Icecrown Glacier



Icecrown Glacier is a large glacier located in Icecrown and can be found within the ground itself in an area between Aldur'thar: The Desolation Gate and Corp'rethar: The Horror Gate. In Lands of Mystery, the whole zone was called "Icecrown Glacier".

History
Before the Lich King, this region was the capital of Azjol-Nerub, the nerubian spider kingdom (The nerubians now dwell in ruins by that same name). Then Ner'zhul arrived, and he used his magic to draw many dead or dying creatures onto the glacier and into his army. He conquered the nerubians and built his undead army. Travelers learned to avoid the place. The glacier has seen its share of battle within the past few decades: the Scourge fighting and destroying nerubians, furbolgs and Drakkari; adventurers assaulting the citadel and requiring rescue; Arthas and Illidan Stormrage fighting for the right to open the Frozen Throne's chamber. More than one adventurer has sneaked onto Icecrown Glacier, trying to kill the Lich King and destroy the Scourge. None return. Many consider the glacier the most evil place in all Azeroth.

The Lich King sits on the Frozen Throne at the bottom of the rift, and his glory and power are terrible. Four stone obelisks carved with runes of powerful magic surround the Frozen Throne. Bridges of pale blue, translucent energy stretch from the obelisk platforms to the Frozen Throne. Jets of frost periodically spew blue flames into the air, and there are glyphs carved into the rocky ground surrounding the Frozen Throne. Whoever wishes to enter the Throne Chamber, to risk the Lich King’s wrath, must activate all four obelisks.

People and Culture
''Nothing lives here — the Lich King and his Scourge aren't exactly alive - but the glacier teems with undead creatures. More creatures inhabit this one region than the rest of the continent (Its roughly estimated to have a population of 250,000 beings). All of the beings here are undead, which makes it a really awful place to visit. Still, one must give the Lich King credit. He landed in the coldest part of the coldest continent on Azeroth and figured out a way to get loyal, hardworking servants. Undead don't feel cold. They don't need food or drink. They don't breathe. And they don't get distracted or lazy or bored. No wonder he managed to build his citadel in a few years when it would have taken others decades. All his servants do exactly what he commands, for as long as he requires.''

Geography
Icecrown Glacier is a glacier in north-central Northrend that collided with the icy continent millennia ago. Icecrown Glacier now composes most of the zone called Icecrown. This is the Lich King's domain, the center of his power, and it’s crawling with Scourge monstrosities. The Icecrown Citadel is a castle on top of a solid chunk of ice. Somewhere beneath this ice is the real northwest corner of this continent. It's not known how far it extends — it could go all the way to the shoreline or be just beyond the end of Crystalsong Forest. The important thing is, what's here now is not frozen soil or snow-covered forest. It's all ice. Nothing grows here. Nothing lives here. A few penguins and walruses and other Arctic sea creatures might use the shore as a resting place but that's about it. The one thing it does have, of course, is undead. It has undead in spades.

Describing the glacier is easy: ice. That about covers it. Literally. A sheet of ice, several feet thick even at the edges, coats the entire region. A river cuts down through it, from the upper corner to Lake Wintergrasp below, and much of that is frozen over as well, at least on the surface. Along the southern edges a few stunted trees cling to survival but that’s where the glacier ends and real soil begins again. The glacier isn’t flat, though. It has levels, some of them gentle hills and valleys and others abrupt tears and sudden cliffs. The banks of the river drop sharply to the water, too high and steep for anyone caught in the water to climb back out. Just like the Howling Fjord, Icecrown Glacier has only one real settlement. Unlike the Fjord, the glacier has no exceptions. Icecrown Citadel teems with Scourge forces, and undead wander the landscape, on missions for their cursed leader.