Kalta'hnk/Ice Giant/Ice Biter

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[Athviaro Shyu-eck-Silfayr]

OK, a verdict was passed. This version contains NO attempt at a Ximax or scientific explanation of the Kalta'hnk.

Well, better late than never. I agreed to do this for Azzy and although I have taken what feels like an inordinately long time over it and no small number of liberties in some realms of theory, I hope it will meet with at least satisfaction in its generalities. Thus I present the fearsome Kalta'hnk, and hope that I never meet one on a dark night.

How stupid! Entry status changed to !, sorry. Often forget that.

Ok, here is the slimline, No-Ximax, Kalta'hnk. New post so you can compare the two; when a verdict is passed, I will delete or modify this post and put the text here in the main at the top. All changes are relative to the original post; marked in RED for general and GREEN for ones relating to Fildreth. I think that that was accepted.

Edits in BLUE for Azzy and YELLOW for Seth.

Edits in BROWN for Alt.

Bestiary>Monsters, Land>Kalta'hnk

The Kalta'hnk (singular and plural: Kalta'hnk) are vast, humanoid creatures of living ice said to inhabit the eastern Icelands of Northern Sarvonia. They are said to be several times the size of a man with supernatural strength, speed and cunning, coupled with extreme malevolence. Some have even mastered language in the way that humans understand the term.

Appearance

Only one person who was insane enough to research the Kalta'hnk has left records: a Remusian man who did not agree with army life, Fildreth. In his records he left this pithy description of what a Kalta'hnk is, in the form of a direct address to the reader

Imagine a man of solid ice standing before you. Now imagine that he is three times the size, with eyes the size of small shields, burning with icy cruelty. His frosty limbs have the strength of a glacier, and his voice is ancient and doom laden, like the ominous sound of several hundred hebs of ice shifting above your head. Imagine a mouth like a cave, a cavern stretching far back, vicious icicles protruding from floor and roof, all at least a fore long. You have not even begun to approach the true horror of the Kalta'hnk. Their name means approximately "Icy Bite" in the tongue of the Orcs, Khom'chr'om. The bravest men flee when faced with one of these thankfully rare monstrosities; standing at between three and four peds (not two score, as some old legends tell), these creatures are most certainly not to be underestimated.

Special Abilities

Fildreth also wrote in his journals much on the abilities of the Kalta'hnk; their famed strength in particular. Thus we have this short but informative sentence, neatly encapsulating these beasts

Utterly resistant to cold, the Kalta'hnk possess seemingly limitless stamina and vast strength.

The writing meanders a bit after this point, and he begins an earnest study of certain types of bird, but then later on, after supposedly being struck by one of these creatures, he wrote

Imagine being hit square in the ribs by a glacier moving as fast as a gale, and you will have some idea of what being struck by this creature felt like. It brushed me aside with barely a flick and continued.
They have a preternaturally heightened sense of sight, and seem to have the ability to sense heat, which is given off by most creatures, in the same way as they sense light. In this way they can "see" even on the darkest night.

A small excerpt from slightly earlier in his notes completes the picture

The creatures, probably by minute internal shifting, are able to produce a heavy sound, almost certainly  a form of communication. However, I cannot say how complex or involved a tongue theirs is, but according to the Antislar, some can produce the sounds of human speech, as recorded in the "Lay of Bellerius".

Territory

As this researcher has never seen one of these beasts, this following is merely based on the prevalence of legends and folklore concerning these beasts. They seem to inhabit or have inhabited mainly the coastal areas of Northern Sarvonia, predominantly the Icelands coast and the lands of the Antislar.

Their icy bodies seem to - fortunately for civilisation, if these beasts are real - act like normal ice when exposed to heat, limiting them to areas where to snow lies all year round. They are also limited by the fact that they need to draw sustenance from ice as well, and so could not go on for long off the vast ice fields of the regions they inhabit.

Habitat/Behaviour

These creatures are almost impossible to watch in their natural activities. As soon as they sense a potential threat, they will simply lash out with their immense strength. They are for this reason only ever observed from a great distance, and apart from the stories and myths in which they play a role, are most often said to stride across the bleak ice-fields, searching, some say, for their mortal enemies the Kura'thun, their fiery opposites, while others say, more sinisterly, for human flesh.

