Risia – The Plain of Ice

Risia is the plane of cold, stillness, and preservation—a realm where time seems to freeze, where emotion is dulled, and where the world is locked in an eternal frost. Known as the Plain of Ice, Risia is not merely a place of low temperature; it is the metaphysical embodiment of stasis, the force that resists change, slows decay, and holds things in perfect, unyielding form. It is the counterpoint to Fernia’s flame, a realm of silence and endurance.

The landscape of Risia is stark and hauntingly beautiful. Endless fields of snow stretch beneath skies of pale blue and silver. Mountains of glacial ice rise like jagged teeth, and frozen seas lie still, their surfaces unbroken for centuries. The air is crisp and dry, and the light—though ever-present—is cold and distant, casting long shadows across the frozen terrain. There is no wind, no birdsong, no rustling of leaves. Risia is a realm of absolute quiet, where even sound seems to freeze in place.

Despite its lifeless appearance, Risia is not empty. It is inhabited by elementals of ice, spirits of frost, and beings of stasis—creatures that embody the plane’s essence. These entities are often slow-moving, deliberate, and emotionally distant. They do not rage or rejoice; they endure. Some are intelligent, ancient beings who view change as a flaw and chaos as a threat. Others are mindless forces of nature, drifting through the snow like living blizzards or shards of sentient ice.

Risia is closely tied to cold magic, abjuration, and preservation. Spells that freeze, protect, or slow are often empowered by its influence. When Risia becomes coterminous with the Material Plane, its effects are felt in subtle and dramatic ways: temperatures drop, frost spreads unnaturally, and emotions may become muted. These periods are often marked by a sense of detachment, as if the world itself is holding its breath. In some regions, ancient ruins or artifacts preserved by Risia’s touch may emerge from the ice, untouched by time.

The plane also has deep symbolic significance. In the Draconic Prophecy, Risia represents endurance, memory, and the resistance to change. It is the force that holds the past in place, that preserves what was, and that resists the erosion of time. This makes it a powerful metaphor in stories of legacy, tradition, and the struggle against entropy. It is also associated with emotional suppression, making it a potent setting for tales of isolation, repression, and the slow thawing of the heart.

Planar travel to Risia is possible, though extremely dangerous. The cold is not merely physical—it is spiritual, capable of freezing thought, emotion, and even magic. Travelers must be protected not only from frostbite, but from the creeping numbness that threatens to rob them of will and memory. Some who enter Risia return changed: quieter, more distant, and haunted by the stillness they encountered. Others are lost entirely, preserved in ice as statues of forgotten ambition.