Risia

The metaphysical plane known as Risia, the Plain of Ice, stands as a stark testament to elemental stasis and extreme preservation. Its very essence defines cold, presenting an environment utterly hostile to unprepared life, yet paradoxically holding the promise of eternal truths and forgotten power. From an academic perspective, understanding Risia is to comprehend the dominion of absolute frigidity.

Geographically, Risia is an expanse defined by monolithic structures of ice. Its terrain is not merely covered by ice; it is ice. Towering glaciers rise like frozen mountains, their peaks often lost in perpetual blizzards. Vast, flat plains of obsidian-hard frost stretch for unimaginable distances, broken only by immense chasms, rifts, and deep ice caves that plunge into the frigid depths of the plane itself. Water, in its liquid form, is an anomaly, found only in isolated pockets where arcane forces or geothermal oddities briefly defy the plane's fundamental nature, swiftly refreezing into crystalline prisons. The very ground beneath one's feet is a treacherous, often reflective, surface of ancient, compacted ice, riddled with unseen cracks and fissures.

Yet, within this unforgiving landscape lies a profound allure. Ancient tales, whispered among planar scholars and the most daring explorers, speak of wonders entombed within Risia's impenetrable ice. It is widely believed that beings of immense power – colossal dragons, primeval giants, and perhaps even the very essences of bygone eras – did not perish on Risia, but were instead perfectly preserved within its crystalline embrace. Likewise, legendary treasures, artifacts of untold power and forgotten knowledge, are said to lie frozen, awaiting discovery by those capable of braving the plane's absolute dominion of cold. The ice of Risia is not merely a barrier; it is a vault, an immutable sarcophagus holding secrets that may one day reshape the very understanding of Eberron and its planar cosmology.

Thus, Risia stands as a monument to the power of ice and preservation, a plane of unparalleled danger and unimaginable potential. Its geography is a testament to frozen perpetuity, a realm where time itself appears to hold its breath, preserving all, forever.

Among the thirteen planes that orbit and influence Eberron, few exert as palpable and chilling an effect as Risia, the Plain of Ice. A domain of absolute zero, an endless expanse of glacial formations and frigid winds, Risia embodies elemental stasis and unyielding cold. This treatise examines the localized phenomena by which Risia intersects with and profoundly alters our own Material Plane, particularly focusing on its manifest zones and the cycles of planar alignment.

Manifest Zones: Conduits of the Glacial Breath

Manifest zones are rare loci where the ethereal boundary between Eberron and a co-planar reality thins, allowing direct ingress and egress, as well as an amplification of the co-planar reality's inherent properties. The presence of Risia manifest zones is a clear indicator of its direct influence, often rendering their immediate surroundings into lesser reflections of the Plain of Ice itself.

Unsurprisingly, the colossal glaciers of Everice and the desolate expanses of the Frostfell serve as primary conduits, hosting a substantial number of these zones. Here, the very air bites with supernatural cold, and ice forms with an unnatural speed and density. These zones are the most stable and predictable, allowing for extensive study of Risia's elemental composition, though the inherent dangers remain formidable.

More curious, perhaps, are the numerous zones scattered amongst the rugged peaks of the Graywall Mountains, straddling the border between Breland and Droaam. While not as overtly frigid as the polar regions, these zones introduce localized pockets of intense cold, often making passage through these heights treacherous even in warmer seasons. Their presence contributes significantly to the Graywall's reputation for unforgiving conditions, beyond mere elevation.

Further afield, on the distant continent of Sarlona, the Tashana Tundra hosts a large, albeit notably intermittent, manifest zone. Its ephemeral nature makes it dangerously unpredictable, capable of plunging regions into sudden, life-threatening blizzards without warning. Travelers in this desolate land must remain ever vigilant for the tell-tale signs of its activation: a sudden drop in temperature, the inexplicable formation of rime, and the whisper of winds that carry no warmth.

