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The Ice Princesses of Northarbor

The Ice Princesses are a clan of young, nubile women who live in Northarbor - a very cold, frosty and snowy environment where they wear as little as possible. The cold environment allows some body parts prominence in their cover-art. They test well with males aged 13 to 17. Their lithe adventures with the Hierarchs will supposedly be told in 5 books. Recently they have been featured in a graphic novel series entitled The Hierarchs of Northarbor.

History

Back when the Hierarchs were first separating out into their respective pantheons, they needed to hide their home from the prying eyes of men. The moved their home to a location deep in the far north of the Great Iceberg Sea. As an extra measure of protection the Hierarchs gathered the most beautiful female princesses from various Races and put them on an island to the south of the Ziggurat of the Hierarchs.

Pre-existing on the island was a population of fishermen and sailors who navigated and worked on the treacherous northern seas. The older of these men were given these princesses as daughters to take care of and were told that the princesses would govern and protect the island, which was called Northarbor. The princesses intermarried with the men on the island and over time the island was transformed into a matriarchal society. The women descended from the princesses (who eventually became the sole female population of the island) were a mixed breed of all the attractive races on Battal, they stayed perpetually young and extremely beautiful with a lifespan of 100 years. Also a few among their group developed powers of Elemenstation. Those that developed Elemenstation were regarded as the leaders of the island and formed a council. Eventually the fame of this island spread over all of Battal, and the women of the island of Northarbor became known as the Ice Princesses of Northarbor.

The Ice Princesses never knew why they lived on the island until a group of them, led by Ingrid Hoffmeister, came across the Ziggurat and learned from the mysterious Hierarch of Northarbor of their purpose. After they discovered their destiny, the Ice Princesses gradually came to terms with the Hierarchs plan and decided to continue to protect the Ziggurat. This protection is now more than just blindly seducing those who ventured north to find the fabled Ziggurat but also to stop those who manage to slip past their wiles.

Culture and Society

The predominant population of Northarbor is female, as such and per the Hierarchs command women rule and protect the entire island. Women are considered of age when they turn 16. At sixteen they are allowed to marry and to engage in ruling the island. A side effect of the majority of the population being female is that most of them are single, as most of the men on the island are shipwrecked sailors, adventurers who actively sought the island, or those whose original intent was to get to the Ziggurat. This causes any male who is single to be chased after by most, in most cases all, the single women on the island. In an odd case of role reversal it is up the the single man to pick his bride, however, the woman has to consent to the marriage. An effect of the perpetual youth of the women is that they can child bear their entire lives.

Those women who become Elemenstors automatically can sit on the High Council and act as final adjudicators for disputes. The High Council is also responsible for the protection of the island (primarily from Ehadehad attacks), and in later times the Ziggurat. Those women not on the council still hold higher authority than the men, and are in charge of rearing and educating children. Just about the only job the men have on the island is to behave as good fathers/husbands, and hunt for food. Perhaps the oddest rule on the island is that all women of age are required to wear revealing/thin clothing. Oddly enough the women don't get particularly cold because of it, although they may still show signs of it.

The Ice Princesses celebrate many of the same holidays as those on the rest of Battal. However, Stew Days is a holiday unique to Northarbor. For a month the Ice Princesses engage in a ice sculpture and stew making contests. Those who win gain much honor and respect among the denizens of the island. A woman who can make a good hearty stew and carve a masterful work in ice is highly praised.

Other Appearances

The "IPoN"s first appeared on the covers of 2nd editions of ElemenstorLance novels that weren't selling particularly well. Sales dramatically increased after the addition of the new covers. After many fevered letters to the editors of ELoTH Magazine, the name of these creatures was revealed, as was a "promise" that they would be given their own book/comic/something series in time. This promise was recently fulfilled with the release of the graphic novel series The Hierarchs of Northarbor.

Featured as cover art in:

• Sepathok's Desire, 2nd edition
• The Golden Wang, 2nd edition
• Midnight in the Garden of Lost Emotions, renamed in its second edition as "Dream Steam"
• Divine Secrets of the Wiz-Wiz Sisterhood, renamed in its second edition as "Sexy Wizbits Bedtime Stories"
• War of the Taints, 2nd edition
• Something Wicker This Way Comes, speculated

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