[This chapter serves as a compendium of knowledge regarding the current state of the Frozen World. The information contained herein is common knowledge among Survivors and Dredgers.]
General History
❖ The Vanishing
Thirty years ago, the Sun ceased to emit light and heat. The cause is unknown. Within 48 hours, global temperatures plummeted, burying the Old World under miles of ice. This event is marked as Year Zero.
❖ The Firmament
With the atmosphere thinned by the cold, the stars appear 10x larger and brighter than in the Old World. They are currently the only source of magical energy (Aether) available to mankind.
❖ The Safe Zones
Humanity has retreated into "Thermal Craters"—deep geothermal pits where the planet's core still provides warmth. The surface is referred to as "The Deadlands."
The Power System: Astromancy
❖ The Tether
The psychological and magical act of connecting one's mind to a specific Star or Constellation. A human who can do this is called a Stargazer. By maintaining eye contact (Line of Sight) with a star, they can draw energy down to earth.
❖ The Restriction
Magic requires Clear Skies.
Clear Night: Maximum Power.
Cloudy: Weak/Flickering Power.
Blizzard/Day: Zero Power (unless using stored batteries).
❖ The Lens
Stargazers cannot look at the super-bright stars with naked eyes without going blind. They use Focus Lenses—special glass tools that filter starlight into usable spells (Lasers, Heat Rays, Gravity Wells).
❖ Star-Burn (The Cost)
The human body acts as a conductor. If a Stargazer channels too much energy, they suffer "Star-Burn"—literally cooking their internal organs with radiation.
Advancement: The Ignition
Stargazers do not grow stronger simply by training. They must physically mutate their bodies to hold more light. This process is dangerous and often fatal.
❖ Accumulation (The Fuel)
To prepare for advancement, a Stargazer must harvest Cryo-Hearts from slain monsters. These hearts are burned in special censers, and the Stargazer inhales the vapor. This expands their "Stellar Core" (the magical organ near the heart).
❖ The Saturation Point
Once a Stargazer absorbs enough fuel, they hit a biological wall. Their veins glow visibly under the skin, and they suffer from constant fever. This signals they are ready to ascend.
❖ The Ignition (The Ritual)
To break the wall and rise in Rank (e.g., from Class V to Class IV), the user must perform an Overclock. They tether to their star during a clear night and force more energy into their body than they can handle. The intense heat burns away impurities and widens their magical vessels.
Success: The user creates a permanent, stronger connection to the sky.
Failure: Spontaneous Combustion (turning into ash).
Terminology: Equipment & Items
❖ Lumen Cells
Glass vials containing captured, liquid starlight. These act as batteries for technology or "mana potions" for Stargazers when the sky is cloudy.
❖ Rig
The exoskeleton suits worn by surface explorers. Rigs are powered by Lumen Cells and provide warmth and hydraulic strength.
❖ Cinder-Steel
Metal forged in the few remaining active volcanoes. It retains heat unnaturally well and is used to make weapons that can cut through magical ice.
Hierarchy of Power (Humans)
Unlike the Old World, status is determined by Luminosity—how much heat and light a Stargazer can output before burning out.
❖ Class V (Spark)
The lowest tier. Can generate enough heat to boil a cup of water or create a flashlight-sized beam. Common laborers.
❖ Class IV (Flare)
Combat-ready. Can project concussive blasts of light or melt a hole through a steel door. Most soldiers are Class IV.
❖ Class III (Beacon)
Elite. Their body temperature runs permanently hot. They can sustain a Tether for hours and wipe out small squads of monsters.
❖ Class II (Nova)
Walking artillery. They can pull down enough energy to vaporize a city block. There are fewer than fifty known Class IIs in existence.
❖ Class I (Quasar)
Theoretical. A being of pure energy that no longer resembles a human.
The Enemy: The Cryomorphs
The cold is not just weather; it is a mutating force. Creatures that die in the snow do not rot—they change.
❖ Hollows
Reanimated corpses frozen solid. Mindless, slow, but impossible to kill without shattering them completely.
❖ Glacials
Beasts made of living ice and muscle. They feed on heat. If they bite you, they don't just take flesh; they drain your body temperature instantly.
❖ The Entropic
Eldritch entities that live in the eye of the storms. They are not physical but are made of "Anti-Light." Looking at them causes madness.
The Zodiac (Combat Styles)
When a Stargazer first awakens, they align with a specific constellation which determines their fighting style.
❖ The Hunter (Orion)
Specialization: Precision / Long Range.
Ability: Bending light to turn invisible or sniping enemies from miles away with condensed lasers.
❖ The Shield (Cassiopeia)
Specialization: Defense / Barriers.
Ability: Creating "Hard Light" walls and domes to protect the Craters.
❖ The Hammer (Ursa Major)
Specialization: Gravity / Mass.
Ability: Increasing the weight of light to crush enemies or making themselves lighter to leap great distances.
❖ The Weaver (Aurora)
Specialization: Utility / Illusion.
Ability: Manipulating magnetic fields to jam electronics or create mesmerizing color displays to distract foes.
❖ The Sting (Scorpio)
Specialization: Decay / Radiation.
Ability: Channeling invisible "dirty light" (Gamma Radiation). It does not burn physically but causes cells to decay and blood to boil from the inside.
❖ The Twin (Gemini)
Specialization: Misdirection / Swarm.
Ability: Refracting light to create multiple illusory clones of oneself. A skilled Gemini can switch places with their clones instantly.
❖ The Wing (Pegasus)
Specialization: Speed / Momentum.
Ability: Coating the body in frictionless light to "skate" across the ice at extreme speeds. They fight using kinetic energy and impact.
❖ The Eye (Draco)
Specialization: Psychic / Control.
Ability: Channeling the "Cold Light" of distant stars. Looking into a Draco user's eyes causes paralysis, hallucinations, or intense fear.