Lifebergs

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## Lifeberg

* Gazette
* Ravenous
* Where You And I Must Go

### Related

Mt Nomad

> *"The Unterzee is not short of terrors, but few things can match the crushing horror of a predatory landmass filling the horizon. The vile, ammoniac stench; the hulls of broken ships jutting from the ice like teeth; their blind and avid hate. Many a salt-encrusted zailor still harbours nightmares of being hunted across the zee by homicidal geography."*
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It is a well-accepted fact that icebergs are not alive, do not plunder ships, and do not display a murderous hatred towards all life. **Lifebergs**, for some *inscrutable* reason, do all of the above.

## Titanic

> *"An icy crag rising out from the Zee in the distance. The cold wind that follows carries an unpleasant scent of ammonia. Your ship's course is bringing you close to a hulking lifeberg."*
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Lifebergs are rare but extremely dangerous monsters that menace the northern Unterzee, feared even among those hardened against the zee's terrors. They are infamously hostile, willing to chase down and "devour" any ship that veers too close. The debris from a lifeberg attack often remains embedded to the lifeberg's body; this may include wood and metal from ships, barrels of goods, and frozen blood. Within each lifeberg is a core of black glass; only when this glass is extracted or destroyed will the lifeberg finally die.

On more than one occasion, an abnormally large lifeberg called the **Ravenous Lifeberg** left the northern zee and traveled south, apparently en route to London. To combat this threat, the Admiralty called for a **Citizen's Armada** composed of mostly civilian ships. While the Admiralty was willing to reward those who impeded the lifeberg's advance, it is not clear if these missions were truly motivated by a need to protect London, or simply the prospect of valuable salvage.

## Biology

> *"Those - rifts - in the Lifeberg's surface. Are they mouths? Lifebergs do not breathe. They kill from malice, not hunger. But they speak. Dear Christ, they speak."*
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The biology of lifebergs is bizarre even by zee-monster standards. They are large enough to dwarf a ship, and Ravenous Lifebergs are several times larger still. Their facades are dotted with rifts and caves which resemble mouths and can apparently speak; when a lifeberg is injured these "mouths" may roar. Lifebergs are said to be motivated by malice rather than hunger, and their hate extends to all forms of zee-life that catch their attention. They are also known to display cunning, such as by lowering themselves underwater before rising to moor enemy ships upon their cliffs.

Lifebergs superficially resemble icebergs, and even have mass concealed beneath the zee's surface, but they are *not* made of ice. Rather, the fleshy "ice" that composes them has an odor of ammonia and cooking oil, is much tougher than ordinary ice, and sublimates into vapor when heated. It seems this "ice" is at least partially made of paraffin, a waxy, highly flammable substance. Lumps of white paraffin called **hell-droppings** may collect on a lifeberg's surface; it is unknown if they produce or eat these lumps.

## The Alabaster Hells

> *"Fragments gleam like obsidian in the depths of the ice. Their glassy blackness recalls Mt Nomad, the predatory terrain feature which haunts the blackness of Void's Approach. What is the connection?"*
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> *"THE LIFEBERG LIES. NEVER TRUST IT. IT DECEIVED ME. IT WAS NOT DEAD WHEN IT SANK. IT WAS CUNNING. ROSE FROM THE DEPTHS SLOWLY SPITEFULLY UNDER US. BROKE US ON ITS CLIFFS. IT AGONISES ITSELF TO SHIFT AND ALTER. WE CANNOT MOVE. ONLY SIT AND STARE AT THE ICE. MY REFLECTION TURNED WICKED. DO NOT TRUST YOUR FACE"*
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Despite the obvious dangers of such a profession, **lifeberg-hunters** regularly track and kill lifebergs for profit. They fire cannons to crack the outer layers, launch **great-rods** to bore deep into the lifeberg, and finally extract their black glass hearts to slay them for good. They then harvest entire barrels worth of valuable paraffin and minerals. Lifeberg-hunting is a grim profession: hunters are not well-recognized in London, partially due to their dour temperaments, and their crews suffer frequent casualties, especially if someone gets "over-eager."

Beneath their vicious exteriors, lifebergs have a few mysteries of their own. Their ice may form mirror-like surfaces, but looking at one's reflection is ill-advised, as it may turn "wicked" and display autonomous, unnerving behavior. The black glass that composes the lifebergs' hearts resembles the black glass of Mt Nomad; this is because Mt Nomad is apparently their parent. If they are the children of Mt Nomad, then lifebergs are the grandchildren of the Thief-of-Faces, who created Mt Nomad as a weapon after "taking jewels" from the wombs of Stone. For its part, the Thief considers lifebergs, and grandchildren in general, "perpetual disappointments."

