Nalranin

Nalranin is large artifice within the gracier of Niress that is responsible for the icedrift's existence.

Background

Nalranin is seen by the estathin as their god, with cyphers and other artifacts viewed as its physical blessings. As far as the omath have been able to determine, Nalranin isn't conscious in the manner they are familiar with. Regardless, the machine still provides power to local plants among other facilities throughout the icedrift. With heat loss being the only side effect of this process, Nalranin consequently maintains its icy prison.

While Nalranin's true nature still remains a mystery, many Ninth World scholars have drawn comparison between it and large machines from within the Frozen South. They see it as a machine who's main purpose is too create the cold. However, the omaths point to the presence of frozen cores dotted throughout Niress' structure as proof that even deeper meaning lies to the existence of Nalranin.

There are corridors that lead to a special antechamber, where a vast wall of the machine is made available. Along the wall are many spinning, glowing, transforming mechanisms that would require a monumental task just to reach. this is because they're heavily guarded by a force of vuluns: living automatons composed primarily of metallic ice. It's similar to that found along the carapaces of omaths, though the connection between the two species has since been lost to time. Currently, they each deplore the other, with vuluns generally sticking to all areas within the immediate vicinity of Nalranin, though they're aren't as adept in water as their omath counterparts. Because vuluns lack the telekinetic ability omaths possess that allows them to prevent the water they enter from freezing, if a vulun spends to much time in water, the layers of ice will build up and ultimately trap it.

The group of omaths that reside near Nalranin are led by a female omath researcher named Mertha, whose carapace is carved to look like a natural slab of ice, at least, from a distance, that is. She and her team avoid the vuluns by being almost constantly underwater, watching and waiting for an opportunity to interact with Nalranin. When all else fails, however, Mertha plans on using a phase cypher embedded into her carapace to help close the distance without the vuluns even knowing.