Flameborough

2022 Location Lore Event Entry
Author: Aylabug

Deep within the guts of the earth, hidden from any and all prying eyes, sleep cities untouched by both animals and shiji alike. Carved from the rage of the earth, and laid to rest by its utter darkness. Caverns snooze silently under the Volcanoes in the north, chiseled expertly by flowing magma. They snake and curve beneath the surface of the earth, extending into the ocean and back south into the mainland. They remain unexplored, the constantly shifting temperatures doing well to dissuade even the most daring adventurers. The rocks turning molten in the stomach of the volcanoes bubble and churn, pumping its broiling blood through these cave systems. The glow from these slow moving rivers of fire illuminate the crystals lining the walls, shimmering and throwing the faint light across the tunnels.

In its center, where the lava pools and collects, lie a city buried beneath tons of layers of earth. The tunnels all open collectively into this massive cavern, giving way to buildings molded from the walls of the rock itself. Behind this grand city, the lava falls over a massive cliff and silhouette the city in a grand, almost menacing light. It is horrifically hot in this city, seemingly only shiji made the fit this environment could thrive. Molten rock flows in small cracks throughout the entire structure, further carving walls and rooms into the area. Nothing grows here, as no water can be found except for a lengthy trip to the surface.

The City itself was masterpiece, not resting on a single plane of rock but instead curving up like a spiral, going further down into the earth like a sword buried in stone. Sharp edges line its sides, a barrier to protect itself from the falling of rocks. The gems shining through its center and the walls shimmered like tiny lights turned on by non-existent occupants. Jagged, teeth-like rocks hung from the ceiling, some even breaking off and shattering on the floor below. The pieces often fall into the flowing rivers of lava, becoming part of its deadly cycle. When the volcanoes above erupt, the structure shakes and trembles, debris falling from its high platforms but holds steady and calm. The city below would make good homes for those daring enough to live in the heat, although no animal or plant ventures this far down the belly of the volcanoes.

Treasures are buried deep within the walls of the earthen town, in crevices otherwise hard to see by the light of the lava. The city breathes with the pulsing and throbbing of the rivers, tendrils like veins snaking through its mock buildings. Shadows are bigger down here, and while nothing vicious breathes this far down, they'd play tricks of the mind on any unlucky survivor to fall this far. Ash and dust float in the thick air, the tunnels doing their best to drag air through their passages. The space is pressured, dark, and unknown. Anyone stumbling onto this city will likely stay here until they are found, or perish completely.