They seem therefore to inhabit these vast sheet of uncivilised ice, though they are said to need no rest and draw strength from the ice. For this reason they do not need lairs or dens of any kind, though they may stand still in the relative heat of the day.

Diet

This account is also written by Fildreth, although here he claims to have garnered some information from the tribal peoples of the area

I have come to the conclusion that the Kalta'hnk somehow draw nourishment from the very ice itself. This view is also held by most I have talked to; however, the understanding of the mechanism differs. The Antislar believe that this is a function of the force of essence, and that in movement the Ice Biters manipulate the forces of repulsion and attraction by passing this essence back and forth into the ice. There are several other proposed methods. However, over time, all methods are claimed to become less and less efficient and the Ice Giant needs to spend more and more time absorbing energy without moving simply to avoid net loss. When it is no longer capable of even this, it melts to form a new Kalta'hnk. No system is more supported by my observations than the others - all that does not reach the realm of pure personal opinion is that they draw their energy from the ice.

Some more sinister legends say that the Ice Biters need the warmth of human blood to offset the frozen chill of their icy bodies, and old tales record them demanding tributes in the forms of the most beautiful maidens or the foremost young men.

Reproduction

The Kalta'hnk, by all accounts, do not mate. Rather, when one of their number grows old it melts and flows into the ice at its feet; it is then said that the special ice from which they are formed - in that it can possess sentience - moves through the sheets of ice randomly until it comes together in sufficient amounts to create a new Ice Giant. Then, slowly, an icicle starts to grow, from the floor or sometimes - in an ice cavern - from the ceiling.

After a few score years - no more precise number is available, as the legends vary widely in their accounts - a fully formed Kalta'hnk has grown. This is very infrequent, as the Kalta'hnk outlive several generations of men, and only grow tired when they cannot absorb energy from the ice sufficient to keep them going. This act is believed to be completely voluntary, but as a selfish race most Kalta'hnk typically choose to remain as long as possible in the world.

A Kalta'hnk which has been killed, usually by fire or similar, will not do this. If it melts, the water will refreeze and become normal ice, or seep into the ground. Thus killing one of these beast permanently reduces the total - no bad thing, in the eyes of many. This, say the Ice Tribes, explains why they are even more rare in Antislar than the rest of the area, though it is said that this is in fact their ancestral homeland - it is claimed that they were mostly killed by a hero named Bellerius.

Origins

There are three main myths surrounding the origins of the Kalta'hnk. The Ice Tribes of the North believe that they are the pets and creations of Pargis, God of Ice, and that they do or did his bidding. Some say that he mated with the Goddess of Water, Heterniz, and this explains why beings of ice can move.

However, there is another theory prevalent in the north of Santharia, and amongst the elves; that the Kalta'hnk are the children of the original Water Titan, Már'estár, made to aid him in his eternal war against the other Titans, his siblings. Their eternal war with the Kura'thun, Denizens of the Molten Pools, is said to stem from this; as the respective armies of Már'estár and Efér'estár, the Kalta'hnk and the Kura'thun have mutual and mortal enmity at the very cores of their beings.

Those who have no Gods, or who give very little credence to some myths concerning their offspring, believe that the Kalta'hnk were made as mindless automatons during the War of the Chosen, as an elite force in the armies of one of the northern Chosen, and that in his death his malicious spirit passed into his creations, filling them with the hate which lay at the very core of his being. Proponents of this theory point to reported demanding of human sacrifice - in sentient creatures such as these, unattributable to feral instinct or the need for food, and so claimed to spring entirely from unadulterated malevolence.

Myth/Lore

Much lore and many myths surround these monsters. Several Icelands myths involve them as the villains, often extorting live humans as offerings from small settlements. Myriad theories have been proposed to explain how creatures of ice, with no muscles or skeleton, are able to move; most involve magic of some kind. The Ice Tribes even claim that they were animated directly by the gods; a fragment of an ancient text, a relic in a secluded Temple of Pargis, records that "through the union of Ice and Water were these creatures created and as the offspring of such, are not Ice, frozen in position, but neither Water, formless and elusive: rather a middle; moving ice." For Compendium readers unfamiliar with Ice Tribe myth, the God Pargis and Goddess Heterniz are the deities of Ice and Water, and are seen as these two fundamental Icelands truths personified; therefore the text talks of the union of "Ice and Water". Similar trends are displayed in the worship of, for example, Grothar, who is known as Weathergod or Rainlord by some.

