Even in a land where misery and torment are the currency of daily life, Karond Kar, the Tower of Despair, can be counted the bleakest of all refuges. The citadel stands sentinel on the edge of the Sea of Chill, perpetually battered by gale-force winds, icy rain and tidal waves the size of mountains. Its folk can therefore be counted amongst the hardiest of a hard people. Indeed, they have become so acclimatized to their frozen conditions that more temperate climes cause them a measure of discomfort.[1a]