Cold zones

In the north west of the continent, lies a cold, rather uncharted region, and far in the northeast in the Topazial Iceclad sea are multiple frost-covered islands.

I feel it is time to develop them a bit as we did for the Akaptor desert
Little as been done on the theme of cold yet besides the frost peak.

So don't hesitate to post your ideas on the matter, be it new races, new fauna, the way such region would work in the wider Felarya etc... anything goes, really ^_^

Last Strand Outpost

Along the edge of the north-west's mountainous region there lay a final outpost for provisions, tools, thick furs, etcetera. Trade, training, and information are the main services of the Last Strand. The town is a good area for news to spread, offers some survival tips for the lands up north, etc.

However, unlike most settlements which are made by Humans, Nekos, and the occasional Elves / Fairies, Last Strand is almost entirely populated by Dridders. Beyond the infrequent visits of Seekers of Sineria and the rare troupe of Gerridis, the tauric spider folk are the only sort of business the town sees - but what a variety at that! Bolas street performers, Naxyla artisans, even the occasional Trapdoor Dridder may be seen scuttling around town at times with a bundle of goods secured to their back.

Though founded by Dridders, the name came from a Seeker talking to a permanent resident in the village: Beyond the outpost, the presence of Dridder webs was almost non-existant. Though there were the Snow Dridders that lived to the north, they tended to refrain from using webbing and instead use a mixture of magical energy and stealthy tricks. Thus, the town was the final spot to admire a Dridder's craftsmanship in web-making before pushing on into the tundra.

The layout of the town is almost one enormous web design. From treetop to forest floor are at least a half-dozen separate web walkways, connecting to enclosed tree web-shops or towering silk-columns that work as well as an apartment as a storage place. The ground level is illuminated almost exclusively through magical lights: Almost no light makes it through the dense webs above, and creating flames is prohibited by law to prevent any accidents. Few know this, but Last Strand has its own "fire department" formed of specialized mages who are sent to quickly put out and chase out any fires set in the town and those who may have caused them.

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Just a rough idea I had when I read this, as for Snow Dridders - I don't have time at the moment to make something for them. However, I do have the rough idea I had in mind:

1) They do not specialize in Ice Magic, nor any magic at all. However, the most popular magic for them to use is "Fire" as it allows them to travel light.
2) Their carapace is covered in a thick 'fur' similar to that of Polar bears.
3) Their skin ranges from almost unearthly pale to lightly tanned, depending on their practices in the frozen lands.
4) Their feet are almost always covered in specialized "snow shoes" to allow them to stealthily traverse the terrain.
5) They do not prefer to use webbing, rarely using it at all and their spinnerets almost atrophied over time. Instead, they'll use traps and tricks to hunt for prey - a fond tactic when hunting larger prey to hide spikes under the snow where their "shoes" would not allow them to fall, while smaller prey creating pitfalls over crevices that they then fish dinner out of.

Now that, Karbo, is a cool idea. No pun intended. I'll see what icy ideas I can come up with.


Good one Mal. Web walkways for a small dridder village? That's nice, I never thought of that! As always you are the paragon of swift and detailed ideas.

I did try to add a cold region with Corliss Island.

Still working on the Milk Wood Hills, while not an out and out cold zone it is more like northern Northumberland; moores and pine forests.

A desolate wasteland. I don't know why, but I had the idea that a race of Tinies could live more peacefully there than the forest...

Little white furry things, four crystal blue-colored eyes, large, rounded head with no discernible neck and small, pointed ears, their little thin hands constantly hidden in either their poofy fuzz or their thick garments made of some sort of unknown bird's pelt, with thick, padded, circular feet... Living in tunnels under the ice and permafrost scavenging anything they possibly can...

I imagine they would be pretty cute...

Hmm...I might have to think up some things. There are certainly a lot of possibilities.

I know my Frost Sprites live in cold regions, so you can count that as a contribution from me ^^

As for other ideas....lets see...Polar Bear hybrids? (like a pantaur, only half-polar bear) Seal Hybrids? Narwhal mermaids? (built like a mermaid, with a horn coming out of their foreheads) Lots of potentially good ideas to be used.

