Hotsprings & Geysers

A Guide to the Geothermal Features of the River Twine Holt Area - Intro

Although the area of RTH includes a lot of obvious volcanic cones (Elder Peak, Knife Peak, Greenstone Mountain, Lookout Mountain, etc.), these have been dormant since at least the arrival of the Palace of the High Ones, and probably for some time prior to that (since the arrival of the elves and trolls did not uncover evidence of very recent volcanic activity). While the lifespans of elves and trolls extend to thousands of years, we should keep in mind that that is still a fairly "short" period in terms of geologic time, and so we may assume that it is not unrealistic to expect this period of dormancy (for major volcanic eruptions) to continue indefinitely from the Holt's perspective.

However, that doesn't mean there is no geothermal activity in the area! In fact, features like hot-springs and geysers are evidence that thermal activity is still ongoing.

In addition to the spectacle that some of them provide, and to the uses that the elves can make of them for bathing, it should be borne in mind that in the cold of winter, hot-springs of all types will often attract animals to their warmth (even the "good" springs aren't good for drinking, so the warmth and the microclimate they create is the main attraction). The elves may exploit this, although there are trade-offs. The steam from hot-springs may cause snow cover in the immediate area to be lighter than elsewhere, which will attract animals looking for an easier time accessing vegetation; but, the steam also will heavily encrust the immediate area in frost and ice. The attraction of large ungulates (such as deer, elk, and bison) will also not go unnoticed by other predators in the area, so elves visting any hot-springs in winter must be vigilant for dangers presented by predators such as mountain-cats who may be thinking along similar lines.

The elves are familiar with three main types of thermal features, as follows.

"Friendly" Hot-springs

Marked by yellow dots on the map, these are warm mineral-spring features that are not dangerous to living creatures. Each dot represents either a single spring, or a small collection of springs and pools. Elves often enjoy recreational bathing/soaking in these warm waters. Some of these springs may still exude a sulfurous stink, and the immediate run-off from them is not good for drinking.

The Near and Far Hot-Springs

These are the closest thermal features to the Dentrees, located within the thornwall a couple of hours' walk, or an hour or so's wolf-ride to the south. Both consist of a small set of multiple springs forming several pools; the Near Hot-Springs is a slightly smaller "complex". These are favorite bathing/soaking spots for the tribe, and have been worked on by rockshapers over the generations to enhance the natural features and make them more comfortable for the elves' use.

The Elder Springs

Located relatively close to the Dentrees (a half-day's ride by wolf-back, outside the thornwall to the west), on the southern flanks of Elder Peak, this is a larger complex of springs and pools that includes the actual Elder Springs and the Nutmash Spring close-by.

Fork Spring

A single warm spring located on a high-point of ground within the Braided River delta, it has a small pool attached to it that was rockshaped by Clayshard when the elves arrived and founded River Twine. It is seldom used by the elves any more, because of its exposed location and the possibility of human traffic in the area.

Shelter Springs

Located a day's ride to the northeast, on the edge of the less heavily-forested, high interior plateau, this complex of springs has one set of "friendly" mineral pools amongst a collection of "unfriendly" ones. This is a popular area for prey-animal concentration during the winter.

Rushwater Springs

Two sets of mineral hot-springs located on the northern flank of Knife Peak (and the south bank of the Rushwater River), these are now too close to the human settlements for the elves to visit.

Crystal Springs, and Cloudmaker Spring

Another set of springs located near Cloudmaker Lake and Geyser (see below), these were once located on the edge of the Holt's territory, but are now well outside it, in lands that the humans frequent (which is frustrating, as it is another area that attracts prey animals in the winter). Crystal Springs is a series of mineral springs, only one of which is "useable"; the site is notable for having formed a collection of travertine terraces, most of which are small but a few of which have formed basins big enough for elves to sit in. Cloudmaker Spring is also useable, located on the edge of the lake's southern end, nearer to the geyser of the same name. (When the geyser erupts -- on its erratic schedule -- the nearby spring reservoir empties, and may take up to 2 days to refill. It being noticeably low can be a sign of recent geyser activity.)

Thunderfoot Springs

Located well outside the Holt's territory (even before the arrival of humans), this set of springs near Halfwolf's Lake on the edge of the Vast Grasslands is so-named because it is known to attract bison in winter months.

Greenstone Springs

Located on the northern flank of Greenstone Mountain in the northeast, at the head of a small lake.

"Unfriendly" Hot-Springs

Marked by pink dots on the map, these come in two types -- springs that are caustic and thus poisonous to life (because of mineral/chemical or acid content), and, springs that may or may not be caustic, but that emerge at lethally high temperatures. The heat may still attract animals in winter, though. The elves' sense of smell is generally good enough to detect when a spring is likely to be dangerous.

Scalding Springs

Located farther west on the flanks of Elder Peak, this is a set of springs that, as the name suggests, emerge so hot that they are not good for bathing in.

Jewel Springs

Located on Elder Peak's northern flanks, these are a set of caustic springs very pretty in their range of colors, but those colors are caused by the presence of chemicals that make them too poisonous even to bathe in.

Rainbow Springs and Shelter Springs

Located about a day's ride northeast of the Dentrees, this complex consists of only one spring that isn't dangerous to life. The other spring paired with the "friendly" Shelter Spring is too hot to bathe in. The Rainbow Springs are spectacular to view because of the array of colors, but are poisonous. The Rainbow Springs complex now contains one of the two geysers known to the elves, the Growler Geyser; and it has also been the site of other geysers in the past (see below).

