The caves

Too bad we can't visit that cave...

— A Nessa tourist

This is a cave system located northwest of Nessa, the only settlement on the destroyed planet of Areu.

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History

This cave system was thoroughly explored and mined when the Dragons settled Nessa. It was abandoned in 529 AR. There were still resources in the mines like Ark and Areu Diamonds But the Extractors did not want to mine any more this close to the settlement.
While the caves were still under surveillance they were attacked in 745 AR by the Monsters and after a couple of skirmishes the Extractors had to surrender the cave to the monsters. The Extractors did not want the monster nest so close to their settlement but it was hard to reclaim when the monsters had already settled into the caves because of the natural protection of the caves.

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Layout

There are two cave entrances to this cave system. The first entrance is relatively large. The natural opening had to be widened back when the Nessians mined the caves.

The passage is the same size as the entrance for around 200 m until there is a fork in the passage. The passage to the left is small and an average sized dragon in their bipedal form will reach the walls and ceiling with their hands if they stretch out their arms. The other passage is as large as the entrance passage and continues for a couple of meters until a large room, 8x8m, that the Nessians have mined. This area is closer to Nessa than the entrance to the cave system.
The left passage, the smaller passege, after about 350 m leads to a large natural room. It’s about 21x13m big. It contains a small underground lake and a lot of natural resources as well as some small animals. These animals disappeared when the Dragons mined in the cave, but the animals later returned. The dragons don’t know if they are still there since the monsters moved in.
There is another passage from this room that leads to two other smaller rooms and later leads out of the cave system into a dead forest. This passage is smaller than the other and the average sized dragon has to hunch. From one of the other rooms there is another even smaller passage. This one leads down into an underwater area of the system. This area is less explored by the dragons.

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Resources

There are still abundant Ark ores as well as diamonds left in the cave. But there was also an abunance of plants growing the caves that the Dragons haven't found anywhere else. At least they got samples of these plants before the monsters took over the cave. Most of these plants are still being grown at The Station.