The Antislar have a theory in which the Kalta'hnk manipulate the force of essence in order to use the forces of repulsion and attraction to move. The theory postulated by these northerners is that as the Kalta'hnk are "of one substance" with the ice, they can in some unexplained way pass the two forces back and forth between themselves and the vast glaciers. According to the Antislar certain of their mystics and, it seems, the Kalta'hnk can manipulate this mysterious force to a greater or lesser degree, although no Antislar mystic has ever been able to pass it between items, and certain of them, hungry for power, believe that the Kalta'hnk hold the answer; these will pay handsomely for the remains of a Kalta'hnk, believing that imbibing their substance may grant this power.

It is also believed by many warriors in the north that eating some ice from a Kalta'hnk killed in battlecan grant their legendary strength and speed; these people often indicate legends of the greatest warriors, which often involve killing an Ice Giant. What these people perhaps overlook is that only the greatest of warriors could kill a Kalta'hnk in the first place, and there is the slight possibility that they have their causal chain back to front. Unfortunately for the Vertan, whose caves are supposed to contain Kalta'hnk in their infancy, this stipulation has prevented them from becoming the mightiest tribe of the north.

Researchers

Almost no-one has been foolish enough carry out field research on the Kalta'hnk. This information has been pieced together - a legend here, an oral tradition there, side notes by researchers of other, less dangerous, topics. Pictures of these beasts have been built up slowly, and very little fieldwork has been done. The vast majority of research has been in the form of writing down hitherto exclusively oral tales.

Most people mad enough to research such a fearsome monster have failed to leave any record; the only alleged eyewitness accounts are the records of a Remusian by the name of Fildreth. His is a curious story: he left the army aged twenty-one, and became a rare breed - an Ice Tribe scholar. He was, however, fixated with the idea of a Kalta'hnk.

At the age of twenty-six, Fildreth left his home in Remusiat, and was never heard of again until he turned up, ten years later, in a small village not five strals distant. He was babbling incoherently, and clearly mad. One resident said that "it was a wonder th'evil spirits din't et us all oop". However, in his pack were discovered five small notebooks, predominated by his observations of the Kalta'hnk. Unfortunately, he died of serious injuries, which he claimed were from his being struck by a Kalta'hnk. The words of a madman, however, cannot be offered as sufficient proof of these beasts' existence.

Usages

The Vertan gather unformed Kalta'hnk - in icicle form - to make their harpoons and tools. They believe that the ice from this source is stronger and more durable than common frozen water, and they may well be right. No uses are known for the living Kalta'hnk - no-one would be crazy enough to try to ride one, and they produce nothing in the way of wool or milk.

[Azhira Styralias]

Quick suggestion - this creature would likely be only found in very cold and icy environments such as ice caves and icebergs. A possible Icebiter is mentioned in my Mists entry:

One ancient tale from an Erpheronian pirate ship, which was swept too far north during a storm, says that these creatures are made of solid ice and are the size of ogres. They look like walking icicles with massive arms and legs. There has been no real research on such a beast as most sailors avoid the Ice Sea.

[Athviaro Shyu-eck-Silfayr]

I though I put that in...

Yes I did.

Their icy bodies seem to - fortunately for civilisation, if these beasts are real - act like normal ice when exposed to heat, limiting them to areas where to snow lies all year round. They are also limited by the fact that they need to draw sustenance from ice as well, and so could not go on for long off the vast ice fields of the regions they inhabit.

Unless I misunderstood you?

Thanks for the prompt response, hope it's generally up to scratch.

Athviaro

[Azhira Styralias]

The Kalta'hnk (singular and plural: Kalta'hnk) are a race of vast, humanoid creatures of living ice said to inhabit the eastern Icelands and other uncivilised areas of Northern Sarvonia. They are several times the size of a man with supernatural strength, speed and cunning, coupled with extreme malevolence. Some have even mastered language in the way that humans understand the term.

