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This article, Crystallos, was written by Algrim Whitefang. Please do not edit or 'acquire' this fiction without the writer's permission. |
- "Nothing burns like the cold."
- — Common Crystallosian saying
Crystallos is a deadly icy death world and Space Marine Chapter Homeworld of the Ice Dragons Chapters. A bleak and inhospitable world with extreme cold temperatures and an extremely harsh environment, this deadly ice world suited the unique physical requirements of the Ice Dragons Astartes, for their severe genetic idiosyncrasy causes them to rely on sub-zero temperatures for survival. Surprisingly, there is a small population of humans who have managed to survive and thrive despite this world's deadly environment. Claiming this world and the surrounding system as their demesne, the Ice Dragons have continued to maintain their vigil near the Eastern Fringe to defend mankind from any xenos incursions from beyond the frontiers of the Imperium's borders.
History[]
This icy death world is located in the isolated region of the Tantlin Sector in the Eastern Fringe, bordering near the Ghoul Stars. Though no records survive of its colonisation by humanity, local legends indicate that Crystallos was once a verdant world of great importance, for it provided rare mineral deposits utilised in the construction of various technologies during the Dark Age of Technology. But when the shadows of the Age of Strife fell upon the galaxy, Crystallos was beset by some natural disaster that all but wiped out most of its population. Following the end of Old Night, it was rediscovered by the Ultramarines Legion during the Great Crusade, but this lonely world was found to be inimical to human life and lacking any natural resources worth exploiting, therefore, it was disregarded as a choice for possible human colonisation.
Crstallos became all but forgotten, until it's eventual rediscovery by the Ice Dragons Chapter in early M36. Following their creation and rapid destabilisation of their gene-seed which caused them to depend upon sub-zero temperatures in order to survive, the Ice Dragons were desperate to find a world that would sustain their existence. Crystallos was found to be cold and silent as the grave. Though a dreary and bitterly cold place of ice and thin air, the Chapter found this perpetually gloomy and icy death world would adequately suit their needs. Much to their surprise, they found that humans actually thrived within the extremely harsh domains of this deadly planet.
A surface-view of the unforgiving and deadly environment of Crystallos.
The exact origins of the human presence on Crystallos is uncertain, though they are believed to be stranded remnants of star-wrecks and pre-Navigator sleeper ships launched by mankind during the Age of Strife. Confronted with the harsh and near unlivable conditions created by the planet's harsh climate and lack of native flora and fauna, these survivors quickly devolved into nomadic techno-barbaric savages. Forming themselves into mobile, semi-tribal clans, they took to living upon massive fortified land-crawlers which had been created from cannibilised mining and harvesting engines discovered by the survivors. Becoming mobile hunter-gatherers, these various clans lived a constant cycle of raiding, foraging and ceaseless war to claim the few meagre resources they could find. They became savage and unforgiving people - deadly killers to whom the unrelenting struggle for survival was unrelenting - in which only the strongest survived.
The Ice Dragons found the people of Crystallos to be incredibly strong and of hardy stock, and after being tested in body and mind in soul-crushing rituals, they were determined to be free of any evidence of corruption caused by their long isolation from the rest of humanity, and therefore, were deemed ideal recruiting stock to be moulded into potential Astartes. Declaring the world not belonged to the Imperium by the right of conquest, the Ice Dragons had found themselves a permanent home.
Fortress-Monastery[]
Glacies Mors or "Ice Death", the fortress-monastery of the Ice Dragons.
Glacies Mors or "Ice Death", is the formidable fortress-monastery of the Ice Dragons Chapter. It is carved into the ice between the world's two tallest peaks of the Wintergloam Mountains, located within the deadly region known as Frostfell. Areas of the Frostfell are colder, more extreme versions of normal peaks. Marrow-chilling conditions, deadly hazards, and other dangers threaten those whom are foolhardy (or suicidal) enough to venture forth and dare threaten the Ice Dragons' domain. Deadly traps line the path towards the Chapter's citadel high in the Wintergloam Mountains. These traps include deadfalls of snow, falling icicles, patches of quicksnow, pits filled with thick ice spikes and deadly slippery ramps. Whether traveling through polar regions and frozen mountaintops to ice-glazed mountainous paths covered in everfrost, a wintry grave awaits those who would dare assail Glacies Mors.
