Post by reefwood on Oct 27, 2015 23:58:13 GMT -5
The Valley
The Valley is nearly 100 miles wide and enclosed on nearly all sides by Peaks, except for a sheer Cliff rising at the western border and a Canyon dropping at the southern edge. The land within the borders includes 4 distinct regions: a lush and steamy Jungle to the north, a cold and hazy Marsh in the south, a bountiful Forest to the east, and a breezy Grassland to the west. Additional regions include the flowing Waterways, a vast network of Caverns below the surface, and the Skies above.
REGIONS
Skies: The air is clean and crisp. Clouds roll in and out. Precipitation often falls on a weekly or daily basis depending on the season, and there is the occasional extreme weather event. Birds and insects make constant use of this region, though, all creatures must land to rest.
Forest: Leafy trees dominate much of this region. The warmer northern and cooler southern halves are partially divided by a low mountain range, which is covered in conifers and juts in from the east. There are also a handful of springs and small ponds scattered throughout this region and even the occasional meadow. All manner of woodland creatures make their home here, including bears, boars, elk, deer, moose, bobcats, foxes, wolves, rabbits, squirrels, hawks, owls, woodpeckers, porcupines, snakes, toads, and turtles.
Waterways: An immense Waterfall pours out of the tallest mountain in the north, which feeds a River that snakes through the Jungle until it empties into an enormous Lake that in turns seeps into the Marsh and eventually spills out into the canyon at the southern border of the Valley. The water pouring out of the mountain is fresh, but salt deposits in the southern half of the Lake salinate that portion. Aquatic creatures include crocodiles, snakes, sea turtles, crustaceans, beavers, dolphins, manatees, orcas, otters, seals, piranha, salmon, sharks, frogs, salamanders, penguins, and waterfowl.
Jungle: A high canopy and thick underbrush conceal a hot and humid world teeming with life. Dinosaurs are the largest creatures in this region and even spill into the northern portions of the Forest and Grassland. Other inhabitants include apes, monkeys, elephants, hippos, rhinos, koalas, pandas, mongooses, jaguars, tigers, eagles, falcons, parrots, toucans, tree frogs, chameleons, cobras, pythons, butterflies, and tarantulas.
Caverns: A web of lava tubes heated by the occasional magma flow or steam vent forms a cavernous underground maze where darkness and noxious fumes create a harsh environment unsuitable to most creatures. Yet, life persists. Namely in the form of bats, arachnids, insects, and fungus.
Grassland: This flat swath of land is as diverse as any other region. Fields of tall bamboo run along the border of the Jungle. A warm savanna with scattered trees is in the north. A cool prairie covered in flowing grass is in the south. A steppe of scrub grass sits against the western Cliff. Reeds thrive along the border of the Marsh. Across these fields roam antelopes, bison, giraffes, horses, zebras, badgers, baboons, cheetahs, lions, coyotes, hyenas, hares, kangaroos, hedgehogs, meerkats, buzzards, finches, ostriches, peacocks, pheasants, lizards, and snakes.
Peaks: Jagged mountains encircle most of the Valley. Extending in a solid line from the northeast to northwest to southwest corners, and a standalone patch in the southeast corner between the Cliff and Canyon. Vegetation is sparse at their base, and all are snowcapped. Inhabitants include cougars, lynxes, snow leopards, mountain goats, ibexes, bighorn sheep, llamas, yaks, chinchillas, pikas, marmots, wolverines, condors, and eagles. Additionally, a lining of hills sits between the mountains and flatlands. These hills are covered in the vegetation of the region they border.
Marsh: A cold fog blankets this brackish region filled with bogs, hedgerows, and undergrowth. Also hidden in the haze are scattered clusters of trees and patches of quicksand. Despite the chill in the air, gases bubbling up from below warm pockets of water throughout this region. The southern border comes to an abrupt end at the edge of a Canyon. Inhabitants include alligators, snapping turtles, snakes, frogs, toads, newts, slugs, dragonflies, crayfish, ducks, herons, spoonbills, and nutria.
Beyond the borders of the Valley is a thick, choking, yellow-brown smog that obscures the outside world. A world that was stripped by humanoids and warped by arcanists. A world that grew ill and wasted away. A world that is but a mockery of what it once was. A world that holds only death and corruption.