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Infinite Worlds / Arctic

Arctic Toolbox

Source Galaxy Exploration Manual pg. 58
See Biome Subsections on page 46 for advice on how to use the following tables.

Arctic Inhabitants

D20SapientThreat
1–4BrenneriAkata
5–8CephalumeArabuk
9–12DamaiAshypsozoan
13–16Dragon, siccatiteBloodbrother
17–20Dragon, silverDeh-nolo
21–24Dragon, whiteDiaspora wyrm
25–28DragonkinDinosaur, plesiosaur
29–32EspraksaElemental, water
33–36GhostFlayer leech
37–40GrayGhoul
41–44KaloGlass serpent
45–48KothamaGremlin, hobkins
49–52LucandrianHallajin
53–56MaraquoiHerd animal, aquatic
57–60Moon GiantKyokor
61–64MorlamawMarooned one
65–68ReptoidNiaq
69–72RyphorianPredator, arctic
73–76SarcesianScavenger slime
77–80ShimreenShantak
81–84ShobhadSharpwing
85–88Uplifted bearStormghost
89–92VerthaniThorgothrel
93–96VlakaUrsikka
97–100WrikreecheeWolliped


Arctic Adventure Hooks

D20Adventure Hook
1 An entire region’s temperature is dropping rapidly with no obvious explanation. As their world freezes over, several groups hoping to protect their settlements and interests seek assistance uncovering the cause of this mysterious change.
2 A shady offworld corporation drilling into the planet’s permafrost has awakened something ancient and terrible. Trying to keep their blunder quiet, they surreptitiously recruit teams to handle the threat.
3 A dangerous, arctic-adapted prisoner has escaped while in transit and is now hiding in the ice and snow. Rumors suggest that the prisoner has information about a criminal organization, and that law enforcement aren’t the only ones seeking to recapture them.
4 An alien starship is discovered buried deep in the ice, its crash dated far before any similar technology appeared in the system. Does the wreck hold advanced alien technology? Or will its secrets perhaps rewrite the world’s entire history?
5 A group of devoted solarians make a pilgrimage to an arctic zone during summer to observe and celebrate the long hours of daylight. A journalist covering the expedition discovers that it may have another grimmer purpose—then disappears.
6 A new strain of purple lichen is spreading on the ice where nothing should be able to grow. Might this phenomenon lead to agricultural advances, or is the mysterious growth cause for concern?
7 Local bandits are harassing a mining operation on the planet’s largest ice shelf. The miners claim they’re collecting mundane resources, but the bandits accuse them of a far more nefarious purpose, leading both groups to seek support.
8 The singing poet whales who swim between ice shelves in the arctic seas have always drawn admirers and researchers, but recently their songs have changed. Is this some kind of message— or warning? Who is it for?
9 The PCs are invited to an aurora festival in a remote tundra, but while perusing the vibrant midnight markets, they overhear a group of thieves planning to steal a priceless work of art from the PCs’ host.
10 A newly active subglacial volcano has turned a previously frozen and impassible stretch of arctic wastes into a giant lake, connecting two communities that had been entirely cut off from each other. What opportunities and challenges arise from this new contact?
11 A vlakan research expedition discovers a fallen meteor encased in ice with bizarre properties that disrupt nearby technology and magic. What’s causing the anomalies—and will the thaw release something deadly?
12 Skyfire Legion protectors of an arctic settlement have stopped communicating with their team, and the ryphorian and dragonkin pilot team sent to investigate has also disappeared without a trace. What secrets menace this region?
13 A sparkling glacial palace boasts an ancient, expansive library. When a new cavern is discovered that may contain lost secrets of the Gap, numerous groups angle to gain access and decipher the information first.
14 Crevasses have been opening in the ice with alarming and unnatural frequency, and scientists project that the next crevasse will open underneath their research station. What’s causing these rifts to appear, and can they be stopped in time?
15 An extinct volcano now covered in rime is rumored to hold a dragon’s vast treasure, and several groups of adventurers and bandits are vying to be the first to find the lair—and avoid its guardian.
16 Xenoarchaeologists have discovered alien ruins under the ice while working to cultivate a more hospitable settlement zone. Do the ruins they’ve uncovered hold the answers to the previous inhabitants’ disappearance, and what might this mean for future settlers?
17 A technomancer scholar from the Preita Institute of Technology disappears after winning a corporate contract, and executives suspect that an isolated, storm-wracked city is involved. They’re looking for a team to brave the ursikka-infested ice fields surrounding the city and investigate within.
18 A strange new aurora has begun to fill the upper reaches of the skies and seems to cause unbalancing effects on resident creatures, including the sapient population. Tensions are rising as new cults emerge daily with conflicting ideas about what the phenomenon means.
19 A pack of frost squoxes has become so aggressive that a university student research group had to hole up on an iceberg for safety. The young scientists hope their rescuers can help them determine what’s causing the squoxes’ ferocity.
20 A ruling council of mystics is looking for a covert party to investigate disturbances among local sentient ice caves, which are central to their cultural traditions. What could be upsetting the delicate balance in this magical and wintry ecosystem? Is it the work of a subversive element?