Welcome to the Codex! Every Friday, we will focus on one topic from one of the upcoming books, or one of the books that have been published. The Codex will review what is commonly known about that topic in the world, even if just at a scholarly level. There will still be mysteries, but if you are interested in learning more about something you read in the book or in another blog post, the Codex is the way to go.
Spoiler Warning! Some spoilers here for elements related to the last chapters of North Star.
Continuing to touch on elements mentioned or described in North Star, today we will talk about the so-called Roof of the World, the unearthly realm that lies beyond the Frozen Lands of northern Ailund, more properly known as Freyfthor. The domain of the Saelvir.
Freyfthor is almost entirely unknown to mortals in the Twin Worlds, except for those mentions of "ice spirits" Riyya also refers to in North Star, and of course, for Riyya's own account. This is, in large part, due to its remoteness and the difficulty in reaching it: Freyfthor only touches the world in the northern reaches of the Frozen Lands. It cannot otherwise be accessed. And to even get to the transition zone that gives access to it, one must travel for weeks in a harsh, unforgiving climate which is all but impassable for most of the year.
The absence of settlements so far north - not even the Gaerth barbarians have dared to settle in the northern Frozen Lands - means it's impossible to resupply, and foraging is in scarce supply. Even if one knew about the existence of the Saelvir and of their city of Rusinnar, it is impossible to aim directly for that city, and plan to resupply there. At best, one could hope to stumble on a Saelvir wandering Freyfthor, such as Kimrila from North Star, but to rely on such an encounter would be madness.
And then, of course, there is caenyl Sammoth. While its presence wasn't known before Riyya's journey, anyone who sought to find out what lies beyond the Frozen Lands would likely come across her account, and learn of the creature that dwells in the region. Taken together with the risk of dying of exposure, hunger or thirst, and the possibility that there might be even worse dangers lurking in Freyfthor which have not been described before, essentially insulates Freyfthor from the rest of the world.
But it wasn't always like this, although perhaps only the Saelvir and the other Elder Races remember a time when things were otherwise. Freyfthor was once a continent in the northern hemisphere of the primordial world, and it was known then as Rismiri. It was still cold and unforgiving, and it was the birthplace of the Saelvir race, the center of their learning. While considered a separate continent, Rismiri was connected to Tiremser (the continent which would become known as Teidar later on, where Ailund is) and the Saelvir built their first and greatest city, Sylthear, in what is now the Frozen Lands of Ailund, the gateway to Rismiri itself.
The Saelvir have always been a peaceful, passive people, and have never had imperial ambitions. But they were forced to find a way to defend themselves when another Elder Race, the Maedh, swarmed over the world, seeking to bend it to their will. Even so, the Saelvir wouldn't war. Rather, their Firstborn, Namiri, hatched a plan and helped its children sever Rismiri's connection to the world, making it in effect a separate Plane of Existence, though still connected through the passage that once existed between it and Tiremser. Sylthear was abandoned, as it could not be brought into the newly created Freyfthor (and the Saelvir founded Rusinnar as a consequence). But it did not remain alone: Namiri, the Firstborn of the Saelvir, remained within it, its Heart torn out of its chest. It allowed itself to remain suspended between life and death, acting as an anchor to ensure that Freyfthor would remain attached, however, loosely, to the world.
For over one hundred thousand years, Namiri's suffering ensured its people could still see the world and, from time to time, help the people of the world in small ways. It also ensured the Saelvir survived the War of Wars, the Divine Wars, and the War of Saints unscathed. But even a spirit as noble and strong as Namiri could not sustain forever the charge of being trapped in its own shriveled body, unable to move, alone in the dark, no matter the intent. And eighty years after Riyya's and Gaenor's exploration of Freyfthor, Namiri's vigil was finally brought to an end. Ironically, those who helped the Firstborn find its peace were also Knights of the Ashes - a new generation, who found themselves entangled in the deeds of the Saelvir and discovered more about this strange race's dealings with the world.
With Namiri's death (as well as the destruction of the Tree of Aarti, of which we will speak later), Freyfthor would have lost all anchors to the mortal world and would have been fully severed, had it not been for the sacrificial choice of one of these Knights, a woman who sought redemption for an ill-advised deal with a demon by offering to take Namiri's place as Freyfthor's anchor. Like the Firstborn of the Saelvir before her, she chose entombment to sustain Freyfthor's connection, but unlike Namiri, she did so for a people she never even met (with the exception of a couple of representatives).
Arguably, Meela's sacrifice dwarfed even that of Namiri, though only time will tell whether she will be able to endure the loneliness, the darkness, and the life-in-death she sentenced herself to as well as the Firstborn did. She has company from time to time - the Light-Bearer, another of the Knights who helped Namiri and who ascended to Sainthood is said to come visit her, occasionally.
The truth of Meela's sacrifice and how long she will endure her half-existence is unknown. But for now, Freyfthor still stands, still remains connected to the world, and perhaps others will follow in the footsteps of Riyya, Gaenor, Coriele, Enbren, Aethe, as well as the later Knights Morrin, Gregor, Meela, Tassit, Losay and Alara, and finish unraveling the mystery of Freyfthor.
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