Greenland - Part 3 - Where the North Still Holds

 

Settlements of Greenland

Aqqaluk Sound

“The Place Where Boats Come Back”

 Aqqaluk Sound sits within one of the Inland Sea’s few naturally sheltered inlets, where currents remain predictable even when the Whirlpool shifts. The land curves inward to break the worst winds, the seabed shelves gently, and vessels can anchor without constant recalibration—an unremarkable miracle in a region where charts age faster than people. The town is quiet, practical, and relentlessly observant, governed by a harbour council of fleet representatives and shore workers led by a seasonal speaker chosen for reliability rather than charisma. Authority here comes from upkeep: boat repair schedules, weather logs, preserved food stores, and the careful accounting of favours owed and repaid. Disputes are aired publicly in a designated argument shed near the docks so they do not fester into sabotage. Recently, however, several returning vessels have unsettled the Sound—crew manifests that do not match collective memory, supplies that conflict with departure logs, and one boat that drifted in at dawn, hull intact and engine warm, with no one aboard. The council has not declared an emergency. They have simply begun tightening procedures, limiting departures, and watching carefully as Drift-Fleet captains bristle, Reclaimers whisper, and Thulebound individuals are quietly avoided. Aqqaluk Sound does not panic. It tightens.

Plot Hook — The Warm Hull:
The harbour council hires the PCs to examine the abandoned vessel before outside factions intervene; its logs show a routine supply run nowhere near the Whirlpool, yet faint anomaly residue clings to the hull. What the PCs uncover may force them to choose who hears the truth first—because in Aqqaluk Sound, boats come back, and the danger lies in what returns with them.

Hvitbrand Reach

“Where the White Fire Is Watched”

 Hvitbrand Reach stands within sight of the White Volcanic Cone—close enough to draw steady geothermal power, far enough to avoid constant anomaly saturation. Heat loops warm dwellings and workshops year-round, medical bays operate without interruption, and limited fabrication keeps essential machinery alive across the Inland Sea; without Hvitbrand, several inland settlements do not survive the winter. Everything here is deliberate and tense. Governance is split between two authorities who share space but not certainty: the Watch, responsible for ritual stewardship and anomaly monitoring, and the Works, responsible for engineering, energy management, and infrastructure. Any major decision requires agreement from both, preventing catastrophe while guaranteeing delay. Recently, stability has begun to fray. The Cone’s output is rising, white ash falls like snow on still days, equipment behaves as if it anticipates failure, and unrelated people report shared dreams of heat, sound, and geometry. The Works argue deeper taps are necessary to meet regional demand. The Watch insist deeper engagement does not merely extract energy—it listens. Neither side can fully explain what is happening. Neither is willing to be wrong. Hvitbrand Reach continues to function, because it must.

Plot Hook — The Third Tone:
During a routine shift change, the town siren sounds—once, twice, then a third tone no one recognizes. As the Watch initiates containment and the Works begin emergency load balancing, the PCs are sent into a sealed sublevel near the Cone where monitoring equipment went silent moments before the siren, carrying a decision no one else is willing to make.

Qilakit Drift-Market

“If You Can’t Find It Here, It’s Not Worth Finding.”

Qilakit is not a town but an agreement: a flotilla of lashed hulls, floating platforms, salvage rigs, and repurposed cargo decks that assembles into a harbour without land and relocates with currents, weather forecasts, and political temperature. It is never where last year’s map says it is, yet everyone who needs it eventually finds it. Everything passes through Qilakit—food, machine parts, anomaly instruments, Sea-Kin preserves, Reclaimer banners, Covenant components, even carefully filtered Archive data slates. The market is loud, busy, and governed by reputation rather than force: no violence during market hours, disputes settled by bonded witnesses, and no one trades dishonestly twice. Break the rules, and the flotilla simply unties around you. Recently, that reputation has begun to strain as Thulean artifacts circulate in increasing numbers, their origins vague and documentation inconsistent. If Qilakit becomes known as an unstable conduit for anomaly leakage, trade partners will withdraw—and if trust collapses, the market will not fracture slowly. It will disperse overnight.

Plot Hook — The Untying:
A bonded witness hires the PCs to investigate a trade that has gone wrong: the exchanged artifact now emits low-frequency interference disrupting nearby vessels, and both buyer and seller deny deception. If the truth is not uncovered before market close, Qilakit will invoke its final sanction and untie—stranding multiple factions in unstable waters while someone quietly ensures the stew stall never runs empty.

Opportunities for Adventurers

1.     The Secrets of Ultima Thule

·       Whirlpool Voyages: Brave souls venture into the Arctic Whirlpool, seeking Ultima Thule’s rumoured paradise, ancient wisdom, and advanced technology. Adventurers navigate treacherous waters, face magical storms, and battle strange creatures guarding the way.

