Vian Icy Tundra
History
Historical Overview
History by Age
Stone Age: Before 1E 0
Copper Age: 1E 1-1E 2200
Bronze Age: 1E 2200-1E 4400
Iron Age: 2E 0-2E 700
Ancient Age: 2E 700-2E 2200
Middle Ages: 3E 0-2E 2050
Early Modern Age: 3E 2050-3E 2600
Industrial Age: 3E 2600-3E 2700
Machine Age: 3E 2700-3E 2800
Atomic Age: 3E 2800-3E 2850
Space Age: 3E 2850-3E 2900
Information Age: 3E 2850-3E 2900
Genetic Age: 3E 2950-3E 3000
Awakening Age: 3E 3000-3E 3415
Twilight Age: 4E 0-4E 500
Geography
The Vian Icy Tundra is an extremely cold region that spans around 43,298 square kilometers. It is a frozen and mostly barren landscape. There are large inclines, rolling hills, and small mountains almost a hundred feet tall, with a base of almost a hundred and fifty feet. Small chunks of ice are spread around the northern part of the region. Vian shares part of its southern border with the Kalys Iceplains. The sea is just a few days walk northeast, which aids in the seafood diet of the Uskild tribe. The climate of this region is extremely harsh. Long and cold winters that last for two thirds of the year with temperatures dropping several dozen degrees below zero. Winds that bring on blizzards and are strong enough to cut skin.
For the rest of the year, temperatures can actually get to between the high thirties and high forties, allowing for plant growth as the ice somewhat melts away. While there is plenty of snow nearly year round, the region gets less than ten inches of rain. Deep winters can bring about several feet of snow. There are several small ponds and bogs throughout the region thanks to water saturating the ground. They provide moisture for the plants growing around them, and act as sources of water for the zu’aan. Some of the biggest ponds are nearly twenty feet wide and fifteen feet deep. Both animal and plant life have been able to adapt to the harsh conditions of the region. Most of the animal life is made up of mammals and a few species of birds.
The mammals have thick fur or fat in order to keep them warm during the winter. Some birds stay within the tundra year round, but most migrate out during the cold months and return once it warms up. There are various caves throughout the mountains that mammals hibernate within. Only a thin layer of soil is capable of plant growth thanks to the constant ice on the ground. This layer is thawed in the warmer months of the year. Due to the amount of soil, large plants like trees don’t grow in the region. The plants that are able to grow have roots that prioritize absorbing what nutrients they can in order to reproduce rather than growing tall and big. The Uskild tribe lives within the largest mountains in the northeastern part of the region.
The position gives them protection at their back and clear sight at their front. They made their homes in the caves entered through the crevices of the mountains, which helps to block out some of the cutting wind, offer them shelter against the blizzards, and protects them from some of the more aggressive animal species. They use the pelts of animals in order to help stay warm. There is also a secret passageway through the mountains that leads to the sea. They are able to take this passage and avoid predators and the harsh climate. Some of the more superstitious zu’aan live in caves without light, deep in the mountain
Plants
Plant life in the Vian Icy Tundra is sparse. While plants have evolved in order to grow in the extremely cold climate, there aren’t many. Shrubs, grasses, mosses, and a few rare flowers inhabit the region without difficulty. The soil is mostly covered in ice and is incapable of supporting wide ranges of plant life. Iscebore is a plant that thrives in the cold and is native to Vian. They can grow up to two feet tall. Their thick blue stems grow in bunches of eight and have a little fuzzy, white hairs on them. Their stiff leaves are pointed with smooth edges, dark blue on the top, and light gray on the bottom. Several dozen grow at the base of the stem. Five flowers grow on alternate sides up each stem.
