The Paraelemental Plane of Ice
“Hello, mortals. I shall be your narrator—your unfailing guide, if you will. My name is Sanctimarin, Master of the Frozen Breeze. Your sages would name me a mephit, but I am nothing like the creatures of fire or steam that share that distinction. Referring to my glorious race by that appellation proves more than anything else how badly you need my help. ”
-Sanctimarin, Master of the Frozen Breeze.,
Let’s start with the basics. The Paraelemental Plane of Ice is very, very, very cold. Got that? Good. Now try to keep up.The paraplane of Ice is so cold that anything brought here freezes. I know that in cold regions of other planes most liquids freeze, but that’s not really what I'm talking about. Here, flesh freezes. Blood freezes. Stone freezes. The air freezes. Spoken words freeze. Thoughts freeze. Even ice freezes. Ice is a meeting of Elemental Air and Water. Unlike some of the other paraelements, however, ice shares little with the materials that merge to form its essence. It has none of the fluidity, flexibility, and resilience of father Water, nor the speed, lightness, and loftiness of mother Air.
On the other hand, the paraplane itself shows a definite relationship to its two parent Elemental Planes—as well as to the other realms with which it shares borders. As you move away from the heart of my home in an upward direction, the climate under- goes a gradual change. In time, the ice breaks up to become the howling blizzards that form the border with the Elemental Plane of Air. Here, it is possible to walk along the edge of the paraplane, with snow all around you and the plane of Air spreading out above. This region is called the Precipice, and many people think of it as the surface of Ice. In fact, because the paraplane has gravity, some foreigners mistakenly think the Precipice is the whole paraplane. It’s easy to see why, really. They trudge along through the vast expanse of ice and snow, staring at the ice-cov- ered mountains, wrapping up tightly against the howling winds, and marveling at the perpetual twilight of the dim, whitish-blue illumination.
What they don’t realize, though, is that the majority of the paraplane lies below the surface in the mostly solid, icy heart. If you move downward from the Precipice, the ice slowly becomes more and more watery. This water is horribly cold, but it’s still slightly warmer than the paraplane’s ice. Eventually, you'll reach a frigid place called the Sea of Frozen Lives, a surfaceless ocean of suspended ice chunks. Beyond this chilling wash is the Elemental Plane of Water. (Because of the way the paraplane of Ice seems to rest on top of the Bottomless Deep, it’s sometimes called the Floating Plane or even the Bobbing Plane—and no, you readers from Sigil, that doesn’t mean that there are a lot of thieves here.)
That takes care of up and down. Now, if you begin to make the long and draining journey laterally toward the plane of Negative Energy, the nature of the ice undergoes yet another transformation. In one direction, it slowly becomes an endless hail of acrid. salt-water ice before giving way to the deadly quasiplane of Salt. This eternally raging tempest of salty crystals is known to most as the Stinging Storm.
Listing toward the plane of Air brings you to a region that’s free of ice and snow but gripped in the horrid fingers of absolute cold and total darkness. This place is known as the Frigid Void, and beyond it lies the unending emptiness of the quasiplane of Vacuum.
Don't like those choices? If you travel in the other direction—toward the plane of Positive Energy—the nature of the ice changes yet again. Set your course for the quasiplane of Steam and you'll come upon the Fog of Unyielding Frost, a place of churning, super-cold vapors. These mists are breathable, but they'll freeze your lungs solid if you don’t have some manner of protection from the cold.
Move toward the quasiplane of Lightning and you'll find that the ice breaks up to become a field of softly blowing snow, which, on the surface, seems almost pleasant. In truth, however, these powdery flakes are infused with a dangerous energy. Although the force doesn’t cause physical damage, it can have a ter- rible effect upon the mind. At the start of each turn spent among the Shimmering Drifts, a traveler must make a successful saving throw vs. spell or lose his wits (as if he were the victim of a confusion spell).
The Powerful and Mighty
None of the paraplanes or quasiplanes is as well populated as the Elemental Planes are. This having been said, however, it would be wrong to think of them as utterly desolate.
Cryonax
No true powers reside in the paraplane of Ice, though one up and coming basher—Cryonax—fancies himself such. He’s a fur-covered humanoid about 15 feet tall, powerfully built and said to resemble a yeti or similar creature. His most unusual features are two long tentacles that sprout where you might expect to see arms.
It’s little wonder that Cryonax considers himself a deity. He’s the only paraelemental entity ever to have risen through the ranks to become a full-fledged archomental. (This fact is contested, I understand, by those who say that other beings have done the same, and by those who argue that Cryonax is no archomental at all.)