I am not sure about calling them a "race". I would think the Icebiters are rare and mythical, right? Would many know them as a race? Perhaps it's better to say they are simply living creatures of ice said to inhabit the Icelands of Northern Sarvonia (other uncivilized areas can be taken to mean non-iceland regions, which would be inaccurate).

You also speak as if their strength, cunning and speed is fact rather than legend. I think add something about certain myths describe the Icebiters as having extraordinary strength etc rather than state as fact. As far as language goes, has someone talked to them? Maybe say that some legends or research have indicated that the Icebiters have a primitive speech (or to humans, it sounds primitive. Who knows? Maybe Icebiter language is quite complex?)

Their name means approximately "Bite-[from-which- one]-dies" in the tongue of the Orcs, Khom'chr'om, and it is truly apt.Is this OK as a translation?

Wasn't their name supposed to mean "Icebiters"? Remember, "Kalta" can be translated to mean Ice, frost, cold etc.

[Athviaro Shyu-eck-Silfayr]

Thanks Azzy!

"Race" removed. Hope it still flows!

The "other areas" was because I realised I didn't know where you wanted it to be. I've removed that, but if there is anywhere the "Icelands" don't cover that they want to be, I'm only too happy to oblige.

About the strength etc. : is the "said to be" enough to make it more mythical?

Wasn't their name supposed to mean "Icebiters"? Remember, "Kalta" can be translated to mean Ice, frost, cold etc.

Sorry, I didn't realise that. I thought it meant "bite" and "die". Have changed it to "Icy Bite" - let me know if that's still wrong. I thought "Icebiter" was a human term, and that it shouldn't be just a translation.

Thanks again

Athviaro

[Azhira Styralias]

Appearance

Imagine a man of solid ice standing before you. Now imagine that he is three times the size, with eyes the size of small shields, burning with icy cruelty. His frosty limbs have the strength of a glacier, and his voice is ancient and doom laden, like the ominous sound of several hundred hebs of ice shifting above your head. Imagine a mouth like a cave, a cavern stretching far back, vicious icicles protruding from floor and roof, all at least a fore long. You have not even begun to approach the true horror of the Kalta'hnk. Their name means approximately "Icy Bite" in the tongue of the Orcs, Khom'chr'om. The bravest men are reported to flee when faced with one of these thankfully rare monstrosities. Standing at five or six peds (not two score, as some old legends tell), these creatures are most certainly not to be underestimated.

The Appearance may need some tweaking. It doesn't seem to be consistent with the rest of the entry. The point of view seems off, but I like the descriptiveness. Maybe say that according to the stories and legends, the Icebiter is this and that etc. Or, you could write from the perspective of someone who actually claimed to have seen an Icebiter and describe it that way. Also, five to six peds may be too large. I would say three to three and half peds. It could be that the older an Icebiter gets, the larger he grows.

Special Abilities

Utterly resistant to cold, the Kalta'hnk possess seemingly limitless stamina and vast strength. Ximaxian mages claim that their Cár'állía have a dominance of water and earth ounía - being of ice, which is water under the influence of earth - and that this accounts for their incredible power - the force of water held in check by the stability of earth.

The few Ximaxian scholars who have dared investigate - the Ice Tribes have a hatred of mages manifesting itself in executions - have come to the conclusion that movement is achieved by a primitive and instinctual form of magic, using ounía of water from the ice to manipulate the Water Property of Movement.

Introducing Ximaxian points of view into a Northern Sarvonia entry can be tricky. Ximaxians live in South Sarvonia and few know of, or care to know, the North (in my opinion...) I think it may work better to have a specific Ximaxian scholar make these claims rather than a nameless few. I already use two Ximaxian magi as researchers for the North - myself (Azhira) and Kha'mal, a Volkek-Oshra demonologist (studies the Mists). In keeping with consistent researchers, I would use Kha'mal, even though he doesn't really focus on the Ice Tribes lore, but he is Ximaxian.

One researcher, a Remusian by the name of Fildreth, who barely escaped with his life after meeting one of these creatures (though as he went mad and died soon after his testimony cannot be regarded as conclusive evidence of their existence) wrote in his journal "Imagine being hit square in the ribs by a glacier moving as fast as a gale, and you will have some idea of what being struck by this creature felt like. It brushed me aside with barely a flick and continued". However, he did manage to bring back some more detailed observations than the legends upon which we mainly rely. For example, it was he who estimated the creatures at about five or six peds, not ten or a dozen or even two score.