Bubbling Spring

Located a little distance north of Cloudmaker Lake, nearer to the Bounty River, this is a single very-hot spring as well as some mud-pots, that takes its name from its characteristic boiling appearance.

Crystal Springs

While this set of springs includes one that is safe to bathe in, the rest are pretty (including some spectacular collections of crystal accumulations) but must be avoided because of their poisonous nature.

Lookout Springs

Located on the flanks of Lookout Moutain, these are best left alone because of their extreme heat.

Knife Flank Springs

Located on the southern flanks of Knife Peak, this series of springs is both very hot, and caustic.

Copper Springs

Located up on the southern flanks of Greenstone Mountain, these springs are also both very hot, and caustic.

Yellow Rock Springs

Located in the valley above Halfwolf's Lake, far to the south, these springs get their name from the high sulfur content and accumulation of sulfur crystals on the rocks around them.

Geysers

Marked by blue dots on the map, these are irregularly explosive thermal features that send water and steam shooting up into the air. They are also the thermal features that are subject to the greatest amount of change over periods of time. The two geysers known to the elves now are not the only ones that have been known since the founding of the Holt; and it is always possible that a new geyser might emerge somewhere in the general area. Present-day hot-springs may have been geysers at some time in the past. Thus, this information is subject to some change, and should not necessarily be assumed to have been true hundreds or thousands of years before the present.

Growler Geyser and Rainbow Springs

Located within the Rainbow Springs complex about a day's ride northeast of the Dentrees, this is a fountain geyser that began erupting from one of the Springs' pools about 155 years ago (right around the time of Quick Fang's birth in 2348). It was named for its loud sound when erupting. Its eruption height and periodicity is erratic -- instead of erupting just once, it goes off in a series of eruptions of varying intensity and height: an eruption of 20 feet, followed several minutes later by a taller eruption, etc. At its greatest height it can be as much as 200 feet (60m) tall.

When it was first noticed, it erupted at intervals of 27-40 hours. The most recent sustained observations by elves have noticed that it is erupting a little more often, about every 20-26 hours. (Of course, the elves' ability to measure periods of time is not that precise; but, they can notice that it tends to erupt closer to every day, rather than sometimes erupting closer to every two days.) The change is probably due to shifting geology in the region following small earthquakes.

One of the hot-spring pools in the Rainbow complex was once a geyser known to the first generation of elves in RTH; but some kind of shift, likely a deep earthquake, caused the Rainbow geyser to stop erupting around the time of Chieftess Foxsly's birth (around 670). Another of the pools was known as the Constant Geyser from approximately the 1850s through 2200; it was so-named for its frequent (several times an hour) small-scale eruptions (usually no greater than 20 feet high); again, the elves do not know for sure why it started erupting, or why it stopped, but we can assume that tectonic activity was the cause.

Cloudmaker Geyser and Crystal Springs

Located near the southeast shore of what is now called Cloudmaker Lake, this is a cone geyser (i.e. it erupts out of the ground, and has formed a small mound or cone from mineral deposits) consisting of three vents close together. It was first noticed by the elves about 90 years ago, and they don't know very much about it because it has such an erratic eruption schedule. The elves have noticed periods between eruptions of 1 day, 4 days, and 7 days... but because the geyser is located so far away from the Dentrees (and is now in an area that the elves seldom go, because of the arrival of humans), it can be impossible for them to say what its exact schedule is -- only that it is long enough between eruptions (unlike Growler Geyser, or historically, Constant Geyser) that they usually can't stick around to observe multiple eruptions. Some observations have suggested that it may go dormant for years at a time (but it can be hard to tell).

But when it does erupt, watch out! It is highly explosive, not just tall but very wide, and after its eruption of water it will continue to vent large amounts of steam for up to 2 days, hence its name. Some eruptions are relatively small, but the elves have observed truly gigantic ones -- up to 300 feet (90m) tall. Relatively nearby Cloudmaker Spring (which can be used for bathing) empties when the geyser erupts, and can take up to two days to refill; so finding it empty or very low can be a sign of a recent eruption.

Because of its unpredictability, a Cloudmaker eruption has been eyewitnessed by very few living elves (although it's probable that many have "seen" it in the sending images of those who were on hand for one). It is less of an actual presence in the elves' lives than it is an element of their stories. (Most of the elves' observations of it erupting took place during winter months, when hunting parties would camp out near the hot-springs of the area in order to take advantage of prey congregating there in the winter. Since the arrival of humans, though, the elves no longer do this, so they have not been able to make sustained observations of this geyser for the last 25 years or so.)

Further away, up the coast of the lake, Crystal Spring was once a cone geyser known to the elves, from about the time of One-Leg's birth (near 1690) up through the time of Snowfall's birth (in 1950). And a little further north from that, on the site of what is now Bubbling Spring, there was a known geyser briefly, from shortly before Fletcher's wrapping (around 2250) until just around the time of Nightstorm's birth (around 2310); it was called Blackwater Geyser, for its extremely "dirty" eruptions (containing a lot of mud and debris), and was probably related to the mud-pots that exist on that site to this day.

Geyser Timeline (dates approximate)

499-670 - Rainbow Geyser (Rainbow Springs complex)

1690-1950 - Crystal Geyser (Crystal Springs complex)

1850-2200 - Constant Geyser (Rainbow Springs complex)

2250-2310 - Blackwater Geyser (Bubbling Spring complex)

2348-present - Growler Geyser (Rainbow Springs complex)

2413-present - Cloudmaker Geyser (Cloudmaker Spring complex)