Stevie Lambert: (via JWB)

2026-05-20T13:23:40Z

(via JWB)

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{{Infobox Region
|Name = Balataeauai Black Beach
|Other Names = Unknown
|Biome = Black Beach
|Size = Unknown
|Continent = Unknown
|Subcontinent = Unknown
}}

==History==
===Historical Overview===

Balataeauai is a coastal expansion located around the Atraxis peninsula. Due to being located around a large previously active volcano, the area was not inhabited prior to the Awakening Age, when it became a shelter zone for the fleeting zu'aan. Prior to this, the place was used as a mining site and research center from time to time, due to the risk of volcanic eruptions.
Geologically, the area has not changed much ever since the zu'aan begun observing. At that time, the famous black-sand beach surrounding the large volcano known as Kumador-Frontier had already been formed. There are six major eruptions and many other smaller eruptions recorded in zu'aan history, which can be still be witnessed today by the large streaks of calcified lava running along the coast into the ocean.

As of today, the entire peninsula is used as a point of civilization by the zu'aan. Due to the immense risks associated with building and inhabiting the mountainous volcano, all of these settlements are present only on the beach itself, or in area far enough from the crater to be deemed safe. The zone is still incredibly risky to live in due to the unpredictable nature of an eruption, and the residing zu'aan were present only in Balataeauai during the Awakening Age due to sheer need. It is believed that the nearest kin'toni clan purposefully cornered them to this peninsula, and used the entire site as a hunting ground, as disappearances were very common during the early stages of the fall of the Xerea Empire.

As of the Twilight Age, however, these odd cases have dwindled and the zu'aan have been able to build civilization proper. It can only be attributed to luck that the Kumador did not erupt during the Awakening Age. The zu'aan believe that as of the Twilight Age, due to lowering temperatures and a decrease in geological activity, it is now much safer to be around the Kumador. Only time, however, will be able to tell.

Perhaps due to the grim nature of the peninsula, enshrouded in black from all sides, the early zu'aan tribes of the region developed a primitive belief in the volcano itself, and slowly begun to treat it like a deity. The inhospitable lands, dangerous volcano, wild zu'aan tribes, rumors that the kin'toni used the land to hunt prey, and rumors that the local zu'aan were worshipping the volcano like a deity and offering sacrifices of flesh, ended up giving Balataeauai a terrible reputation, and an air of isolation crawled on the peninsula like never before. As such, the current zu'aan present on Balataeauai have little to no contact or information from the outside world, and slowly but surely become more and more affected by their surroundings, as their isolation grows and their fear continues to thrive.

===History by Age===

====Stone Age: Before 1E 0====

====Copper Age: 1E 1-1E 2200====

====Bronze Age: 1E 2200-1E 4400====

====Iron Age: 2E 0-2E 700====

====Ancient Age: 2E 700-2E 2200====

====Middle Ages: 3E 0-3E 2050====

====Early Modern Age: 3E 2050-3E 2600====

====Industrial Age: 3E 2600-3E 2700====

====Machine Age: 3E 2700-3E 2800====

====Atomic Age: 3E 2800-3E 2850====

====Space Age: 3E 2850-3E 2875====

====Information Age: 3E 2875-3E 2900====

====Genetic Age: 3E 2950-3E 3000====

====Awakening Age: 3E 3000-3E 3415====

====Twilight Age: 4E 0-4E 500====

==Geography ==

Balataeauai is the name given to the black beach itself, that which surrounds the Kumador in the Atraxis peninsula. The peninsula is pointed north, with an irregular elongated shape and a number of bays and one river, called the Eugomonio. It connects to the continent on the southwest, leaving the rest of the land directly in contact with the ocean. The climate in Atraxis is humid subtropical, with rainy winters and hot summers, and an all-around temperate climate that fluctuates appropriately with the seasons. There is little to no vegetation in the peninsula, making the weather drier and hotter, but the surrounding ocean makes up for the change. There are many hot springs located around the peninsula, caused by the Kumador, and the surrounding waters, including that of the river and bays, are generally shallow and friendly to marine life.