The Ice Dragons' fortress-monastery was hewn from the stone of the Wintergloam Mountains themselves and reinforced over the years with adamantium to make it exceptionally strong. The walls are quite smooth and coated with ice. The doors are carved from blue ice, since metal doors become too brittle in the intense cold. The entire citadel is bitterly cold, more so than is comfortable for baseline humans, for the Ice Dragons themselves rely on the sub-zero temperatures in order to survive. The temperature hovers around a constant -80 °F, filling the entire fortress-monastery with unearthly cold. This requires the Chapter's serfs to wear heated, cold weather protective gear and breathing apparatus, in order to survive in this frigid environment. Ceiling height in most rooms averages at 20 feet, and continually burning pale blue coloured coldfire illuminates most chambers.
Environmental Hazards[]
Crystallos is a world dominated by ice and cold which comes in a wide variety of deadly and unexpected environmental hazards. Many of the regions of this icy death world are not uniform in composition. Portions of Crystallos form extensive frozen waterscapes and icescapes dominated by constant storms of snow and ice, including death hail and razor ice. Lightning rips across the sky, endangering all flying creatures. Great rivers of coldfire run through the water in various directions. Many of the planet's turbulent waterways possess crushing ice floes and gargantuan icebergs. These icebergs as well as fiendish ice sharks and deadly death whales make navigation a tricky proposition at best for those foolish enough to navigate by sea.
One can become easily lost when traversing the various sorts of terrain. Snowstorms, whiteout conditions and barren ice tundra and hazardous light conditions can easily disorient travelers, causing them to wander aimlessly until they either succumb to the deadly weather conditions or some deadly form of local wildlife.
Light[]
Eternal Twilight[]
Most regions of Crystallos adhere to the normal laws of daily illumination, however, the planet's vast polar regions often lie under a blanket of night or day for months at a time. During the polar winters, the sun never appears above the horizon. This period of continual darkness can last from three to six months at a time. At all times, those who are bold enough travel must utilise some sort of artificial light source in order to see.
Everlasting Day[]
During the polar summer the sun never sinks below the horizon, providing natural light for the entire 24-hours period. This period of continual sunlight can last from three to six months. Often the effects of continual sunlight can interfere with a person's patterns of sleep and wakefulness which are regulated by the natural circadian rhythms or internal 'body clocks'. These long hours of continual daylight can disrupt the circadian rhythms, making it difficult to initiate and maintain sleep. This often results in a person suffering from insomnia, which over prolonged periods, can result in extreme sleep deprivation, a psychotic break and eventually, death.
Aurora Polaris[]
This mesmerising, dynamic display of light appears on cold, clear nights (or any time during periods of eternal twilight). An aurora can last from 6 to 24 hours and can appear in many different forms: streaks, haloes, pale curtains, pillars, or wisps of vibrating colour that continually sway and undulate. Auroral displays most commonly are pink and pale green, but also feature shades of red, yellow, green, blue and violet. An aurora polaris provides an amount of illumination equivalent to moonlight, but does not significantly increase the amount of light if more than one-quarter of Crystallos' moon is visible.
An aurora polaris roils with incredible electrical energy and those caught outside when an auroral display occurs risks deadly electrical discharges that can render machinery inoperable or even kill an unprotected person. During such displays, the techno-barbarian tribes will seek some form of protection, like a large glacier or a large rocky outcropping, in order to protect their land-crawlers from sustaining severe damage.
