Nether

The Nether is part of Craftera's planetary mantle and houses a hot and dry ecosystem of mobs. It is also home to the Piglin civilization and numerous ancient structures.

## History

### Birth of the Nether (~4 bn. years ago)

The Nether was created during the formation of Craftera as the result of negatively charged Voidium creating a layer of bedrock on top of which the Nether eventually formed. During this process, the Nether was encapsulated by another layer of Voidium on top of which the Overworld would eventually rest. Due to its unique position in between the planet's core and the Overworld, the Nether experienced varying amounts of tension, depending on the core's rotation relative to the Overworld's rotation. This tension caused alternating periods of hot and cold in the Nether, allowing the familiar terrain of the Nether to form. For example, during colder periods, lava would solidify into either netherrack or basalt.

### Evolution of life in the Nether (~3.7 bn. - 750 mil. years ago)

Despite the Nether's hostile environment, life was still able to evolve there. Instead of the primarily photosynthesis-based lifeforms which evolved in the Overworld, life in the Nether relied more on nutrition found in the soil. Over billions of years, these single cell organisms would grow in complexity and eventually evolve into the dominant life form in the Nether, fungi. Fungi thrived in the low-light environment of the Nether and formed the first precursors to the Crimson and Warped forests of today. By 750 million years ago, the first signs of animal life appeared in the Nether under the form of the clade of the Limidae, ancestors to modern day slimes and magma cubes. These primitive life forms jumped around, absorbing anything that could provide nutrients to them.

### The Carabion Period (750 - 400 mil. years ago)

The Carabion Period, named after the clade of the Carabians, introduced new lifeforms into the Nether which would grow to enormous sizes. By 650 million years ago, some species of Limidae had formed a new clade, known as the Mollusca. In the Nether, these Mollusca developped large air sacks, allowing them to float. Most importantly, during this period the ancestors to modern day Ghasts and Blazes evolved as part of this development. Meanwhile, the ancient fungi forests had expanded to cover most of the Nether by that point, the only terrain untamed by life at this point being the large lava oceans.

### The Arthropodan Period (400 - 175 mil. years ago)

While the Overworld went through major changes during the Arthropodan Period, the Nether experienced relatively little environmental changes. The ancestors to Ghasts and Blazes further evolved and came to dominate the skies of the Nether. During this time, the ancient fungi forests also began to develop the first instances of larger wood-structured fungi.

### The Megapanidan Period (175 - 55 mil. years ago)

The Megapanidan Period is crucial in the bio-geological history of the Nether. During this period, some members of the Mollusca family gradually lost their air sacks and adapted to life in the lava lakes, over time these species evolved a vertebrae and hardened skin to combat the heat. Thus they formed a new clade, the Lavambulids. The Striders are an example of a species of Lavambulid that endured until today. The Lavambulids of the Megapanidan Period grew to enormous sizes due to an abundance of food during this time period, made possible by the exponential growth of the first Crimson and Warped forests. However, around 55 million years ago, an extinction event killed off most Lavambulids and destroyed several large ancient forests, turning them into the first soul valleys.

### The Axion Period and Prehistory (55 mil. years ago - 0 AA)

After the extinction event that ended the Megapanidan Period, the stage was set for mammals to enter the Nether and become its most dominant life form. Starting from around 800 BA, Piglins began immigrating to the Nether to avoid the spread of the Zombification Plague. They brought along their lifestock, primarily consisting of Pigs, and began building the structures we know today as Bastions. However, the hostile environment slowly turned Piglins from the friendly allies of villagerkind into the hostile species they are today. Similarly, pigs, some of which escaped captivity and became ferile, gradually evolved into Hoglins. Over time, as more and more Piglins made it into the Nether, so did Zombified Piglins who had already been infected in the Overworld. However, the hot and dry environment of the Nether, halted the spread and development of the Zombie Plague and kept the Piglins safe.

### The New Sisanctan Era (0 AA - 100 AA)

In 2 AA, after the Arrival of humans on Craftera, the Nether was discovered and a period of human colonization began. In 5 AA, Hadespoort was founded as a first outpost of New Sisanctum in the Nether. Consul Siberius of New Sisanctum took interest in Hadespoort and moved there. However, after Consul Christian cut off the portal to the Overworld in a bid to take control of New Sisanctum, Hadespoort became isolated from the Overworld. Nonetheless, human colonization of the Nether continued and the first Nether fortresses were constructed. At the same time, the first instances of soul energy being absorbed by the Nether's soil were recorded after the death of humans at the hand of a band of Pigmen.

