Lavaland Systems

Lavaland Systems are volcanically productive landscapes formed by sufficiently high volcanic activity, and hold unique formations not found in other biomes. They are one of the main land-forming systems, others include river watersheds and wind patterns.

History
Lava worlds have been a reoccurring theme throughout the Mario series, usually as the end-world.

In-Game
The lavaland system is one of the main world themes found in some episodes of the Prismverse Saga


 * Volcanic Lavalands
 * Lavafrost Badlands (Ice/Lava)

Lore:
The lavaland systems are a series of volcanic landscapes scattered throughout the world, concentrated at subduction plate boundaries but also found inside continents. Not all volcanic systems are capable of forming a lavaland region (such as monogenetic fields and single volcanoes). These regions are hazardous but fragile (as soon as volcanic activity falls below a certain threshold, cycling of the fire element ceases and the lava features cool down and harden).

Along with being a consequence of volcanic activity, the element cycling helps moderate volcanism and prevents any single volcano in the system from building up enough pressure to erupt at extreme violence except in some circumstances. Lavaland systems feature lava rivers, huge lava lakes and seas, ash fields and titanic volcanic mountain ranges that pump out tremendous amounts of ash and gases. Where the system collides with the coast, beaches of black sand form.

The surrounding regions are often home to hot springs and other geothermal features. The perimeter region features highly productive black soils formed from weathered volcanic ashes, sustaining fragile ecosystems and providing a ground for crops to be grown in enough volume to feed a whole army.

Lavaland systems have relatively short lifespans compared to other biomes like forests or plains. They provide excellent habitat for heat-loving crystallings like rubies and some like smoky quartz thrive within volcanoes.

Both active and extinct systems have held the ruins of long-lost Koopa Kings. The current Koopa King, Bowser, is stationed within the Volcanic Lavalands region.

Resources that are found within lavaland systems include pozzolana, lava rocks and volcanic crystals. Pozzolana is particularly useful in concrete mixes and has been key to the high-rising skyline of Nocturna Metropolis.

When lavaland systems go extinct, their remains are eroded away and lava features cool down. Lava lakes rapidly cool down at the surface to form a basalt crust, which is fragile until the underlying magmas have cooled down enough to be firm (which takes a long time as it is well-insulated by the crust). Long-dead lava lakes and lava seas host immense deposits of granite which have been exploited to build strong and sturdy fortresses. Ice, wind and water grind down the volcanic mountaintops over millennia, giving rise to a distinctive landscape.