Northern Caves; Setting

The northern tier of Crystallus is riddled with caves as mysterious as the crystals themselves. The caves are marked with a small mountain range and are separated into three areas: The southern trails, the west mines and the northern passages. These caves can contain heavy concentrations that can cause strange things to occur if not careful. Even the inhabitants of Crystallus are wary of these caves and regard them in an almost religious manner. The caves almost have a magical tendency to them and are very easy to get lost in, especially for outsiders not attuned with the crystals. A small city has been established just outside of the caves as a last stop before exploring and as a hub to trade and sell crystal wares. Most of the natives make livings off either collecting the crystals, crafting the crystals, acting as guides for outsiders or a combination of the three.

The Southern Trails;
The Southern Trails are made up of wider caverns and smaller rooms. These caverns are relatively easier to navigate, and don't hold as many dangers as the Northern Passages. Many tours and religious expeditions go on here due to it's ease. Even though the crystal count isn't as dense in this part of the caves, visitors have never had a complaint about a lack of crystals.

The Western Mines;
The Western Mines are where the crystallus natives have allowed the outsiders to mine the mountain. It is under very close watch and the foreigners don't tend to mess with Crystallus. They did attempt to once, but it didn't turn out well for them. Most if not all of the original passages have collapsed by now and past the quarry that has formed on the west end of the mountain are many smaller artificial caverns. A few underground bases have been set up as well to support the mining operations.

The Northern Passages;
The Northern Passages have the highest concentration of crystals, but as such can cause some very weird things to occur. Just like how too many crystals can cause a Kabulbeast to go bersek, people can experiance drastic mood changes, hallucinations and even some physical mutations. Guides that are dedicated to exploring these caves are very necessary to survive. The crystals have cause the local fauna to evolve and creates new dangers. On top of that some say the very caves themselves change. Others have claimed it must have been hallucinations, but all that is certain of the Northern Passages is that it's not a place you want to wander into. Some of the most religious fanatics venture into these caves to get strong spiritual experiences.