MIIRSOLAI
LOCATION
LOCATION
A canyon oasis, hidden deep in the heart of Viirata. At an unmarked location within Viirata, lies what one might consider the Capital of the natives, Miirsolai, which is where they congregate upon the arrival of the wet seasons for celebrations, ceremonies, bountiful foods, and some of the sparse interaction they will ever get with their kind.
Miirsolai translates directly to Moon (Miir) and Water (Solai) in the language of the Risk. This has lead to the desert also being called Moonwaters. The name is indicative of the bright white limestone deposits formed by welling events, which appear much like the face of a full moon. Solai means both water and sky in the language of the Risk as they conflate the two. The water that wells up from the ground during welling events pools in the limestone deposits, reflecting a beautiful turquoise color like a sunrise. This phenomenon only occurs during specific times of the year, but it is such an important event that the canyon was named for it.
Canyon Oasis
Arid Subtropical Red Rock Desert Steppe
~2100 to 2600 ft
The capital location of the Viirata natives, the Risk, Miirsolai is mainly used as a gathering place for celebration. The Moonwaters is an oasis that was formed by eons worth of welling events from the jungle highlands outside of the desert that eroded a deep canyon hidden from unwitting passersby in the rocky desert. Typically the canyon is dry, sparse, and lacking in greenery, but when welling events occur, and the waterways are flooded once more, it create a paradise for the Risk
Miirsolai is an oasis within the largest canyon in Viirata, from the head of which an ancient volcanic tube brings water to the surface, when the rains from a distant jungle highland floods into the water table beneath the jungle and into the desert. This is referred to as a welling event.
The water from the welling events carries many minerals with it which get deposited into the canyon river, forming stepped pools surrounded by sand and limestone dams. This creates bright turquoise blue pools on top of the white lime, lending to the name of the location. The white limestone looks very similar to the moon, hence Moonwaters.