Well, it's not really up north, but I had the Nevermelting Ice lake...though I should do some work with that.

Flare wrote:

Well, it's not really up north, but I had the Nevermelting Ice lake...though I should do some work with that.

You can't come up with ice ideas Flare. It's totally out of character!

*Points to my story about Ghitsa*

Ursoids

Average Height: 2.5m tall when walking, 3.5m when reared up on their hind legs
Average Weight: Between 550-850 kilos

Ursoids are a sentient tauric race of bears that inhabit the frozen lands north of Bulvon Woods. The lower body of an Ursoid is covered in dense, clear fur that proves quite resistant to blunt and slashing attacks. Beneath this fur sits layer upon layer of thick muscle and fat stores that both provide much strength to its limbs and allow it to further resist the harshness of the terrain.

For the upper torso, the fur ceases around the hips to the front. Along the sides however the fur goes almost to the rib-cage, slowly curving in towards the spine. This then goes further up along the back until covering the neck - then the fur almost entirely restricted to the hybrid's rear.

Unlike most tauric creatures which seem to have a human base, Ursoids seem closer related to Titans. The flesh of an Ursoid has a make-up similar to white marble, providing them with an extra layer of protection under their thick fur and above their body.

The head of an Ursoid resembles that of the standard demi-human / titan. The only noticeable differences between an Ursoid face and a regular one are the bear-like ears to their head's side (covered in a similar fur as most of their body) and the slightly larger canines. The hair of an Ursoid is usually a light color, varying from the clear fur on their torso to a whitish grey.

Ursoids are a race built to hunt. Their strong upper and lower torsos allow them to use claw and weapon to great effect, be it for hunting arctic Duiker or fighting off encroaching demi-human settlers. Meanwhile, their natural camouflage allows them to sneak up onto unaware prey creatures and strike at the best moment .


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This work as a good base, Rcs?

rcs619 wrote:

As for other ideas....lets see...Polar Bear hybrids? (like a pantaur, only half-polar bear) Seal Hybrids? Narwhal mermaids? (built like a mermaid, with a horn coming out of their foreheads) Lots of potentially good ideas to be used.

Bears already look so much like humans I just don't think a traditional tauric being would work.

Maybe something more like the mythological minotaur or a neko. A large humanoid with human features in the face and torso but with bearlike arms and legs.

JohnDoe wrote:

Bears already look so much like humans I just don't think a traditional tauric being would work.

Maybe something more like the mythological minotaur or a neko. A large humanoid with human features in the face and torso but with bearlike arms and legs.

I agree with you it makes a better design than a tauric creature with bearw features will be more interested than a tauric

I know Malahite already posted polar bear hybrids, I can't get this idea out of my head.

Arctic Bjorns

Height 80-100 feet standing on their hind legs, though their are rumors of individuals even taller.

Physiology: Large humanoids, but with arms and legs similar to a polar bears, covered in white fur. Their arms and legs are the same length and as such Arctic Bjorns are equally adept at both bipedal and quadrupedal movement often chasing down their prey on all fours and then going upright to maul it to death with its powerful arms and sharp claws. They are extremely strong even for their size capable of bringing down prey even bigger than they are.

Arctic Bjorns mouths have enlarged canines to help them bring down prey, and bearlike ears covered in fur to help preserve body heat.

Their arms and legs as well as their heads are covered in white fur allowing them to blend into their snowy environemnt. Interestingly though their exposed skin is white the skin under their fur is black, allowing them to soak up more heat from the sun. Though the fur appears white, it is actually clear and only appears white because their is so much of it close together.

Finally they are extremely strong swimmers, and have flaps inbetween their fingers and their toes to aid in swimming in the frozen waters where the live. It is not uncommon to see them jump into the water and come up pulling a mermaid as big as they are back to shore.

Diet: Pretty much anything they can get frozen climate where the live. They live entirely off of meat, as their is almost no edible vegetation. They'll happy snack on human sized travelers and passengers when they can get them, though they are much rarer than they are down south.

Much of their diet is made of fish and other marine life, which are one of the few things that are plentiful in their habitat.

While always very voracious, their appetites get especially big as they prepare for their yearly hibernation. During this time they're known to attack well defended human settlements, run other predators off of caught prey, and even attack other predators if the food supply is especially low.

