Bittercradle

Overview

Bittercradle is a wide basin where retreating ice left deep lakes and exposed limestone. Five distinct ecological zones converge here, creating violent weather shifts that drop temperatures forty degrees in hours. Woolly mammoths migrate through the central valley twice yearly, trampling anything in their path. People survive by following animal migration routes and gathering specific roots that store potable water. The loose scree slopes cut skin, and the alkali flats cause burns on exposed feet. Frostbite ends more lives than animal attacks. Smoke from the obsidian vents marks the basin center, and travelers navigate by these grey pillars.

Society

Elders dictate band movements based on watched animal behaviors. The person who initiates a successful kill earns first selection of meat and hides, regardless of age or sex. Exchanging members between bands during gatherings prevents blood mixing and settles debts. Leaving injured or elderly behind during urgent moves occurs without ritual, though the decision causes open arguments.

Technology

Knapped obsidian and flint provide cutting edges that dull quickly and shatter on bone. Fire requires carried embers in rotted wood housings; starting a new spark takes hours. Women sew overlapping fur layers using bone needles and animal sinew, creating insulation. Hunters throw sharpened sticks and rely on driving prey off cliffs or into bog mud.