Glacier Bay. The name alone made people want to put on a few more layers—and made Old Zoran's lame leg ache with rheumatism.
The beach was gray and coarse, the Sea bitterly cold, the Sea Breeze damp and noisy. The Forest Sea stretched as far as the eye could see. No one came here except Adventurers and lost travelers.
But just as the Ogre had seen Annan and immediately imagined their future—specifically, how to Cooking him—
When Annan saw Glacier Bay, a beautiful Town had already taken shape in his mind, built along the shore. At night, warm lights would glow in its houses, their reflections answering the stars above. People would fall asleep to waves as soothing as a lullaby. In winter, thick snow would cover the rooftops, smoke would rise from the chimneys, and Kobold barks would echo through the night...
As for the damp coast, the northern cold, and the approach of Deepwinter... this was a world of Magic. People could even build floating Islands that never fell—
But Annan couldn't afford one yet. Even though The Mage Tower's Fall had taken Breeze City by storm and drawn everyone out of their homes, even if he ignored the money nobles paid for Magic Stones and counted ticket sales alone, the takings of over a thousand Gold Coins wouldn't cover the resources needed to keep a Floating Island aloft for a month.
Pulling his wandering thoughts back, Annan surveyed his future Territory. Glacier Bay took its name from the glacial river fed by melting snow in the Snow Mountains and the crescent-shaped bay some eight or nine li long.
The river lay to the north, though it would be Frozen Seal in winter. Beyond it spread a lush Forest Sea. To the south stood a Cape. A Watchtower