## References

2. ↑ Sighting a Lifeberg, *Fallen London*
3. ↑ Hunt a Plated Seal 2, *Fallen London* *"[...] you probably won't encounter any lifebergs, which after all are quite rare [...]"*
4. ↑ Join the Citizen's Armada to hunt the Ravenous Lifeberg (The Salt Steppes), *Fallen London* *"Usually found only in the northern reaches of the zee [...]"*
5. ↑ Lifeberg#Behavior, *Sunless Sea* *"Note: Farming Lifebergs just south of Censor's Arch near Whither [...]"*
6. ↑ Join the Citizen's Armada to hunt the Ravenous Lifeberg (The Salt Steppes), *Fallen London* *"The Unterzee is not short of terrors, but few things can match the crushing horror of a predatory landmass [...] Many a salt-encrusted zailor still harbours nightmares of [...] homicidal geography."*
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Keep your distance; make observations, *Fallen London* *"What is the lifeberg? Does it truly devour sailors out of malice? [...] Its surface is flecked with debris [...] sooty metal scraps [...] frozen blood. This lifeberg has devoured a ship [...] you realise that the lifeberg is gaining speed and headed directly for your ship [...] you misjudged what a 'safe distance' was."*
8. ↑ Blast the Ravenous Lifeberg with all you've got (The Salt Steppes), *Fallen London* *"[...] the ice begins to deliquesce [...] a widening pool of milky froth; struts of wood and sheets of metal emerge from frozen recesses."*
9. ↑ Concentrate on replenishing supplies, *Sunless Sea* *"A barrel of extravagantly ancient limes."*
10. ↑ Where You and I Must Go, *Fallen London* *"WE TOOK THEIR BLACK GLASS AND KILLED THEM"*
11. ↑ Concentrate on gathering treasures, *Sunless Sea* *"Fragments gleam like obsidian in the depths of the ice. Their glassy blackness [...]"*
12. ↑ Where You and I Must Go, *Fallen London* *"[...] we tried blasting to the core. No use. Couldn't get the black glass. [...] "Doesn't die until you've got the glass. [...]"*
13. ↑ 'HUNGRY ISLAND THREATENS LONDON', *Fallen London* *"[...] a lifeberg of unusual size and appetite has been spotted [...] and is headed for London."*
14. ↑ Join the Citizen's Armada to hunt the Ravenous Lifeberg (The Salt Steppes), *Fallen London* *"Usually found only in the northern reaches of the zee, this exceptional specimen is currently terrorising The Salt Steppe, and appears to be headed for London."*
15. ↑ 'HUNGRY ISLAND THREATENS LONDON', *Fallen London* *"[...] a lifeberg of unusual size [...] is headed for London. [...] the [...] front page has been sponsored by the Admiralty. [...] 'JOIN THE CITIZENS' ARMADA' [...] 'DO YOUR PART' [...] offering payment for 'Valorous Deeds in the Pursuit of the Protection of Empire'"*
16. ↑ A Ragtag Flotilla, *Fallen London* *"The zee before you is crowded [...] pleasure yachts, fishing boats, tramp steamers, sleek corvettes, even a few pinnaces orphaned from their warships."*
17. ↑ Blast the Ravenous Lifeberg with all you've got (Shepherd's Wash), *Fallen London* *"[...] whether you'll be able to slow the d\_\_n thing down. [...] You [...] bombard the lifeberg with every gun, cannon, and projectile [...] You've gained 1 x Officially Recognised Valorous Deed"*
18. ↑ Present proof of your deeds to an Overworked Clerk, *Fallen London* *"[...] you recount your many victories over the lifeberg. "I suppose you'd better follow me, then.""*
19. ↑ Claim a consignment of confiscated silks, *Fallen London* *"[...] I reckon you deserve it, going up against that lifeberg as many times as you did. [...] if you ask me, it weren't going to eat London like they said. They just wanted to break it down for salvage.""*
20. ↑ (215) The Lifeberg attacks!, *Sunless Sea*
21. ↑ Where You and I Must Go, *Fallen London* *"The wreck is cracked in half and lodged high in the cliffs. [...] The lifeberg is only just alive."*
22. ↑ Blast the Ravenous Lifeberg with all you've got (The Salt Steppes), *Fallen London* *"Even with the Citizen's Armada carving away steamer-sized sheets of ice, the lifeberg fills the horizon."*
23. ↑ (215) The Lifeberg attacks!, *Sunless Sea* *"Those - rifts - in the Lifeberg's surface. Are they mouths? [...] they speak. Dear Christ, they speak."*
24. ↑ Blast the Ravenous Lifeberg with all you've got (The Salt Steppes), *Fallen London* *"[...] a [...] roar erupts from the lifeberg's caves – mouths? – and a sheet of fleshy ice calves into the zee."*
25. ↑ (215) The Lifeberg attacks!, *Sunless Sea* *"They kill from malice, not hunger."*