It may be this background, and the fact that Cryonax claims to be a son of the Elder Elemental God, that has made him into the powerful force he is today. While some might dismiss him as a lesser creature, not the equal of the other Elemental Princes, they'd be wise not to do it where he could hear them.
Cryonax has plans—big plans. It’s his desire to bring the whole of the paraplane of Ice under his rule. As no force strong enough to oppose him has surfaced, he eventually may accomplish this lofty goal. That success, however, will only be the starting point. Cryonax plans to then raise the power of Ice until my home becomes a true Elemental Plane. Whether he intends for Ice to replace one of the four exist- ing planes or simply join them as a fifth element is unclear.
What will happen to the Inner Planes if Cryonax is successful? No one can say. Most people don’t think that his goal is possible. The nature of the multiverse is fixed and can’t be disrupted, they argue. On the other hand, others claim that the archomental could potentially freeze one or more of the Elemental Planes, expanding the boundaries of Ice throughout Water and Air, and even freezing Earth and Fire. Faced with the possibility of such incredible chaos, it’s probably best for us to believe the folks who insist that it can’t happen.
But even this isn’t his ultimate goal. In the end, Cry- onax has vowed to see his own power increase beyond that of the other archomentals. When this happens, he believes, Ice will become the one true element and all other things will be considered lesser forms of matter. Eventually, he wishes to see the entire multiverse frozen and under his command. No small dreamer, this Cryonax.
THE SLEEPING ONES
It is said by some, particularly the kuo-toa, that an ancient and venerable race roamed the planes long before any other species were born. Indeed, a few even speculate that these creatures caused the multiverse itself to come into existence. Eventually, for a reason that none can guess at, this forgot- ten race decided to end their contact with the cosmos. According to the stories of the kuo-toa {and other races), they sealed themselves in the depths of the paraplane of Ice.
Now, some people will tell you that the so-called Sleep- ing Ones—if they ever did exist—are long gone. Others, how- ever, insist that they’re simply awaiting a time when their incredible powers are needed again. Those who claim to have actually seen the monumental creatures frozen within the ice usually make this argument. But then again, such explorers are difficult to believe. You see, the Sleeping Ones apparently inspire a sort of brain-shattering awe, and the sight of their numbing graveyard is supposed to rip a weak- minded fool of his sensibilities—literally. Sull, if these beings are truly as big as some claim (many, many miles long), it could be that plenty of travelers have seen them from a dis- tance but mistook them for oddly shaped mountain peaks.
PARAELEMENFALS
Many varieties of ice paraelemental wander the paraplane. For the most part, these creatures resemble walking ice sculptures. Many of them obey the will of Cryonax, the Prince of Evil Ice Creatures, though most do so out of fear tyrant’s domination by hiding in small conclaves in icy caverns on the surface or deep within the frozen heart of the paraplane.
Kingdoms of ice paraelementals usually aren't very friendly to other beings, though they get along well with my people. In fact, we dwell together in joint cities and realms, some of which have existed for longer than most prime-material worlds.
ANIMALS
Visitors to Ice will no doubt encounter a number of different animentals—crea- tures resembling prime-material animals and monsters, but formed entirely of whatever substance is at hand (in this case, ice}. But many “ordinary” arctic beasts such as polar bears and penguins also share my home.
Don't be surprised, either, by the large number of insects that crawl along the surface of the paraplane or burrow through the ice. One such bug, the frostmite, feeds upon what- ever heat it can find—often in the flesh of travelers, or even in that of the frost giants and yeti that live here permanently.
MONSTERS
A number of white dragons make their home in the paraplane of Ice. The greatest of these, Albrathanilar, appears to be positioning herself for a battle against Cryonax. No one can predict the outcome of such a fray, but even if the dragon does manage to defeat the reigning archomental, it seems unlikely that the paraelementals of Ice will accept her as their new leader. Still, Albrathanilar, who is also a cunning and powerful wizard, uses her spells to charm and conjure forth more and more allies in preparation for what surely will be a conflict of major proportions. For now, however, Cryonax and Albrathanilar use spies and saboteurs against each other in what can only be called a “cold war.” (My apologies for the bad pun; Sanctimarin insisted that it remain.—the Editor)
Other creatures—like winter wolves, frost salamanders, ice crabs, remorhaz, yeti, and ice toads—thrive in this chill realm, avoiding only the coldest of areas. Most of these beasts prefer the Precipice, though some dwell in the rifts and crevices below the surface. To give credence to the idea of parallelism, some folks have reportedly seen ice bulettes plying their way through the ice seeking prey. Others claim that huge frozen worms resembling the fiery thoqqua make tunnels through the ice, though this seems unlikely.
