The Ice Queen Domain is a ten-level domain located to the west of the Tower of Eternal Flames. The shorthand name of it is IC. It can be accessed by any character as soon as (s)he reaches experience level 15. There are seemingly no other requirements.
Main Features
Throughout the whole location the following effects are active:
- Most of the fire-based attacks available to the PC and monsters do not work properly. This includes Burning Hands, Fire Bolt, Fireball and Improved Fireball spells, wands of fire, wands of fireballs, crystals of fire, and the explosion from dipping a scroll of corruption removal into a potion of raw chaos. Monsters with fire-breath attacks (such as various red dragons and fire elementals) may attempt to use them to no avail (with a corresponding message about the monster in question being very surprised at such outcome). Fire vortexs are unable to explode, and will use melee attacks. However, fireballs from Offensive alchemy and the Chaos Orb of Elemental Fire still work.
- Teleportation through any means is suppressed (except on the dungeon level).
- The base energy cost for movement over snowy ground and ice is 1390. This cost is reduced by 10 for every two points of Strength above 1, up until 79 Strength, where the penalty is eliminated. An amulet of free action brings the base cost for movement down to 1000, regardless of Strength.
- The temperature on all levels is very low, dealing damage to any monsters which are not cold-resistant. Once the PC kills 20 of the domain's inhabitants, the cold will worsen and begin to deal cold-based damage to the PC and their items made out of cold-vulnerable materials, including scrolls, potions, books, gems, wands of door creation, and amulets of light. Only one such item can be destroyed per turn.
- Drakelings exploring this location will have their speed reduced by 50. Unlike D:49, the speed penalty does not get progressively worse with time spent in the level. However, killing 20 of the domain's inhabitants will worsen the cold and lead to a decrease to 10 speed.
- There is seemingly no random monster generation and predetermined monsters are scaled to the PC's level. It is prudent to visit the levels as early as possible to avoid fighting extremely experienced monsters.
Unlike with usual dungeons the levels in the Ice Queen Domain normally are not connected with the stairs and instead the PC has to cross each level to the other side in order to reach the next one. Some levels have multiple open borders which typically lead directly to the wilderness and can be used as shortcuts. However, the architecture of the levels is straightforward enough for the player to identify the right path.
20 Kill Limit
Most of the predetermined monsters in the Ice Queen Domain count towards the 20 kill limit for making the cold worse. The fire monsters on IC:3, the chaos diplomat on IC:4, all of the monsters on IC:5, the prisoners on IC:7, and all of the monsters in ICD do not count towards the limit.
Levels
IC: 1 — The Moat House Area
The first level features the entrance to the ice queen's castle. The entrance is guarded by two hostile snow golems who have interesting feature of respawning every time the player enters the location. They are relatively tough but can be dealt with missiles and magic; as killing them gives a nice amount of experience (comparable to the rewards for killing steel golems), some players consider them as an easy farming target, although such tactic presumably has consequences[1] (at the very least, it contributes to the aforementioned increase in freezing damage).
The level then features a long corridor to the western side of the map. The two big halls behind the doors on the north and south sides are packed with ice statues. Each hall has a door on its west side, leading to a small treasure chamber. Each spot within these chambers contains several hundreds of gold pieces and often a valuable piece of equipment.
IC: 2 — The Small Court
The second level contains no monsters and features a large empty corridor (with an opening in the western part filled with traps) connecting east and west side and two hidden pathways. Only the upper pathway is accessible—its entrance can be found by 's'earching for a secret passage. This pathway leads to a down staircase to the dungeon level. By traversing the dungeon level and surfacing trough its second staircase the PC can reach the second secret pathway of IC:2. The second pathway ends with a dead end and a stack of items useful for the Tower of Eternal Flames (or the Tomb of the High Kings)—a ring of fire resistance and a wand of cold.
Using a wand of trap detection or Detect traps skill is highly advised to traverse the trapped area as it contains nasty ceiling traps (instead of teleport traps) which may inflict heavy item destruction.
ICD — The Dungeon
The dungeon level is the only location within the Ice Queen Domain that is generated randomly. Likewise, it may feature random monsters aside from the usual ice inhabitants. It has been noted by multiple players that a small number of out-of-depth monsters (like balors and quickling queens) seems to be a guaranteed feature of the dungeon level. All of the monsters on this level are enraged, immune to Calm Monster, and generated at a higher level than normal.
The dungeon level features two up staircases, both of which lead to the IC:2 level described above. Aside from that and severe freezing effects (that target the PC and other random monsters in this place up to the point of killing them outright), this level seems to behave like any normal dungeon level. It is, however, unknown whether any dungeon features can appear there. Unlike the surface levels the teleportation is allowed in the dungeon.
