Jirra Caverns
Imara
"And here we are, Nabia's entrance to the caverns... I hope you find what you're looking for."
Field Commander Renelle
There are few places on Izi to take refuge from the unforgiving environment. There are the Dark Citadels dotting the landscape, where ancient magics keep the inside of the buildings at an ideal temperature, but, there are also nameless horrors that occupy them. The only true place to find safety is to go underground.
The Jirra Caverns is one such place. It is a large cave network in the north-central Rovia Region and has thousands of miles ot twisting tunnels, many of which have yet to be fully explored, even by the Fire Elves that live there. These caverns also have quite a bit of water and a breathable atmosphere. The environment is much more similar to the tropical lands of Vreathe than an airless hellish moon. The vast majority of people that live here are the Zalan, or Bright Elves, though in the lowest part of the caverns, past the Deep Wilds, the Gissu or Deep Elves can be found.
Capital:
Controlled by:
Total Area:
Population:
Demographics:
Controlled by:
Total Area:
Population:
Demographics:
Grand Jirra
Beirunes
500 km2
12,000
Bright Elves (95%)
Ash Elves (5%)
Deep Elves (Unknown)
Beirunes
500 km2
12,000
Bright Elves (95%)
Ash Elves (5%)
Deep Elves (Unknown)
Map
The Path
Cavern Entrances
There are eight entrances to Jirra Caverns. Five of the entrances are hidden, and three main entrances that are used far more than the others. These entrances, The North Nabia, South Nabia, and Yavakora entrances, all have a liquid water river that flows out of them, which then quickly freezes as it flows down the mountain slopes. The three main entrances are quite large, more than big enough to fit large Anzu Beasts through.
These entrances are quite heavily guarded by the Fire Elves, ready to attack or capture anyone attempting to enter. Large stone walls are built about a hundred meters into each entrance, with a number of locations for firing off magic and bows from safety. Large wooden gates are in place that can be quickly closed. The Rivers flow freely through a number of small grates, carved from stone and took small for a person to fit through.
Once through the gates, the environment changes completely, the air is as breathable as Vreathe, the temperature quickly rises to comfortable levels, and green plant life is seen everywhere, even though there is no obvious bright sources of light here. There are also villages on the other side of each gate. Goblins from the salt flats and Elves from other cavern systems come here to trade.
The Village of Eduru-Ki, a hundred meters past the North Nabia Entrance. Several hundred Zalan Elves live here, mostly traders and soldiers.
Imara
"I can't believe you fought those guards the way you did..."Field Commander Renelle
Imara
"...Thanks for defending me."Field Commander Renelle
Unsettling Statues
Within a few kilometers of entering the cavern through the Nabia entrance, there is a large statue of a bearded man. Within 100 meters, it is surrounded entirely by ice and is freezing cold. The statue appears to be made of bronze and it covered in a thick layer of frost. It is also covered in dozens upon dozens of chains. Only the upper torso and arms of this statue are exposed, the rest is underneath ice and then buried underneath rock.
This is just the first of many, many of these strange statues in the caverns. Every kilometer or so there is another one. The second statue looks different, a woman suspended from the ceiling of the cave by dozens of chains. Water drips off of her constantly and near this statue the humidity is almost unbearable. The third statue is a strange rock sculpture that doesn't look like a person at all, but it too is covered in chains. The Fourth statue is a woman again, laying on a bed of rocks in the middle of a lake, again covered in chains.
Lucia
"Ren, these statues are really unsettling, and for some reason I feel the pull of blood magic coming off of them. In fact, I've felt nothing but blood magic since entering this cavern! Something isn't right..."Renelle
"Agreed. At first, I thought these statues were representations from the Silver Age, when the ancient humans imprisoned most of the gods. The thing is, I don't recognize any of them! Who represents these statues?"The Grand Cavern of Jirra
A few dozen kilometers away from the northern Nabia entrance is Grand Jirra, the largest city in Jirra and the largest city in all of the Rovia is Grand Jirra. Eight Thousand Bright Elves live here. The City surrounded one of the largest lakes in these caverns, at least until you get to the Deep Wilds and the bottom of the great chasms. The city is the religous center, trade hub, and center of government and is the closest thing to a capital city.
((Placeholder area for article block to the Grand Jirra Settlement ))
The Underground Ecosystem
The underground ecosystem is strangely more familiar than not, at least in the upper levels. It doesn't resemble the cave life on Vreathe, but rather, the life everywhere else on the surface of Vreathe. Vegetation is green and all manner of plants grow here. Birds can be seen flying in the larger caverns between the trees. Creatures that resemble rabbits, deer, foxes, and more are occasionally spotted.
Now, the creatures of these lands are still somewhat alien compared to Vreathe and are corrupted with many different forms of magic. The Celestial Fox is one such example. These creatures have a third eye in the center of its forehead, able to see different, less invisible types of light. In the darkness of the forest it dips from the tree-line to the river and back. The coloration of its coat is quite striking and is used both to confuse predators and sneak up on prey.
On closer inspection, the plant life too isn't as similar to Vreathe as one might think. The leaves are green, the trunks are brown, and many different types of plants bear various fruits, but there are no flowers in the caverns, as there are no insects to pollinate them. Every plant seems to reproduce with spores that get carried every closer to the surface by the river and wind currents, where the plant then has a method of getting back to the deeper caves after several generations.
The wildlife becomes even more alien in the Lower Caverns and even moreso in the Deep Wilds. Instead of Celestial Foxes, one will run into Abyssal Seals, which swim in the great lakes at the bottom of the chasms. They don't really resemble seals at all. Instead they have strange mollusk-like appendages near their mouths, and their mouths are circular with rows of teeth. They are seemingly friendly towards the Fire Elves, hoping to be given a free meal. The fish in the upper caverns resemble actual fish found on Vreathe, but in the lower caverns, they are similar to the abyssal seals with their tentacles and circular teeth.
The plant life becomes considerable rarer in the Deep Wilds, replaced with fungi instead. There are mushrooms the size of trees. Some fungi grow glowing bulbs of light, surrounded by ultra sticky slime, hoping to catch an unaware animal, slowly digesting the stuck creature as it wears itself out struggling to get free.
I really enjoy the dialogue snippets. The unanswered question of Imara being called a heretic makes me want to go exploring for the answer. As for the caverns, I can visualize them. But I'm also curious about the prisons marked on the map and how they fit in with everything. I'm curious about the statues and if they are tied to the prisons somehow.