Shauren Iceplains

Place

Place Name:

Shauren Iceplains

Biome:

Iceplains

Size:

Unknown

Continent:

Unknown

Subcontinent

Unknown

Geography

The geography of the Shauren Ice plains was dominated by long stretches of gleaming white ice plains. The entire region was permanently covered in a layer of ice that hid the layers of soil and rocks underneath. The terrain was sometimes interspersed with elevated mounds and hills that rose above the flat plains. These elevated regions had slightly more vegetation than the ice plains and were covered in layers of shrubs and tall evergreen trees. The plains themselves were completely barren and supported no vegetation.

Their surface had hardened over the years and formed a thick layer of ice that grew every winter with each new layer of ice formed. This ice layer was thick and stable, and could support tremendous loads without any risk of failure or cracking. It facilitated easy travel for the natives who used improvised barks to create long skis that helped them glide effortlessly across the slippery plains. The natives also relied on this ever-present ice to create their habitats.

The solid ice would be carved out into solid chunks and was used to form sturdy structures that could withstand both the effects of strong winds and predators. The climate of the region was extremely cold year-round. There were two distinct seasons in the region, the sunny summer season and the dark and cold winter seasons. During the summers, the region experienced long days of sunlight, clear blue skies and high visibility. However, the temperatures would barely rise a few degrees above the freezing point.

Some of the snow in the elevated hills and mounds would fall off during this season allowing the vegetation to showcase its color. A few hardy wildflowers would bloom during this season and brought more color to the environment. Most of the wildlife and zu'aan would roam the countryside during this season in search of resources and food that could be stored in preparation for the winters. This meant a sharp increase in wildlife activity on the surface and an increased chance for all kinds of encounters.

Trappers, hunters and woodcutters were very active in the summer. In winter, the region experienced very little daylight and constant snowfall. Visibility would fall to hundred meters and below due to the combined effects of blizzard like conditions and the lack of sunlight. Temperatures would fall way below freezing levels and fires had to be burnt constantly to keep away frostbite among the furless mammals like the zu'aan. The kin’tonis with their cold blood and natural affinity for cold fared better in these temperatures, the lack of light also suited their bodies which were extremely allergic to sunlight. Blizzards were another common occurrence during the winters, and their unpredictability made outside travel a very dangerous prospect.

Winds could pick up incredible speeds in the unobstructed plains and could reach speeds of up to 200 miles per hour in extreme cases enough to uproot the weaker and younger trees as well as structures with vulnerabilities. Both wildlife and zu'aan stuck close to their habitats to conserve as much body fat as possible and see out the long winter months.

Plants

Vegetation was very sparse in the Shauren Iceplains due to the obvious layer of ice that covered the entire surface. The vegetation was limited to the elevated surfaces that rose above these plains and were free of the layer of ice covering. Even then, these plants had to contend with a wide variety of challenges including the numbing cold, the lack of sunlight in winter and the strong winds. The plants that grew here needed very little water or sunlight and had deep and strong roots to secure them in place.

They were generally shorter in height to help them maintain their strength and balance during the worst blizzards. The most famous examples of vegetation in the area included the darhat and etem trees and the etuage shrubs and ersuli grass. The darhat was a hardy tree that grew in the elevated surfaces of the region. It closely resembled a birch tree with their distinctive white barks and yellowish round leaves that fell off during the winters.

They grew to a maximum height of no more than twenty feet with their roots firmly planted in the ground to withstand the heavy winds that blew across the region during the winters. The tree had multiple uses- its leaves were a source of nutrition to many birds of the region and their wood was regularly used for construction as well as for firewood and the creation of tools. The etem was a smaller version of the darhat that grew in tightly packed clumps to help them weather the effects of the heavy winds.

Being smaller, the tree did not provide sufficient wood to make it a viable source of construction materials or firewood. It was mostly used as an obstruction and planted near habitats to shield them from the effects of the wind. They were also capable of supporting their own bird populations during the summer seasons when they were covered in nutritious red leaves. The etuage was a moss like plant that grew among rocks and any surface that was not covered in ice. it was very hardy and could grow in all sorts of conditions.

