The Shallow Rift
The Shallow Rift is the western branch of The Rift which separates Dalkor from the Freelands.
While technically part of the Rift itself, the floor of much of this branch is far more accessible for exploration than its counterparts across the continent which means that far more is known about what lies at the bottom.
Geography
Stretching from the middle of the continent to it's western shores, this part of the Rift is geographically similar to the other branches. It resembles nothing more than a huge tear in the ground with steep sides that plunge nearly straight down into a land of of darkness which is only lit when the sun is directly above. Its walls are pockmarked with caves that give access to rich mines and dangerous portions of the Underdark.
At its western end, a waterfall plunges from the sea, down to it's depths, providing definitive evidence that the Rift was not a natural creation but rather the result of a cataclysmic arcane event. A rather long and narrow salt-water lake known as Lake Backin rests at the base of the waterfall and stretches for miles.
Fauna & Flora
The Rift Bat is a common denizen of the pockmarked holes up and down the sides of the chasms here but the fact that this area does happen to receive natural light means they are far less prevalent than in the deeper chasms to the east.
The walls near the bottom are generally coated with a reddish moss that has some phosphorescent properties which provides a perpetually dim, reddish glow and is home to uncountable species of tiny insectoid beings.
The floor of the rift is a curious mix of lush vegetation which has adapted to the infrequent sunlight and thrives with what it does receive. The creatures that thrive here tend to excel at being either unobtrusive
or so fearsome that they are left undisturbed by their neighbors. Over 100 unique species that are found nowhere else in the world have been catalogued by courageous explorers.
As the floor is significantly easier to access by those who live above, it would be easy to dismiss it as safer than the less accessible portions of the Rift. This would be a huge mistake. The creatures that make their home here tend to be more fierce and aggressive than their cousins on the surface. This rich, nearly subterranean jungle conceals a brutal struggle for dominance by each and every creature who calls it come.
Comments