Even if you know a Arctic Bjorn very well, it is wise to give them a respectful distance during this particular period of this life cycle.

Culture: Not much of one to be honest as the Arctic Bjorns are very territorial. However they are known to meet every once in awhile when the fish are especially plentiful. This meeting is known as a moot. During these moots the Bjorn discuss matters of importance and trade stories and so forth. Outside of the moots however you'll only find two adult Arctic Bjorns together for two reasons, territorial disputes and mating.

Female Bjorn raise their offspring until their adolescent years where they must fend for themselves. Most commonly the raise one at a time though every once in awhile you'll see them with two small cubs following after them. Approaching these cubs while they're mothers are around is not recommended.

*Note male Bjorns tend to wear loincloths made from skins around their waist. This is to hide and protect their only known weak spot.

Magic: Arctic Bjorns are not particularly adept at magic, nor do they hold it in high regard, preferring to use their raw physical strength to overcome most obstacles. The few who do learn magic tend to stick to the elements of ice, wind, and water, and even then only to aid them in catching prey, never in combat.

There is however one magical ability that all Bjorns share however, and that is called the dreaming. Deep in their hibernating sleep, inside their dens of ice and the snow, Bjorns gain access to the memories of their ancestors. They can visit things that happened long ago, and gain insight in to many things, though going very far back is harder, and only the very experienced can manage it.

Because of this Bjorns have a reputation for incredible wisdom, despite their ferocious natures and aggressive tendencies, and elders are often sought out by non Bjorns because of this. Better bring something to offer them though.

Rumors say they love alcohol.

Penguin harpies

With flipper-like wings, waterproof feathers on their lower halves, chubby frames and short, stubby legs ending in webbed birds' feet, a penguin harpy looks rather silly. Obviously they can't fly, but are excellent swimmers and have little problem hunting underwater for such prey as fish. To an observer, some of their most notable behavior is that they are quite vocal about how 'damn chest-freezing cold' the water is, how it 'sucks not to fly to find a mate', that they 'hate having short-ass legs' and such... It seems that within penguin harpy circles, insulting has become second to complaining in their language. Mostly this is during the time they spend searching for mates and later, hatching eggs- which is not an easy task, and nearly impossible if they don't have someone to incubate the egg while they go hunt for food. Penguin harpies waddle and hop around, but for locomotion they usually slide along the ground on their stomachs, which are covered with the same short feathers as their lower halves, and provides insulation while they slide around, pushing with their feet when they slow down. They have a little bit of ice magic available to them, which they use to sculpt the icy terrain they inhabit into 'ice slides', the freeways of an ice environment to get quickly from place to place.

During mating season, the penguin harpies set out in a group to find suitable mates- sometimes they'll have a deal with an island of humans, to which the sight of the ladies waddling up from the beach is a blessing of a sight to the men. Others have to search far and wide for mates, and the further they have to travel, the more dangerous it becomes for them. Penguin harpies are found mostly in the colder regions, but they are also found on islands spotted throughout the Topazial Sea. There are also variants between populations, and you'll see some that are larger, some that are smaller and such.

Here's an idea for something to the North-West I made a long time ago. Not quite as far away, but beyond Deeper Felarya. And it is not quite as balmy as the rest of Felarya. Karbo may remember this...


https://felarya.forumotion.com/new-ideas-f2/efisga-valley-t1088.htm?highlight=efisga

Nice ideas here
I especially find this one of bear-hybrids intriguing ^_^

Jætte_Troll : Yes I remember well ^^ but I was more thinking about a colder zone, with quite an extreme climate.. but your Efisga valley coud be something of a transiton region between the two

Karbo wrote:

Nice ideas here
I especially find this one of bear-hybrids intriguing ^_^

Jætte_Troll : Yes I remember well ^^ but I was more thinking about a colder zone, with quite an extreme climate.. but your Efisga valley coud be something of a transiton region between the two

That is what I pictured it as. It's actually in the mountains that separate Felarya from it's more northwestern areas. There's really nothing known about what's in or beyond those mountains or Deeper Felarya. I'll come up for some ideas for the really cold areas.

