[A to Z April] W is for Wild Drip Crater (locale)

Wild Drip Crater is a unique feature of the landscape in the prairie in the geographic center of the continent of Dran. While those who have not seen the Crater for themselves routinely refer to it as "simply a hole in the ground," those who have witnessed it have never been the same.

The Crater appears to be in the geographical center of the continent. The crater itself is an oval measuring 300' wide by 400' long at the rim's widest points; the walls slope gradually to the floor. A single pathway spirals down the outside edge making two complete circuits before it reaches the inner floor, some 400' below. The substance making up the floor and walls defies identification: it is neither dirt, nor stone. It most closely resembles bleached bone. All attempts to sample or break the surface of the crater have failed: it is impenetrable and unbreakable. Other than the pathway, the entire surface of the Crater is smooth, unbroken, and featureless.

While the surrounding plains are green and verdant, the crater itself is dry. Bone dry. Any water or liquid that is spilled or poured out onto the surface of the crater vanishes, presumably from evaporation, before it touches the ground. No matter the weather on the outside, no precipitation ever finds its way to wet the surface of the Crater. No matter the season on the outside, the inside of the Crater is always at a constant 71º. There are no winds or weather patterns within the Crater; even magical weather fails within the Crater.

Perhaps the oddest feature of the Crater is that which gives it its name: the wild drip. While inside the Crater, individuals report hearing the distinct sound of dripping water. There is no discernible source for the sound, but -- without fail -- one can hear a single drip every second while within the walls of the Crater.

Some have gone mad listening to this sound.


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Previous "W"s:
2012: W is for Wyrm, Slimeclaw (monster)
2011:W is for Waulker (npc)