Biomes in Artakha [Worldbuilding][Pitch?]

Just wondering if places like Mangai, Iho and so on have difference in ecosystem. As no desert is ever the same, they all have different creatures and plants living on similar environments.

I just wanted to introduce some ideas, on different types of Biomes or ecosystems that could develop inside the same area.

Not sure if I will continue this, but if you have any ideas on possible biomes for other parts of Artakha feel free to post.
Also, feel free to re-imagine, or redo the biomes I have posted here. I know my drawing is not the best, so I do not mind if someone better does the job.

Without further ado, some Biomes on Mangai:

Lava Falls:
Like the Niagara Falls, you can sometimes see some rock fish attempting to climb up to the giant lava pool that feeds the falls.

Firevine Forest:
Named after the Firevine. A strange plant that grows leaves that look like fire. Try not to get lost in the Firevine Forest.

Lavashroom Plains:
Named after the all covering Fireshroom. It grows everywhere, but specially near laval rivers. Its hot to the touch.

Ashfern Plateau:
The only place where you can find the delicate Ashfern. Its leaves are so fragile that they fall from the smallest breeze, given the impression of ashes piling underneath the fern.

Hope it inspires people to create locations for future scenes and break the oh so constant background that has plagued some regions.

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Considering the recent changes brought by the story bible, biomes are in an iffy spot.

As such I have decided to slightly ■■■■■ the theme. Looking for some incredible things that are naturally formed without the need to imagine an entirely new ecosystem.

Starting with Ihu:
This is a lake frozen in winter:

Lake Baikal:

Minnehaha Falls:

Abraham Lake:

Some frozen flowers:

Would love a field of these

Crystal Cave, Iceland:

Penitentes, Chile & Argentina:

As tall a human

This one is for those wondering on the border between Mangai and Ihu.
Ice Towers of Mount Erebus, Antarctica:

Formed by the freezing of the vapor that volcanic vents spit. They are constantly growing.

Its buzzfeed, but check this interaction between lava and Ice:

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Next is the region of Motara
I heard the Death valley has some interesting sites.

https://www.nationalparks.org/sites/default/■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■=7pUj09hx&timestamp=1470746468

McMurdo Dry Valleys:

Valle de la Luna:

http://chile.travel/wp-content/uploads/bfi_thumb/Valle-de-la-Luna-shutterstock-ATR78-mpo3kyovacp4xqfmp77433htl4w59mpwp1zdsi2qpc.jpg

Erg Chebbi, Moroco:

Sossusvlei:
http://cdn.kerdowney.com/content/uploads/2016/03/Sossuvlei-Namibia-Sossusvlei-Luxury-Safari-Namibia-Ker-Downey-pan.jpg

The Pinnacles dessert:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3262/2763923114_989069edb8_b.jpg

There other places but theya re so big that I can barely find one or two pictures to describe them.
You have the Wadi Rum, Sinai dessert, and so on.

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Erebus…that cursed place.

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So, for Naho
I found some interesting things. Most of them have to do with the cold waters.
Something called the Maelstrom:
http://www.toptenz.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Maelstrom-ocean.jpg

Red Tides:
http://www.toptenz.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/red-tide-ocans.jpg
They are algae pretty dangerous.

Brinicles:
http://www.toptenz.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/brincile-oceans.jpg
When salty Ice melts a little, the water sinks. It eventually freezes again forming this. They are harmful, life gets either frozen or cut by the crystals.

Frost Flowers:
http://www.toptenz.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/frost-flowers.jpg
Requires no wind, and cold.

Two oceans meet:
http://www.toptenz.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/baltic-north-sea-ocean.jpg
The cold and sweet water from icebergs melts and meets the rest of the ocean, creating this phenomenon.

Well, creatures that have bioluminescense meet oxygen, you get this:
http://www.toptenz.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/bioluminescense.jpg

Brine pools, like a lake inside the ocean:

Form when a tectonic ■■■■■ exposes a salt deposit. The water becomes extremely salty, and dense. There is no oxygen there so normal sea life dies inside.
Better explained by this video.

It is all underwater. I suggest you watch in the highest definition you can muster. Since some things cannot be seen on the tiny screen.

Finally, not sure if you have heard of the Bay of Fundy. The tide rises to 48 ft, more than 12m, (this number varies, but I do not think it matters much considering the number itself is that large.)

There is a river that ends near the Bay, Let just say that when the tide is high, the ocean flows into the river, instead of the river flowing into the ocean.

2 Likes

Now, the third hardest place to find interesting pictures about: Mangai
I do not know if my subpar drawing were doing anything, but they were ideas.
However there are some pretty interesting things that happen with volcanoes, it is just not easy to photograph, let alone photograph in the context of Mangai. Unfortunately none of the color scheme is going to appear in most pictures so, just imagine, or photoshop it if you have the skills.

