Looking for writing-related posts? Check out my new writing blog, www.larrykollar.com!

Thursday, April 10, 2014

I is for: Isenbund (#AtoZchallenge)

Northerners dwelt in the chill isles of the Faraway North for longer than history can record. Over time, Camac absorbed the North into its empire, “and turned us into tall, pale Westerners.” Most Northerners lived in or near Isenbund, although each island had its own market village.

In the years leading up to The Madness, the North grew noticeably colder. Crops began to fail, and the North began importing food from the rest of the empire. After The Madness, the remnant was able to feed itself for a decade, but then came the summer that Isenbund’s harbor never thawed. Most Northerners relocated to the Northern Reach, but a handful opted to die in their ancestral city. The epic poem The Lament for Isenbund tells of the hardships they faced, and the yearning of those who departed, that their descendants might return one day. Isenbund became “the Icebound,” and even the Northerners accepted the name change over time.

In modern times, the North has begun to thaw… that book is written, and soon to be published. ;-)

Next: J is for: Jira the White

7 comments:

  1. I like the name, "the Icebound" and can see it becoming acceptable enough over time to start appearing on maps.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yeah, after this winter, that sounds like a place I don't want to visit any time soon! LOL

    ~Patricia Lynne~
    Story Dam
    Patricia Lynne, YA Author

    ReplyDelete
  3. A thaw would no doubt be pleasant.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Just the name Icebound would be enough to make me shy away from the place.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Yup, David, even the Northern folk accepted it over time. But now that it's thawing, that may change.

    Patricia, aren't you still there? :-P

    Sonia, I think we can all agree on that one.

    John, more like a Little Ice Age ending.

    Chuck, the Northerners don't mind the cold so much, but they *do* need enough thaw to grow crops.

    Thanks, Helen!

    ReplyDelete

Comments are welcome, and they don't have to be complimentary. I delete spam on sight, but that's pretty much it for moderation. Long off-topic rants or unconstructive flamage are also candidates for deletion but I haven’t seen any of that so far.

I have comment moderation on for posts over a week old, but that’s so I’ll see them.

Include your Twitter handle if you want a shout-out.

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...