Captain Nalot and the Icebreaker

The would-be scourge of the sea

"The captain of the gnome pirates that landed on Velious, Captain Nalot is a wily and eccentric individual." The Atlas says: "In his youth, Nalot had a vision that he would be the scourge of the sea and ruler of the waves." Nalot and his crew built "a massive ship upon the shores of Butcherblock", and the Atlas goes on: "Within a fortnight of the ship’s launch, Nalot and his crew sunk a pirate ship upon the waters of Timorous Deep." Only "A single chest from the pirate ship was rescued before it was swallowed by the sea." "Surprised and wholly encouraged", Nalot kept sailing south, attacking more pirates and "amassing a horde of treasure" (the Atlas’s spelling). Source [2]

After three months the water turned cold, "small shards of ice began to grow into towering icebergs", and the sea froze "in a thick sheet of ice". Nalot had to turn back, "though he vowed that he would return to one day overcome this icy obstacle." Source [2]

Thirty years of building

Nalot docked at Freeport and "sold vast amounts of precious jewels, metals and arcane scrolls to the underground market", then sailed back to Butcherblock and home to Ak’Anon. Source [2]

The Atlas says: "He immediately dismissed his former ship builder and hired a horde of Ak’anon’s finest ship builders and a single carpenter." Source [2]

The Atlas continues: "For three decades Nalot oversaw the construction of the finest vessel to ever sail the southern seas of Norrath – the Ice Breaker." The Atlas spells the ship "Ice Breaker" here and "Icebreaker" elsewhere. Source [2]

Breaking through

The Atlas tells the second voyage: "His new ship, built with a spinning hammer, tore through the frozen sea." On the Icy Fingers "the gnomes set up camp and claimed the land as their own." Most stayed put: "Few of the gnomish settlers have traveled much further, not caring what lurks on the vast continent to the east of their island chain." The ship "continues to sail through Iceclad Ocean, bringing adventurers from Antonica to Nalot’s frozen discovery." Source [2]

The Atlas calls the Icebreaker "The only mode of transport". The ship "shears the edges off icebergs as it makes its way to the Icy Fingers, creating a narrow channel of navigation that is almost surreal in its appearance." The Atlas weighs the voyage: "These gnomish pirates were the first residents to rediscover the frozen continent of Velious after millennia of isolation from the rest of Norrath." Source [1]

Nalot’s camp

The camp is on the first and smallest Icy Finger, which "houses the only dock available to the Icebreaker". The Atlas calls the pirates "absurd and deadly"; the 2009 text says "absurd but deadly". The Atlas adds: "Their igloos feature brightly colored designs splashed on the sides." Source [1]

The 2009 overview adds that the pirates "prefer bright flashy colors", and that their camps make the zone "suitable for long-term hunting, as supplies are easily purchased and treasures sold." Source [3]

The Icy Fingers

The Atlas describes the crossing: "To travel from the first Icy Finger to the second, one must go from ice floe to ice floe, risking perilously cold waters." The second island is larger, with "a small forest of pine trees" and, inside it, the Tower of Frozen Shadow. The Atlas says snow gnolls "live out a meager existence in small fishing villages" on its edges; the 2009 text has them "eke out" that existence. Source [1]

The Atlas says the third island "is the largest and nearest to Velious", "covered with enigmatic stone monoliths in the shape of dragon heads". The Gretespaign, the Great Span, is "a gigantic bridge crafted of Velious ice or "velium," that physically connects the third Icy Finger to Velious itself." Source [1]

In SOE’s 2009 overview, the Gretespaign "can easily hold a dragon". Source [3]

The Atlas map

The Atlas map labels five points, among them "A. To the Northern Desert of Ro" (North Ro), "B. To the Eastern Wastes", "D. Captain Nalot’s Camp", "E. Dragon Circle (Druid and Wizard teleport point)". Source [1]

The Atlas photo caption reads: "A small enclave of ... gnomish pirates wreak havoc on the northern side of the first Icy Finger." Source [2]

The Atlas bestiary gives monster level "20-35", with ice giants, snow pumas, snow dervishes and shadow guardians as examples. The Atlas says the locals "are unusually fierce". Young travellers, the Atlas advises, should bring companions and "move swiftly with the aid of a druid or shaman’s spell." Source [1]