Rangitaurs

-Rangitaurs are a subset of centaur that live in the cold frozen plains of the north. Their lower halves are like a deer's, but with thicker grey or brown fur better at insulating themselves. They also have a bit more evolved hooves than a regular centaur. The hooves can change their hardness, consistency and even shape to some degree. For traveling on wet tundra or loose snow they spread out to give better traction. When climbing on ice they harden and sharpen, allowing for a better grip.

The top, human half is similar to other predators, but generally paler. Rangitaurs also tend to have longer fairer hair and lighter coloured eyes. Both sexes of the species have antlers on their heads. Their bodies are adapted to the cold. They can go with no clothes but be comfortable.

-Rangitaurs are a nomadic species. They carry whatever tools or belongings they need to survive the cold with them across the frozen wastes. They tend to be peaceful unless provoked. They will eat humans, but are not as voracious as others, adapting to a diet with less humans in a place where not many humans dwell. They eat whatever plant or animal like they can find. They have developed tools that let them cut through the ice to reach bugs, fish and plants frozen beneath.

-Rangitaurs have an interesting affinity for air magic. They use this in a variety of ways. They often use it to blow up clouds of snow, to escape enemies or for confusing prey. They can also heat up amounts of air - in really cold temperature they can heat the air that they inhale, warming them from the inside.

I like a lot the idea of the Arctic Bjorns and the Rangitaurs, they are well-developed

Alright, here's something that Gwada designed, formerly known as Hammerhead harpies. I liked it so I wanted to bring it here after doing some editing. Current name is derived from 'sledge' as in 'sledgehammer' and 'wyver' which is a variant on 'wyvern'.

Sledgewyvers

Also referred to as 'hammer-heads', sledgewyvers are giant hybrid cousins of harpies. Physically, their traits are reptilian rather than avian, tough scales being where feathers would, and their wings are draconic. Jutting from their forehead is a sky-blue bone plate, which forms a sort of helmet. In addition to having solid defenses, a sledgewyver possesses many weapons. First is their powerful rending talons, which are capable of piercing and tearing through natural armor such as their own. Their bony helm can violently pulverize rock and twist metal. Their long tails end in spiked clubs, which they can swing around powerfully are also quite dangerous. Lastly, they are adept at ice magic, concentrating while exhaling to launch an ice spear or to create an engulfing, freezing blast which can imprison several targets in ice blocks. They also use this frigid breath to keep their eggs at proper temperatures.

Oddly, their eggs have to be kept very cold for their incubation to be successful. As such, they tend to the egg by exhaling intensely chilly breath onto it. The shell is highly coveted for its excellent resistance to cold. Sledgewyvers live primarily in the colder regions, but venture out of them during the mating season. They return to hatch their eggs and raise their chicks, the icy environment giving them an overall better advantage.

As one could guess, they are formidable hunters- if it isn't enough that they can fly, their powerful legs and counterbalancing tail used as a rudder allow them to pursue their prey on the ground swiftly for short distances if they need to.

Though sledgewyvers commonly live in groups, they rather prefer to hunt alone. Often their behavior is rather arrogant, as they always look for an occasion to prove their superiority to others, especially those in their group.

They have a rather sinister reputation among males of other species. Sledgewyvers rarely leave their territory, and it is strongly discouraged for a potential mate to risk crossing their path by entering it. When the mating season arrives, they first search nearby, and then other areas if they don't at first find a suitable mate. Once they have spotted the victim, they knock him out with a violent headbutt and bring him to a place where they won't be disturbed. It isn't uncommon for the poor sap to wake up with a severe headache, a huge bump on the head and his genitals out in the open.

Because of these tendencies, sledgewyvers aren't adept at forming solid, serious relationships with a partner. Some of them do successfully find consensual lovers however, though it is rare.

/Fish/ wrote:

Alright, here's something that Gwada designed, formerly known as Hammerhead harpies. I liked it so I wanted to bring it here after doing some editing. Current name is derived from 'sledge' as in 'sledgehammer' and 'wyver' which is a variant on 'wyvern'.