Without further ado:
Calderas (Yellowstone super volcano)
https://img.newatlas.com/yellowstone-caldera-1.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&ch=Width%2CDPR&fit=crop&h=347&q=60&rect=0%2C0%2C1626%2C914&w=616&s=bd8ce0854643c0bb01db0688aa8bdd55
Calderas happen when a volcano collapses on itself, forming a whole that later fills with water. Since the water can’t drain you get a lake, that is heated by magma if the volcanoe is still active.

Kīpuka:

Normal hill where lava flows around leaving the vegetation alive. Maybe for a Tiro-Mangai border?

Lava Domes:

Highly viscous lava gets stuck at the opening of a volcano. The pressure makes it puff like a balloon. They can explode, expel lava like toothpaste, or collapse on themselves.

Lava Tubes:

Sometimes lava solidifies on the exposed area, while the center continues to travel. This gives rise to lava tubes, where the solid lava works as an insulator keeping the lava hot for longer periods of time.

Lava Lake:

Lava filling a caldera is called a lava lake. They do not last for long, they either get drained or do something like an eruption.

This one because why not:

Pillow Lavas:

When lava decides to go outside through the water.

Of course you have probably see the Ice towers.

There are also some basalt formations:
(Basalt is a rock made from lava, and Igneous rock)
Giant’s Causeway:

This in Turkey:

Basalt is also used in construction and as cobblestone. Heating it and extruding gives stone wool, a thermal insulator.
If you are curious:

The other types of rocks that form from lava are rhyolite, andesite, obsidian and pumice.

Rhyolite:
Mainly used in construction.

Andesite:
Nothing great, some use in construction. It is very common.

Obsidian:
I do not think I need to say much, but being extremely brittle is what gives it the edge you want for cutting. Under electron microscopes obsidian edges still look smooth, while metal knives look jagged and irregular.

Pumice:
Formed from violent eruptions, they are used mainly in making concrete. Romans used it as an additive to concrete and build the aqueducts and the Pantheon with it. It is used in so much I might as well just copy the wiki page:

So for my friend in the lava farming article, hope this helps.

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Second to last in the series and the second hardest one to find good pictures off: Tiro

Seeing it is a Forest of some kind, the images give me more a vibe of a rain-forest. So I took it upon myself to use the largest and most diverse rainforest there known to man, the Amazon rainforest.
So, I will just post some pictures as examples and then some links where you can find better inspiration for the plants you can finds as well as the animals.

Plants:
Flowers?:






http://ecorazzi.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/orchid1.jpg
Other things:

https://www.livingrainforest.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/Lily-with-Lucy1.jpg

A link to WWF. They give a pretty interesting description on how things work around the forest as well as a list of the general groups of plants. From trees to those who have evolved so they do not need to grow on the floor.

Animals:
Yeah, not gonna bother, too many, just use the link for WWF, they will give you a general idea. They go from dolphins, turtles, Boas, poison dart frogs, and so on. From Piranhas, fish that eat fruits to one of the biggest fresh water fish in the world (3 meters, 9 feet?). To weird things like ants cultivating gardens for 800 years.

Also, there is a INPA science center. Which I find interesting considering Tiro is the region of scholars. Where people study many things, and home of the Archive Maximus. Yeah, now I need a concept art on that archive or a laboratory, or something. I do not know, maybe amber preservation pods? where they keep specimens?

Yeah, insane, hope it inspires you.

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So, recently I was thinking on what would happen on the border between Ihu and Mangai. Seeing as Ihu is like a Taiga, but mainly a Gacier covering a large area.

Looking for information on how volcanoes interact with ice, I found one of the many volcanoes that reside underneath a glacier. I present you the 2014 eruption of Bardarbunga.

https://lintvkxan.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/holuhraun-volcano-eruption-guide-to-iceland.jpg?w=650

The volcano is a little strange. I had trouble identifying the vent (place where the lava comes from) at first. Turns out it is a stratovolcano and a caldera at that. It also has an associated volcanic system and a fissure swarm.

What does that mean? Well, volcanic system is basically a bunch of vents that are connected to the main vent. The fissure swarm is like the mane implies a bunch of fissure where lava can come out.

Tried drawing something inspired on this, but it is taking too long. I think this is the beginning of the Eruption, as later pictures have either covered the snow in ash or melted the ice.

Edit: I have to apologize that is a picture of another volcano, also from Iceland. The Holuhraun.
Edit: Holuhraun is a vent from the Bardarbunga, so same volcanoe, I guess, different vent?

Here is a birds eye view of the Bardarbunga, it is massive, to the point where pictures raely show the Ice during the eruption.
https://volcano.si.edu/volcanoes/region17/ice_ne/bardarbunga/3910bar08f.jpg

Another related picture:

From further away:

Innactive:

Can you see it? Took me some time.

Edge of a cauldron, at the southernmost part of the caldera.

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