Burning Fields

The Burning Fields are a large open plain of land on Taskke, easily recognizable by the smoke pouring out of the ground, and the warmth of the soil. Both are caused by the massive coal-seam fire burning underground, which has burned for thousands of years and will likely burn for thousands more. In addition, the unstable ground hides countless caverns filled with methane, which may at any point collapse and catch fire as well, forming burning pits that may span dozens of meters in diameter, and which may continue to burn for decades.

Geography

The Burning Fields are an open plain, though the ground is discolored, as well as uneven and unstable due to the fires underneath, which eat away at the underlying coal seam. It has little in the way of stable freshwater, though rivers and streams may form after heavy rainfall. More permanent water sources often tend to erode the soil underneath until it reveals a cavern, into which it then disappears. The plain itself is bordered by mountains on its northern and western sides, with the ocean in the east; a massive river separates it from the woodlands to the south.

Ecosystem

An open plain with a massive burning coal seam underneath it, the Burning Fields experience a rather unique ecosystem, especially compared to the environments around it. The warmth of the fire keeps the soil temperature more even than elsewhere, creating an area with no serious colds during the winter. The smoke, full of toxic gasses, requires adaptations for organisms that spend significant amounts of time in the Burning Fields.
Not to be overlooked are the regular and encompassing wildfires that the Burning Fields are named after. Between the smoldering coal-seam underneath the surface, and the surface pits of burning methane, vegetation in the Fields often catches fire. These fires spread rapidly, until they become too large to be easily stopped by rain. And little standing water exists, let alone makes a difference, as the water is often filled with the same methane that fuels the fire pits, creating water capable of burning, letting the fire spread unhindered over its surface.

Localized Phenomena

As suggested by its name, the Burning Fields is home to various sorts of fire. An enormous coal seam not overly deep underground burns slowly, having smoldered for thousands of years, and smoke from this seeps out of the ground in many places. This burning creates unstable ground, the supporting coal burning away, which in turn creates pits and craters.
Not all of these pits sit directly over the coal seam, however. The ground underneath the plain is also home to several deep-reaching methane pits, which may collapse into gas craters which slowly release said methane into the atmosphere. Though the methane itself isn't very dangerous to life around them, they are prone to lighting on fire during wildfires, and are then unlikely to go out, the crater sheltering the flames from wind and rain.
Between the dangerous ever-burning pits, which may span more than 50 meters in diameter and burn for decades, and the smoldering coal-seam, wildfires are exceedingly common in the Burning Fields. These fires spread rapidly and are slow to extinguish, and in turn light up any newly revealed methane pits, thus feeding into a new cycle of fire.

Fauna & Flora

The Burning Fields are home to many endemic species, found nowhere else. Any organisms living here must be capable of dealing with high levels of toxicity, with a low water requirement, and prepared to either escape from wildfires into the adjacent mountains or ocean, or have seeds capable of withstanding the relentless flames.
Additionally, the unstable ground comes with a few additional caveats. Nothing can grow too heavy, lest the ground underneath them collapse. In animals specifically, pure speed is also regarded negatively, though combined with enough agility it becomes a boon. Running without much maneuverability will simply lead one into a burning methane pit, but being able to escape from collapsing ground is more beneficial to survivability.

Natural Resources

Nothing in the Burning Fields really measured up against the dangers of coming there. Both the methane gas and the coal in the coal seam are plentiful resources, but those can also be found elsewhere, where the risk of spontaneous and massive wildfires isn't so large. Additionally, both methane and coal are hard to gather in the Burning Fields as they are usually on fire, or may unexpectedly catch fire while harvesting. Overall, they are thus left alone by locals. Though bringing in more advanced technology has been considered, the resources are common enough elsewhere to not be worth the monumental risk.

Tourism

The Burning Fields are an unpleasant location to spend time in, and no ihkts live there. Though they are better adapted to the toxic gasses seeping from the ground around them than non-Taskkian species are, the high level of toxicity still affects them, not to mention the lack of safe drinkable water. The constant and unpredictable wildfires are also prone to wiping out any traces of civilization for those foolish or desperate enough to make the attempt anyway.
Researchers may rarely come to take a look at the well-adapted wildlife of the Burning Fields, but the dangers of the fire ward them off. At least as long as safer items to research exist, that is.

Alternative Name(s)

Smoking Fields, Wildfire Plains, the Burning Lands

Type

Plain

Location under

Taskke