Finally, ancient records indicate an incursion from Risia into the ancient continent of Argonnessen. However, the precise location of this manifest zone remains undocumented, suggesting either its extreme remoteness or its purposeful concealment by the Dragons themselves, perhaps to contain its influence or to study it in their own inscrutable manner.

Planar Alignment: The Breath of Winter

Beyond these fixed points of intersection, Risia's influence waxes and wanes across the entirety of Eberron through the grand cosmic dance of planar alignment. These cycles dictate a broader, yet profound, impact on our world's climate and the very potency of certain magical energies.

Coterminous Phase: The Deep Chill

Occurring in the midwinter month of Zarantyr, once every five years, Risia draws nearer to our world, entering its coterminous phase. During this period, the very essence of cold is amplified across Eberron. Regions already prone to frigidity—the Frostfell, Everice, and particularly northern Khorvaire—experience an unprecedented intensification of cold. Temperatures plummet to lethal lows, and blizzards become more frequent and severe, capable of paralyzing entire regions.

Arcane spellcasters find their cold-related enchantments significantly bolstered, requiring less effort to evoke blizzards or freeze solid their foes. Furthermore, the veil between planes thins sufficiently in these regions to allow direct, albeit perilous, travel to Risia itself, a journey undertaken only by the most daring or desperate planar explorers.

Remote Phase: The Easing Shiver

Conversely, during the midsummer month of Lharvion, two and a half years after each coterminous alignment, Risia enters its remote phase. The plane recedes from Eberron, and its chilling grip lessens. While cold persists in naturally frigid climes, its severity is notably reduced, rendering extreme conditions merely harsh. Those attempting to wield cold-based magic find their spells less potent, requiring greater concentration and effort to achieve desired effects, a clear indication of the planar distance.

The pervasive influence of Risia, whether through its fixed manifest zones or the grand cycles of planar alignment, is undeniable. It sculpts our landscapes, dictates our climates, and subtly (or overtly) impacts the very fabric of magic. Understanding these phenomena is not merely an academic exercise but a critical endeavor for navigation, survival, and the wielding of arcane power. Constant vigilance and continued scholarly investigation are paramount to comprehending the Plain of Ice's profound and ever-present breath on Eberron.

The atmospheric conditions of Risia are perhaps its most immediate and lethal characteristic. The air itself is a weapon. Inhaling the atmosphere of Risia is an act of self-destruction; it freezes the lungs instantly, stealing away the breath and life from any unprotected creature. Survival demands extraordinary magical wards, specialized elemental adaptations, or a complete absence of the need for respiration. The average temperature on Risia reliably hovers at a brutal 0°F (-18°C), a constant, pervasive cold that drains heat with alarming efficiency.

Furthermore, Risia exhibits a relentless meteorological hostility. On any given day, an inhabitant faces a precisely 50% chance of encountering extreme weather. This is not merely a passing shower of snow; it manifests as blinding blizzards that can reduce visibility to naught, driving sleet that cuts like shards of glass, or hail storms of such size and force as to shatter exposed rock. These phenomena are not just disruptive; they are fundamental expressions of the plane's nature, elemental assaults that challenge even the most resilient travelers.

Risia, the Plain of Ice, stands as one of the most stark and unyielding of the planes of Eberron. A realm of absolute stasis and crystalline purity, it is a chilling counterpoint to the volatile energies of Fernia or the primal chaos of Lamannia. Within its frigid expanse, the creatures that manifest are not mere inhabitants; they are extensions of the plane itself, reflections of its unyielding nature, each a definitive expression of frost, stillness, and primordial cold. This compendium serves to categorize and elucidate the diverse, often terrifying, faunal expressions of Risia.

Aberrations

Creatures warped by the very antithesis of life, aberrations in Risia embody the uncanny stillness and alien cold that permeates the plane. They defy conventional biological classification, emerging as chilling anomalies from the heart of the ice.

