Irithel Lake

Name: Irithel Lake

Type: Lake

Region: Located in the heart of the frozen continent of Irithel.

Setting: Irithel lies far from any civilisation, a remote, timeless, frozen wasteland blanketed by icy mountains and plateaus, sitting alone in a sea that stretches out to touch the horizon in every direction. The lake at its heart is deep, possibly deeper than the sea surrounding its stony nest, far deeper than most creatures could go, and the water is dark and forbidding.

Wildlife: The lake is home to a small selection of freshwater fish, though most of these are deep dwellers and are rarely seen. Aside from these fish there is little to no wildlife on the island, with the exception of a few migratory seabirds and the creatures that live in the surrounding ocean.

Flora: Irithel is a barren world, devoid of just about everything, plant life included. The nearest plant life there is to the lake is the seaweed far out at sea, and even that is not plentiful.

Weather: The whole if Irithel is frozen in a winter that lasts all year round. It snows often, meaning that any open ground is covered in a permanent layer of snow and ice, and the water on the lake often freezes round the edges and sometimes thinly in the middle. Temperatures range from -14°C to 2°C throughout the year.

Population: The lake is home to a race of aquatic faerie-like creatures called the Asrai. There is a population of just over 100 of them, all sleeping beneath the fathoms of water that fill the lake. They surface every century or so to bathe in the light of the full moon, but otherwise are never seen.
An example and description of their race can be found here.
Government: N/A

Culture: The Asrai spend most of their time sleeping, so not a lot happens under the surface of the lake. Their race has very little culture as a result. They surface only once every century or so to bathe in the light of the full moon, but otherwise are never seen by anyone other than the fish, though even most of these do not swim deep enough to come anywhere near them.

Description: The lake reaches down into dark, unmeasured depths, the lakebed only reachable by the Asrai who live there. Apart from a thin crowd of sleeping faeries, the lakebed is completely dark and bare. Underneath it lies a network of small underwater caves where the Asrai sleep, if not on the lakebed itself. The lake is not as wide as it is deep, but the surface still manages to cover about 50km in each direction.

Points of Interest: N/A
Resources: N/A

History: Irithel has been as it is for countless millennia, lying dormant in the desolate ocean, cut off from any other worlds. The lake has been there for just as long, as have its ethereal inhabitants. It has managed to evade discovery by being so remote and unforgiving for millions of years, until some years ago an exploration expedition was launched from a land far away from Irithel. The crew of the wrecked ship managed to survive for nearly fifteen years on the eastern coast in wooden houses built from the remains of their ship, before the harsh land claimed them, leaving nothing but the ruins of their village. Few have braved the journey since, and those that go back home take with them tales of a perilous ice world, bleak and inhospitable. There are many stories and rumours concerning what lies within Irithel, and it has become a place shrouded in myth and mystery that none dare to face.