Adras Kwayzo
Adras Kwayzo is the highest point on the island of Chinet, and the third tallest mountain in the Great Ring. It is a highly active volcano, with a major eruption occurring approximately once every ten years. The people of Chinet say these eruptions are the result of the imprisoned god Kwayzo straining to break free of the enchanted sleep in which he lies, so that he may once again dominate the island and its inhabitants.
The forests on and around Adras Kwayzo are known for their unusual flora and fauna. During his reign, Kwayzo frequently created new creatures to torment and punish the people. He forged these beings from his native elements - smoke, fire, obsidian, and lava. When the Tigzirin of Chinet summoned the goddess Achin out of the Dream, her cleansing rain touched Kwayzo's creations and transformed them. They became flesh - but they have not forgotten the fire they were born from. Nowhere else in the Great Ring are the children of Kwayzo found. They always know when the volcano is going to erupt, and give warning to those who pay attention to them.
Notable Spirits
Kwayzo was a jealous and domineering god, and permitted no lesser spirits to anchor upon the mountain that bears his name. Even in sleep, this remains true - while his mortal creations live upon the slopes, no spirits other than Kwayzo himself are tethered here.
Some say that to sleep upon the mountain's slopes is to enter Kwayzo's prison of dreams - a daunting prospect for most, and inadvisable for any. The tales describe the prison as a vast basin of lava, endlessly cooled by a persistent rain. The god lies half-buried in the molten rock, his face contorted in unconscious rage and turned toward the sky. As the rain strikes the lava, it becomes steam, and a great cloud of it hangs above the basin, obscuring the prisoner at its center. Only his burning glow - bright as the sun - allows the viewer to pick him out.
Some who have visited this dream report waking with their skin burned by the steam. The burns fade within minutes of waking, but the memory does not.
Geography
Adras Kwayzo is a steep and rugged mountain, with ravines carved into its slopes. Climbing to the summit is a difficult endeavor - one that few attempt.
Surrounding the mountain is wilderness, home to many of the plants and animals that Kwayzo created and Achin later transformed. The best known of these are Kwayzo's Hounds - great black dogs that are the largest and most powerful in the Great Ring. While many of these hounds live within the Tigzirin communities nestled in Chinet's valleys, a feral population roams the mountain slopes. Some believe these feral hounds descend from those most loyal to Kwayzo, who rejected the Tigzirin after they summoned Achin and betrayed their god.
Another well-known species is the scorchberry bush, which produces shiny black berries that are warm to the touch. When dropped into a pot of water, these berries heat rapidly and bring it to a quick boil. Eating a scorchberry, however, is extremely dangerous - it leads to a swift and agonizing death, as the berry and its juices cook the person from within. The Tigzirin harness this property to heat water efficiently, but take great care to remove the berries before using the water for cooking.
A third creature that has gained fame beyond Chinet is the glass caterpillar. At first glance, it appears no different from an ordinary caterpillar, until it spins a cocoon made of delicate black glass. These cocoons are surprisingly durable, but when the time comes, the creature shatters its prison and emerges as a cinder moth. The intact cocoons are strikingly beautiful and prized as gems in distant lands - most notably in the Malikate of Saba. The Tigzirin will sometimes collect cocoons and submerge them in water for several days to kill the caterpillar inside, preserving the structure for sale. They also gather the shards of shattered cocoons to use in jewelry, though these are considered less valuable than the intact ones.
Geographic Details
Location: Southeastern RegionLatitude: 28.17 degrees North
Longitude: 54.13 degrees East
Elevation: 12,188 ft
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This article was originally written for Spooktober 2024. You can find all of my Spooktober Articles at Spooktober Central.
This article was originally written for Spooktober 2023. You can find all of my Spooktober Articles at Spooktober Central.
Do not eat the scorchberries, got it. I like the contrast of lava and rain.
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Thanks!