Continents of Daglaci

Below the miles of immovable ice surrounding Daglaci's oceans are gigantic masses of land. These continents have gone unnoticed by daglacians until recently, after explorers discovered hidden ecosystems nestled between the land and the ice, within the Frostbite Caverns.

These continents all float atop the ocean, as Daglaci lacks a solid core. They are held up by buoyant flora growing on the underside as well as ice holding them in place.

Physetero

Physetero was the first of three continents to be discovered. It floats around the Equator, close to the planet's Scars, a set of glacial chasms running over a mile underground. Directly above central Physetero is Hyphaxia.

Physetero supports a number of precious ecosystems. Prehistoric flora and fauna thrive in the lowest reaches of the Frostbite Caverns, untouched and unchanged for millions of years. Fossil records these creatures have barely evolved in the last sixty million years.

Cetoea

Aurora Leaf by Mochi
Aurora Leaf by Mochi

Cetoea is the smallest of the three continents, but to daglacians is believed to be the largest. It has a diameter of about 4,550 metres and is extremely thin. Unusual seismic readings originate from Cetoea, deep within the ground below the ice.

Many surface organisms nest within the caverns above Cetoea, as the continent also produces an unusual amount of heat. Scientists have attempted to study this landmass, but all devices seem to malfunction when approaching the deepest caverns, directly above the continent.

The ice about Cetoea has its own set of Scars, some reaching down to the continents caverns, over three miles under the ice.

Platani

Platani is the largest of Daglaci's landmasses. A set of distinct islands pushed together by ice and the flow of the water, the continent has many mountainous terrains reaching deep into Daglaci's oceans. These mountains stay in tact thanks to buoyant vine-like plants, growing all across the underside of this floating mass. The plants are also bioluminescent, producing a blue and green shimmer.

The continent itself is laced with tunnels and caves. Marine creatures like to hide in these tunnels, using the maze of shortcuts and alleyways to quickly evade predators. No large caverns sit atop Platani - the ice runs straight from the atmosphere down to the continent's surface.

Location under
Related Locations
Frostbite Caverns
Hyphaxia

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Author's Notes

The three continents are named after different cetaceans, animals that will feature heavily in Daglaci's ecosystems.

  • Physetero comes from Physeteridae, a family containing just one species, the sperm whale.
  • Cetoea comes from Cetotheriidae, a family containing the pygmy right whale.
  • Platani comes from Platanistidae, a family containing the South Asian river dolphin.

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