OTHER RACES
The immoths generally resist the rule of Cryonax. For the most part, they do this simply by living in isolated areas and ignoring his mandates. Occasionally, they have been known to aid the enemies of the frigid archomental.
The paraplane of Ice is also home to large communities of frost giants and an equally great number of ice and frost trolls. All three of these races dislike each other intensely. Thus, feuds between troll and troll or troll and giant are never-ending. One such battle, fought in a region called Ytharior, created a frozen lake of blood and weapons that remains to this day. Those who have come upon the Blood- mire, as it is referred to, describe it as a place of utter horror and grisly beauty. Many of the combatants froze before they fell in battle, and now they’re part of a strange, eternal ballet, dancing within the lake of frozen blood.
Hazards and Phenomena
Survival in the paraplane of Ice is not easy, particularly for you mortals. Numerous hazards, both organic and inorganic, can slay a newcomer before he knows what’s hit him.
FREEZING
My home paraplane is amazingly cold. There’s really no other way to put it. Travelers who come here had best be ready to deal with this, or they won't last long. Those with- out an immunity to cold or magical protection from the tem- perature suffer 1d6 points of damage per round. By using nonmagical protection from cold—such as wearing clothing made to withstand extremely cold weather, covering all exposed skin, and keeping out of winds or open water— smart folks can reduce their pain to a mere 1d6 points of damage per turn.
Worse yet, the temperature doesn’t remain steady, so some areas of Ice are much colder than others. In fact, cer- tain spots are so cold that no amount of nonmagical protec- tion staves off damage from the environment, and that damage is twice normal for those without protective gear and clothing.
And it gets colder still. Deep within the paraplane, some areas are so cold that energy, even light, freezes. Vision becomes impossible, for light doesn’t travel to meet your eyes. As I mentioned before, words and thoughts can also freeze, meaning that trying to speak or think clearly requires a successful saving throw vs. petrification. Go far enough into the paraplane and eventually even ice freezes. Here, even those immune to cold suffer 1d6 points of damage per round. Furthermore, new ice forms at the rate of about a foot per minute, making the “ground” extremely unstable as the ice grows and grows.
BREATHING
On the Precipice, the air is plentiful, if cold. Below the sur- face, the paraplane is a solid block of ice, so breathing can be a problem. The only ways to get around this are by using magic or by holding your breath—and the latter is a short- term solution, to say the least.
Of course, elemental pockets of air can provide relief. Fissures, cracks, and other openings in the ice often have a thin atmosphere as well. This gradually leaks out of the ice itself and has a 75% chance of being thick enough to sus- tain life like yours. Still, many creatures native to the para- plane—like, say, members of my race—have no weakness such as a need for air.
VISION
Unless you have some manner of special eyesight, like a ring of infravision, you won't be able to see a lot in the paraplane of Ice. Like the Elemental Plane of Earth, the place is a vast mass of solid matter. Of course, you can see normally in fis- sures, caverns, and the like if you carry a source of light. However, items like lanterns and torches work only in spots where the atmosphere is thick enough to breathe. Further, while fire might seem an obvious boon, it presents two pos- sible problems.
First of all, fire melts ice and snow. (If you need me to tell you that, stay home.) Under the surface of the paraplane, this can invite trouble. Even a torch can create an icefall—or at least douse the bearer with frigid water that refreezes almost instantly.
Secondly, in the coldest portions of the paraplane, fire freezes. When this happens, there is a 50% chance that the flame becomes a solid chunk of cold, icelike fire, and a 50% chance that it becomes coldfire—a black-burning flame that radiates powerful cold instead of heat and provides little or no light.
Rumors speak of special lenses made in the frozen city of Teliggin that allow their wearers to see sounds while in the paraplane, since the cold makes noise itself move more slowly.
PRESSURE
Just like the plane of Earth, the paraplane of Ice constantly tries to fill in voids (whether there’s something else in them or not). Thus, the rules presented on that subject in the chap- ter on Earth apply here as well. Briefly, those entombed within the solid ice below the surface suffer 1d2 points of damage per turn. Constructed passages seal within 1d6 days, although Ice certainly has more natural open areas than does the plane of Earth.
OTHER DANGERS
The greatest dangers of the paraplane of Ice are the cold and the lack of air. If you can deal with those problems, you're generally doing all right. Still, you should plan for the fol- lowing potential troubles.
