Ice Lichen

Ice lichen is a crawling fungus found in the ice caps, the most commonly-found species in the northern cap. It is pervasive in its habitat, almost as common as grasses in other biomes, and it considered a material with no fear of running out, used in a handful of applications by the norrith, the sapient species of the region.

Anatomy

Ice lichen has a similar appearance to permafrost, though it is fuzzy to the touch. It grows in patches that could be easily mistaken for moss, if not for its colour. It barely connects to the ice it grows from, the growths anchoring the lichen to the ground not reaching very far. This makes the species incredibly easy to remove while remaining intact.

Clothing

Because it is so easy to harvest, the norrith living in the region use it in clothing and fabrics. Using the material raw, while very quick and easy, does result in easily ripped clothing, so the norrith have begun to form thread from the lichen and weave that into a usable and much more durable fabric, which is better suited for clothing.

Warming & Insulation

Ice lichen is a great insulator, keeping whatever it surrounds protected from the environment, to maintain its internal temperatures. This same trait that makes it good for clothing also makes it a great candidate for insulation in the norrith's housing. Though the norrith technically can survive in the constant below-freezing temperatures of the ice caps, the warmer temperatures still are much more pleasant to them, and so many choose to insulate their houses or wear more layers of clothing to achieve this ideal temperature.

Geographic Distribution

• Ice Caps