Wandering Tunnels

The wandering tunnels encompasses the entirety of the land between the surface of the planet and its heart. These tunnels are the only method of travel between the surface and the heart, and are known to be incredibly difficult to navigate. As such, expeditions through them with the intention to reach the heart are limited. Still, there are a select few that do choose to take that risk, of whom only a handful have ever returned.

Geography

The wandering tunnels consist of a meandering collection of somewhat connected tunnels, caves, and caverns. The majority of these are formed naturally, and the biome is not fully interconnected with itself. There are some larger networks of tunnels, as well as some smaller ones. In addition, there are many standalone caves or caverns.

Water

Some of the larger caves have sources of water within them. This forms lakes and rivers within the caverns, which may or may not align with the travel of the tunnels. In some cases, a water source follows a tunnel all the way to its end; in others, the water emerges from its source to cross a tunnel, and ducks back into the earth. The largest known underground body of water is known as the Undersea, an expansive lake spanning the near entirety of a large underground cavern. It is large enough to house an entire city within it, known as Eyaouth.

Notable Landmarks

One geographic wonder located within the tunnels is known as the Forever Fall. This is a directly vertical tunnel travelling from nearly directly below the surface of the planet to just above the heart itself. The walls are made of smooth rock, which makes it incredibly difficult to find any purchase on. There are many different tunnels that the Forever Fall bisects; while bridging over it to cross these tunnels would theoretically be possible, the residents of the tunel think of the Forever Fall as a sentient and cruel being, and do not wish to cross it.

Fauna & Flora

The majority of the wildlife that can be found in the wandering tunnels are either surface creatures or are native to the heart. Lower down in the tunnels, closer to the core, species such as the bloodfowl, aurashrike, phase snake, and tangleroot tree can be found. Closer to the surface, ground-dwelling surface species such as the burrowfish or goldenroot are more likely. However, there are a handful of species that are native specifically to the wandering tunnels. One prominent form of plant life found across the vast majority of the tunnels' ecosystem is berry lichen, growing both naturally as well as in farms, a source of food for many of the tunnels' inhabitants. In addition, tiny dustbugs can be found crawling in and amongst the dirt and rock. Small cave lions are a predator of the region, eating species such as the tunnelbird and aurashrike.

Type

Cave System

Included Locations

• The Forever Fall
• Undersea

Included Organizations

• Alliance of Caves
• Dusk Wanderers

Owning Organization

Dusk Wanderers

Inhabiting Species

• Aurashrike
• Berry Lichen
• Bloodfowl
• Burrowfish
• Cave Lion
• Dustbug
• Goldenroot
• Phase Snake
• Tangleroot Tree
• Tunnelbird

Organisations

There are a few organised groups of people living or based within the wandering tunnels. The most prominent of these are the Dusk Wanderers, a group that facilitates trade within the largest connected network of tunnels. However, additional organisations for some of the smaller networks also exist, one more prominent being the Alliance of Caves.