Benthia

Benthia is a region of Mascotia, and is the farthest remaining point of what is generally accepted as 'northeast'.



Summary
From the surface, Benthia looks like dark water, and spiky rocks. Absolutely nothing of interest here. But if you dive down... way down... I mean, freakishly deep down to the point at which your head crumples from the pressure like a... crumply thing... you will find... nothing. Pretty much nothing. A LOT of nothing.
 * Modern Name: Benthia
 * Archaic Name: Bynthean
 * Biomes: Cold Ocean, Deep-sea Trench, Deep-Sea Plain, Crag
 * Neighboring Regions: Spond, Pelagia
 * Official Element: Temporal
 * Guardian Sprite: Bynth
 * Population Density: Very Low
 * Tectonic Activity: Very High

Yet in this nothing, there is life. Benthia is the region of benthic plains, coldseep valleys, tubeworm forests, hydrothermal vents, and a lot of volcanic angst rising from the mantle. This is where the cool fish hang. Full of squid, octopi, anglerfish, cnidarians, siphonophores, and countless living mucus globs. Bioluminescent creatures light up the sprawling blackness above you like fireflies. Lava and charred whalebone give off a creepy red glow. Caverns here go deeper than anywhere else in Mascotia. Most of the area is not even on the map. Of course, cartographers find it SO much easier to just draw the water and the pointy rocks... but they leave a lot out. Heed our words of warning, however - It's kill or be killed. This world may just turn you... into a monster yourself.

Notable Locations

 * Bathysteps - These amazing geological formations work just like stairs. So that's what they're used for. Many hungry creatures wait here to barter with tourists. If you don't have money, they don't have a reason not to devour you headfirst.
 * Blackdepth Caverns - These mysterious caves hold countless Stauroteuthi, Sttuporious, Anglerfish, and yes - more hungry monsters. Lord knows what lurks here... but at least you'll die an exciting wonderful death.
 * The Benthic Prairie - Completely safe... nah, just kidding! Although by Benthian standards, it is a nice neighborhood. The rock floor seems to go on forever. There are tubeworm outcroppings and small coldseep pools here and there, but that's about it.
 * Copepod Village - For god's sake, have some class and stop eating the delicious, crunchy, succulent villagers!
 * Chimney Forest - A maze of scalding sulphur vents... and it smells. Questions?
 * Coldseep Canyon - This area is quiet... too quiet. What appears to be a giant underwater ocean sprawls out ahead of you. Only a handful of creatures know what lies under this undersea sea... but you'll just be gagging and splashing around in it. We reccomend the ferry.
 * Sea Devil's Lair - The lair of a hideous, ugly, revolting fish thingy. It's pretty dark and smelly, but it's rumored to be full of treasure. Too bad it's guarded by the Sea Devil. Few know what the beast really looks like, but it's a commonly known fact he is ugly. And his momma's fat.
 * Stauroteuthium Mine - An undersea mine for collecting Stauroteuthium. Now abandoned, it is patrolled by hungry goblin sharks and other dangerous denizens of the deep.
 * Caliente Chasm - This volcanic formation is very dangerous and holds the charred remains of many whales. This is definitely a tough neighborhood to survive in.
 * Needlepoint Crag - A towering (and now extinct) black smoker chimey which rises 287m above the surface of the sea. It measures 86m in diameter at sea level, and is made of mostly obsidian-graphite stuff. It's very very hard anyways, and the peak is very sharp.

Native Flora and Fauna
Not much flora can survive in these depths, although the ocean's surface is choked with algae and sargassum.

As for fauna, there is great diversity, but it is found far and inbetween.

Benthic Wildlife:

Ghoul Shark, Benthian Isopod, Stauroteuthic Octopus, Vampyroteuthic Octopus, Ostraclod, Benthian Copepod, Heavy Nettle, Death Nettle, Titanic Squid, Vladian Seaspider, Goocumber, Coldseep Tubeworm, Volcanic Tubeworm, Rusty Gulper-Eel, Slender Snipe Eel, Anchor Worm, Fancy Plume Worm, Bloop, Ambulatory Tunicate, Archaic Nautilus, Illuminite Squid, Acidspit Anemone, Blackdepth Viperfish, Blackdepth Anglerfish, Firework Siphonophore, Maroon Jelly, Lesser Krakken, Frostbreath Leviathan, Cephaldian, Bynthean Paper Nautilus, Bleached Fuzzy Crab, Galatheid Rock Lobster, Giggleworthy Arrow Worm, Rocktooth Benthic Horror, Vesuvius Worm, Glistenfang Dragonfish, Dancing Sider Crab, Amethyst Stone Crab, Sawblade Shark, Decaying Shark, Coldseep Sponge, Freezing Amphipod, Deep-Whale, Heat Slug, Shrieking Maullusc, Unworthy Spoonshark, Cardinal Forkshark, Deepstaria Enigmatica Jellyfish, Deepstaria Mascotia Jellyfish, Deep Sea Eggplantfish, Deepwater Pipefish, Deepsea Crag Pipefish, Sandnose Pipefish, Burping Deepwater Pipefish, Viperfish-Eating Pipefish, Tusked Wolffish, Timber Eel, Blue Shark, Red Shark, Yellow Shark, Opera Shrimp, Bynthean Flashlight Fish, Flickering Lantern Fish, Slickback Snailfish, Pouncing Tripodfish, Hyperactive Snailfish, The Bynthean Glowfish, The Bynthean Golden Glowfish

Surface Wildlife:

Benthian Skua, Pelagian Skua Subspecies, Bynth's Skua, Killer Petrel, Slickwing Petrel, Moldy Sargassumfish, Razor Scallop, Corrosive Barnacle, Mind-Control Barnacle, Piranha Amphipod, Buoy Urchin, Derpwhal, Albatross Firefly, Gallium Pelican

Geology
Most of Benthia is made up of Bathystone, Limestone, and Bathysand. Marble, Illuminite, Sea Amethyst, Red Hadite, and Stauroteuthium are some of the more desirable minerals and rocks that can be found in the cliffsides.

Notable Residents

 * Cephal
 * Dumbo
 * Fang
 * Grimpy
 * Naudi
 * Phantom
 * Pluto
 * Red Lantern
 * Scribble
 * Squiddy
 * Staury
 * Tortanosaur