Adlivun

Tshishtashkamuku, The Shared Realm of the Inuit Powers

A family of frosty powers dwell in this ice-bound realm, and it’s here that petitioners who worship the powers of the Inuit pantheon tend to arrive for their afterlife. Unlike other underworld realms, the petitioners here are not immediately judged. Instead they are given one year to dwell in the icy lands, hunting, praying, and fishing amongst the planars and creatures that also make this place their home. After a year, they’re judged, and if their souls have been sufficiently purified then they are carried off for eternal rest and peace in the paradise realm. Quidlivun is actually located on the moon that shines over the realm. However, if there is still sin remaining in the soul then it’s dragged down to the darkest depths of the ocean under the ice, forever.

Adlivun is a frigid land of rocky islands of snow and glaciers, connected by sea ice and icebergs. The more temperate regions contain snow-bound forests of permafrost. The more arctic areas are endless expanses of flat ice, broken up only by seal-breathing holes and jagged crevasses. Above the ice the heavy clouds also hold life; beings of air and storm swirl overhead. And beneath the thick ice lurk seals, narwhals and darker creatures.

The petitioners of Adlivun live a semi-nomadic life, with dwellings on the permanent rocky islands and temporary igloos out on the sea ice, which comes and goes with the seasons. It’s a beautiful land alright, but an unforgiving one. Few places in the planes are colder than winter in Adlivun. This means the folks of the realm must work together to share what resources they can find or make. And the lack of permanent structures here means that portals are also scarce. Get lost out here, and it’s a long walk back to Sigil for you, cutter.

The Animal Lords of Adlivun

The savannahs and jungles of the Beastlands may be perfect for the likes of the cat lord and lizard lord, but animals who favour more frigid climates tend not to do so well on that plane. Instead, they’ve migrated across the planar border to the frosty lands of Adlivun in the Hinterlands. In fact, many cold-loving migratory creatures make this journey every year, heading for Adlivun during the philosophical summer when the snows are least frequent, to get respite from the heat of the Beastlands. Three animal lords remain in Adlivun year-round, however.

Agloolik

The Seal Lord. N(E) animal lord (They/Them)

Agloolik is a mean-spirited creature who lives under the ice and acts as a gaurdian for sealkind. They can be appeased with prayers and offerings, and if placated will grant books of fish. But if they catch you hunting seals wantonly, they’ll flip your boat over and drown you.

Amaguq

The Winter Wolf Lord. N(E) animal lord (He/Him)

Amaguq is a trickster spirit and frequently shape-shifts into human form to carry out pranks, some of them amusing, some of them dangerous.

Amishkaupeu

The Beaver Lord. NG animal lord (He/Him)

Amishkaupeu is also responsible for the few plants are trees that are hardy enough to grow in the icy climate of Adlivun.

Anikapeu

The Toad Lord. N animal lord (He/Him)

Anikapeu is a character of mixed morality; sure, he protects the lands of Adlivun from flooding, but he’s also not averse to ‘rescuing’ drowning cutters and marrying them. Be careful out there in the marshes, berk!

Atshikash-napeu

The Mink Lord. CN animal lord (She/Her)

Atshikash-napeu is a trickster by nature, prone to inappropriate humour at others’ expense. However, Atshikash-napeu is also said to be the only creature able to dive to the bottom of the ocean, and bring up the land that Adlivun was formed from.

Kakuapeu

The Porcupine Lord. N animal lord (He/Him)

The porcupine lord teaches cutters to be hard on the outside and soft on the inside. He’s also a liaison between the immortal and mortal realms; not so much a psychopomp, as a spirit guide.

Mashku

The Skunk Lord. N animal lord (He/Him)

Maskhu is also a protector of marmots.

Mashkupeu

The Bear Lord. N animal lord (He/Him)

Missinaku

The Fish Lord. N animal lord (She/Her)

Nanook

The Polar Bear Lord. (L)N animal lord (She/Her)

Nanook is a moody old bear and a stickler for rules. She’ll help hunters if they offer her seal-meat, but you’ll need to follow her strict rules about how to hunt correctly.

Nisk-napeu

The Goose Lord. NG animal lord (She/Her)

The snow goose lord is a symbol of the sacred circle of cooperation, communication, and knowing when to lead and when to follow.

Papakashtshihku and Tekkeitsertok

The Caribou Lords. NG animal lord (He, She)

You can tell how important the caribou are to the Inuit, because there are not one but two caribou lords. They dwell in a part of Adlivun called Atiku-mitshuap, meaning ‘the house of caribou’.

Uhuapeu

The Owl Lord. N animal lord of hares, grouse, owls, crows (She/Her)

Uapineu-napeu

The Partridge Lord. N animal lord of partridge (He/Him)

Uapishtan-napeu

The Pinemartin Lord. N animal lord of martins (He/Him)

Strangers of Adlivun

Qamulek is a unique Stranger of the Hinterlands, who can be inadvertently summoned by the best hunters. He is a bit of an eldritch abomination, with a face that cannot be described, and constantly drags a sack behind him. If a hunter kills Qamulek, he will be warned not to look into the sack, with good reason: Great hunters who look into this bag will become quiet, humble men until the day they die. They will retell the story of their encounter with Qamulek, but never describe what they saw within the bag. Perhaps related to the contents of the sack, Qamulek appears to be immortal, as even if he’s killed, he returns to Adluvin the following year, still dragging that bag.

The Creatures of Adlivun

adlet — snowy white humanoid wolves [PF1]
akhlut — a quadrupedal killer whale-wolf hybrid that can climb onto land to hunt or hunt in the sea [PF1]
amarok — a type of dire wolf that can steal spirits who takes those foolish enough to hunt alone at night [PF1]
qallupilluit — the sweet-smelling humming troll [PF1]
tizheruk — resembling a very large, long-necked seal, the tizheruk are highly aggressive and anthropophagous, snatching people off of piers to eat them [PF1]
tornat — spirits of animals and natural formations
tupilaqs — small humanoid figures carved from bone and decorated with scrimshaw [PF1]