Earthquakes and small-scale eruptions are very common in Balataeauai. These typically come paired together, and will last anywhere from a week to a few months, leaving behind rock-hail, toxic gas clouds, and a bleak and hotter than usual weather. Lava streams are uncommon but occasionally occur, usually from the side of the volcano rather than from the main crater. These are usually short-lived. The earthquakes themselves are not very high in magnitude, and the locals in the peninsula have adapted their building abilities to suit these occasional tremors. The easy access to heat and geothermal energy has also been a plus for the zu'aan. As mentioned before, there is little to no plant life in Balataeauai.

Most of them are weeds adapted to extreme conditions, or plants that have spread through the ocean and live for a short while. Ferns and cacti can be found around the beaches but never is large congregations. Trees are non-existent. This, of course, causes the fauna to exist on a small-scale as well. Ever since the zu'aan began inhabiting the peninsula, life has come back a little, and after the Twilight Age came around and the climate began lowering, more plant life can be seen surrounding the Eugomonio and the bays. The peninsula is situated north of the equador, and not too far from the poles, so temperatures are predicted to keep decreasing as time passes, and relatively soon.

The river Eugomonio dawns at a small mountain that separates the peninsula from the mainland, and snakes its way through, avoiding the volcano, until it reaches the ocean a few kilometers to the northwest. It has many small tributaries, which have served as the many civilization points for the residing zu'aan. It is a very shallow and thin river, due to the narrow and perilous nature of the land.

== Plants ==

Plant life in Balataeauai is rare due to the extreme terrain of the volcanic region. There are, however, some exceptions. Notable cases include:

-> '''Sarkakka''', a black star-shaped flowering root that thrives near calcified strands of lava. Its body has a unique cell system that allows it to utilize heat instead of solar rays in order to produce oxygen and sustain itself. The plant itself is made of a very durable live tissue and is very hot. For most of the day it will conduct a biological process akin to geothermal energy conversion inside itself, making it extremely hot, akin to how regular plant life spends most of the day in photosynthesis. For the rest of the day, which is 3-4 hours, it will open itself and show its flower, consistent of five thin black petals and a reddish bulbous interior.

During this process the plant will significantly cool down and it may be harvested for aesthetic purposes, as long as it remains at a somewhat high temperature. It will also secrete, via the roots, a slimy grey liquid, which is chemically composed of ash and sap. This is similar to an internal cell shedding due to burning damage on the interior tissue. The plant will grow back the lost tissue and begin the cycle once more. It is inedible and will likely cause serious burn damage if consumed. It spreads in the same manner as other flowers, allowing for pollinators to reach the flower's pollen when it has cooled down, and closing off completely during active periods in order to not scare pollinators away.

-> '''Ronevo''', a spicy herb that grows near the shore of the Eugomonio. It's a green bush-like plant with long, spiky leaves and a rough texture. It grows only to a few centimeters talls, and requires very little conditions to survive. It appears to prefer the lukewarm soil where the waters of the Eugomonio approach the inner volcano, and thus it's only found sparsely around the peninsula. It is edible and perennial, growing throughout the entire year and living up to six years. It has a spicy, salty taste, making it a popular and sought-after culinary addition. The leaves can be eaten raw or dried and used as spices. While the ronevo exists in various places in Taerel, this specific cultivar only found in the Atraxis peninsula is by far the most filled with taste.

-> '''Paag''', a type of pale yellow algae that grows near the shore of the Atraxis peninsula and often washes on the black-sand beach. It is incredibly poisonous, and the local zu'aan utilize it to cover the tips of spears and other weapons. It is so poisonous that even just touching it can produce wild rashes on the skin, and the zu'aan have memorized the beach spots where it grows and actively avoid them except when they're trying to harvest it. While it doesn't affect the fish life as much as it affects zu'aans, it does affect the kin'toni as well, proving a vital and excellent weapon against them. Towards the end of the Awakening, however, it seems the invading kin'toni figured out a way to cure it and it has since been dropped as obsolete. If the Twilight Age hadn't quelled the kin'toni attacks, perhaps the zu'aan wouldn't have such luck anymore.