IC: 3 — The Training Grounds
When the PC reaches the third level (s)he will stumble right in a battle between an army of fire and an army of ice. The ice army consists of the usual inhabitants of the Ice Queen Domain and starts in the northwestern corner far from player. They are initially peaceful to the player. The army of fire consists of red dragons, fire giants, fire giant kings, fire elementals and fire grues and starts in the southeastern corner near the player. The fire army is standing on the heaps of rocks, presumably after the monsters have just broken through walls. Note that the PC can exit through the south of the level where the army of fire presumably entered; doing so will lead directly to the wilderness. Despite the fact that fire warriors are hostile to the player they initially ignore him/her and rush to attack the ice army. Fire monsters are generated enraged which make them increasingly dangerous to fight (especially fire giant kings and fire grues).
Usually the ice army ends up victorious (the outcome is heavily dependent on how efficient ice vortices are in taking out fire creatures) and will wander around the level oblivious to the PC. However, picking up any items will instantly anger ice creatures in the vicinity of the PC and prompt them to attack.
In a rare case when the fire army ends up victorious it will immediately turn on the PC. Due to the open design of the level, restricted teleportation and enraged status the fight can be extremely dangerous. Luckily, no creatures in the fire army see through invisibility. If the PC is invisible, there is no need to actually fight the fire creatures; eventually, they will all freeze to death due to the environment, at which point the level will be empty and all the loot can be safely picked up without fear of retaliation.
IC: 4 — The Grand Hallway
The fourth level features a single square frozen lake at the center of which stands an enchained chaos diplomat. When talked to, he will give a quest to kill the Ice Queen. The quest is given regardless of the PC's alignment, although the chaos diplomat seems to complain if the PC is lawful.
The ice on the lake is sturdier than normal ice bridges and will hold up to 3000 stones of weight. Due to the design of the level characters without the Swimming skill can end up in a very dangerous situation if they fail to assess the location right away. It is thus recommended to use sources of water breathing intrinsic or drop items in a safe location (IC:3 is a bad choice for it as picking up items dropped by the PC will nevertheless enrage the remains of the ice army). If a reliable way of levitating over the ice is available, it's the easiest way to get across without worrying about the weight limit.
IC: 5 — The Inner Courtyard
The fifth level continues with several tiles of frozen water (thus necessary precautions should be taken) and features a large zigzag-like corridor. On the east side of the level there is a hostile berserker prince who will shout insults at the player and immediately moves to attack. A number of turns after he shouts at the PC, he will unlock the southern wall releasing 200 monsters from the secret room. The monsters released are of high danger, including ice vortices and white dragons, and considering the open-spaced type of the level and inability to teleport may be lethal to some PCs. If the prince is killed quickly (invisibility helps with this immensely, as then he doesn't notice the PC until he is attacked), the trap can be avoided entirely.
The eastern part contains a number of berserkers and yetis (which are blocking the path to the next level). If the PC is invisible both berserkers and yetis can be avoided entirely by switching places with them (although the monster which was displaced will be able to track the PC).
IC: 6 — The Frozen Garden
The sixth level features a forest filled with yetis. The yetis are neutral by default and do not move but will attack the PC should he or she come closer to them. Trees in the forest can be chopped down seemingly without consequences.
IC: 7 — The Prison Section
The seventh level has two features: a guaranteed forge and a number of prison cells. Room doors (but not the prison cell doors) are guarded by ice statues which are, however, oblivious to the PC and any actions (s)he undertakes.
The forge is located in the room in the southeastern corner.
The prison occupies the top part of the map and consists of 1x1 cells. Every cell is located behind a locked (but never trapped) door. Most of the cells contains only bones but some contain living monsters. When the PC releases them, some will be grateful for that and join him/her as companions but most will try to kill the PC before fleeing. Players should be cautious as monsters of very high danger level such as unicorns and werewolf kings can be generated.
The entrance to the next level is on the southern side.
IC: 8 — The Grand Antechamber
The eight level is a large open space similar to the Big Room. As the in-game description implies there are multiple hot springs located throughout the level (along with water tiles). Combined with freezing temperatures of the Ice Queen Domain hot springs create a unique environmental effect: constant powerful wind gusts that have the ability to blow out the PC's headgear and any item equipped in his/her hands as well as a chance to throw the PC one tile in the random direction. Characters without Swimming and water protection will suffer all negative effects if they are thrown on a water tile.
There are no monsters on the level and no other features except the multiple water tiles.
The entrance to the next level is on the western side.
ICT — The Throne Room
The final level is the main hall featuring the ice queen herself and lots of invisible stalkers. The ice queen will give non-chaotic characters her three quests which, like Thrundarr's, must be completed (and are given) in sequence.
Note that the invisible stalkers may be attacked without consequences (besides alignment drop). Attacking one will not make the others or the ice queen herself hostile. The alignment drop can be negated by shooting past the stalker itself.
Inhabitants
- Ice vortices
- Frozen ones
- Snow golems
- Ice statues
- Ice elementals
- Ice lizards
- Frost salamanders
- Yetis
- Berserkers
- Cavemen
- Invisible stalkers
- White dragons
- White baby dragons
Random monsters in the prison cells and on the dungeon level.
Quests
Quests from the ice queen and the chaos diplomat are available.