Cryonax
Encyclopedia
Cryonax is a wicked archomental
, the Prince of Evil Cold Creatures, in the Dungeons & Dragons
fantasy
role-playing game
. His symbol is either a blue-white circle within a square or a silver snowflake.
in the original first edition Fiend Folio
(1981), created by Lewis Pulsipher
.
Cryonax appeared with the evil archomentals in the second edition book Planescape Monstrous Compendium Appendix III (1998).
Cryonax appeared with the evil archomentals in the third edition in Dragon
#347 (September 2006).
with tentacles instead of arms. He stands fifteen feet in height and weighs 2,800 pounds. He is surrounded by an aura of terrible cold.
in order to manipulate him.
Cryonax also secretly seeks to free the imprisoned archdevil Levistus
.
Cryonax is opposed on his own plane by Albrathanilar, a female great wyrm white dragon who is also a potent and cunning wizard. Cryonax and Albrathanilar dispatch spies and saboteurs against one another as they prepare for their ultimate battle. Cryonax is also resisted by other isolated groups on his plane, including the immoths and certain tribes of ice paraelementals.
Cryonax is served by an army of ice mephit
s, ice paraelementals, chraals, frost salamanders, frost worms, yeti, and shivhads.
s, malasyneps, evil arctic druids, and other spellcasters who specialize in magic relating to cold. Yeti worship Cryonax as a god, as do a race of arctic hobgoblin
s known as amitoks.
s first ventured into the Inner Planes in the Age Before Ages, Cryonax was already there, and defiantly hostile to them. Because of this hostility, it's possible that Cryonax allied himself with the Wind Dukes of Aaqa
during the Law-Chaos Wars.
Archomental
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, archomentals are powerful exemplary beings of the Elemental Planes and rulers over the elementals. Although they are not truly rulers of their planes, archomentals like to consider themselves as such and often grant themselves regal titles like...
, the Prince of Evil Cold Creatures, in the Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
. His symbol is either a blue-white circle within a square or a silver snowflake.
Publication history
Cryonax first appeared with the elemental princes of evilArchomental
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, archomentals are powerful exemplary beings of the Elemental Planes and rulers over the elementals. Although they are not truly rulers of their planes, archomentals like to consider themselves as such and often grant themselves regal titles like...
in the original first edition Fiend Folio
Fiend Folio
Fiend Folio is the title shared by three products published for successive editions of the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons...
(1981), created by Lewis Pulsipher
Lewis Pulsipher
Lewis Errol Pulsipher is a teacher, game designer, and author, whose subject is role playing games, board games, card games, and video games. He was the first person in the North Carolina community college system to teach game design classes...
.
Cryonax appeared with the evil archomentals in the second edition book Planescape Monstrous Compendium Appendix III (1998).
Cryonax appeared with the evil archomentals in the third edition in Dragon
Dragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
#347 (September 2006).
Description
Cryonax somewhat resembles a yetiYeti (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, the yeti is a monstrous humanoid.-Publication history:The yeti first appeared in The Strategic Review #3 .The yeti appeared in first edition in the original Monster Manual...
with tentacles instead of arms. He stands fifteen feet in height and weighs 2,800 pounds. He is surrounded by an aura of terrible cold.
Relationships
Cryonax seems to believe that he is an offspring of the entity known as the Elder Elemental Eye, though this may be a lie concocted by TharizdunTharizdun
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, Tharizdun is the god of Eternal Darkness, Decay, Entropy, Malign Knowledge, Insanity, and Cold....
in order to manipulate him.
Cryonax also secretly seeks to free the imprisoned archdevil Levistus
Levistus
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Levistus is the arch-devil currently ruling Stygia, the Fifth layer of the Nine Hells of Baator...
.
