Miorskrípi

Location

The miorskripi or "center of horror" is the area overwhelmed and destroyed by the Jordbani that is not inhabitable by humans. The very heart of the miorskripi is the location in old Jorathar City where the original leyline breach that poisoned Eryia occurred. The Miorskripi is a volcanic region filled with volcanos, active and semi-active thermal zones, and lava and ash fields that extend several hundred miles north and south of the original breach site. Historical records of research done by earth elemental specialist wizards indicate that rather than following natural geographic interfaces and fault lines, the miorskripi follows earth magic leylines. It is not certain if the presence of fault lines is causal to the presence of the leylines, or if the Jordbani caused the faults to occur along the leylines. Wizards of the time believed the latter.

Geothermal Risks

The Miorskripi is an extremely dangerous area for humans due to the geothermal instability of the area. Geothermal activity is active and changing, with unexpected volcanic eruptions, lava flows (both above ground and hidden by underground lava tubes), and geysers which spew boiling hot watcher up to 200 feet into the air. These active features change rapidly and unexpectedly and can quickly kill unwary travelers. More slowly changing features include quicksand, mud pots and thermal pools which can go from cool to scalding in a matter of minutes. Travelers who are not paying attention can be quickly injured or killed. The geothermal regions also have vents from below ground that frequently emit toxic gases which can kill in a matter of minutes.

Arcane Dangers

The Mioskripi is the heart of the arcane corruption and the layers of toxic ash that blanket the region make Magichem Poisoning extremely likely unless extreme measures are taken. Typical acute cases of magichem poisoning from walking through the heart of the Miorskripi unprotected result in death within a week. Treatment with the Stela Ond symbiotic is the only known life preserving treatment for acute Magichem poisoning.

In addition to this well understood problem, there have been mutations and transformations of humans into "the corrupted". Pregnant females are prohibited from entering the Miorskripi as their unborn child is extremely likely to be affected and the child will be born either corrupted (retaining a humanoid appearance) or half-breed (appearing to be a human/animal mix). The corrupted have bodies that have been warped and deformed by the wild magic but still retain their human characteristics. A very tiny minority of the corrupted have been able to pass as normal humans, but most cannot and all have changes that are as often seemingly beneficial for adapting to the Mioskripi as they are detrimental. An unborn child is most likely to become a "half-breed", though there is little evidence that breeding is actually to blame for the child's deformities. It appears that unborn children exposed to the Miorskripi usually have their biology changed by the wild magic of the area.

The third arcane danger present in the Miorskripi are the magic winds. These storms of arcane power happen without warning and can result in explosive outbursts of wild magic which often take the form of extremely dangerous lightning, hail, and sand storms. All manner of wild magic can manifest, and there is no discernable pattern or predictability of how the magic takes expression.

Wildlife

The Miorskripi is the home of many new species of magical creatures. The corrupted roam here, often descendants of people in outer regions of the Miorskripi who survived the Jordbani but were transformed by it. These corrupted may or may not attack travelers, depending on the extent of their transformations. Encounters with half-breeds is also not uncommon, and as the animal nature of the half-breed typically dominates the person, these encounters can be quite dangerous.

Wild animals in this region are aggressive and violent. Few of the original species that lived in this area still exist. It is important to note that feral and half-breeds of typically domesticated creatures such as household pets are NOT tame and will kill and eat humans. Half-breed species include animals who can fly, and some are quite large, allowing them to carry a full grown adult male back to their nests to make a meals for fledglings.

Rescue

Some persons have voluntarily moved into the Miorskripi possibly as a form of suicide. Some visit the Miorskripi as thrill seekers, while the Keminski cult has developed a practice of sacrificial offering of adherents to the Miorskripi. In addition, the desert nomads of the Burr Flakka tribe have a manhood trial where young men are led into the Miorskripi and must find their way back to the tribe unaided, though protection from Magichem and weapons are provided as part of the ritual.

The fall of the House of Eryia at Phillion’s Proclamation has led to local and regional control by warlords and gangs. None of these are remotely interested in saving your ass if you get in trouble in the Miorskripi. The only exception to this is if you happen to be a citizen of the fyrir bjod and you have family who is willing to pay coin or arms to retrieve you.