Snowdrifter: These ephemeral, shifting masses of frozen mist and fragmented ice drift silently across Risia's vast plains. Predatory phantasms of elemental cold, they absorb life force, leaving behind only brittle, frozen husks. Their form is fluid, adapting to blend seamlessly with blizzards and snowfall.

Dragons

The draconic presence in Risia speaks to an ancient connection, perhaps a primordial affinity for the plane's elemental purity and longevity. While rare, their might here is absolute, and their forms are often tempered by the elemental energies.

Silver Dragon: Paradoxically, these noble dragons are found in Risia, though their appearance is infrequent. Their presence suggests a deliberate pilgrimage, perhaps seeking ultimate clarity or guarding secrets of immense age and power that resonate with the plane's timeless stasis.

White Dragon: More numerous are the predatory White Dragons, their innate ferocity amplified by Risia’s unforgiving nature. Their territorial claims are vast and absolute, their icy breath a weapon of unparalleled devastation in this frigid domain.

Frost Drake: Lesser kin to the true dragons, Frost Drakes act as savage, bipedal, wyvern-like hunters. Their hides are often a crystalline blue, and their breath is a focused gale of searing ice, capable of freezing targets solid in an instant.

Khala: A three-headed, serpent-like dragon of profound cold, the Khala is an anomaly even among the draconic denizens. It is rumored that khalas were a breed of rare amphibious dragon, warped through evil and wintry magic from proud creatures into voracious and wicked things that delight in the suffering of others. The creature ambulates like a snake, slithering along the ground with its wings drawn close to its body, but it prefers flight whenever possible.

Magical Beasts

Manifestations of Risia's primal ice magic, these beasts embody the raw, untamed essence of the frigid expanse. They are often primal, driven by instinct, yet imbued with supernatural resilience and chilling abilities.

Akhlut: Though typically creatures of icy seas, the Akhlut in Risia are found near the plane's scarce liquid ice formations or subterranean water flows. These terrifying shapeshifting creatures of the deep possess an insatiable hunger, their forms a horrifying fusion of orca and wolf.

Boreal Creatures: This category encompasses a range of indigenous fauna, from massive, shaggy mammoths and giant elk, to a variety of creatures nor normally inured to the deep cold of Risia. It's believed previous specimens crossed from Eberron in ages past and were altered by the innate magic of the plane.

Frost Worm: Subterranean predators of immense size, Frost Worms tunnel through glacial plains, their passage leaving behind fissures of absolute cold. They are blind, hunting by vibrational senses, and possess the ability to exhale a concentrated blast of freezing air.

Gammenore: Little-understood, the Gammenore are large, multi-limbed creatures that appear to be glacial crustaceans. Much like a fiddler crab, they have one large claw which they use to dig into the ice to ambush prey.

Gnoph-Keh: Bestial, shaggy horrors, these creatures possess an unnerving intelligence and a profound cruelty. Often found in small gatherings, these six-limbed bear-like monstrosities often hunt during blizzards, as they can see perfectly though falling snow.

Glacier Toad: Amphibious horrors, often found near patches of thawing ice or subterranean springs, their skin exudes a numbing chill. Lacking the long, sticky tongue of other giant toads, glacier toads will simply launch themselves at prey to bite it directly.

Winter Wolf: Savage and cunning, these elemental canids hunt in relentless packs across the frozen wastes. Their howls carry the biting force of the frigid wind, chilling prey to the bone, and their breath is a blast of pure ice.

Monstrous Humanoids

Intelligent, often malicious, and deeply unsettling, these humanoids represent the darker, more unsettling aspects of Risia's pervasive stillness and unforgiving nature.

Hags [Mute, Winter]: The Mute Hags communicate through chilling telepathy, their silence more terrifying than any scream, weaving illusions of warmth and comfort to lure victims. Winter Hags delight in the torment of warmth and life, their magic woven from pure frost and their hearts as cold as the plane itself.