== Animals ==

Animal life, like plant life, is also sparse within the peninsula. Some unique exceptions include:

-> '''Cetribea''', a white shrimp-like organism that lives solely on the waters of the Eugomonio. Cetribeas have an elongated body with a total of sixteen legs on each side, for males, and eighteen, for females. The extra two legs on females are used as extra protection against the males, as the population is wildly out of proportion and the females, and therefore the entire species, are at a risk of extinction. This is theorized to be due to a contagious birth defect that occurs due to a virus, which makes new females exceedingly rare to be born. The purpose of the two extra appendages prior to this crisis is thought to be simply for protecting eggs. Cetribeas are about half a meter long and ten centimeters wide, and they possess mandibules capable of injecting a paralytic substance into predators.

This substance has no effect on zu'aan. They are vegetarians, mainly consuming algae, and their main predators are large fish and mammals. They have a sturdy shell typical of similar species, but no tail. They swim around via propulsion by agitating their long bodies. They are edible and fished by the zu'aan. They are semi-amphibious and are able to survive out of water, though they are rarely seen doing so.

-> '''Kariede-rufu''', also known as <Water Sheets>. Another life form adapted to thrive off of geothermal heat, the kariede uses the heat of the Kumador for camouflaging purposes, disguising itself as water. A thin and small mammal, the skin cells of the kariede are linked through a special organic system, causing them to easily pass knowledge with one another. The kariede has eyes that can pop out of their orifices and observe the surrounding world in a nearly 360 degree fashion. The cells of the kariede are capable of absorbing heat in order to change their color. The kariede will start by laying itself on top of the water, floating calmly on the surface. It will diminish its breathing and the beating of its heart, and will float perfectly atop the surface.

It will then pop out its eyes and quickly observe its surroundings. This information will be passed to its skin cells, which will then act accordingly and render the kariede practically invisible, in an illusion of transparency that can only be broken if it were to be observed directly from the water line. This is enough to fool most of its prey, small fish and crustaceans, which will wander right beneath it. It is not enough to fool the zu'aan eye if it is paying attention, but otherwise it can pass right under it. The kariede are not hunted but used as house pets by the zu'aan. While they are technically edible, their thin and bony bodies provide little to no nutritional value.

Besides, they are very social creatures in the presence of larger non-threatening life forms, like the zu'aan, and provide endless affection and entertainment. While kariedes exist all over Taerel, the species that lives on the Atraxis peninsula and takes advantage of the geothermal properties of its river is named with the -rufu suffix.

{{Template:Controllers
|Stone Age = Unknown
|Copper Age = Unknown
|Bronze Age = Unknown
|Iron Age = Unknown
|Ancient Age = Unknown
|Middle Age = Unknown
|Early Modern Age = Unknown
|Industrial Age = Unknown
|Machine Age = Unknown
|Atomic Age = Unknown
|Space Age = Unknown
|Information Age = Unknown
|Genetic Age = Unknown
|Awakening Age = Unknown
|Twilight Age = [[Ormyv City Zu'aan]]
}}

{{NeartoDesktop
| Centre = {{PAGENAME}}
| North = Unknown
| Northeast = Unknown
| East = Unknown
| Southeast = Unknown
| South = Unknown
| Southwest = Unknown
| West = Unknown
| Northwest = Unknown
}}

{{CrossSiteAttribution
| User = [https://www.fiverr.com/mightyvanilla mightyvanilla]
| Holder = mightyvanilla
}}
[[Category:Places]]
[[Category:mightyvanilla's contributions]]

Balataeauai Black Beach - Revision history

Stevie Lambert: (via JWB)