They also have a preternaturally heightened sense of sight, theorised to be the reaction of their water-dominated Cár'állía to the fiery property of light. They also seem to have the ability to sense heat, which is given off by most creatures, in the same way as they sense light. In this way they can "see" even on the darkest night.

The creatures, supposedly by minute internal shifting, are said to be able to produce a heavy sound, theorised to be a form of communication. Since this is only a theory, there is no knowledge of how complex and involved a tongue theirs is. However, according to the Antislar, some can produce the sounds of human speech, as recorded in the "Tale of Bellerius".
Territory

As this researcher has never seen one of these beasts, this following is merely based on the prevalence of legends and folklore concerning these beasts. They seem to inhabit or have inhabited mainly the coastal areas of Northern Sarvonia, and predominantly around the Eastern Icelands coast and the isle of the Antislar.

Their icy bodies seem to - fortunately for civilisation, if these beasts are real - act like normal ice when exposed to heat, limiting them to areas where to snow lies all year round. They are also limited by the fact that they need to draw sustenance from ice as well, and so could not go on for long off the vast ice fields of the regions they inhabit.

Even better! If this Fildreth claims to have seen an Icebiter, perhaps write the entire Special Abilities sections from his point of view. That way, it becomes only one account and not taken as truth by many.

Habitat/Behaviour

These creatures are almost impossible to watch in their natural activities. As soon as they sense a potential threat, they will simply lash out with their immense strength. They are for this reason only ever observed from a great distance, and apart from the stories and myths in which they play a role, are most often said to stride across the bleak ice-fields, searching, some say, for their mortal enemies the Kura'thun, while others say, more sinisterly, for human flesh.

You may wish to explain what a Kura'thun is, for the first time reader.

They seem therefore to inhabit these vast sheet of uncivilised ice, though they are said to need no rest and draw strength from the ice. For this reason they do not need lairs or dens of any kind, though they may stand still in the relative heat of the day.

[Drasil Razorfang]

Utterly resistant to cold, the Kalta'hnk possess seemingly limitless stamina and vast strength. Ximaxian mages claim that their Cár'állía have a dominance of water and earth ounía - being of ice, which is water under the influence of earth - and that this accounts for their incredible power - the force of water held in check by the stability of earth.

The properties you describe here are earthen, not water.  Thus your explanation of as "the force of water held in check by the stability of earth" doesn't really apply.

The few Ximaxian scholars who have dared investigate - the Ice Tribes have a hatred of mages manifesting itself in executions - have come to the conclusion that movement is achieved by a primitive and instinctual form of magic, using ounía of water from the ice to manipulate the Water Property of Movement. 

I don't really understand how this works.  You seem to be saying that these things are giant blocks of ice that are given movement by magic.  However, inanimate objects can't use magic as magic is brought about by force of will.  Thus your Ximaxian explanation here doesn't work.

I was going to go through and read through the rest of the Ximaxian parts as well, but there's a lot of very weird magic that I don't think will work.  I don't have the time to sift through and pick it all out, but before this gets approved you need to get a magic expert to check through this.  Honestly, it would probably be best if you just removed the "Ximaxian interpretation" of these beasts and just used folk-lore to describe their supposed magic.   

[Athviaro Shyu-eck-Silfayr]

I don't really understand how this works.  You seem to be saying that these things are giant blocks of ice that are given movement by magic.  However, inanimate objects can't use magic as magic is brought about by force of will.  Thus your Ximaxian explanation here doesn't work.

I see what you mean, but these aren't giant blocks of ice oved by magic. They are sentient creatures, which are made of ice. They have the inborn ability to perform this very limited form of magic - at least that's how I see it.

The properties you describe here are earthen, not water.  Thus your explanation of as "the force of water held in check by the stability of earth" doesn't really apply.

Are they? Sorry, I don't know the official properties. The "limitless stamina" is not an elemental property - it is explained further down as being due to the fact that they draw energy from ice, in a way. Neither is the "resistant to cold" - they're made of ice, so it wouldn't make sense for them to get frostbite, would it? The "strength" is due to the power of water - is water not powerful? The geyser, the waterfall, the tsunami? The dripping stalactite that wears a path through granite? The "stability of earth" is to neutralise the chaotic tendencies of water - in terms of ice, to stop it from moving this way and that, in terms of the Kalta'hnk, to give them control over their movements.

