculture, but trade heavily in precious ores and jewels mined from their mountains as well as lumber and fish. In the winter, they see harsh snows that close off their land.

The climate and its natural defenses have protected Nifl from invaders for centuries. Ruins to the west and north lie as monuments to the kingdom's storied history, the ancient sanctuary walls inscribed with Nifl's ancient language, telling of rites, magic, and histories many have forgotten. In times past, Nifl and Askr were once allied.

In this era, the kingdom of Nifl is a peaceful one. They are a people that hold their promises in high regard and don’t make them easily. One of their oldest customs is that if someone saves them from the snow, they owe that person a debt.

The Nifl royal family consists of Hríd, Gunnthrá, Fjorm, and Ylgr. The oldest of his siblings, Hríd has a deep bond with each of his sisters. They all possess the ability to reach out to others in their dreams but only Gunnthrá retains the memories of her nightly visits. For the others, all memories of their dreams wash away with the morning light.

Hríd’s talents have always laid in his intelligence, determination, and wit. As Nifl has historically been a peaceful kingdom, Hríd never felt pressure to put too much time into his combat skills beyond what was required of him. Instead, he filled his studies with matters pertaining to diplomacy and politics and attended meetings of peace with surrounding kingdoms.

Few attempted to invade Nifl, and none ever made it past the mountains that surround their land. To this end, Hríd became versed in tactics rather than brute strength, but still trained his body as well as his mind. While skilled with the sword, lance, and bow, he has never seen a battlefield.

When Múspell invaded their kingdom, it took all of six months for the Fiery Hordes to descend upon their ice kingdom and burn it to ashes. A sacred vow bonded the siblings, and it took all they had and more to simply survive their onslaught. Their mother was killed in the initial invasion. Hríd faked his death so that he could journey to Múspell and kill Surtr himself. He had no idea if his siblings survived.

Before the war’s end, Gunnthrá would also lose her life, and it would be with the assistance of Askr that Múspell was brought to its knees. Fjorm, having invoked the ancient Rite of Frost, has a short leash on her life.

Hríd returned to Nifl with his youngest sister Ylgr and now seeks to rebuild his world.