Svathurim: Svathurims and frost giants consider each other allies and distant kin. Massive centaur-like creatures which resemble frost giants,they are often seen herding boreal creatures or guarding ancient ice-forged relics.

Yeti: Savage, solitary hunters, the Yeti are less intelligent than other humanoids, driven by an insatiable hunger and an innate mastery of camouflage within the blizzards. They are relentless stalkers, their victims often succumbing to the cold long before the Yeti delivers the final blow.

Oozes

The quintessential amorphous horrors, oozes in Risia are not merely dissolvers but embodiments of the plane's slow, inexorable decay and consumption by frost.

Tundra Blight: A creeping mass of snow-like material, the Tundra Blight moves with glacial slowness, capable of converting organic matter into inert ice. It leaves a trail of brittle, lifeless husks in its wake, slowly consuming all warmth.

Freezing Flow: A more aggressive entity, this mobile river of pure, liquid ice impales and drains the warmth from any living creature it touches. It lies in wait for warm-bodies prey to pass by.

Outsiders

Beings from other planes, drawn or bound to Risia, they often reflect the plane's elemental nature or its destructive potential, serving as agents of their varied planar masters or their own dark ambitions.

Devil [Gelugon]: These formidable fiends find Risia's absolute cold a familiar and perhaps invigorating environment. They often utilize the plane's inherent stasis to conduct their insidious, long-term plots, seeking to extend their planar dominion through freezing infernal bargains.

Ice Elemental: Pure manifestations of Risia's essence, these elementals are not typically summoned but born of the plane itself, coalescing from concentrations of planar energy. They serve as its instruments of preservation or destruction, moving with the unthinking force of a glacier.

Libitinarii Kytons: Fiendish tormentors who enjoy using frostbite to torture their victims find a grim resonance with Risia's stasis. Their chains are sometimes found woven into the very fabric of the plane's ice, a chilling testament to their pervasive, torturous influence, binding the unwary to their cold dominion.

Ice Mephits: Lesser elemental spirits, the Ice Mephits are common, mischievous, and often cruel, serving greater elemental or fiendish masters. They delight in petty torment, conjuring small gusts of freezing wind or icy spikes.

Undead

Death in Risia is not merely the cessation of life, but often a perpetuation of suffering, the enduring cold preserving the spirit in torment, animating the remains with an unholy chill.

Frostfallen Creatures: The chilling remains of those who perished in Risia, animated by the plane's pervasive magic. These creatures pursue warmth with an insatiable, mindless hunger, their bodies brittle and their movements accompanied by the crunch of frozen flesh.

Winterwight: More powerful and malevolent than common frostfallen, the Winterwights are intelligent undead, often powerful spellcasters in life, who now command the very blizzards and ice itself. They harbor a profound hatred for the living and seek to extinguish all warmth.

Yuki-Onna: Rare and beautiful, yet utterly deadly, these spectral women of ice are said to lure travelers to their icy demise with promises of warmth and safety. Their touch is a kiss of frost and oblivion, draining life and freezing targets solid.

Unique Inhabitants

Beyond the categorized, Risia harbors entities of such profound power and alien nature that they defy simple classification. These are beings of cosmic scale, ancient beyond comprehension, or unique manifestations of planar power.

Agmazar the Star Titan: Agmazar, the Star Titan, is a cosmic horror of immense scale, an insect-like creature seemingly sculpted from interstellar ice and shadow. Its movements cause glacial shifts and celestial alignments across the plane, a living testament to Risia's ancient, alien depths and its connection to the cosmic void. Its awakening portends planar shifts of vast consequence.

Ithaqua: The Wind-Walker, Ithaqua, is a being of unfathomable age and power, a whispering terror that manifests as an impossible blizzard of cosmic proportions. Its alien presence drives mortals to madness and despair, its very breath composed of psychic dread. Its connection to Risia speaks to the plane's potential as a conduit for cosmic horrors from beyond the known cosmology.