The Caverns
The collective name of the cave systems under the solid surface of The Outer Planetoid.
Geography
Location
The Caverns are concentrated in those areas where The Outer Planetoid's crust was compressed and folded over itself. They lead deeply into the rock of The Continent, where they form large clusters of branching tunnels and caves of varying sizes. Over time, nine major cavern clusters have been established, each of which houses about 2.5 to 3 million bodies of The Hive. They comprise immediately connected cave systems as well as the isolated neighbor systems sprinkled between those.Environment
Like the surface, The Caverns are rather unstable due to the high levels of radiation which suffuse The Outer Planetoid. There is not only high seismic activity, but the rock itself is also prone to melting, crumbling or crystallizing at random when left on its own. Consequently, the interior surfaces can take on a wide range of appearances. There can be smooth tunnels next to jagged crystal spikes, bizarre stalagtites and stalagmites might be found in a field of gravel, or a pool of lava could be boiling under a glassy dome that used to be a sand dune. Due to these transformative processes, the minerals which make up the rock are impossible to predict. It can take on any number of different colors and patterns, and qualities such as shine, hardness or breaking patterns vary wildly from one patch to the next.Fauna & Flora
The ecosystem solely consists of Those Who Know. There is no other flora or fauna, except for the artistic representations of similar organisms from The Sandy Moon or The Watery Planet. Said representations, however, are rarely alive because The Hive prefers to inhabit bodies that are adapted for The Recombination.
Natural Resources
The rock walls of The Caverns provide ample raw material for The Recombination. Radiation levels are lower underground, but since The Hive is actively channeling energies along the tunnels, there is a sufficient supply for both rearranging the rock's atoms and nourishing the bodies that live below the surface.
History
Large parts of The Caverns have formed naturally and are still forming today.
When Those Who Know learned how to re-arrange subatomic particles in the Year 3143, they began controlling this process to some degree. They started expanding the cave systems both intentionally and as a side product of their new-found power. However, they deliberately leave the majority of the terrain to the influence of That Which Changes so that they can constantly explore new areas.
Over the ages, they have been stabilizing a number of regions where most of the bodies are concentrated, filling them with artificial structures for both static support, physical comfort and aesthetics.
Type
Cave System
Location under
Included Locations
Owner/Ruler
Comments