The Ice Warriors and Ice Lords were a race of reptilian humanoids from the planet Mars. Erin Stevenson compared them to Vikings. (DW: The Food of Love)
Characteristics
Biology
Adult, fully armoured Ice Warriors were large, imposing reptilian humanoids, up to seven feet tall. Unarmoured, they had flattened, scaly faces with sharp fangs and thin green tongues. (DW: The Ice Warriors, Legacy)
Females were built more slightly than males, and had spiny dorsal crests. (DW: GodEngine)
Ice Warriors perpetually wheezed and tended to move slowly, (DW: The Seeds of Death) though they could move fast when needed. (DW: Legacy, Cold Star) They spoke in a drawn-out hiss. (DW: The Ice Warriors)
The typical lifespan of an Ice Warrior was three hundred Earth years. They had a complicated genetic structure and were herbivores. (DW: GodEngine)
Society and Culture
The planetary identification glyph of the Martians was a triangle overlaid with a lightning bolt with an artificial burning sun at its centre. (DW: GodEngine)
Honour
Ice Warriors had a strong sense of personal honour. After the Third Doctor saved the life of the Ice Lord Izlyr, he felt obligated to help the Doctor escape. (DW: The Curse of Peladon) Ice Warriors disliked lying, though they would do so when necessary. (DW: Legacy) When challenged to a ritual blood duel, an Ice Warrior would spit at an opponent's face. Terrorism was anathema. (DW: GodEngine)
Religion
The Ice Warriors also worshiped Tuburr, who was thought to be the one who made the Ice Warriors into warriors. In the early years of Ice Warrior civilisation, the young would be sent to the surface as a ritual trial of endurance. If they survived, they took the oath of Tuburr and tried to pull the Sword of Tuburr from a brazier, after which they were considered adults. (DW: Legacy) Martian law forbade any forging of copies of the holy Sword. (DW: GodEngine)
Martian tombs, pyramids and burial of the dead was similar to Egyptian civilisation, suggesting that both were influenced by the Osiran race. During funeral rites, the deceased wore metallic clothes known as warding shrouds to protect them before the cremation. (DW: GodEngine)
Society
Advancement in the hierarchy was decided on merit and skill. (DW: Legacy) The skill of cooking was highly prized. (DW: GodEngine) This feudal way of life continued until the era of the Galactic Federation. (DW: The Curse of Peladon)
When a marriage bond was broken, it was called Fass-jul-Aqq. (DW: GodEngine)
Titles
- Supreme Lord - a high ranking position. (DW: Legacy)
- Grand Marshall - the staff of a Grand Marshal was an important relic. (DW: Legacy)
- Marshal - wore decorative helmets with jewels. (DW: The Seeds of Death, Legacy)
- Shsurr - a title that roughly translated to mean M'lady. (DW: Legacy)
- Scholastor - this position was one held by scholars and scientists. (DW: GodEngine)
- Abbot - a title held by religious figures. (DW: GodEngine)
Technology
Armour
Ice Warrior armour augmented their already considerable strength. This included a half-face helmet and a red blast-screen over each eye. Ice Warrior nobility ("Ice Lords") wore light armour with sleek, bullet-shaped, metallic helmets, a simple breastplate and a cape. (DW: The Seeds of Death) An Ice Marshall's helmet contained circuitry beneath its surface and acted as an additional nervous system for its wearer after it bonded with the cranium. (DW: Ice Time) Common warriors had much heavier and bulkier, intricately patterned full-body armour, and stubby helmets (some designs of which also placed blast screens over the ears). (DW: The Curse of Peladon)
Their exoskeletal armour melded with the body of their wearer and an Ice Warrior was described as being one with their armour. (DW: Ice Time) This armour consisted of carapaces and helmets grown in nutrient tanks and cybernetically augmented to provide the wearer with increased strength, reaction time, spectral sensitivity and biological efficiency. It also gave them a direct link to the Martian battle net. Finally, it boosted the efficiency of their waste management systems. (DW: GodEngine) The armour technology included locked-sequence communicators and induced muscular hydraulics. (DW: Ice Time)
History
To be added.