The Boiling Lakes

The rainbow pools of death

Geography

"Hell is real and it will lure you in with a mesmerizing beauty." --Retired Explorer Max Jamison

The boiling lakes fill a narrow wedge between two mountain ranges, The Spine and The Spur. The elevation is low in between these two mountain ranges, creating a steep valley. Along the floor of the valley are a series of large lakes. There's also massive amounts of geothermal activity, producing boiling lakes and geysers (similar to Yellowstone in the NW United States). While these lakes are hot all the time, they heat up even more during the day. It is not uncommon to find water boiling within these lakes. The waters have a rainbow of colors due to the dissolved minerals and specialize bacteria that can survive the extreme temperatures. Because of the geothermal activity, the crust of the valley can be delicate. Unbeknownst to the unlucky traveler on the surface, the ground can rapidly thin across short distances. One wrong step will send the unlucky traveler to an underground boiling pool.

Ecosystem

Because of the extreme heat, there are few things that can survive long term exposure to the boiling lakes. Certain bacteria can withstand the extreme heat of the lakes and contribute to the rainbow hues of the waters. There are a few lithophytes that grow along the rocky ground between the lakes. There are a few bird species that nest in the mountain sides during the winter to escape predation from their feeding grounds. Birds will occasionally investigate the valley floor and scavenge from the lithophytes, though they typically stay in the more "temperate" scrub environments of the mountains.

Ecosystem Cycles

"Woe be to anyone who tries to cross the boiling lakes in summer."--Hui Det saying

While the boiling lakes are hot year round, they do experience a summer and winter season. The winter does not last long and is mostly observed by the shortening of the day. The shorter day length means that there's not as much heat accumulation during the day, tempering the heat to livable ranges. The flipside is true of the summer, with longer days exacerbating the already high temperatures.

Localized Phenomena

There are lots of geysers around the boiling lakes--even a few within them! Because of this, there are some adventurous explorers and researchers who have tried to travel the boiling lakes to study them.

Natural Resources

There are certain minerals that are easier to collect from the boiling lakes because they are dissolved and thus don't require mining. However, harvesting these minerals comes with its own sets of challenges. Some tribes of the Memedi and Sawiwa come to the boiling lakes to harvest minerals and conduct rites of passage during the winter months, usually following the birds migration pathways.

Type

Valley

Location under

The Wastes