Of the thousands of lakes within the Sparkling Sodalands, Sour Lake is the largest and most grand. This lake reaches more than a hundred kilometres from East to West, and is the site of not one, not two, but three major settlements. Sour Lake's name comes from the water's taste.
Geography, Location & Climate
Sour Lake is located just south of the border between the Eccentric Meadows, the Marsh Forest and the Sparkling Sodalands. It is 305 metres above sea level, sitting on relatively flat land. To the southwest of Sour Lake is the Sour Delta, which opens up into the Eudan Sea.
The Sour Lake Basin covers approximately 300,000 square kilometres, receiving adequate rainfall year-round, an increasing amount in recent years which has resulted in occasional flooding. The soil around Sour Lake is incredibly dense and squishy due to its high water content and ability to store water. Three major rivers flow into Sour Lake: the Sanguan River, the Ethelas River, and the Sarral River.
Osao is a rocky planet in the
Kurhira System, one of eleven. It is characterised by an entirely tropical climate, with average temperatures (Celsius) in the forties, year round.
Five continents make up the majority of dry land on Osao. These five continents are home to perplexing lifeforms, intriguing peoples, and gorgeous sceneries.
Hydrology
In the past 100 years Sour Lake has seen an increase in rainfall by 15%. This drastic increase in rainfall in such a short space of time has resulted in semi-frequent flooding. Thankfully, the flooding is almost never severe and housing and infrastructure of lakeside settlements is seldom damaged, but this increase in flooding is driving away tourism and locals.
In the last 10 years the lake has seen a slight decrease in depth. Some hydrologists theorise that the increase in temperature in the Sodalands is causing the surface of the lake to evaporate. This is only a minor decrease, but it has already had drastic effects on the lake's ecology.
History
Sour Lake contains some of the oldest evidence of slimes in Eudan, dating all the way back into the Ephenic Era. The first settlements around Sour Lake were around fifteen thousand years old, but those are long gone and have since been replaced by modern towns and cities.
The oldest city on the lakeside is Mavini, dating back three thousand years. This city contains architecture from the Albin Era, combined with modern hyper-constructivism seen across the globe.
Ecology
The ecology of Sour Lake is diverse; most species are endemic to this region. The northern lakesides of Sour Lake is dense woodland, comprised of smoking ebony, larall, and exquisite pine trees, while the west and south lakesides are mostly dense marshlands, comprised of thick grasses and ferns.
The lake's surface is mostly covered in dense algae; caraweed, tickle moss, among many others.
The lake sees an abundance of bird species. Over three hundred species have been recorded: 49 waterfowl species, 113 passerine species, 25 birds of prey, among others. Some of the more common species seen seasonally are mammoth terns, which come up from the Sour Delta during winters.
Trees
Smoking Ebony Tree
The tallest tree species from the Sparkling Sodalands. These grey towers shed their bark weekly, leaving black dust to pile up on the forest floors.Larell Tree
A small tree species. Larell trees always grow in pairs, their trunks forming a double helix shape.Exquisite Pine Tree
The flashiest tree species from this region. The colour of their leaves are randomised, and during daytime they reflect light.
Flowering Plants
Savic Azalea
This species of azalea is entirely wild, with thick thorns on their stems, leaves, and petals. They are bright blue and grow on the water's edge.Vixie Rose
A giant rose species, growing up to five metres tall. They wrap around tall trees and drain the life out of them.Terallasai
A genus of yellow flowering plants that grow up to a metre tall. They are a popular flower type with botanists, and easily artificially grown.
Aquatic Plants
Seabed Squid
A plant that mimics the anatomy of squids. They have petals that appear identical to squids, which they use to entice large prey.Dickle Tree
The most phallic shaped plant on the planet. They grow from the seabed all the way to the lake's surface, the tip sticking out of the water squirting its sap out.Tickle Moss
A type of moss that grows on the surface of Sour Lake. Often gets caught in fishing nets, and is very ticklish to slimes.
Birds
Black-Eared Cuckoo
A predatory bird for laying eggs in other's nests, these cuckoos have two feather tufts that resemble ears.Spotted Swan
A large waterfowl species that spends most of their time within marshlands, sleeping at night in treetops and screaming in the mornings with their siren calls.Mega Tit
The largest tit species on Osao, mega tits are basically bearded tits but three times as big. and very territorial.
Mammals
Bright pink herbivores that can become addicted to cuddles and attention. They hide from predators by preying on their colour blindness.
Sour Weasel
A semi-aquatic mustelid perfectly designed to digest the sour water of this lake. Sour weasels are considered pests in urban areas.Ziviv
An unusual deer species with the habit of bopping their heads whenever they see a slime. Many think they are trying to act cute to earn food.
Insects
Reed Weta
The only weta species on the planet, reed wetas inhabit the thick marshlands to the west and south of the lake, around the Sour Delta.Fragrance Mantis
Fragrance mantises release a gorgeous aroma that attracts slimes. Fortunately, these animals pose no threats to anything more than a couple of centimetres in size.Petalwing
A small insect species whose wings mimic petals. They eat daisy petals and then sit on the discs in large groups, to disguise as the flower.
*squints hard at the dickle tree* I hope they can figure out the lake starting to evaporate before it has a really bad impact on the environment! D:
I'm suuuuuure everything will be fiiiiiiiiiine xDD