Locations
What is the most notable location in your setting? (natural or constructed)
What makes it unique?
Courtesy of Pixabay user enriquelopezgarre
The most notable location in Apandi, by far, is the great volcano Kaneznuba. To put it into a scale that humans from our own world, it is the size of four Mount Fuji's from Japan. And still a highly active volcano. It is one of the main pressure valves for the mantle and core of Apandi. Activity from the volcano is mostly small eruptions of ash mixed with some strong lava rivers which blanket the entire Dark Elf homeland. The rocks are all black, with very little for colour breaking up the barren landscape. The Dark Elves live in hollowed out tunnels below the ground. Sometimes several hundred meters deep. They use well engineered ventilation shafts to funnel fresh air deep into their lairs, while using exhaust tunnels to push out toxic gases.
The constant activity of Mount Kaneznuba does not alleviate the volcano from its most horrendous feature; building up pressure that ends with a cataclysmic, world ending eruptions. The last eruption, which took place some (originally 10,000) 1,000 years ago, almost brought the entire world to its knees. The Dark Elves were almost completely wiped out, but small pockets of their race survived on the edges of their territory. Some tunnels had to quickly be plugged up in order to divert lava from flowing into their remaining towns.
When the black ash started to rain down upon the mainland of the elves, they retreated to the forests far to the west where they found the five blessed plants which brought about the creation of the Wood Elf race. Humans went as far north as they could and made a life for themselves on the remote frozen tundras of northern Glednumbria.
The Dwarves would have been fine, and technically their change shouldn't be counted by the eruption of the mountain. But the rich veins of ore in their home territory were depleted and the Dwarves had to choose between staying and stagnation or moving on and prospering. Many chose to stay, and those that did became the Gnomes. But many more left. Some to the southwest into hilly territory where they became the Hill Dwarves, a race not afraid to spend long hours under the sun. And to the northwest left the others, to a new, rich mountain range in the northwest. There they became known as the Mountain Dwarves.
Courtesy of Pixabay user Free-Photos
Mount Kaneznuba is a unique location due to the historic importance of its last eruption. The last one blanketed the central plains of Apandi in black ash that was rich in nutrients for future farming. As the ash was worked into the soil of the land agriculture took off like never before. Gone were the days of hunger and starvation, now the world was in a time of bounty. All thanks to the cataclysmic eruption of a faraway mountain. An eruption that at one time appeared to be the doom of all turned out to be the boon of all. It is for that reason that no-one holds any malice towards the mountain. Not that it would do them a whole heck of a lot to do!
There are no pilgrimages to this volcano and mountain because the Dark Elves are extremely hostile to any foreigners that enter their territory. The Dark Elves were always hostile, but after the eruption, and facing the extinction of their race, they doubled down on being bastards to anyone who entered their lands, which are conveniently marked by the edges of the black sand dunes that radiate outwards from Mount Kanezuba.
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