Lost River

The Lost River is an in-development biome. It is a massive, frigid  cavern system located deep under the surface.

Entrances to the Lost River can be found in both Blood Kelp Zones, the Dunes, the Deep Grand Reef and via the Inactive Lava Zone corridor found in the Dunes.

Description
The Lost River is generally gloomy and foggy, possessing a distinct greenish water tint that is mostly illuminated by brine pools. These pools cover almost all of the lower portions of the caverns.

A Precursor Base will be found here.

The Lost River is composed of four distinct areas:

Bones Field= The Bones Field is a vast cavern within the Lost River, where a massive skeleton of an unknown fauna can be seen laying. It connects to the first Blood Kelp Zone, through passages, each of them having its own flora and particular landscape, and also the Ghost Canyon.

Ghost Canyon= The Ghost Canyon is a huge passage featuring multiple caves and tunnels branching out from one main canyon. This serves as an entrance to the Lost River from the Deep Grand Reef and connects to the Bones Field from the south. Numerous roots and luminescent-tipped branches litter the sides and bottom of the brine-filled trenches. It will feature a few low brine-falls.

Ghost Trees Chamber= A large chamber lead from the main entrance of the Lost River (located in the second Blood Kelp Zone). This area is filled with whitish glowing blobs and dark brown giant Ghost Trees, and is also the starting point of the brine river. From there, the player can either go straight forward into the Bones Field, or turn right to enter the Tree Cove. Numerous slime-covered low spires populate this area and various high brine-falls will be present.

Tree Cove= The Tree Cove is a large cavern within the Lost River. The brine river forms a large lake there, with the luminous Giant Cove Tree in its center. One end opens to the north tunnel leading to the Bones Field, and the other a corridor to the Inactive Lava Zone. Roots and branches grow scattered on the brine-lake and numerous Ghostrays inhabit the chamber.

Resources

 * Deep Shroom Spore
 * Sulphur
 * Uraninite Crystal

Fauna

 * Ghostray

Flora

 * Giant Cove Tree
 * Deep Shroom

Confirmed Future Fauna

 * Blighter
 * Crabsquid
 * River Prowler
 * Spinefish

Future Plans

 * The Lost River is planned to be about 700 to 1000 meters deep when finished.
 * The Secondary Bio-Research Facility will be implemented in the Lost River.
 * A material that can only spawn as a Large Resource Node and a material that can only appear by itself will be implemented in the Lost River.
 * The brine in the Lost River will inflict acid damage to the player in the near future.  However, the Reinforced Dive Suit and PRAWN Suit will not be affected by it. Resources will also be found in the brine.

Gallery
For a more complete gallery, visit Lost River/Gallery.

Trivia

 * The Lost River is inspired by real life brine pools.
 * The skeleton in the Bones Field is suggested to be either the corpse of a Sea Dragon Leviathan or a close cousin to it.
 * Like other segmented biomes (such as the Inactive Lava Zone), the Lost River's technical data divides it into the LostRiver_TreeCove, LostRiver_BonesField and LostRiver_TreeCove again for the Ghost Canyon (this aids the AI in deciding music tracks, random events and creature behaviour).
 * The planned acid Damage from the brine is a possible implementation/reference to the undeveloped "Pillars of Silence" biome, where enormous jets of acid dot an alien seabed.