Eighty-three North

Overview

Eighty-three North is a remote sledge port established on the pack ice near the 83rd parallel on Arbre. It functions as a rough but orderly commercial hub where cargo and vehicles are transferred onto a massive sledge train for over‑ice travel toward the North Pole and onward routes. The port draws scavenger caravans and polar travelers and is laid out to work directly on the ice rather than on permanent land foundations.

Notable Features

• A factory‑like locomotive straddling colossal treads pulls a multi‑sledge train. The consist includes: a container sledge stacked high and serviced by a crane; open‑box sledges for loose scrap; and a flatbed that carries loaded drummons and fetches.
• Catwalks link the sledges so passengers can move along the train once it is underway. Travelers can rent compact housing modules mounted on the locomotive.
• The surrounding icefield hosts clusters of stilted modules that serve as scrap dealers’ offices, hostels, eateries, and bordellos. Drummons converge here to sell cargo before loading.
• Weapons are commonly carried; there is even an area at the edge of the encampment where people discharge firearms into the ice wall. Despite this, the port operates with a pragmatic orderliness typical of places focused on commerce.

Associations

• The port is tied to northern scavenging and scrap trade from deep ruins across the tundra, which feeds the sledge train’s southbound and cross‑polar traffic.
• Over‑the‑pole routes from Eighty‑three North offer a way to traverse between regions without passing through conventional ports of entry, a consideration for travelers lacking documents recognized by the Saecular Power.
• As a gateway to the polar route, it is a practical staging point for travelers aiming to reach distant places such as Ecba.

Recent Activity

• Erasmas and his companions reach Eighty‑three North after a long drive through taiga and tundra. They book space for two vehicles on the flatbed (keeping a three‑wheeler accessible), rent a housing module on the locomotive, lay in supplies, and wait several days while the train finishes loading. The train then departs north across the ice.

Status/Access

• Active and busy during loading periods; schedules are driven by cargo volume rather than fixed timetables. Space on the flatbed can be purchased for vehicles, and lodging is available in small modules. Movement on the ground is hazardous due to free‑for‑all traffic across the ice; once loaded, access shifts to the train’s catwalks. Conditions are austere but functional, built for extreme cold and shifting pack ice.