Ecology​

 

The Glacial Expanse's ecology is characterized for it's incredible resillience and adaptation to sub-zero temperatures, and as a consequence, the most beautiful wonders of nature can be found here.

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Flora

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Auroraspire Trees

• Appearance: Towering crystalline “trees” made of semi-transparent ice, glowing with soft aurora light.

• Habitat: Found in frost forests and around mana-rich areas.

• Function: Absorb ambient magic and auroral light for energy. Roots channel warmth from deep geothermal currents.

• Ecological Role: Anchor for many creatures. Snowhares burrow beneath their roots; snowbats roost in their upper branches.

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Frostblossoms

• Appearance: Delicate, glowing flowers that bloom briefly during magical storms.

• Habitat: Found near the edges of mana vents.

• Function: Attract tiny pollinators that feed on magic-rich nectar. Their petals can be brewed into potent elixirs.

• Ecological Role: Their blooming triggers migration of herbivores, which in turn attracts predators.

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Glaciervine

• Appearance: Translucent vine with blue, icy tendrils that snake along ice walls and cliffs.

• Habitat: Grows on cliff faces and abandoned nests.

• Function: Absorbs moisture from the air and minerals from the ice. Can move slowly to reposition toward heat sources.

• Ecological Role: Provides cover and food for insects and small mammals. Often harvested by for its insulating properties.

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Moonmoss

• Appearance: Soft, silvery-blue moss that glows faintly under moonlight.

• Habitat: Covers cave walls, burrows.

• Function: Photosynthesizes aurora and moonlight. Releases tiny puffs of warming spores.

• Ecological Role: Vital food for herbivores and a nesting material for avian species.

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Cryoshrooms

• Appearance: Fungi with wide, opalescent caps that shimmer with frost.

• Habitat: Grow in geothermal caves or around buried magic cores.

• Function: Decompose organic material and convert magical residue into nutrients.

• Ecological Role: Essential to nutrient recycling in a frozen land. Their spores are mildly hallucinogenic to some dragons, used in rituals.

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Blightlilies (rare, dangerous)

• Appearance: Jet-black flowers with frost-tipped petals and pulsing red veins.

• Habitat: Grow near corrupted mana vents or sites of ancient magical battles.

• Function: Feed on ambient decay magic. Emit toxic spores that drain magical energy.

• Ecological Role: Dangerous but necessary, they purify tainted zones, albeit violently. Some dark dragons cultivate them for warfare.

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Icethorn Shrubs

• Appearance: Bushy plants with hard, needle-like frozen leaves and small blood-red berries.

• Habitat: Found in open tundra and beneath glacier cliffs.

• Function: Resilient to frostbite winds. The berries provide warmth when consumed.

• Ecological Role: Food source for many smaller mammals and birds. Berries often fermented into “frostwine” by dragons.

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Fauna

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Producers (Energy Sources)

• Bioluminescent Algae: Grow beneath ice sheets; emit light and heat.

• Crystal Flora: Magic-infused iceplants that photosynthesize moonlight or aurora energy.

• Thermal Vents: Heat fissures in the ice where unique fungi and heat-loving organisms grow.

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Primary Consumers

• Snowhares, Frost Elk, Snowbats, Icefish, Tundra Wyrms: feed on algae, fungi, and moss from underground rivers or geothermal oases.

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Predators

• Drake-wolves (dragon-descended canines)

• Frost Manticores

• Glacial Krakens (beneath the ice shelf)

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Apex Predators

• Dragons