Arnost

Arnost is a planet whose orbit is just outside that of its neighbor Calpha. It is further from its sun, so it is quite cold and nearly covered in glaciers. Arnost is geologically active, so occasional volcanoes will shape the land, recycle frozen water, and keep the planet from becoming uninhabitably cold. The equatorial and tropical regions consist of some shallow, frigid oceans and a vast tundra dominated by shrub bushes. The shrubs grow ridiculously fast, up to a meter a day, thanks to the fertile soil and their broad leaves to soak up lots of sunlight. There are no native intelligent species, but several scientific outposts have been established.

Animal Life
Frost Leeches are on average two feet long, white in color, but have a brightly colored “flower” on their backs. These “flowers” are actually homes for microorganisms that make energy that the leech takes power from, allowing the Leeches to live almost anywhere on Arnost. Frost Leeches don’t serve much purpose other than to provide food for other animals. They are mildly toxic at high temperatures.

Mammacros are 7-meter-tall mammoths who eat shrubs and Frost Leeches by the ton.

Snow Serpents are giant, 30-meter-long white snakes. They have hundreds of serrated rotating teeth. They burrow in snow, then come out and strike.

Wampas are named after the snow monster from Star Wars and are basically the same except for the fact that they have smaller horns and are social. They mainly gather Frost Leeches for food, but occasionally will form packs and hunt a Mammacro.

Pygmy Wampas are a slightly smaller and solitary variety that often walks on four legs instead of two, and their diet consists mainly of Frost Leeches.

Super Wampas are a rare giant version of the wampa, growing to almost three times as large. They eat other Wampas and can take down a Mammacro all by themselves, and have even been known to survive a Snow Serpent attack.