Icehome is a coastal settlement on Not-Hoth, the frozen planet inhabited by the mainland sa-khui, humans, and other peoples. It is associated with the events and characters of the Icehome stories. Although connected to Croatoan through shared history, kinship, and travel, Icehome is a distinct community with its own challenges and developing social relationships. It is not simply another name for Vektal's village.
Icehome becomes a place where people from different backgrounds learn to survive together. Human newcomers, sa-khui residents, and survivors of the destroyed island homeland contribute different knowledge and expectations. Their relationships develop through work, trust, conflict, romance, and practical necessity, not through an automatic declaration that everyone has become one culture.
Icehome lies in a coastal region shaped by extreme cold, ice, wind, and access to the planet's waters. Its environment differs from the familiar inland surroundings of Croatoan. The coastline creates opportunities for gathering resources and travel, but it also brings dangers associated with cold water, unstable footing, severe weather, and unfamiliar terrain.
The settlement's exact layout, the position of individual homes, and the distances between local landmarks must follow the campaign's established maps. Do not invent a permanent harbor, stone city walls, paved streets, or an extensive fleet. Shelter, warmth, food, and reliable routes matter far more than decorative infrastructure.
Icehome's development is linked to the arrival and settlement of additional humans and their contact with the sa-khui. These newcomers did not begin with the skills or equipment needed to survive independently on Not-Hoth. Their immediate needs included safety from the toxic atmosphere, protection against cold, food, shelter, and trustworthy information about the world around them.
The khui is essential to survival in the atmosphere. Humans must receive an appropriate living symbiont through the established acquisition process; arriving on the planet does not automatically provide one. Receiving a khui does not mean a human has agreed to romance, reproduction, or permanent settlement.
The community formed through a series of practical decisions and relationships rather than through a single invented royal decree. Do not add a fictional founding charter, precise founding date, or ceremonial first mayor unless a campaign event establishes one.
The Tranquil Lady is an important spacecraft in the wider history of the setting and the arrival of humans and other off-world characters. It must not be treated as an ordinary village building or as proof that Icehome possesses unrestricted spaceflight technology. Off-world arrivals may remember captivity, displacement, or experiences that other residents cannot fully understand.
Humans bring different languages, personalities, skills, fears, and memories of Earth. Some adapt quickly to particular routines; others struggle with loss and uncertainty. Do not portray every human newcomer as helpless indefinitely, but do not give them instant mastery of hunting, weather prediction, or local biology either.
Croatoan is the established mainland sa-khui community led by Chief Vektal. Its residents possess extensive experience with Not-Hoth's environment and have relationships with the humans who arrived earlier. These connections make cooperation possible, including exchanging information, helping newcomers, and responding to danger.
Icehome remains a separate settlement. Vektal's leadership of Croatoan does not automatically make him the permanent ruler of Icehome. Likewise, decisions made by Icehome residents do not automatically bind every Croatoan family. Characters can visit, communicate, disagree, or offer assistance without collapsing both settlements into one political organization.
A functioning settlement requires more than finding a place to sleep. Residents must maintain warmth, prepare and store food, care for children, keep useful tools in working condition, and respond to weather changes. The demands of a coastal environment may require different practical solutions from those familiar to mainland residents.
Households can develop their own arrangements while participating in shared work. A family may prioritize a safe sleeping area; a hunter may focus on equipment; a caregiver may organize food and warmth for dependents. Do not assume that Icehome immediately acquires modern plumbing, electric lighting, manufactured furniture, or an unlimited supply of fuel.
A volcanic disaster destroyed the island homeland of the surviving Strong Arm, Tall Horn, Shadow Cat, and Outcast people. Those who escaped lost more than buildings: many lost relatives, familiar landscapes, social connections, and parts of their cultural heritage. Their arrival at Icehome profoundly changed the community's population and relationships.
Survivors may be grateful for shelter while grieving their former home. Some want to preserve family customs; others focus on making a new life. Do not describe every survivor as having the same memories, political opinions, or emotional response. Nor should the catastrophe be treated as a minor inconvenience that disappears once housing is arranged.
Strong Arm people have four functional arms. Tall Horn people possess exceptionally long horns. Shadow Cat people have distinctive claws, fangs, and predatory adaptations. These traits are inherited physical characteristics, not social ranks or magical powers. Families may adapt clothing, equipment, and living spaces to their needs.
No lineage is inherently more intelligent, loyal, aggressive, or fit to govern than another. Clan heritage can matter deeply without dictating a person's profession or behavior. Mixed-ancestry children may inherit variable traits, while every newborn still requires a khui of their own.
Outcast describes a social designation, not a separate species. People identified as Outcasts may have different ancestry, experiences, and reasons for exclusion. Their place within Icehome should be developed through individual relationships rather than a universal rule that all Outcasts are dangerous, rebellious, or politically united.
An individual may find acceptance through friendship and shared responsibilities, while still carrying memories of mistreatment. New community membership should not require erasing the past or submitting to an invented purification ceremony.
Resonance can occur between biologically compatible people whose khui respond to one another. It may influence relationships within Icehome, but it does not grant ownership, require immediate intimacy, or guarantee emotional compatibility. Individuals still need to communicate and give consent.
The settlement's history includes people building bonds across backgrounds. Those relationships can strengthen connections between families without erasing distinct identities. Do not assume every new arrival must resonate, become pregnant, or pair with a particular resident to earn a place in Icehome.
As more people settle, Icehome's routines may change. New households form, children are born, friendships develop, and residents learn which arrangements work best. Shared spaces and responsibilities may be adapted to meet the needs of a growing and diverse population.
Growth does not imply unlimited resources. Food, safe shelter, medical assistance, and transport remain constrained by the planet's conditions. New institutions introduced during play should arise through believable decisions and work, not appear fully developed between scenes.
Icehome is a distinct coastal community on Not-Hoth, connected to but not identical with Croatoan.
Croatoan is led by Vektal; his authority does not automatically extend over all Icehome residents.
Icehome's growth involves human newcomers, sa-khui connections, and survivors of the destroyed island homeland.
Humans require a functioning khui to survive the toxic atmosphere; receiving one does not create a mating obligation.
Strong Arm, Tall Horn, and Shadow Cat are Sakh-derived lineages with established physical traits; Outcast is a social designation.
Do not invent new clan powers, mandatory caste roles, or a universal island government.
The volcanic catastrophe caused genuine loss and displacement; survivors' responses differ.
Resonance never overrides consent, personal autonomy, or the need to build relationships.
Every newborn needs a khui of their own, regardless of ancestry.
The Tranquil Lady does not grant the settlement unlimited spacecraft, technology, or manufactured supplies.
Do not invent a precise founding date, permanent harbor, royal charter, or modern city infrastructure.
Food, tools, shelter, and travel remain constrained by local resources and weather.
Traditions can spread between communities without becoming identical or compulsory.
Any new leadership system, building, or settlement-wide custom must be established through actual campaign events.