I know I definitely need a magic expert to check it through, and I wouldn't try to avoid that. I want them to fit as well as humanly possible.

@Azhira:

Fildreth: I wanted to use him just as that little account, because I wanted a researcher whose sanity was in question and who died soon after in order to leave the existence of these beasts in doubt, but didn't want to violate the "use existing researchers" rule too much. If it's OK, I will put the Appearance in his mouth, and maybe a large portion or all of the special abilities.

The size is of course subject to change, but I didn't want them to be too small. The impression I formed from Alt's tale was that they were more than just 3 peds, but having them grow with age is a good idea. They could start off a normal height (ie, human sized) and grow to about 4-5 peds.

Kha'mal could of course be the best researcher, and I will credit him for much of the Ximaxian view (though is he not a fire mage (Volkek-Oshra?) and so a little odd? Or does it not matter).

An explanation of a Kura'thun can of course be done (although I give some hints later on).

I will get to those when I can.

Athviaro

EDIT: @Alt: True, but most of what we know about the Ice Biters is myth. I didn't think they would be said to be so big if they were only 3 peds, but maybe I'm just not getting my head around the sizes.

[Altario Shialt-eck-Gorrin]

My tale was  myth.  The hero was batted into the air where he flew for three days before hitting the ground again, too.

[Azhira Styralias]

I may have to agree with Drasil. The Ximaxian perspective may get a bit complicated. And, we all know there is nothing simple about the Ximaxian perspective... I would be in favor of dropping that part, unless you can find a way to explain it without going into too much detail so much that it will overshadow the rest of the mythical-ness of the entry.

[Athviaro Shyu-eck-Silfayr]

Ok, here is the slimline, No-Ximax, Kalta'hnk. New post so you can compare the two; when a verdict is passed, I will delete or modify this post and put the text here in the main at the top. All changes are relative to the current first post; marked in RED for general and GREEN for ones relating to Fildreth.

Just to note: Anyone is welcome to comment on anything they like, but I would also like Azhira's opinion on whether this version is better than the Ximax version. As I said, all comments are always welcome and will be reflected in this post.

Edits in BLUE for Azzy and YELLOW for Seth.

THIS HAS BEEN MOVED TO THE FIRST POST AS AZHIRA DECIDED TO GO WITH THIS VERSION.

[Azhira Styralias]

Three peds is approximately 9 feet tall. That's fairly tall for a creature. Four peds is about 12 feet tall which may be about the tallest the Icebiters get in my opinion. I don't want them to be so immense that they dwarf everything around them. You could perhaps say that there are rumors of even larger, ancient Icebiters of 6 peds tall, but these live in deep caves long undisturbed.

[Athviaro Shyu-eck-Silfayr]

Blaugh, fixed, I forgot completely about posting after edits (biiiig maths prep last night).

Anyway, it's in blue (between three and four peds).

[seth ghibta]

hi Athviaro!
not sure why it's taken me so long to get round to reading this through. certainly wish i had earlier now, as it's really interesting, and prompted a lot of research into the fundamentals of Santh mythology that i really should have done earlier.
i've not much to say really, as this is far from my area of expertise, and i couldn't venture an opinion on the Ximax stuff by a long way, i'm afraid. my comments are a bit more general and typically nosey. basically, i found it fascinating to read, and i'm immensely jealous of your skill at conciseness, but i wondered about, seeing as this is a pseudo-mythological creature, maybe a bit more in the myth'lore and origin sections?
these suggestions are just suggestions, though, so don't feel you have to add stuff you don't want to.

Origins

There are three main myths surrounding the origins of the Kalta'hnk. The Ice Tribes of the North believe that they are the pets and creations of Pargis, God of Ice, and that they do or did his bidding. Some say that he mated with the Goddess of Water, Heterniz, and this explains why beings of ice can move.