Many of the tribal clans of Crystallos believe the aurora polaris is a field of energy contains the souls of their unborn children and their long-departed ancestors. While some of the more war-like clans see the aurora polaris as the reflection of slain warriors still valiantly battling in the afterlife.
Snow Blindness[]
Snow blindness results from the sun's burning of eye tissues, making the eyes dry, swollen, irritated and extremely sensitive to light. Snow blindness can occur when a traveler spends at least an hour on a snowfield, ice sheet, glacier or similar bright terrain on a clear, sunny day without any eye protection (such as a veil, dark lenses or similar eye covering). Snow blindness can significantly impair a person's vision from 24 to 48 hours, and can also temporarily affect a person's color vision until the effects resolve on their own within a day or two without medical treatment. However, those who spend too many hours within these blinding conditions can risk permanent blindness is they are not careful, the consequences which can prove quite deadly, for with the loss of one's sight will usually result in that person's inevitable death - either by the planet's inhospitable environment or the planet's deadly wildlife.
Weather[]
Bad weather frequently slows or halts travel and makes it virtually impossible to navigate from one spot or another. Heavy storms obscure vision as effectively as a dense fog, making travel on Crystallos during a blizzard a task few, if any, are willing to undertake. Rain, snow, sleet and hail reduces visibility significantly and makes traveling a dangerous and deadly prospect. In non-blizzard conditions, these bad weather conditions merely obscure vision, as does fog, depending on the wind. When accompanied by a strong or gale force winds, whiteout conditions occur.
Whiteouts[]
Whiteout conditions occur in heavy snowstorms or blizzards accompanied by a strong or gale force winds. However, it doesn't have to be precipitating to create whiteout conditions. Snow fields buffeted by severe or stronger winds can also cause creatures to experience a whiteout.
Death Howls[]
At certain times, a moaning wind can be heard sweeping across everfrost, the tundra, glaciers or polar regions. Some believe this to be a collection of the agonized wails of all those who have died from cold exposure, avalanches, or other hazards of this world's deadly environments. More scholarly minds believe it to be the sound of the wind shearing off snow and ice. Whatever the cause, these so-called 'Death Howls' can prove destructive and even deadly to those who encounter this phenomenon.
Dire Weather[]
Given the natural and some unnatural elements of the deadly regions of Crystallos, there are other, even more deadly forms of precipitation. Known as 'dire weather', these harsher forms of sleet, hail, snow and ice have the same effects as their natural counterparts, along with additional effects that can be utterly devastating to the unwary and unwise.
Acid Sleet[]
This deadly precipitation falls in a squall of corrosive sleet that burns through clothing and unprotected skin. When acid sleet falls it usually leave patches of acid slush behind.
Blood Snow Blizzard[]
Fortunately, a poisonous blood snow blizzard only manifests as a brief flurry during the course of otherwise normal snowfalls. A blood snow blizzard normally leaves a dusting of blood snow behind.
Death Hail[]
This black hail is filled with warp-infused, negative energy. Short exposure to it is not immediately dangerous, but if one is exposed to it for 10 minutes or more can cause an individual to experience feelings of homicidal rage. Prolonged exposure will result in the victim acting upon these negative feelings, and attacking those around them, in a killing frenzy.
Razor Sleet[]
This storm of supernaturally strong and sharp snowflakes tears the skin of creatures caught in it. Normally, razor sleet occurs as a short flurry or downpour in the course of an otherwise normal snowstorm or icestorm. A squall of razor sleet can last for 8-24 hours, and often deposits sharpened razor ice.
Rust Flurry[]
Resembling flurries of dirty, gray-black ash, rust flurries are dreaded by the nomadic techno-barbarian tribes of Crystallos. For every minute of exposure to a rust flurry causes all metal items and surfaces in a storm of rustsnow to be subjected to its destructive effects, causing metal to rapidly rust and eventually dissolve due to long-term exposure.
