The Lacelands

Geography

The Lacelands are located in the south of Kearcy and are a beautiful sight.  The lacelands are actually lots of rolling hills, with the highest point being where the lacelands meet the forest. The land slopes all the way down to the sea, where it ends in a swampy area that lays about a meter underneath sea level. on these hills a lot of water collects from various sources. These water pools feed the intricate river system that follows. Along the length of the rivers they often meet and divide from other rivers, creating a branching system of rivers, streams and creeks. Due to the entire area being on a slope, the general groundwater levels are fairly high. It isn't unheard of for the rivers to completely flood the area after heavy rainfall. On the other side it isn't unheard as well that some of the smaller river branches dry up during heatwaves.
At the very southmost part of the lacelands lay the Virrivan swamp, a shallow (up to one meter deep) area of brackish water that leads straight into the ocean surrounding it. An apparent barrier lays quite some way in, where the waves crash. This barrier is formed by rocks, tree roots, sediment and waste from the ocean. It lays about half a meter higher than the rest of the flooring. It is often advised to stay away from this barrier for many reasons, some being part of legends about magical involvement, some because of rumors of people being dragged off by evil spirits and some just simple because the current can be very harsh around the barrier and you could get seriously hurt.

Ecosystem

Within the lacelands almost 90% of the inhabiting creatures is aquatic. Sometimes creatures from the forest come to dring from the pools, but for some reason they never really go far. The different waterways are however filled with life. Insects, fish and amphibians thrive here. The fields are often lush with flowers that grow well in wetter areas and can survive flooding. Several of the fish species have evolved to use labyrinths, a special organ in the head that allows them to breath air for shorter periods of time in case they get stuck on land. Many of the fish their eggs also are equipped with defence mechanisms like these; they can sometimes survive in dry conditions for years before their hatching is triggered by being submerged again. The amphibians have developed more of a summer hibernation habit, where during dry periods they will burrow towards cool, moist soil and stay here until the ground gets wetter again.
The plants tend to root deeply, this to not be washed away by floods and being able to take water from deeper levels during dry periods. The plants are also a reason groundwater can sometimes drop really quick; the watercontent of plants within the lacelands is way higher than seen elsewhere, and this way they also seem to be a valuable source of moisture for some animals. The plants often grow up to a meter, providing shade for small animals and protection from predators. Due to the openness of the area it is often a popular spot for fus-edi to hang out as well.

Alternative Name(s)

The south

Location under

Kearcy