Sledgewyvers

Also referred to as 'hammer-heads', sledgewyvers are giant hybrid cousins of harpies. Physically, their traits are reptilian rather than avian, tough scales being where feathers would, and their wings are draconic. Jutting from their forehead is a sky-blue bone plate, which forms a sort of helmet. In addition to having solid defenses, a sledgewyver possesses many weapons. First is their powerful rending talons, which are capable of piercing and tearing through natural armor such as their own. Their bony helm can violently pulverize rock and twist metal. Their long tails end in spiked clubs, which they can swing around powerfully are also quite dangerous. Lastly, they are adept at ice magic, concentrating while exhaling to launch an ice spear or to create an engulfing, freezing blast which can imprison several targets in ice blocks. They also use this frigid breath to keep their eggs at proper temperatures.

Oddly, their eggs have to be kept very cold for their incubation to be successful. As such, they tend to the egg by exhaling intensely chilly breath onto it. The shell is highly coveted for its excellent resistance to cold. Sledgewyvers live primarily in the colder regions, but venture out of them during the mating season. They return to hatch their eggs and raise their chicks, the icy environment giving them an overall better advantage.

As one could guess, they are formidable hunters- if it isn't enough that they can fly, their powerful legs and counterbalancing tail used as a rudder allow them to pursue their prey on the ground swiftly for short distances if they need to.

Though sledgewyvers commonly live in groups, they rather prefer to hunt alone. Often their behavior is rather arrogant, as they always look for an occasion to prove their superiority to others, especially those in their group.

They have a rather sinister reputation among males of other species. Sledgewyvers rarely leave their territory, and it is strongly discouraged for a potential mate to risk crossing their path by entering it. When the mating season arrives, they first search nearby, and then other areas if they don't at first find a suitable mate. Once they have spotted the victim, they knock him out with a violent headbutt and bring him to a place where they won't be disturbed. It isn't uncommon for the poor sap to wake up with a severe headache, a huge bump on the head and his genitals out in the open.

Because of these tendencies, sledgewyvers aren't adept at forming solid, serious relationships with a partner. Some of them do successfully find consensual lovers however, though it is rare.

Thank you /Fish/ for this editing version

And a ruin idea for this zone...cause ya know, Felarya just never seems to have enough of those around.

Spectre Ruins

Out in the frozen wastelands lies the rubble of what many suspect was another of the various temples found throughout Felarya; possibly established once to give shelter to travelers in the inhospitable climate. Regardless of its former uses, all that remains now is a giant field of broken buildings and ruins that some stop by to use as a makeshift shelter against the cold and frequent blizzards. The native beasts strangely avoid the ruins as well, giving it the appearance of a safe haven to the unwise. Those that dare seek shelter though make sure to never return again... the few who return having been driven paranoid from hearing voices in the cold dark and watching as their companions vanish into the thin air around them; to be nothing more than a meal for a hungry ghost before vanishing again. Whatever happened in the ancient history has drawn numerous ghosts to take up residence here being attracted by something.

Some brave, and very lucky, adventurers speak of there being more than just a pile rubble to this ruin. It is rumored there is an entrance somewhere amongst the graveyard to the underground levels of whatever temple once stood there remains intact, and possibly containing unclaimed treasures still. The cavernous underground floors are just as eery, if not more so, than the ones above ground. Strange voices can be heard coming from fainlty glowing and fading glyphs along the walls and the remains of several giant ice covered humanoid statues can be found within the halls. What remains below is a mystery, some of the giant doors remain sealed, and guarded by more of the titan statues, while many others appear to have been destroyed by some unknown force. The few who do discover these chambers suspect they may have once been a tomb or a vault...while others believe it was once a prison to whatever destroyed the rest of the temple.



Well that's that anyways... figured have a haunted ruin somewhere just for the heck of it. Oh and a small titan hinting thing too, just because Alcazath and his titans down in the Mysterious Temple are the only temple anywhere with titans at all. Maybe not entirely cold theme except for being an ancient ice titan temple but figured I'd share.

With their ability to rend just about anything, potent ice magic, etc, I take it Sledgewyvers are as comfortable hunting "Prey" species alongside other "Predator" ones?

Hehe thanks for those ideas ^_^
lot of interesing ones here