Ixalan - Luoghi

The center of the world is the great continent known as Ixalan, which has given its name to the plane as a whole. A tropical land covered in lush rain forest, soaring mountains, lofty plains, and winding rivers, Ixalan is shaped like a large crescent enfolding a vast inner sea. Its history has been shaped by the interaction between the Sun Empire and the River Heralds. Both peoples lived in balance while the Sun Empire maintained its stewardship of the Immortal Sun. But that balance was upset when the emperor abused the artifact’s power. Now the Sun Empire has been pushed to the coastal lands of Ixalan, while the River Heralds dominate the interior.

Ancient Sites

The Sun Empire was once larger than it presently is, and remnants of its past glory still lie scattered throughout the jungles of the Great River. Some of these remnants are no more than heaps of rubble overgrown by hardy plant life, potentially interesting for the sake of inscriptions that might remain on worn stone surfaces, but otherwise remarkable only as landmarks for those traveling through the uncharted wilderness. However, several whole cities also lie in ruins scattered throughout the jungle.

A few lone shrines and temples dot the jungle as well, the last remnants of cities whose wooden buildings have long since rotted away. These include Tonalixco, the temple of the eastern sun, which marked the western edge of the empire in the fortress-city of Tanaztac. Icalaquiampa, the temple of sunset, was the focus of a religious sect that tried to replace the emperor with a high priest and establish theocratic rule.

Life of the Forest

The river and rain forest boast a teeming multitude of species, which make their homes everywhere from the canopy to the depths of the water. Animals live and feed in every layer of the forest, from the tops of the tallest emergent trees to the ferns, leaves, and roots reaching deep into the soil. And certain plants are just as active at hunting prey as predatory animals are.

Bats are common sights in rocky caves and jungle trees. They are considered enemies of the sun and closely associated with demons, even though most varieties are harmless. Giant bats are a more significant threat.

A wide variety of native birds are found throughout Ixalan, singing complex songs that contribute to the chorus of sounds within the jungle. Hummingbirds are sometimes poetically described as embodiments of freedom and the pursuit of pleasure. Large macaws and parrots (with statistics like those of ravens) make their homes in the trees and can often be found gathering over clay licks along riverbeds and the sea coast. The wily birds enjoy toying with people from the trees, with many of them calling out in imitation of humanoid voices to lead pirates and other explorers astray.

Frogs are more commonly heard than seen in Ixalan, joining their voices to the vivid soundscape of the jungle. They range from tiny poisonous tree frogs found in the branches of tall trees to huge horned frogs (giant frogs) that lurk in marshy areas.

Colorful griffins (griffons) combine the heads and plumage of jungle parrots with the sleek bodies of jaguars. They are intelligent and noble, and they share the River Heralds’ desire to ensure that the power of the Immortal Sun is never again unleashed on the world.

The forest teems with all manner of insects, spiders, and other arthropods. Mosquitoes breed in stagnant water and swarm around any animal with blood. Centipedes, millipedes, roaches, and beetles crawl through the detritus and humus on the forest floor. Wasps, dragonflies, scorpions, ants, and beetles are everywhere, ranging in size from diminutive to gigantic. Swarms of insects pose a significant threat to adventurers, as do giant centipedes, giant fire beetles, giant spiders, giant wasps, and giant wolf spiders.

Many predatory plants attract food by producing smells redolent of food—whether the odor of sweet nectar or the stench of decaying meat. They then close jawlike leaves around their prey or capture them in sticky pools of digestive juice. A few plants are even more active, lunging up from the forest canopy to grab flying dinosaurs in woody claws or tangle them in vines. Others pull up their roots and creep across the forest floor in search of good hunting grounds. Awakened shrubs, awakened trees, and various forms of fungi can represent many of these plants.

marzo 17º, 2020

Life of the Sea

The rivers and seas of Ixalan teem with life as plentiful—and as dangerous—as that of the forests. To ships on the Stormwreck Sea, storms are only the most prominent and visible danger.

Bone-plated fish, squid, sea serpents, turtles, and whales can grow large enough to capsize a ship, pull it underwater, or smash it to flinders. The largest sharks (giant sharks) are the most feared, but even smaller sharks (hunter sharks) can be deadly alone—and are more so in schools. Their taste for blood makes them a fearsome threat to anyone at sea, especially those forced to walk the plank of a pirate ship.

The Inner Sea is less prone to storms but more crowded with reefs, rocks, and narrow straits. It is home to similar monstrous swimmers, with the addition of large saltwater crocodiles.

The waters of the Great River and all its tributaries are home to fish that serve as one of the most important food sources for other animals in the forest. These include large predatory fish, as well as churning swarms of small biting fish such as piranhas (equivalent to quippers and swarms of quippers). Enormous crocodiles lurk in the waters and bask on the riverbanks.

On the beaches and banks of the rivers and seas, crabs scuttle across the sand and birds wade in the shallow water. Trilobites are among the most common shore-dwellers, including predatory varieties as well as scavengers and filter-feeders consuming scraps they find in the sand. Use the crab or giant crab statistics in the Monster Manual for trilobites

marzo 17º, 2020