Ix'akroth, the Infested Crags
Plane of endless tunnels and catacombs infested with hives and swarms of creatures ranging from animate fungi to insectoid empires to goblinoid chiefdoms, Ix'akroth's title is well-earned and aptly placed. The Infested Crags served as Ix'kythael's primary home during the Reckoning, and though the foundations of present day Ix'akroth were there from its creation, the Broodmother made it into the horrifying, infinite maze of hive warrens and fungal jungles it is today. Swarms numbering in the millions -- or more -- were unleashed from Ix'akroth during the Reckoning, and though they were wiped out in the God-Wars, it did not take long for them to replenish. And, both during the Reckoning and over the course of the millennia since the Reshaping, the infectious nature of Ix'akroth has found its way into a number of other planes. Xaecreotis, Mathrak, and even some of the deeper recesses of Emaxus itself now serve host to swarm colonies, microcosms of the untethered horde that the Infested Crags represent.
The plane itself is made of barren rock riddled with infinite tunnels and caverns -- there is no surface, and even up and down lose meaning in the mind-breaking depths of the Infested Crags. But, many portions of the plane find the rock itself buried under sheets of organic matter. Whether its the lichen floors of a fungal forest, the cesspools of a monstrous infestation, or the waste products of an insectoid hive, one could wander Ix'akroth for weeks and never see an inch of bare stone.
Inhabitants
Anything that infests, swarms, or congregates in horrendous numbers has a home in Ix'akroth. Fungi, awakened plants, and teeming jungles form most of the flora, while the fauna ranges from insects and insectoid beasts to kobolds and goblinoids. Beyond that, the constant chaos and activity of the Infested Crags affords those alien entities seeking a foothold in Yophas plenty of cover, making Xeccamundian influences relatively common.Travel
Reaching Ix'akroth isn't the most difficult -- falling down the wrong hole in a cave can cause you to wind up in one of its endless tunnels -- beyond even the normal planar magic; however, reaching it by way of Ipacia is nearly impossible. Great clouds of debris, alongside a few planetoid-sized asteroids, fill the Realm of Stars around Ix'akroth. And, almost anything bigger than dust particles has some sort of infestation, meaning even those who can navigate the cloud will find themselves under assault by entities ranging from flies to titanic worms. Thankfully for the intrepid -- frankly, suicidal -- traveler, there exist plenty of rifts to Ix'akroth in Mathrak, Xaecreotis, and some portions of Gliziarial and Emaxus. Sadly, travel within Ix'akroth is even more difficult than traveling through Ipacia to reach it. Ix'akroth is ever-shifting and teeming with life that would see everything other than its own swarm consumed, beyond even the labyrinthine nature of the Infested Crags' tunnels and caves.
Type
Dimensional plane
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