However, there is another theory prevalent in the north of Santharia, and amongst the elves; that the Kalta'hnk are the children of the original Water Titan (can we have the name here? for clarity's sake?), made to aid him in his eternal war against the other Titans, his siblings. Their eternal war with the Kura'thun, Denizens of the Molten Pools, is said to stem from this; as the respective armies of Már'estár and Efér'estár, the Kalta'hnk and the Kura'thun have mutual and mortal enmity at the very cores of their beings. Oh! that was a thing: the idea of the Kur'thun fascinates me. are we going to see an entry on them?

Those who have no Gods, or who give very little credence to some myths concerning their offspring, believe that the Kalta'hnk were made as mindless automatons during the War of the Chosen, as an elite force in the armies of one of the northern Chosen, and that in his death his malicious spirit passed into his creations, filling them with the hate which lay at the very core of his being. just a note - you could, if you wanted, link this very neatly to stories where they're the villains. if they're basically evil, then of course they've a reason to demand sacrifices of live people, type thing.

Myth/Lore

Much lore and many myths surround these monsters. Several Icelands myths involve them as the villains, often extorting live humans as offerings from small settlements. Myriad theories have been proposed to explain how creatures of ice, with no muscles or skeleton, are able to move; most involve magic of some kind. here you could link this back to your origin myth with Pargis and the goddess of water? really i guess what i'm after is a bit more detail to your references to myth, perhaps outline the plot of one or two important ones. it doesn't have to be long or poetic, just enough that you get a feeling for how much story has built up around what are undoubtedly extremely charismatic and naturally mythic kind of creatures.

The Antislar have a theory in which the Kalta'hnk manipulate the forces of Kor and Aya in order to use the forces of repulsion and attraction to move. The theory postulated by these northerners is that as the Kalta'hnk are "of one substance" with the ice, they can in some unexplained way pass the two forces back and forth between themselves and the vast glaciers. Kor repels Kor and Aya repels Aya and the two attract each other, and according to the Antislar certain of their mystics and, it seems, the Kalta'hnk can manipulate this to a greater or lesser degree. However, no Antislar mystic has ever been able to pass Kor and Aya between items, and certain of them, hungry for power, believe that the Kalta'hnk hold the answer; these will pay handsomely for the remains of a Kalta'hnk, believing that imbibing their substance may grant this power. this is excellent - the kind of detail i mean. if you could mention a popular story or myth that gets told, to tie these more abstract ideas to a more concrete oral tradition (wait, "concretee oral tradition?" contradiction in terms, i know), then that'd be brilliant.

It is also believed by many warriors in the north that eating some ice from a Kalta'hnk can grant their legendary strength and speed; these people often indicate legends of the greatest warriors, which often involve killing an Ice Giant. What these people perhaps overlook is that only the greatest of warriors could kill a Kalta'hnk in the first place, and there is the slight possibility that they have their causal chain back to front.i think you mentioned earlier a lay of Belisarius (sp? ) that i'd love to hear a little more about here. you mention a lot of what sound like archetypal hero vs. monster type myths, but we don't get enough details to form a clearer picture. i'm not saying you have to, but it'd be interesting to see a specific myth referred to. you don't have to write it, of course. though that isn't to say that someone won't, at some point.

[Athviaro Shyu-eck-Silfayr]

Wow, thanks Seth!

Actually, I was thinking about maybe bringing in a twin entry on the Kura'thun, but I need to know, for example, where the Molten Pools are! Just an idea at the moment, though.

Just wondering, is the name needed at the first point. I think it might break the flow and I never knew it until I did research on this entry (someone who knows may back me up - most people refer to them just as the Titans, do they, or would humans not schooled in Styrash still use the names?)

I know, as a general point, that I could do a lot more myth, and the idea of linking that to the human sacrifice is a good one

The "Lay of Bellerius" is already written (at least in part. Alt wrote the defining section, where Bellerius kills the Kalta'hnk, for his Fire Blade entry) I assumed that such a mighty hero didn't just fade away, and Lay sounds better than "the myth in which Bellerius saves..." or something equally clumsy. It involves them speaking, which is why I put it in.

I will reiterate the point about Pargis &c in the Myth part ("they were granted the power of movement as a result of the union of Pargis and Heterniz")

I have never done a Library entry, but I'm happy to try a bit of the Lay, if Alt doesn't mind, though it may be a while in production.

Again, thank you. Glad to be doing something.

Athviaro

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