·       Recovering Lost Knowledge: Ultima Thule’s artifacts and ancient records offer scholars and seekers of knowledge the chance to understand the anomalies and restore powers that stabilize or further destabilize society.

2.     The Riddle of the Volcanic Cone

·       Volcano Relics and Runes: This mysterious white cone is not only a landmark but a sacred and dangerous place. Shamans believe that the volcano holds spirits or fragments of a divine past, whereas engineers suspect that it contains geothermal energy and mineral resources. Adventurers may be hired to retrieve these valuable artifacts or defend the cone from rival factions.

·       Fungal Forests and Magical Flora: Around the volcanic region, exotic flora and unique fungi grow, with properties rumoured to heal, enhance magical abilities, or connect people to otherworldly visions. Harvesting these plants is dangerous work, but their rewards are highly sought after by healers, alchemists, and the magically inclined.

3.     Plundering Cold War Bunkers and Military Bases

·       Looting Ancient Artifacts: Abandoned military bases hold weapons, relics, and AI systems from the Cold War and 21st century. Automated defences or rogue AI protect many, and the ancient technology within can be repurposed to defend or dominate settlements.

·       Uncovering Rogue AI Secrets: Some bases contain rogue AI with valuable knowledge or connections to satellite networks, which adventurers can leverage to access maps, weather prediction systems, or lost information. Some AIs may even act as allies or devious villains.

4.     Hunting Mythic Arctic Beasts

·       Whale-Haunts and Ghostly Wildlife: The ghostly creatures around the inland sea and Arctic regions are rumoured to be protectors or guardians, imbued with otherworldly powers. Hunting these beings yields magical resources, but doing so earns the wrath of local shamans or activates curses that bind hunters to icy fates.

·       New Arctic Apex Predators: Mutation and magical influence have brought new predators, such as Cryo bears or dragons, whose hides or teeth are valuable resources. Tribes and merchants would pay handsomely for the trophies, pelts, and other materials from these legendary creatures.

5.     Ancient Ruins and Lost Cities of the North

·       Unearthing Artifacts in Thulean Ruins: As the ice melted, ruins from a lost civilization surfaced, filled with artifacts that defy modern understanding. Adventurers may encounter traps, shifting rooms, and symbols needing deciphering. These ruins also contain weapons or lore that help unlock magic’s nature.

·       Ancient Norse Settlements and Holy Sites: Places once inhabited by Norse settlers, preserved in ice, may hold relics from Earth’s past. These relics may provide insight into how people once worshipped, survived, and even mastered elemental forces. These sites are sacred to many and often guarded by magical barriers or ancient beasts.

6.     Quests for Unstable, Valuable Anomalies

·       Collecting Anomaly Samples: Anomalies, including energy distortions, floating islands, or shifting weather pockets, are considered magical and dangerous phenomena. They contain rare materials that artificers and Faustian Mechanics prize for crafting enchanted weapons or shields. Collecting and studying anomalies is perilous but lucrative work.

·       Brokering Deals with Elemental Spirits: Some anomalies are sentient or semi-conscious entities that can be bargained with. Spirits from these anomalies grant powers in exchange for services, like reclaiming their territory from humans or fulfilling strange, cryptic tasks.

7.     Protecting or Raiding Nomadic and Fortified Settlements

·       Trading and Smuggling Routes: Nomadic traders navigate the treacherous landscape with highly valuable cargo: water, food, fuel, and magic-infused goods. Adventurers become protectors, ensuring these goods reach settlements safely—or take up the mantle of raiders, seizing resources for themselves or those willing to pay.

·       Defending Villages from Monstrous Threats: Isolated communities rely on hired adventurers to protect them from the mutated wildlife, rogue AIs, and hostile raiders. As village defenders, adventurers gain supplies, shelter, and perhaps the goodwill of influential village leaders or shamans.

8.     Joining Factions for Fame, Fortune, or Influence

·       Mercenary Work for Corporate Warlords: Corporate factions seek fighters, scouts, and specialists. Serving a warlord or tech baron can lead to steady pay, powerful gear, and rare privileges—but it also draws the ire of rival warlords and resistance factions.

·       Sacred Shamanic Pilgrimages: Many tribes send emissaries to sacred sites on quests to honour spirits, reclaim lost knowledge, or unlock spiritual powers. Joining or leading these pilgrimages offers adventurers deep mystical understanding, rare healing resources, or favour from regional powers.

#Hodgepocalypse #TTRPG #Worldbuilding #RPGSetting #TabletopRPG #GreenlandRevealed

#PostApocalyptic #ArcticFantasy #WeirdNorth #InlandSea #DnD #IndieRPG #GameMaster

#TTRPGCommunity #SpeculativeFiction #IceAndSteel