26. ↑ Use your hard-won knowledge of monstrous behaviour to predict its movements, *Fallen London* *"Lifebergs kill out of blind malice rather than hunger; [...] providing a nearer and easier target for its hatred. You corral a nearby shoal of jillyfish into the lifeberg's path [...] The lifeberg's awful attention is fixed [...] on the zee around it [...]"*
27. ↑ Where You and I Must Go, *Fallen London* *"THE LIFEBERG LIES [...] IT WAS NOT DEAD WHEN IT SANK [...] IT WAS CUNNING [...] ROSE FROM THE DEPTHS SLOWLY SPITEFULLY UNDER US [...] BROKE US ON ITS CLIFFS [...] WE CANNOT MOVE"*
28. ↑ Zail quickly past the lifeberg, *Fallen London* *"[...] your vessel's keel grazes some of the creature's hidden mass beneath the surface."*
29. ↑ Zail quickly past the lifeberg, *Fallen London* *"Whatever evil liquid froze to form the lifeberg, it's not water."*
30. ↑ Blast the Ravenous Lifeberg with all you've got (The Salt Steppes), *Fallen London* *"[...] a sheet of fleshy ice calves into the zee."*
31. ↑ Blast the Ravenous Lifeberg with all you've got (The Salt Steppes), *Fallen London* *"Separated from its parent mass, the ice begins to deliquesce. The smell of ammonia and cooking fat [...]"*
32. ↑ Take a risk, *Fallen London* *"The jagged slopes of the Lifeberg's flesh are far tougher than normal ice [...]"*
33. ↑ Ram the lifeberg and claim a piece of it!, *Fallen London* *"[...] the ice melts into a foul-smelling vapour, once it's been separated from the cold body of the lifeberg."*
34. ↑ Where You and I Must Go, *Fallen London* *"[...] paraffin. Berg's made of it."*
35. ↑ Lifeberg#You.27ve destroyed a Lifeberg, *Sunless Sea* *"Waxy white lumps, paraffin-sheened, drift among the fleshy ice. These are what zailors call 'hell-droppings'. Did the Lifeberg eat them, or produce them? [...] +3 to +7 x Fuel"*
36. ↑ Concentrate on gathering treasures, *Sunless Sea*
37. ↑ Where You and I Must Go, *Fallen London*
38. ↑ 38.0 38.1 Reminisce with the Weathered Lifeberg-Hunter, *Fallen London* *"Reminisce with the Weathered Lifeberg-Hunter [...] I only hunted lifebergs. Long as no one gets over-eager, it's a good life."*
39. ↑ 39.0 39.1 Where You and I Must Go, *Fallen London* *"WE SURVIVED THE LIFEBERGS [...] WE HUNTED TWELVE YEARS BECAUSE OUR WEAKEST DIED [...] OUR CANNONFIRE CRACKED THEM OPEN [...] OUR GREAT-RODS PIERCED TO THEIR HEARTS [...] WE TOOK THEIR BLACK GLASS AND KILLED THEM [...] MINERALS PARAFFIN TRADE [...] INDUSTRY IS MOUNTAIN DEATHS"*
40. ↑ Where You and I Must Go, *Fallen London* *"[...] the metal barrels? "For paraffin. [...] "Profitable, once. No others risked the hunts we did.""*
41. ↑ Who was this man?, *Fallen London* *"Lifeberg hunters tend to be overlooked, as the temperaments required for the work are rarely congenial to polite society [...]"*
42. ↑ Where You and I Must Go, *Fallen London* *"ONLY SIT AND STARE AT THE ICE [...] MY REFLECTION TURNED WICKED [...] DO NOT TRUST YOUR FACE"*
43. ↑ Where You and I Must Go, *Fallen London* *"You stagger to a mirrored sheet of ice. You see your reflection. You are not alone anymore. You smile [...] your reflection does not. You sit [...] Your reflection stands. It glares down. It tries to pull you up by the hair, but cannot. It spits and turns its back."*
44. ↑ Concentrate on gathering treasures, *Sunless Sea* *"Fragments gleam like obsidian in the depths of the ice. Their glassy blackness recalls Mt Nomad, [...]"*
45. ↑ Where You and I Must Go, *Fallen London* *"THERE WAS A WOMAN TODAY ON THE ICE [...] SHE WAS NOT REAL [...] THE LAST WOMAN DIED MAD TWO DAYS AGO [...] NO BOAT BROUGHT THE WOMAN [...] BLIND AND OLD NOT ENGLISH [...] SHE CAME FOR A VISIT SEEING HER GRANDCHILD [...] SHE WAS DISAPPOINTED [...]"*
46. ↑ Flint, *Fallen London* *""The Mountain [...] found that our progenitor had taken jewels from its wombs, to make a weapon to serve its hatred. I will tell you of the weapon it made." [...] you see the black glass shadow on the green glass of the zee. You hear its groaning hunger, and the death of the ships it breaks. You see its father the Thief-of-Faces, coming and going, dwelling in it for a time like a maggot in a peach [...]"*
47. ↑ Where You and I Must Go, *Fallen London* *"A woman, who was not here before [...] She warms her hands [...] "Grandchildren," she complains, "are a perpetual disappointment. Take my advice: invest your affections elsewhere.""*