AVALANCHES.
You've got to be careful when moving through the many fissures and cracks that lace the paraplane, or near the precarious frozen cliffs on the surface. Any sudden and loud noise, like an explosion or the casting of a lightning bolt, can cause a dangerous shower of ice and snow to fall from the walls and ceiling or from the peaks high above. Anyone caught in such a collapse must make a saving throw vs. breath weapon or suffer 4d6 points of damage. A suc- cessful saving throw cuts the damage in half.SINKHOLES.
From time to time, an area of ice thaws slightly until it becomes a mire of slush. To the untrained eye, it looks just like the rest of the ice all around it. But anyone who steps into the mire plunges beneath the surface. These sinkholes can be very difficult to escape from, for their edges are nothing but wet ice and, thus, terribly slippery. Victims wearing heavy winter clothes are likely to drown (as the weight of their gear pulls them under) or freeze (if they shed some clothing to stay afloat).True COLD,
A “true Lightning cold” area of the paraplane is a region in which more than just water or flesh can freeze. A substance, energy, word, thought, or even a concept like “goodness” or “nearness” can freeze solid, taking on the form of a strange ice crystal. While frozen, the item, thought, or what- ever it is has no power or meaning.Some outsiders enjoy scouring the true cold areas of Ice for frozen ideas, which they take back with them. Once removed from the frigid temperatures of the para- plane, the prizes thaw, usually within a spe- cially prepared container. Then, they might be used somehow to power a magical item or an esoteric scheme, or simply sold for profit. I’ve heard that Sigil’s Great Bazaar offers anything a buyer might want, but TIl wager that even some of the most jaded planars are surprised to find distilled “chaos,” bottled “sadness,” or liquid “ieft” for sale.
Mysterious Sites & Treasures
The paraplane of Ice is generally as bleak and dismal a place as a mortal could ever see. True, it has numerous faults and chasms, but to the undiscerning eye, they all start to look alike after a while. However, there’s one spot that every visitor to Ice should see: Arcolantha.
ARCOLANTHA
Far beneath the surface of the paraplane lies a pocket of elemental Air several miles in diameter. The walls of this round chamber have been polished until the ice is as smooth as glass. At the center of the sphere is a glowing orb that spreads an even, white light over everything. If that’s all there were to it, Arcolantha would still be an impressive place to visit. But there’s much more. Frozen inside the icy walls of the chamber are countless animals gathered from across the multiverse. Although these beasts are frozen solid, they’re not truly dead. If one is removed from the ice and thawed, it returns to life. Thus, it’s hard to say whether Arcolantha is more a museum or a zoo.
THE CHISELED ESTATE
The Chiseled Estate is the icy fortress of Cryonax. This colossal structure rises well over a mile above the surface of the frozen plain, and it extends down into the cold heart of the paraplane at least four times that far. Nestled within the deepest chamber of the shimmering crystalline palace, Cryonax broods, Rumor has it that he has enslaved a coven of mortal wizards and priests—supposedly, many of them water or ice genasi-who labor endlessly to produce new cold-based monsters to add to their master’s armies. Stories of frost-covered umber hulks, snowy roperlike beings, and even giant, razor-winged birds made entirely of ice have come out of the Chiseled Estate for years.
The fortress is colder than most regions of the para- plane, inflicting an additional 1d6 points of damage per round to visitors who aren't immune to cold. The site inflicts still another 1d6 points of damage per round to those foolish enough to travel there with no special protection whatsoever, not even warm clothing.
MOUNTAIN OF ULTIMATE WINTER
This oft-mentioned location sits upon the Precipice, amid a number of other icy mountains. Cold winds whip around the jagged peaks of this white monstrosity, which sparkles with icy crystals. Although most outlanders say that the Chiseled Estate is the coldest spot in the paraplane, they're wrong. That distinction belongs to the Mountain of Ulti- mate Winter, which suggests that it’s actually the coldest place in the multiverse.
Nonnatives who come to the Mountain must make a successful saving throw vs. spell or freeze utterly solid in 1d4 rounds. Nonnative creatures that are immune to cold {such as ice toads or winter wolves) suffer 1d6 points of damage per round while here.
An area of true cold, the Mountain of Ultimate Winter freezes everything from words to concepts. These things become tiny crystals worth anywhere from 100 to 5,000 gold pieces, depending on the item and the buyer. The Mountain is also home to immoths and paraelementals, who like to capture explorers and store them—frozen solid, of course—in the Caves of Folly. (The collection isn’t nearly as pristine or as elegant as that in Arcolantha.)