Cryonax is opposed on his own plane by Albrathanilar, a female great wyrm white dragon who is also a potent and cunning wizard. Cryonax and Albrathanilar dispatch spies and saboteurs against one another as they prepare for their ultimate battle. Cryonax is also resisted by other isolated groups on his plane, including the immoths and certain tribes of ice paraelementals.
Cryonax is served by an army of ice mephit
Mephit
In the fictional world of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, mephits are extraplanar creatures similar to imps.-Publication history:...
s, ice paraelementals, chraals, frost salamanders, frost worms, yeti, and shivhads.
Realm
Cryonax dwells on the Paralemental Plane of Ice in a realm called the Chiseled Estate. This massive edifice of ice, quartz, and glass extends a mile into the Precipice that separates the Plane of Ice from the Elemental Plane of Air, and it extends at least four miles into the icy, solid heart of the plane. In a palace in the deepest chamber of the estate, Cryonax plots with the coven of mortal wizards and priests that he has enslaved. The palace is even colder than most other parts of the plane.Dogma
Cryonax's goals are to, first, bring the whole of the Paraelemental Plane of Ice under his rule; second, to transform the para-plane into a true elemental plane, freezing the neighboring planes of Air and Water and beyond. Finally, he hopes to freeze the entire multiverse and brought under his dominion.Worshipers
Cryonax's cult is mostly made up of frost giantGiant (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, giant is a type of creature, or "creature type." Giants are humanoid-shaped creatures of great strength and size.-Dungeons & Dragons :...
s, malasyneps, evil arctic druids, and other spellcasters who specialize in magic relating to cold. Yeti worship Cryonax as a god, as do a race of arctic hobgoblin
Hobgoblin (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, hobgoblins are a larger, stronger, smarter and more menacing form of goblins. They are smaller and weaker than bugbears, but better organized. Hobgoblins are humanoids that stand nearly 6'6" tall on average, a little taller than orcs...
s known as amitoks.
Relics
Cryonax has fashioned a potent artifact known as the Tear of Winter, created from the essence of a winter goddess who birthed an abomination, and he seeks to use it to command the abomination, an icy creature known as a xixecal, as the vangard in his army.History
When the obyrithObyrith
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, an obyrith is a member of an ancient race of demons that predate the tanar'ri. All obyriths have monstrous forms which can drive mad anyone who dares look at them.-Publication history:...
s first ventured into the Inner Planes in the Age Before Ages, Cryonax was already there, and defiantly hostile to them. Because of this hostility, it's possible that Cryonax allied himself with the Wind Dukes of Aaqa
Wind Dukes of Aaqa
The Wind Dukes of Aaqa, also known as the Vaati, are fictional characters of legend in the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. They were powerful lords of the elemental plane of air.-Ecology:...
during the Law-Chaos Wars.
Additional reading
- Cook, MonteMonte CookMonte Cook is a professional table-top role-playing game designer and writer. He is married to Sue Weinlein Cook.-Roleplaying:Cook has been a professional game designer since 1988, working primarily on role-playing games. Much of his early work was for Iron Crown Enterprises as an editor and writer...
, and William W. Connors. The Inner Planes. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 1998.
- Grubb, JeffJeff GrubbJeff Grubb is an author and game designer. He has worked on a number of computer and role-playing games and has written a number of successful novels, short stories and comics...
. Manual of the Planes. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1987.
- Jansing, Eric, and Kevin Baase. "Princes of Elemental Good: The Archomentals, Part II." Dragon #353. Bellevue, WA: Paizo Publishing, 2007.
- Stark, Ed, James Jacobs, and Erik MonaErik Mona-Career:Erik Mona served as the editor-in-chief of Dragon magazine since 2004 and Dungeon magazine from 2004 to 2006; at the time, both magazines were published by Paizo Publishing, until the license through Wizards of the Coast expired in September 2007...
. Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the AbyssFiendish Codex I: Hordes of the AbyssFiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss is an optional supplemental source book for the 3.5 edition of the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game.-Chapter 1: Demonic Lore:...
. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2006.