On this page you will find descriptions of different terrains as well as notable locations that these terrains can be found in.
Grass
[ notable locations: Moors of Adover, Obridin Forest, Inner and Outer Kostasra City ]
Dry - Dry grass is one of the most typical terrains you'll encounter, all over the Isle of Kalera. Dry grass gives the best grip; it's easier for your claws to dig into it (along with dirt), and is easiest to train or run on.
Wet - Wet grass is slippery, harder to run or train on, and poses the risk of injuries if you fall. You can risk the potential of a sprain if you fall on wet grass, and you can also risk being pinned if you lose your footing in a fight.
Tall - Tall grass can help muffle your pawsteps, provide a cushion for a fall, or if you trip. It can also hide little critters like rabbits or mice within.
Short - Short grass provides no cover for creatures; it's typically more on the dry end and sometimes crunchy. It's easy to run in and train on. This is found all over the Isle of Kalera.
Sand
[ notable locations: Jeledran Beach, Famicyre Lake ]
Dry - Dry sand can be tiring to run on, as it can shift underneath you, giving resistance and draining your energy faster. It can be used to fling into your enemy's eyes to temporarily blind them. When it's windy, sand can be picked up by the wind and get into your eyes and face. It can sting.
Wet - Wet sand is a little firmer but will still shift under your feet. It can get stuck between your toe pads and dig into your skin. It can get stuck in your fur and become an irritant, and lead to infection if it gets into any cuts or scrapes and is not washed out or left untreated. It can get into sensitive places like your armpits and slow your movements.
Deep - Deep sand can shift under you, and you can have difficulty getting through it. You'll encounter major resistance if you're sinking into deep sand, and it isn't optimal to train or fight in.
Compact - Compact sand will offer less resistance, be easier to step on, and run on. It can be hard if it's compacted and firm, either wet from waves along the beach or if it has been packed down and dried out. Injury can still happen on compact sand; if you're slammed down on it, you can have the wind knocked out of you.
Quicksand - Quicksand is a danger, full stop. If you find yourself in quicksand, you must remember not to panic. With others' help, you can get out of quicksand via the use of logs/sticks to help pull you out. If you're trapped in quicksand and panicking, trying to pull any limb out too fast could risk you dislocating it. It's best to avoid quicksand at all costs.
Dirt
[ notable locations: Inner and Outer Kostasra City, Moors of Adover, Obridin Forest ]
Dry - Dry dirt is easy to navigate, it can sometimes shift underfoot if you step on a mound, but at worst it's an irritant. Dry dirt can be used to distract enemies, flicked up into their eyes and face to sting and temporarily blind them. It's a preferable terrain to train on or spar.
Wet - Wet dirt can lead to mud (note below). It can be squishy underfoot and an irritant if it gets in between your toes and dries. You have to be mindful not to slip when it's wet, which could lead to minor injuries like sprains.
Marsh
[ notable locations: Dastetha Swamplands ]
Mud - Mud can be deceptive. There can be deep holes that don't seem so deep, where one can trip into and get stuck. Mud can suck you in, making every step a fight to keep from becoming trapped. Mud can dry and cake on fur, leading to skin irritation, and is often difficult to clean off if you have longer or thicker fur.
Water - Check Below for shallow and deep. The water in the marshlands can be more cloudy, filled with mud and dirt and debris, hard to see through and hard to see what's underneath. It can hide holes in the mud or waterbed below, and dangerous creatures like alligators or snakes.
Water
[ notable locations: Jeledran Beach, Dastetha Swamplands, Famicyre Lake, edges of Obridin Forest ]
Shallow - Shallow water is more of an irritation than anything else. In shallow water, you'll find only minor resistance against your feet/legs. You'll be able to walk through it and sometimes try and quicken your pace, but you will find difficulty in running. Shallow water runs the risk of you stepping on something like slick rock and falling. It can weigh your fur down, so if you fall down, it will make you heavier and slower.
Deep - Deep water is difficult, you'll find resistance with every step, and will lose energy quicker than in shallow water. Depending on the area, if the water is cold, it can make you colder and potentially lead to hypothermia if you aren't out fast enough or dry off in time. One can drown in deep water if they fall or are injured, or if they don't know how to swim. Deep water can potentially be used to your advantage if you're in a life-or-death situation. You can pin and drown an opponent, and if you're in salt water, it burns, so you can use that to temporarily blind your opponent by stinging their eyes with salt water.
Snow
[ notable locations: Sozulyn Mountains ]
Deep - Deep snow can provide not only an irritant and a hassle, but a danger. One runs the risk of falling into unexpectedly deep pockets of snow, where they can have further snow cave in and fall over them, effectively burying them, where they may be unable to escape and can run the risk of suffocation. There's also the potential of falling into a pocket of deep snow while running and risking breaking a limb or even one's neck. One may find it difficult to run in deep snow if not built for it, which can leave them winded and tired. Powdery snow can accumulate on fur and freeze on the pelt in the cold. Ice on the fur can be too cold for some creatures, especially lighter-furred ones, and you shouldn't try to stay too long in this climate if you're unaccustomed or unprepared for it.
Compact - Packed down snow can often be deceiving; while one may assume it could be easier to traverse, it can be a solid and hard force if one were to be knocked down onto it or fall. While you may have a better chance at finding footholds in compact snow, it can also be slippery, and one can lose their balance. Light snow on top of compact snow can often be used to spray into an enemies eyes to temporarily blind them.
Ice
[ notable locations: Sozulyn Mountains ]
Arguably one of the most dangerous terrains to find yourself in or on, ice is not something one wishes to be trapped on or attempting to fight or flee on. If you find yourself on ice, there is very little grip/resistance, it's easy to slide and fall, leading to injury. You don't wish to try fighting on it, nor running away on it. Some creatures are more adapted to movement on the ice - such as snow leopards, arctic foxes, and reindeer.
When ice gets slick, it's even more dangerous, with no holds for your claws (especially for canines). Falling through the ice can be a major risk within the lower portions of the Sozulyn Mountains, leading to the potential of hypothermia and even death if you cannot get out. There is also the danger of falling in and getting trapped underneath the ice, where you can asphyxiate and drown underwater.
Rock | Stone
[ notable locations: Obridin Forest, Dastetha Swamplands, Outer Kostasra City, Sozulyn Mountains ]
Dry - While arguably less dangerous than slick rock, dry rock still offers no purchase for a character to find. Falling on rock can lead to injury, from dislocations to even breaks, depending on the distance you fall - or are thrown - from, as well as the speed at which you impact into it. You can injure opponents if it comes to life or death by shoving them into sharp stones, or even hitting their heads against a rock. You can also put to use any pebbles or gravel by raining them on your opponents from a higher elevation, while being careful to maintain your balance.
Slick - Slick rock is even worse, with rain or water making it so that you're more prone to slipping. If a rock is underwater and you're trying to balance on it, it can often be slimy with algae or moss, causing you to lose your balance and fall in. Avoid fighting on slick rock as best you can to not risk unnecessary injury.