[風] tab Plates tab of tab Folhat tab [風]
Mouth tab of tab the tab Whale
______________A r e a tab D e s c r i p t i o n ||
tab Named after the entrance to a land where sinners are purified through punishment, the Plates of Folhat are a hellish wasteland where nothing can survive for long, located in the southeastern part of the Land of Radiance. The explosion that marked Sunagakure's final moments had far-reaching effects, a fact that is perhaps no more obvious than it is here. Once a lake, the shockwave caused by Sunagakure's nuclear reactor shattered the earth in this area and caused the lake to dry, leaving behind a great salt flat. Small cracks in the bedrock grew larger with the passing of time until underground cave networks were exposed. On the rare clear day, these passages are perfectly visible against the stark white ground, a spiderweb of cracks converging toward the old Sunagakure. On most days, though, sandstorms disguise these pitfalls.
tab The formal name for this area is "The Nihal Basin" according to those familiar with its past, with "Nihal" meaning "a place to quench their thirst". Before becoming a salt flat, it was home to a lake fed by an underground spring, making this one of the main stops for traders on their way north or south through the country. The destruction of Sunagakure redirected the spring, however, and within a few years the entire lake had dried up. Embittered merchants started to call the area the "Nihil Basin", a proverbial "land of nothing", and soon travel through the area slowed to a crawl, the lack of food, water, and other resources driving travelers to take coastal routes instead. The vegetation was quickly worn to dust, leaving behind only a desolate salt flat.
tab Already an inhospitable area to begin with, the salt flats quickly became a notorious death trap after rifts into the caverns below started claiming errant travelers. With no plants, no wildlife, no water, and dark abysses waiting at every step, it's a wonder anyone would choose to enter this area. Some do not, sent here as a form of condemnation by the nomadic peoples that wander the land, who whisper that the wicked are devoured and held prisoner below the earth. Others come here willingly, seeking to cross these cursed plains to reach the bountiful mountains to the south; these people are rarely successful. In fact, the only group that seems able to survive in this area for more than a few days at a time are the Azhura, whose hardy bodies are well-tuned to the struggles of desert living. Still, they don't particularly relish their time here, viewing it mostly as a trial to prove their faith and worth. Indeed, the Azhura who live in the mountains to the south treat surviving in the salt flats for a full week to be a sign of maturity and a rite of passage. It is they who gave this area its current name, naming it after the mouth of the whale said to come for all sinners on their deathbeds.
______________P o i n t s tab O f tab I n t e r e s t ||
tab • Wreck of the Green Harp - The bones of an ancient fishing vessel, now a waypoint on the northeastern side of the Plates. To many people, this ship marks the start of the Plates; while it sits on fairly solid ground, the sinkholes that characterize the region start not too far south of this ill-fated vessel.
______________N e a r b y tab L o c a t i o n s ||
tab • Port Nilam
tab • Alhat Trapdoor Caverns
tab • Nomad Lands
______________D e f e n s e s // D a n g e r s ||
tab • White Creeper - A succulent with white, waxy petals that grow in a shape similar to a rose’s. These flowers are actually just the most readily visible part of a vine-like plant that grows about a centimeter underground. During the day, the vine stretches and the flowers propagate up to 20 meters in any given direction as the vine searches for water. At nightfall the vine shrinks, pulling the bulk of the flowers to wherever it’s rooted most firmly. While not a particularly fast danger, this plant is capable of smothering and drinking other living beings fairly quickly. Particularly large clusters are known for overtaking caravans that hunker down to wait out the heat of the day. The vine, if found, can be hacked open with at least C-Rank force to expose some of its water. The flowers are salty if consumed and may change colors depending on the plant’s diet.
tab • Drying Heat - Here, more than anywhere else in the desert, water is scarce. Dehydration sets in after 3 posts without water. While in this area, medical treatment of dehydration simply prevents the worsening of symptoms; actually alleviating dehydration requires treatment one step more advanced than normal.
tab • Night Crawlers - At night, some of the creatures that inhabit the Alhat Trapdoor Caverns may find their way up here.
tab • Radiant Storm - This land is shrouded in a permanent sandstorm that brings heat and light to those within it. Sensory perception via sight and sound is reduced to 10 meters. Detection of creatures based on their mana signature is not possible from more than 20 meters away, as the storm has its own magical signature. 1 dose of Radiation is gained every 5 posts spent here without protection.
______________R u l e s ||
tab • There are no rules worth noting at this time.
______________R e s o u r c e s ||
tab • Salt - It’s everywhere.
tab • Creeper Vine - A thick, ropy vine with a high fondness for water. This vine will propagate rapidly if exposed to a plentiful source of water, making it very easy to farm, if dangerous. The vine itself is useful as rope and can be processed into a primitive cloth or a fairly brittle paper. If dried, the petals of its flowers can be worked into a dye that take on the colors of its surroundings whenever at least 5 mana is used within half a meter of it.
”Royal Taorito”
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