For generations, the mainland sa-khui lived in a vast network of caves that sheltered their community from Not-Hoth's extreme climate.
The tribal caves contained family living spaces, communal areas, storage, and places for preparing food and carrying out daily activities.
The caves were more than temporary shelters. They were the tribe's ancestral home, associated with generations of births, relationships, celebrations, and shared history.
Following the arrival of the human women, the settlement continued growing as new families formed and children were born.
Although Not-Hoth was known for geological instability, the inhabitants had long depended on the caves for protection.
A powerful earthquake struck the region, shaking the surrounding mountains and destabilizing the underground settlement.
Rock shifted, passages collapsed, and familiar spaces became dangerous.
The earthquake threatened both the tribal caves and other locations connected to the sa-khui's history.
Residents faced the possibility of falling debris, blocked tunnels, and further structural collapse.
The disaster demonstrated that even the tribe's most familiar shelters could become deadly when the planet's geology changed.
The earthquake left the original tribal caves severely damaged and unsuitable for continued habitation.
Passages that had connected living areas were blocked or destabilized. Sections of the cave system collapsed, making access dangerous.
The community could no longer rely on the caves as its permanent home.
The loss was especially significant because the settlement had sheltered generations of sa-khui before the arrival of humans.
Families were forced to abandon familiar living spaces and adapt to an uncertain future.
Not every personal possession or stored resource could necessarily be recovered from the damaged areas.
The original tribal caves became a ruined historical site rather than an active settlement.
The earthquake also damaged the Elders' Cave, the ancient Sakh spacecraft known as the Se Kilahi.
The vessel had already endured more than a thousand years of deterioration beneath rock, snow, and ice.
The earthquake further compromised its structure, damaging passages and making parts of the ship unsafe.
The Elders' Cave remained an important link to the sa-khui's origins, but exploration and repair became increasingly difficult.
Ancient technology inside the wreckage could not be assumed to remain operational.
Harlow, Mardok, and others interested in the ship's history had to contend with its deteriorating condition.
The destruction of the tribal caves created an immediate need for a safe place to live.
The community required shelter large enough to accommodate families, children, supplies, and communal activities.
Any new settlement needed protection from Not-Hoth's dangerous weather and access to hunting grounds and other resources.
The sa-khui eventually relocated to Croatoan, an ancient settlement situated within an enormous sheltered crevice.
Croatoan offered a practical alternative to the collapsed caves.
Its high rock walls provided protection from wind and storms, while existing structures and passages offered opportunities for permanent habitation.
Croatoan was not constructed entirely from nothing by the displaced tribe.
The settlement already contained evidence of earlier habitation, including stone buildings, pathways, and communal spaces.
Its location within a deep crevice made it unusually sheltered compared with the exposed tundra.
The village's buildings and layout provided a foundation that the newcomers could repair, adapt, and expand.
Croatoan became the mainland tribe's new permanent home.
The move represented a major transition from cave dwelling to life in a more structured village.
Relocating required considerable work.
Families needed suitable homes, food supplies had to be organized, and communal facilities needed to support the population.
Existing structures were repaired and adapted, while additional living spaces were developed as necessary.
The settlement gradually came to include family homes, a communal longhouse, a heated freshwater pool, storage areas, and specialized spaces for daily activities.
Pathways connected the village's buildings, while side passages led to additional homes and other areas of the crevice.
The surrounding rock walls provided shelter but also created practical challenges involving access, transport, and movement through the settlement.
The inhabitants adapted the old village to meet the needs of their growing community.
Life in Croatoan differed from life in the tribal caves.
Families occupied more distinct homes, while communal spaces continued supporting gatherings and shared responsibilities.
The settlement offered new opportunities for organization, construction, and improvements to daily living.
Hunters still ventured into the wilderness for food and materials.
Residents continued preparing hides, crafting tools, caring for children, and maintaining shared supplies.
The change in architecture did not erase the tribe's traditions.
Instead, the community adapted familiar customs to its new surroundings.
Vektal remained an important leader during the tribe's relocation and rebuilding.
Maintaining the safety of families, coordinating resources, and helping residents settle into their new homes required cooperation.
Experienced hunters, healers, craftspeople, and other community members contributed to the transition.
The move affected everyone differently.
Some residents welcomed the advantages of the new settlement, while others had to adjust to losing the home they had known for most of their lives.
The community's survival depended on working together rather than expecting every individual to respond identically.
In the campaign's present era, the original tribal caves are abandoned ruins.
Collapsed passages, unstable stone, and remnants of former living spaces may remain.
The site carries historical and emotional significance for older residents who remember living there.
Exploration is potentially dangerous because further collapses may occur.
The caves should not contain an active village or be presented as though the earthquake never happened.
Any discoveries within the ruins must remain consistent with the established history of the settlement.
By the beginning of Ice Planet Barbarians: A New Beginning, Croatoan is an established and inhabited village.
It is home to sa-khui families, humans, and their descendants.
Its communal longhouse, heated pool, homes, and pathways form the center of daily life.
The settlement remains connected to Icehome through shared leadership, family relationships, and cooperation.
The earthquake is a historical event whose consequences continue to shape the landscape.
It is not an ongoing disaster at the campaign's starting point.
The original tribal caves were the ancestral home of the mainland sa-khui.
A major earthquake rendered the cave settlement uninhabitable.
The Elders' Cave also suffered serious structural damage.
The displaced community relocated to Croatoan.
Croatoan was an older settlement that the tribe adapted and occupied.
The tribal caves remain abandoned ruins in the present era.
Croatoan is now an established village with homes and communal facilities.
The earthquake changed the tribe's living arrangements but did not erase its culture.
Ruined locations may be explored, but their established damage must be respected.
The campaign begins after the relocation and rebuilding.