Terrain[]
Even without the threats of cold damage, frostbite or getting lost in the trackless wilderness, the terrain of Crystallos can be deadly to the unwary.
Crevasse[]
Crevasses are chasms or cracks in a field of snow or ice, such as a mountain snow field or a glacier surface. They function much like pits or chasms, and are typically 10-100 feet deep, 20-40 feet long, and anywhere from 5-40 feet wide. A deceptive crust of snow may completely hide the existence of a dangerous crevasse underneath. This crust is too weak to support any creature larger than a small winter fox. Many tribesman have lost their lives in undetected crevasses.
Everfrost[]
Everfrost consists of barren, desolate plains of lichen-covered rock and rubble. Unlike tundra, everfrost is not boggy or wet in warm months, nor does it ever bloom; iris simply a frozen desert, completely inhospitable to all but the simplest plant life and most resourceful of animals. Desolate mountain plateaus in high-elevation areas are commonly everfrost terrain, as are high-latitude deserts and arid regions of the poles. The two types of everfrost terrain are patchy and solid. Snow covers most everfrost regions for at least part of the year.
Quickslush[]
Quickslush is a deadly slurry mixture of partially melted snow, small ice crystals and water that looks solid, but acts like a liquid when you disturb it. The resulting environmental hazard can cause those who blunder into it, to rapidly sink as their weight pushes the water from the snow, which then creates a natural vacuum that can pull a person under, causing them to drown. A typical area of quickslush is 30 feet in diameter; the momentum of a charging or running creature can carry an unwarry victim deep into it. If one remains calm, you can slowly swim out of it, but exposure to the deadly cold watery mixture can subject a victim to the effects of hypothermia.
Snow Fields[]
Fields of deep snow can impede the movement of creatures who must be in contact with the ground to move. Most creatures do not automatically sink all the way through a deep snow cover. Sometimes a hard, ice crust prevents a creature's feet from sinking into the snow at all. In other cases, layers of old snow located a few inches or feet below the loose surface on top may be icy enough to prevent travelers from breaking through.
Dire Terrain[]
A manifestation of the powerful forces contained within some of the more dangerous areas of Crystallos, most Imperial scholars believe that 'dire terrain' represents a place where the very earth was somehow infused with the deadly power of the frost. They theorise that these areas were more than likely created as a result of long-term exposure to the warp, when this isolated world was cut off by severe warp storms during the Age of Strife. Some dire terrain is noticeably different at a glance - even the most inexperienced traveler can't help but notice the crimson hue of blood snow or the ominous dark gleam of ebony ice. Other forms of dire terrain resemble natural terrain and can only be spotted by someone who knows exactly what to watch out for.
Acid Slush[]
Found most often in bogs and marshes, acid slush is most dangerous in cold or moderate temperatures. If the temperature is severe cold or colder, it freezes solid and loses its potency until the weather warms again. Acid slush has a faint green hue, making it difficult to notice except in good light.
Blood Snow[]
Thankfully rare, blood snow is found atop glaciers created by warp-infused energy or on open snow fields scoured by cursed winds. Blood snow consists of a streaky dusting of brilliant crimson crystals mixed in normal snow. Creatures who can distinguish colour (any sighted creature in daylight, and creatures with low-light vision in darkness) can identify blood snow more easily. It is deadly poisonous and any creature coming into contact with blood snow slowly poisons the affected individuals. First contact usually induces nausea up to several hours and impedes movement as does normal snow. However, prolonged exposure can drastically affect a creature's stomach lining and eventually induced uncontrolled vomiting of blood, and if left untreated, death.
Direfrost[]
Perhaps the most perilous of Crystallos' inherent dangers, direfrost resembles an ice sheet with a faint rosy hue. Creatures who remain in a region of direfrost for one minute or more become subject to its deadly hallucinatory curse. While under the direfrost's cursed effect, ensnared victims experience euphoric delusions of warm temperatures and inviting flowery meadows. These creatures often sit or lie down on the cursed ice. They remain subject to the normal effects of cold or other existing conditions, remaining completely oblivious as they slowly freeze to death.
