File: jayose/Jayose Library: Yliakum Geography.txt

Legends tell that Yliakum is located inside a giant stalactite, with nothing but air outside it. No one has ever proven this theory to be true, but no one has disproven it. Looking at the stalactite from the top, it’s a perfect circle, with a hole in the middle that gets smaller and smaller as one approaches the lower levels. The gods shaped the walls of the stalactite, and made eight levels of land for life to thrive. The gods made the slopes between the levels so that the light of the Azure Sun could illuminate all the available land. Each area below the next is smaller; what is under the Deep and above the Dome are mysteries often spoken of in legend and myth.

The land is illuminated by a giant blue crystal; this crystal radiates with high levels of magical energy and grants the inhabitants as well as the flora and fauna increased vigor, in addition to the light it gives off. The 6th level, also known as the Lakeshore, has a very large lake in the center that goes down to the 7th and 8th levels, known as the Lower Field and the Deep. These last two levels are completely submerged by water and populated by aquatic creatures such as fish and Nolthrir.

The caverns referred to as the Stone Labyrinths are tunnels connected to the Dome level, and are as diverse as they are confusing. They often hide monsters and other beings that have been chased there by the civilized races. Most are not happy about their dark and dreary homes. The more intelligent of them often plot on how to bring down the ’civilized races’ who reside in Yliakum.

The first level has a land that is double the area of the others. From the floor of the first level to the roof, where the crystal is located, there is a distance of about 10 km. The Barn is located about 5km below the Dome; the same distance separates all other adjacent levels. Traveling from one to the other can be accomplished with pterosaurs, by walking down steps hewn into the side of the slopes, or by using a winch. The Dome has a total diameter (hole included) of 50 km, and the floor is about 10 km wide. Thus, the surface area is about 1257 square km. The Barn has a total diameter of 40 km, and the floor is 5 km wide, for a surface area of about 550 square km. The Far Ground and levels below have decreasing surface areas in similar fashion.