The Ash Fields
The Fields are located to the east of the Sand Plains, situated right next to a chain of underwater mountain-esque formations. The Fields are considered one of the more dangerous environments in this realm, featuring a wide range of hardy predators, as well as strong currents that continuously batter the landscape. The water that surrounds the place also takes on a strange purple tint.
Geography
The Fields consist of unvaried flat terrain, coated in grey sand that could be easily confused with ash. The features that stand out about this environment are the numerous rock formations that stick out of the ground. They are all flat boulders that stick up at an angle, and end in a single sharp point. They are all the exact same size, point at the exact same angle, and all face in the exact same direction. The only thing that varies about them is the distance from each other. Some areas of the Fields will have vast stretches of sand before one ever sees another one of these boulders, while other areas will have them tightly packed together. These rock formations serve as hotspots for plant growth and as hiding places for prey items, if their formations serve correctly.
The mountain range of the Nightlight Zone is largely claimed by the laws of the Fields. Many of the Fields' inhabitants making livings for themselves in these mountains, mainly in the large clearings in the rocky terrain. The currents that blow through these mountains constantly reshape the landscape. They can form cracks in the rocks, making sections of the mountains break apart if battered hard enough, causing them to fall onto any unsuspecting creature. There appears to be no consistency with how these currents blow, as there have been instances of current streams overlapping with each other, causing rather chaotic conditions in the mountains.
Ecosystem
The Fields are dark and cold, with sharp rocks at nearly every turn, and strong currents that greatly affect the landscape. These factors all make survival much harder for the Fields' inhabitants. The currents are equivalent to strong gusts of wind on the surface, able to blow anything off the ground, prompting the sessile life such as plants, mussels, and urchins to live near the boulders in the ground. Only lifeforms that are bulky and heavy can grow out in the open, where they'll be hit by the currents. Mussels, for example, can be found everywhere in this biome, with some putting on weight to stay firmly put in the sand, and others using the currents to their advantage with reproduction and moving to safer areas.
Competition in this biome is high compared to others, with biodiversity being slightly lower. The plants are small, and grow sparsely, with forms built to take shelter behind the many rocks that litter the biome. The creatures consist of heavy arthropods with a posture that brings their bodies close to the seabed, taking on scavenging and group-hunting roles. There are many other creatures that can swim, but are less common, and are usually subject to being thrown completely off course and disoriented when the currents pick up.
The lifestyles of this ecosystem involve traveling long distances just to get even a little bit of food for the day, with some creatures hiding in the sand in order to wait for prey to come closer. Many creatures travel in groups, sometimes to the dismay of one another, and they often come into large scale conflicts with groups of other species. Life has also shown to be less abundant in the mountainous regions, likely due to the supernatural phenomena that occur there. Those lifeforms that do live there are often small, and can easily maneuver through tight spaces.
Ecosystem Cycles
The Fields are less static compared to other environments. When the currents pick up, it can be beneficial for some, and detrimental for others. Some mussels, urchins, and other plants rely on the currents to get their spores away from them, and to land elsewhere to grow. Meanwhile, most lifeforms have to take cover when the currents get too harsh, but they have a slim chance of survival even with the added protection. In certain species, there may also be routine hunting or breeding sessions, much more common in the Fields than in any other environment.
Localized Phenomena
The currents act the strongest in the Fields than in any other place in the Nightlight Zone, and occasionally they become so strong that they create sand storms. When this happens, massive clouds of sand will form and travel across a large portion of the biome. While it has little effect on the realm's light level, the sand can sting any creature's eyes, and the strong currents can lift almost any lifeform off the ground and carry them far away from where they were. The currents can even break the sharp rock formations in the ground, and fling them in the direction of the storm, breaking more rocks and killing any creature that gets in the way. After the storm settles, it is usually noticeable with all of the broken rocks in the ground.
The Fields' currents also affect the mountainous region in the right side of the biome. Because the mountains feature more extreme terrain, the currents have to adapt. They have been observed blowing straight through the ravines and gorges that form in multiple places, with some current streams overlapping. It is thought that the currents are able to affect the terrain all on their own, as there have been instances of enormous cracks forming in multiple areas, as well as sections of the mountains breaking apart and constantly reforming the landscape. The currents can cause rocks to split in halves or thirds, create deep ravines in otherwise flat plateaus, or even cause sections of the mountains to move instantaneously as if they were being carried.
On top of the strong currents, the mountains are also affected by the occasional tremor. In scant occurrences, the mountains will briefly shake as if an earthquake was about to happen. The worst these tremors can do is loosen rocks from the top of the mountain and cause landslides, but it is theorized these events could be much more dangerous given the right conditions.
Fauna & Flora
Fauna
The creatures in this biome are tough, built for scavenging and working as a team to achieve survival.
Krill
Mussels
Clams
Urchins
Armored Nautiloid
Plants are particularly uncommon in the Fields, and edible ones are even more few and far between.
Plankton
Algae
Algae
Seaweed
Polyweed
Sarkaphyte
Natural Resources
The rocks are the main resource of the Fields that is most used by its inhabitants. There are very few creatures that haven't been found near large collections of these structures, using them for security from threats and potential prey items. Plenty of herbivorous creatures can be found near dense concentrations of edible plants, while predators use the plants to hide behind while the herbivores come closer.
Because the majority of creatures inhabiting this biome have exoskeletons, many of their carcasses are left behind with just their shell, providing brief safety for small creatures looking for a place to hide. Some other shells, like those from the Armidium, serve the same purpose. The corpses of the Sea Boar are so large, that they become hotspots for these smaller animals making temporary hideouts, as well as for plants to grow and other small sessile lifeforms to collect themselves. Occasionally these lifeforms get scared off by scavengers seeking to feed on the boar's flesh.
History
The Ash Fields only became its distinctive environment when the currents spun into their own "storm," right in the center of the area. The currents have been harsh ever since, causing sandstorms and the sharp boulders to jut from the ground. This environment has existed since before the time of the Leviathans, and thus has likely been marred by their activity. However, after these Leviathans went extinct, smaller lifeforms began to populate the sands. Since then, things have remained relatively static, until the first Cave Stalkers arrived. They built underground structures to evade the currents, which have survived largely intact to the present. It is thought the Cave Stalkers may have caused several extinctions of native life, almost in the case of the Crescentfin Fish.
Alternative Name(s)
The Fields
Type
Field
Included Locations
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