Basic Information
The North Pole is the northernmost point on the globe, the point in the Northern Hemisphere where the earth's axis of rotation intersects the earth's surface. For centuries it was regarded as one of the most inaccessable places on the planet.
In the 19th Century, several expeditions were mounted to try and reach the North Pole. On April 21, 1908, explorer Frederick Cook reportedly reached the Pole, although his claim was later contested. The following year, Robert Peary announced that he had attained the Pole on April 6, 1909. Although Peary's claim was widely accepted, today there is controversy over whether either man actually reached it.
On August 3, 1958, the USS Nautilus became the first submarine to cross the Pole under the ice cap.
According to Hollow Earth Theorists, the North Pole is the site of an entrance to the interior of the earth - this might be tricky as the geographic North Pole is located in the Artic Ocean. The magnetic North Pole on the other hand (and yes, they are different things) wanders about and is currently in Northern Canada.
And of course, the North Pole is the home of Santa Claus. Much the same applies to his residence as to the Symmes Hole … except that he could well live in a house built on top of the sea ice - several (mostly Russian) military outposts are constructed in a similar way and often pass near to or over the geographic pole as the ice shifts.
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Game and Story Use
- A historical or time travel campaign might feature an expedition to the Pole
- Even in the present day, the Polar regions are a dangerous place and a possible setting for adventure.
- In a post apolcalyptic setting one of the drifting ice bases could one day emerge from the Artic pack ice on an iceberg … much to the surprise of those living after the end.
- If you need to actually place Santa's house, the current magnetic north pole would probably be better than the geographic pole - as might some previous magnetic north pole.