Seeping Lake
The Seeping Lake is a mysterious and ever-shifting body of water; its beginning nestled between the towering Ashen Peak and the jagged heights of Obsidian Vertice. Its surface shimmers with unnatural hues, as if infused with the lingering magic of the land. Volcanic runoff continuously feeds the lake, giving it the appearance of an eternal flow rather than a stagnant basin. Despite its foreboding presence, the Seeping Lake is a place of immense power and secrecy—hidden beneath its depths lies the legendary lair of Gemranth, the only known metallic-chromatic dragon hybrid in existence.
The lake is both a beacon and a warning; scholars, adventurers, and power-hungry seekers have long attempted to uncover its secrets, but few return. For beneath its deceptively tranquil waters, time does not flow as it should, and reality itself bends in strange and dangerous ways.
Points of Interest
- The Emerald Grotto – The entrance to Gemranth’s lair, a vast underwater cavern rumored to contain time-altering relics and knowledge lost to the ages.
- The Sunken Library – A ruin from an ancient civilization, submerged within the lake; some believe its books can still be read—if one can decipher the waterlogged pages.
- The Everflowing Scar – A perpetual cascade of molten rock that flows into the lake, yet never raises its temperature, defying all logic.
- The Timeless Mirage – A small islet that only appears during full moons, showing glimpses of people long gone—or those who have yet to exist.
- The Ashen Cliffs – A crumbling precipice overlooking the lake, where legend claims a powerful seers’ coven once stood, using the lake’s magic to gaze into eternity.
Geography
The Seeping Lake stretches across a deep, jagged valley, with rivers of molten rock trickling down from Ashen Peak and Obsidian Vertice.
While the lake’s edges are rocky and barren, the waters themselves contain iridescent hues of green, gold, and violet, an effect believed to stem from magical minerals or latent draconic energy.
Underwater caves and subterranean tunnels lace the lakebed, leading to Gemranth’s hidden sanctum of knowledge—a place where relics and artifacts lie undisturbed.
Despite its proximity to volcanic activity, the lake never boils or evaporates, leading many to believe that powerful enchantments maintain its existence.
Ecosystem
Anomalous and unstable, the lake does not follow normal ecological rules. Fish and aquatic creatures are few, yet those that exist have mutated, their scales glowing with arcane energy.
The Seeping Lake is a vital source of water for creatures of the Obsidian Wilds, but it is highly toxic if consumed without magical purification.
Unseen predators lurk beneath the surface—some claim shadowy serpentine creatures dwell in its depths, remnants of long-forgotten draconic experiments.
Ecosystem Cycles
The lake fluctuates unpredictably, its size expanding and shrinking seemingly at random. These changes are believed to be linked to Gemranth’s hoard of time-altering relics.
Some travelers claim the lake acts as a window into the past, revealing shimmering mirages of events long forgotten.
The waters occasionally pulse with power, turning completely black for a single night before returning to their eerie glow. During this time, unnatural beings emerge from the depths, hunting in silence before vanishing at dawn.
Localized Phenomena
Temporal Ripples – Areas of the lake where time flows inconsistently; stepping into the wrong current could send an individual hours or centuries forward or backward in time.
Eclipsing Mist – Every few months, the lake exudes a thick, golden fog that distorts sight, sound, and reality, making navigation nearly impossible.
Draconic Echoes – Some claim that whispers of Gemranth’s past selves can be heard beneath the water, remnants of temporal distortions from his experiments.
Climate
The region is predominantly warm, due to the volcanic activity surrounding it.
Cold winds from the north sometimes bring thick clouds of ash, casting the lake into twilight-like darkness.
Rainfall is rare, but when it occurs, it is often infused with arcane energy, making it shimmer in unnatural colors.
Fauna & Flora
Flora:
- Ember Reeds – Reed-like plants that grow along the lake’s edge, exuding a faint, fiery warmth that allows them to survive near the volcanic terrain.
- Luminis Lilies – Aquatic flowers that bloom only during nights of arcane flux, emitting a soft, golden glow.
- Chrono-Fish – Strange, translucent fish that appear and vanish seemingly at random, as if they exist across multiple points in time simultaneously.
- Void Eels – Black-scaled creatures with glowing blue eyes, said to be remnants of lost timelines.
Natural Resources
- Time-Infused Crystals – Found within the lake’s depths, these rare gemstones are rumored to slow or accelerate time in localized areas.
- Volcanic Alchemic Sediments – The lake’s unique blend of minerals produces potent components for alchemy, particularly in elixirs of longevity.
History
Starting somewhere between the towering Ashen Peak and the jagged heights of Obsidian Vertice, the Seeping Lake is a mysterious and foreboding body of water. The lake appears to continuously flow from the dark volcanic slopes, giving it an otherworldly shimmer. Its waters are tinged with strange hues, as if infused with ancient magic from the surrounding land.
Beneath its deceptively calm surface lies the lair of Gemranth, the only known metallic-chromatic dragon hybrid with shimmering green-gold scales. His lair, hidden deep within the lake's depths, is a vast cavern that houses relics capable of altering the flow of time itself. In addition to these powerful relics, Gemranth has collected a vast trove of knowledge from all across Astrium, filling his lair with ancient tomes, magical scripts, and artifacts from forgotten eras. His presence lends the Seeping Lake an air of immense power and danger, as many seek the dragon's hoard—but few return.
Tourism
High-risk, high-reward – The Seeping Lake attracts foolhardy adventurers, power-hungry mages, and scholars who wish to uncover the mysteries of time itself.
The few small settlements near the lake warn against prolonged exposure, as some who linger too long experience visions of possible futures—or become trapped in loops of repeating moments.
Some dare to seek an audience with Gemranth, hoping to gain knowledge from his endless hoard, but none leave without paying a terrible price.
Alternative Name(s)
Emerald Vein of of the Volcanic North; Veins of Gemranth
Type
Lake
Inhabiting Species
Related Materials
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