Their flowers are about a foot wide, with hundreds of small, circle, pale purple petals that lay mostly flat. The petals circle a black, seeded center. They have no medicinal benefits, but they are edible. There is a slight crunch to them and a sweet, but slightly bitter taste. They can be found all over the region, but more so towards the south. Colocasia is an extremely rare, tall plant and can be found mostly in tundras. They can grow up to almost three feet, making them one of the largest plants in the region. Their thick, pale blue stems split off into around two dozen branching stems about halfway up. These branching stems are close together, with two to four in the middle that grow a few centimeters taller than the rest.
They have narrow, wedge shaped, dark purple leaves that stop beneath the flower heads. A single small flower sits at the end of each stem. They are about six inches wide. The petals are a mix of purple and blue, with a white stripe down their middle and their edges. There are around ten serrated petals that form a loose bowl shape, with the edges curving slightly inward. The zu’aan mix colocasia into a paste to treat their wounds. The flower has a numbing effect that makes it easier to close cuts or even remove limbs due to frostbite. If enough is consumed, it can be fatal as it can cause organs to cease their functions. They stay in bloom throughout the year and can be found all over the region.
Inil is a moss native to Vian. It grows in large clumps on the ground that spread slowly. Some clumps are several dozen feet wide and almost a foot tall. The moss is a mix of dark green and pale blue. It has a stringy look to it, but is very soft to the touch. It spreads thousands of its spores in the summer, when its crescent-shaped capsules open. Inil absorbs its water from the ice around the region. The zu’aan use inil to insulate their clothing, the shoes, and their homes in order to stave off the cold. They cut off the sporophytes so that the spores won’t spread. Consuming inil is a hundred percent fatal.
Animals
Most animals within the Vian Icy Tundra are mammal or bird species. There are a few rare insects within the region, but they are less than a handful. Animals have developed physical characteristics in order to survive the harsh climate. While there are omnivores and herbivores, the majority of animals here are carnivores. A feiket is a small mammal that lives within tundras in the north. They have two legs and two arms. They grow to almost two feet tall, stretching up to almost three and a half feet when on their haunches. Their thin skin is covered in thick, coarse, white and pale blue fur. They have a short, fluffy tail and long, pointy, horizontal ears sit on the sides of their heads.
Their narrow noses hinders the sense of smell, but their horizontal pupils give them a great range of sight. Their heads are small and narrow, while their bodies are a bit round. Feiket are one of the few herbivores in the region, and their diet consists of mainly leafy plants. They mate once a year with one partner for life. Females can have up to two young per mating. They live in caves within the mountains, but they can often be found in the snow. Feiket are docile but very curious animals. Simueth are one of the largest mammals in Vian. They have six legs and stand at a shoulder height of seven feet. Their long, thick neck adds an additional two feet to their height. They can weigh up to three hundred pounds.
Their rough skin is covered in thick, white fur that trails down to the ground. Their eyes are blue with horizontal pupils. Simueth also have long tongues and sharp teeth. They are omnivores, but lean more towards meat. They mate once every three years, but they don’t have life partners. Instead, they mate within their herd, which is usually six to twelve strong. Males have one gray horn that curves down and then up. Females can give birth to up to two young. They only hibernated in the second half of winter. Simueth are constantly moving around, so they don’t have a permanent living space. They are one of the more docile animals in the region. Oamere are a species of bird native to Vian.
They are small birds that only grow to about seven inches tall. They have two sets of thick, wide, white and pale purple feathers. The largest set of wings has a wingspan of about two feet across, while the smallest is about a half a foot across. They have a wide tail made up of narrow feathers. They have long, sharp, white beaks that curve slightly at the end, and purple eyes with horizontal pupils. Oamere are aggressive over their mates and young, and very territorial. They mate for life and usually follow their partners in death. Females, who are identified by the tuft of white feathers on the tops of their heads, can lay up to three eggs per mating, which happens twice a year.
They make their nests in high crevices of the mountains, away from the zu’aan. Oamere are carnivorous, and they have been known to attack animals twice their size along with zu’aan.
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 | Uskild Tribal Zu'aan |