From the introduction: Champions of the Frozen Waste details the world of the Xan. Dubbed barbarians by other cultures, the Xan (singular and plural) have a rich history and complex culture. The Xan reside in what is called the Frozen Wastes, a land far to the north covered in glaciers and separated from the rest of civilization by unforgiving mountains. Where others look out across the empty expanses of ice and see nothing but barren, frozen death, the Xan see their beloved homeland, pure of purpose and strong as the mountains that surround them.