Submerged Caverns

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Content Warning: Mentions of drowning
Submerged caverns are an underwater cave biome ranging from small, cramped caves to large, cavernous underwater openings. Very little light reaches this biome, if any, yet life still persists here.
There are communities living within the depths of these caverns, living in bubble-like glass houses known as deephomes. These houses are often supplied with oxygen by oxygen lines running from the surface, but aquatic species will often prefer to have homes filled with water instead.

Geography

This biome is composed of winding caves, stalagtites, stalagmites, and rocky surfaces. Many of these tunnels cross over or through one another, making them difficult to navigate to those not familiar with the area. Because of this, species that require oxygen to breathe are at risk of drowning in the caves without the proper precautions or a guide.

Climate

The water in these caverns is almost always cold, if not below freezing. Warm-blooded sapient species inhabiting the biome often need heaters or some other form of temperature control in order to stay warm.

Fauna & Flora

The most prominent flora in this biome is deepcoral, a grey/white coral that survives off of drifting micro-organisms. The threadfish, a long and skinny boned fish, subists off of these corals. Dangerous slithersharks wander the caverns, eating these threadfish as well as any traveller unlucky enough to come across them.
Another plant that grows in these depths is carnivorous algae, which eats smaller fish such as the smallcod, glowfish, and blobfish. A species of eel known as the Thyic eel feeds off of this algae, as it produces low levels of Thyic.

Natural Resources

There are a few materials and minerals that can be obtained in this biome. The most valuable of these is the glittergem, a sparkling white gem that is used in the creation of thyic batteries. In addition, the carnivorous algae can be farmed and harvested. Some other materials that can be found here are glow ink, a type of ink obtained from glowfish, tarrock, a sturdy building material that can be mined in the region, and spellvok, a crystal that is capable of redirecting magic.

Tourism

Submerged caverns are a popular location for external tourists, due to how different they are from the surface environments. Any tours entering a submerged cavern must properly inform tourists of the dangers, avoid any overly risky routes or locations, and provide tourists with enough gear to last at least double the length of the tour, as well as equip them with directional aides
Type
Chasm, Underwater
Related Ethnicities
Related Materials

History

Underwater biomes such as these were originally inhabited by Kuuyikar, but modern-day cities are open to any species willing to make a home there. These communities are fairly tight-knit, due to how difficult it is to join or leave them due to the geography of the regions.
Tourism has recently become popular the these regions, however, which is something that most locals do not enjoy. Some locals have taken to giving wrong directions to lone tourists, which has lead to at least one drowning.


Comments

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Jan 15, 2024 00:18 by Aster Blackwell

Purposefully giving someone incorrect instructions so they drown in the caves is so messed up o-o

Jan 15, 2024 00:59 by spleen

the worst part is they think that since theyre not directly causing the death, they aren't responsible

Have a wonderful day!