The moss was a distinctive dark green in color that turned black towards its roots. It could grow to become very thick clumps which were ery soft and provided insulation from both the cold and water. It was thus a very useful plant that was commonly used to cover the insides of habitations for insulation and warmth. Its other purposes included its use as a comfortable bedding for sleep and to insulate layers of clothing by packing a few of them in between layers of clothing.

The ersuli was a hardy grass that grew along the exposed soil of the region. It was most visible during the summer season when it would be in full bloom and produce bright red flowers. It had a fleshy and thick stalk that was edible and a staple diet of the zu'aan natives who used it to create filling soups and stews.

Animals

The wildlife of the Shauren iceplains were adapted to survive in the exceedingly cold climates of the region. Due to the lack of vegetation the few wildlife here did not depend on plants for nutrition. The majority of animals here were carnivores and predators and regularly turned to hunting each other during periods of scarcity. Most of these animals were only seen during the summer months when they could be guaranteed to find more other prey. They ate their fill and saved their summer kills for the winters when prey was harder to come by and the winds combined with the blizzards made movement impossible.

A few of the animals in the region included the wild orunt, the ziund, the inequalye bird and the aldy. The orund was a leopard like creature with a distinctive white skin with black spots. it could grow to over five feet in length but retained a very thin and agile frame that allowed it to move very swiftly over land and hunt down its prey. It had a thick coat of fur that protected it against the coldest conditions and its was physically capable of putting its body into a semi-conscious state to reduce its intake of nutrients and allow it to survive the winter without draining itself off its body's reserves.

It was one of the deadliest hunters in the region and had sharp claws and a powerful jaw that was capable of tearing apart all manner of beasts. The ziund were wolf like creatures that hunted in packs and were known for their incredible intelligence. They were physically equipped with thick coats of white fur and heavy fat deposits all around their bodies that they could rely on as a layer of insulation as well as a food source during the scarce winter months.

They were among the few animals to wander out into the open during the cold winter months where they scavenged off animals that had been caught in blizzards or frozen to death in the landscape. The inequalye was a fish that lived in the water bodies beneath the frozen layer of ice. They were a regular source of food that could be accessed in all seasons provided one could dig through the heavy ice layers. The fish grew to a maximum height of over six inches and were known for their fatty bodies that were an instant source of heat and nutrition.

The aldy was a bird that lived among the darhat and etem trees of the region. They were covered in a thick layer of feathers that were striped in dull colors to camouflage them against the landscape. Their bodies were covered in a layer of fat like most animals in the region and they had a rather heavy and unwieldy appearance for a bird. The aldy lived off the leaves of trees and was known to hibernate in tree cavities that they lined with moss in preparation for the cold winters.

They were a guaranteed source of food during their hibernation phase when they could be picked off by wily predators who knew where to find them.

Historical Timeline of Ages

Age Name	Dates	Controller
Stone Age	Before 1E 0	Unknown
Copper Age	1E 1–1E 2200	Unknown
Bronze Age	1E 2200–1E 4400	Unknown
Iron Age	2E 0–2E 700	Unknown
Ancient Age	2E 700–2E 2200	Unknown
Middle Age	3E 0–3E 2050	Unknown
Early Modern Age	3E 2050–3E 2600	Unknown
Industrial Age	3E 2600–3E 2700	Unknown
Machine Age	3E 2700–3E 2800	Unknown
Atomic Age	3E 2800–3E 2850	Unknown
Space Age	3E 2850–3E 2875	Unknown
Information Age	3E 2875–3E 2900	Unknown
Genetic Age	3E 2950–3E 3000	Unknown
Awakening Age	3E 3000–3E 3415	Unknown
Twilight Age	4E 0–4E 500	Vytheri Kin'toni Clan

Place

Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown

Shauren Iceplains

Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown

This article is written by Jangou. Copyright 2026 Jangou S. All rights reserved.