Black Ball Pit

Age Written By: MoonHunter

Theme: Danger lurks everywhere if you don’t pay attention

Aspects:
So Much Carbon
Full of Odd Life
Messy Place
A Touch of Childlike Whimsey

Perhaps it was a private project for a Journeyman writer, but there are a few linking books to be found for it. No one can quite translate the name listed for this age, as several words have several meanings. The Age opens to a small island that seems to be floating in a sea of black balls) and you are on a hill. As you move away from the hill, the layer of balls gets deeper. In some places it is a foot deep, but in others it seems to go down for a good distance. There are insects everywhere. Most are gnat like, but a few decide to bite. If you go into the balls, you will notice other bugs crawling in and around these balls, or flying over them (The local dragonflies have the most beautiful prismatic wings). Other nearby hills, when explored, seem to have geysers or hot pits of a hot black substance, that is primarily carbon (surface exposure to oxygen seems to set the slurry on fire… purifying the carbon into a charcoal. Between cooling spits and some beetles that seem to bundle and ball up the substance, these black pits are the source of the balls. Not too far there is what seems to be an actual ocean, with millions of balls floating on it. The beach area is somewhat clear of balls and teaming with small crabs (who push the few balls around) and, you guessed it, bugs.

The fishing from the beach is actually really good.

This age was obviously designed to be an easy source of charcoal/ carbon. The blackballs burn quite nicely. With a little bug repellent, this age is quite pleasant in temperature and humidity, if you don’t mind getting dirty. It is even fun to play in the balls…moving into deeper and deeper areas. (wait for it, the explorers will bring skis, saucer sleds, and other things).

Note: In the deeper areas lurks underlife… bigger life forms that lurk below. They are large insectish crab things and worm things. They are willing to snack or nibble upon unsuspecting explorers. They themselves are snacked upon by giant crabish and worm things. (Humans are between them in size.. so.. it could get dangerous. Luckily for the Humans the biggest and scariest creatures (centipedal worms with huge maws) are really just interested in the carbon balls and some smaller organics scooped up with them.

If the explorers encounter a pool of water which is filled with balls… they might not see it. Between the balls and water, they will be hard pressed to get out and could easily drown.