Krigala
The Beastlands’ top layer is Krigala, split in two by the River Oceanus. The river flows through the layer in a strong torrent, flanked by verdant forests that often bridge the great river with intertwined branches above. Small side channels depart from the river, and there are numerous bayous and oxbow lakes formed whenever this extraplanar river alters its banks.
Krigala is a land of eternal afternoon. A warm sun basks the land in its continual glow. It is just warm enough in Krigala for the plant life of the area, and temperatures remain in a comfortable range unless manipulated by spells or divine will. Time passes normally but is not tracked by the moving of the sun. Instead, gentle rains drift in on soft breezes once per day. More rarely, occasional thunderstorms strike, sending many of Krigala’s beasts to cover.
The centaur deity Skerrit lives in Krigala with his closest petitioners. Skerrit is a lesser deity, but he is greatly venerated by the centaurs. The deity’s realm looks little different from the surrounding woods, and the homes of his petitioners are often small huts and lean-tos. When a feast is called (and that’s often if you’re a centaur), the centaurs set out great tables in the midst of the forest, trusting to Krigala’s benign nature and Skerrit’s power to keep them in line.
Skerrit’s petitioners take centaur form but are otherwise similar to other Beastlander petitioners. They attack as centaurs do (two hooves at a +3 attack bonus, dealing 1d6+2 points of damage). In extreme cases, Skerrit might arm them, but such events are exceedingly rare. Most of the creatures encountered in Krigala would be active during the day if they lived on the Material Plane. Most of the native life has a basic understanding of how the portals between the layers work, and they can avoid the portals instinctively if they choose.
(Manual of the Planes, 2001)
The brilliant sun hangs in the sky over Krigala, the first layer. It never sets or wanes from its position, and this oversaturation of sunlight creates the most fantastically huge plants in the plane. The River Oceanus flows through Krigala as well, though no tributaries branch off as the waters make their way across the multiverse.
Lakes, pools, and streams crisscross the region which is dominated by forests of all kind. The weather is violent and random in Krigala, with rainforests standing next to tracts of deserts filled with cacti of enormous proportions. Mountains covered with evergreen trees rise up, creating fertile valleys where no non-beast has visited. The beasts of Krigala are those that thrive in daylight, including hawks, bears, stags, lions, and more. A large herd of centaurs lay claim to a stretch of wilderness known as the Greenway, and the Wylder frontier town of Signpost sits as the plane’s most civilized point.
Geography
Three aspects dominate the Beastlands' first layer (reflecting
the Rule of Threes). The first of these is the sun, Selera.
Her light and heat define the layer's climates. Tn the deserts
and arid savannahs, it almost seems possible to reach up
and touch Selera's surface, so inexorable is her radiance.
Even in the deepest expanses of the rain forests Selera's
heat is unrelenting, though the foliage blocks out most of
the sun's fierce light No soul escapes Selera here.
The River Oceanus flows through this layer of the
Beastlands on its way from Elysium to Arborea. Near the
river's banks is life - both plant and animal - the most
luxuriant. The tallest trees, the largest herds, and the
fiercest predators all live within sight of the great river's
banks. Many use the river lo travel on this layer, as the
rushing water provides an effective barrier to most land dwelling
predators. Water-dwelling predators such as the
giant crocodile and airborne hunters such as the giant
eagle are not hindered, however. In any case, no basher is
ever totally safe from becoming something's meal on the
Beastlands.
Branches of the World Ash Yggdrasil also wend and
twist their way through this layer. The limbs of Yggdrasil
aren't easy to find, though, as a berk has to climb high into
the mountains that form Krigala's borders to the sylvan
forests where the World Ash's limbs rest. Somewhere deep
in these woods, rumor has it that a gate to the first layer of
Ysgard exists. The chant also says that a per follower
of Heimdall named Erik Boldswift guards the portal.
Besides the pers that can be found guarding the mature
color portals in and around Yggdrasil, the squirrel people
known as the ratatosk (Chaos MS) also inhabit
the great tree. These 4- to 5-foot-tall beings resemble
flying squirrels with furred flaps of skin between their
arms and legs. These intelligent creatures worship Yggdrasil
itself and consider themselves her chosen ones.
(They regard the tree as female.) Normally skittish
tricksters, the ratatosk defend themselves and the
World Ash to the best of their abilities.
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