Ebony Ice[]
Unhallowed glaciers and unholy places in the great ice fields of the north sometimes include expanses of ebony ice, jet-black sheets that gleam with dark energy. Like any other ice sheet, ebony ice is difficult to move on. Suffused with the power of the warp, local legends state that those creatures who suffer prolonged exposure can become infected with a deadly necrotic plague. This causes the skin to blacken and internal organs to rapidly rot until the unfortunate victim dies. Within a matter of hours, the warp-suffused energy of the ebony ice will cause the victim's corpse to reanimate as a shambling, undead creature, known as an icegaunt, whose only remaining drive is to feed on the flesh of the living. These undead creatures can only be killed by fire. Most Imperial scholars believe these tales to be nothing but fanciful myths, but extant records indicate there might some truth to these stories.
Lightning Pillars[]
Spectacular and deadly, a lightning pillar is a towering column of brilliant blue-green ice (standing anywhere from 10-80 feet high and up to 16 feet thick) found in an otherwise normal ice sheet. These pillars are composed of strange ice, formed by unknown means. When a living creature comes within 40 feet of a lightning pillar, a bolt of lightning explodes from the top of the ice column, targeting random interlopers in range. After unleashing a lightning bolt, a pillar then takes 24 hours to recharge before it generates enough electrical charge to unleash another bolt. Spotting a lightning pillar is easy, however, recognising that the pillar poses a serious threat, is another matter entirely. Those travelers whom witnessed a lightning pillar's effects, is quite familiar with its inherent danger.
Razor Ice[]
Similar to razor flurries but much more deadly, although it resembles normal snow, razor ice is composed of supernaturally strong and sharp snowflakes that shred the skin of those who pass through it. If exposed for a protracted period, this deadly inclement weather can strip flesh from bone. Amongst the tribal clans, those who steal from their own are subjected to a most brutal form of punishment. The accused is taken to an area that is known to experience a high volume of razor ice storms. They are then staked to the ground and left helpless. Exposed to the elements, when the next storm takes place, they are subjected to the effects of this deadly phenomenon and die an agonizing death.
Rustsnow[]
Similar to rust flurries, rustsnow is infused with an unnatural elemental power to destroy metal objects. It appears as dark grayish-black powder that sometimes falls alongside normal snowfall in dire terrain areas. Rustsnow impedes movement as normal snow.
Snow Geyser[]
A snow geyser is another unforeseen danger of Crystallos. Snow geysers are hidden vortices of cold energy that can spontaneously erupt, throwing unsuspecting travelers high into the air, and causing them to come crashing down - shattering bones and armour.
Flora[]
Snowflake Lichen[]
Snowflake lichen is a strange warp-infused plant that resembles snow and is commonly found on rocky surfaces. Snowflake lichen resembles a snowy cap of white or gray-white powder in the areas where it grows. This makes it easy to spot in arctic summers, when it is sometimes surrounded by a "dead zone" of brown and frozen planes, then a ring of green and growing tundra plants and grasses. It is much more difficult to spot in midwinter, when it is covered in snow or appears like the usual icy terrain. Snow lichen's slow-acting drain of heat numbs the fingers and feet of those passing over its terrain, causing climbers to slip and fall, and sometimes causing mounts or wanderers to freeze and die in large areas of snowflake lichen, creating "snowflake graveyards" where dozens or hundreds of sets of bones attract scavengers. In midwinter, these can resemble a veritable medusa's garden of frozen statues, complete with frozen avians and wolves. Walking on or climbing over snowflake lichen (rather than just walking or climbing near it) is more deadly. In addition to the cold damage already described, touching snowflake lichen causes damage as feet and fingers freeze, then limbs, and finally the whole body (creating rich fertilizer in the spring).