Lay of the Land
The Paraelemental Plane of Ice forms where the chilling winds of Air brush across the surface of Water. This place is often referred to as “the Floating Plane,” for it acts as though it were adrift upon the Bottomless Deep with the endless expanse of Elemental Air spreading out above it.
Most of the paraplane of Ice is a frozen mass, rather like a giant glacier. Travelers to this place discover that it’s unbearably cold and as difficult to tunnel through as Earth.
At its heart, the Paraelemental Plane of Ice is an immense glacier without base or surface. It is a region of incredible cold and darkness. In many ways, it combines the excessive pressure of the plane of Earth with the torturous extremes of temperature found in the plane of Fire. Numerous cracks, fissures, and chasms abound here, for the paraplane constantly shifts, buckles, and reforms. Traveling through these regions can be especially dangerous, for the slightest misstep can bring down an avalanche of snow and ice. Those of you forced to trod along on your big clumsy feet should probably bring a staff, spiked boots, or something else to give you a better grip—at least, that’s what I would do.
Cycle of Time
There is a 24 hour day cycle that uses both darkness and light.
Surviving
My editor tells me that you readers may wish to know a little of the comings and going of your kind in my plane. Floating high above the paraplane, among the chilling winds and icy tempests, a city surrounded by a magical bubble floats and bobs about the cloudless sky. Tiera Minuut, a place constructed by priests of a now-forgotten wind goddess, somehow slipped from the plane of Air to the paraplane of Ice. No one really knows how this happened, but it’s obvious that it did.
Tiera Minuut is used as a rest stop by intelligent trav- elers who come to the paraplane. Within its glassy shield, the city is cold by mortal standards, but not dangerously so. Those like myself find the place uncomfortable and prefer not to stay in its overly warm climate.
A council of nine men and women rules the city, and it offers an open door to all who come seeking shelter from the cold. Tiera Minuut serves as a trading post and even offers access to a few portals leading to other parts of the multiverse. Those looking for work can find it with the city’s merchants, who seek out brave souls to search the paraplane for frozen ideas or concepts, or even for the valuable mate- rial known as eternal ice.
Believe me, eternal ice isn’t easy to find. It looks and reacts like normal ice in every way but one: It never melts. Outsiders lucky enough to discover a chink usually take it back with them as an intriguing curiosity, but eternal ice also serves a real purpose. Never melting but always cold, it can safely store food or chill drinks even in the hottest clime.
SPELL KEYS AND OTHER NECESSITIES
Cold-weather clothing such as thick wool, tight leather wraps, and furs and skins offer some protection against the environment, but only a fool trusts his life to such crude measures. You mortals should obtain magical protection from cold before venturing to my home paraplane. I myself might be able to offer you that service, should you find me and bring enough payment along with you. Then again, a simple ring of warmth can sustain a nonnative for a long time.
It’s possible for a wizard to overcome the magical restrictions for the schools of Elemental Fire and Earth through the use of various spell keys. Almost universally, they take the shape of physical objects cut from fine glass or crystal. These must be designed for the individual using them as well as for the spell to be cast, however, so no two spell keys are ever alike.
Getting There
It may be that the best way to reach the paraplane of Ice is to enter one of the adjacent planes (either Air or Water) first. From there, you can set about traveling until you cross from one region into another. But there are other options,
Portals spring to mind as an obvious answer, but very few of them lead to the | paraplanes or quasiplanes, Still, a deter- a mined planewalker can find one. It’s in a said that a portal exists that links Cania, the eighth layer of Baator, with my frigid home. In fact, I can . confirm that this is so. Others claim to have used a gate between Ice and Muspelheim (a fiery layer of Ysgard), though why a portal would link two such different places is difficult to athom. Further, at least two frozen layers of the Abyss supposedly offer portals leading to the paraplane of Ice. One of these layers—I believe it’s the 566th, known to many as Soulfreeze—is thought to have a two-way portal, though the key to activate it is a mortal soul, which is destroyed in the process.
Occasionally, a great enough concentration of ice opens a vortex that connects a location on the Prime Mate- rial Plane with the paraplane of Ice. In most cases, these are found in glacial or arctic regions. Once in a very long while, such a vortex opens at the heart of particularly ferocious blizzard or deep beneath a frigid sea.
Traveling Around
On the Precipice, travelers may employ their mountain- climbing skilis on the icy peaks. Within the depths of the plane, conditions mirror those of the plane of Earth. The majority of the ice has the consistency of soft rock and pres- ents the same difficulty as described on page 34.
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