### The Dark Ages (100 - 250 AA)

During the Dark Ages, as the Zombification Plague spread throughout the Overworld, the Nether was often used to quarantaine infected individuals, resulting in the first appearance of skeletons and wither skeletons in the Nether, often in soul valleys or abandoned Nether fortresses. Meanwhile, Hadespoort continued to develop in a relatively strong human colony, but remained cut off from the Empires of the Overworld.

### The Early Modern Era (250 - 600 AA)

By the Early Modern Era, the human population in the Nether had dwindled because of the Zombification Plague and constant conflict with the Piglins. Only Hadespoort remained as a human bastion because of its trading relations with the Piglins. During this time, the Empires of the Overworld took a renewed interest in the Nether, opening up the possibility of Nether colonization once again. Most importantly, several scientific and magical discoveries made the Nether attractive as a source of valuable resources. Ingredients for potions, which could be used to cure villagers from the Zombie Virus, and magical lay lines, which could be used to power weapons such as the Empire Wand, convinced more and more people that the Nether was worth venturing into. However, large scale colonization was still out of the picture because of the interest in interdimensional colonization (see for example S-2014).

### The Modern Era (600 - 1000 AA)

In 686 AA, several Overworld nations, including Frozyland, T-Town and USA, signed off on the creation of a highway through the Nether which would connect their nations' capital with each other. However, due to hostile encounters with the native Piglins and faster alternatives in the Overworld, the highway was scrapped and projects to colonize the Nether abandoned. However, this brief venture into the Nether alerted Hadespoort to the presence of these nations. In the 10th century AA, this would eventually lead to a cry of help from Hadespoort to the Overworld nations. The hot climate and the hostile environment had led to a severe decline in population in Hadespoort. Only certain resources from the Overworld would allow Hadespoort to survive. Thus, a trade deal was struck. Hadespoort would provide netherite to the Overworld nations and in return they would provide much needed ice blocks to cool the city. Frozyland's and T-Town's Nether Portals would also be re-directed to locations within Hadespoort to make the trades easier and turn Hadespoort into an invisible trade hub.

In 962 AA, the Neo Boreopolean scholar Ioannis Delhopoulos led an expedition to the Nether to test his hypothesis about the existence of Voidium. Delhopoulos was able to break through the bedrock layer above Hadespoort. Now above the Nether, on what he called 'the Nether Roof', he gathered samples of the atmosphere and was able to prove the existence of Voidium. More importantly, this discovery kickstarted the industrial exploitation of the Nether Roof and renewed interests in the Nether as a whole.

### The Post-Modern Era (1000 AA - present)

Since the discovery of Voidium, Hadespoort begun harvesting Voidium+ from the Nether Roof, while construction of a Voidium-powered transportation network on the Nether Roof has begun.

## Biomes

### Nether Wastes

The Nether Wastes are the most common biome in the Nether. It is characterized by the abundance of netherrack, formed during periods of cooler temperatures. Sometimes, Nether Wastes contain gravel, the result of erosion by ancient long disappeared rivers. The Nether Wastes are generally home to a diverse range of wildlife, including Ghasts and Magma Cubes. Bands of Piglins and Zombified Piglins can occassionally be found in these areas too.

### Crimson Forest

The biome is named for its red color, and is covered by the canopies of huge, tree-like fungi. Huge, pig-like animals called hoglins roam around the nylium-covered terrain, while tribes of piglins hunt them for food. This makes it one of the only biomes to have an ecosystem. While not as numerous as in the nether wastes, the occasional zombified piglin also roams, and if near normal piglins, it scares them away. It is also one of the more habitable biomes in the Nether, due to hoglins being a source of food, and despite being a hostile mob, it can be bred, making it perfect for farms.

### Warped Forest

This forest-type biome has the most amount of flora in the Nether dimension (due to the additional nether sprouts that are only found within the biome) but also only has two mobs, those being the endermen, entities originally from the End, and the occasional strider. The amount of endermen here makes the biome an ideal place to collect ender pearls outside of the End dimension.

### Soul Sand Valley

This desert-like biome is dangerous, not just because of the huge caverns and darkness that can allow numbers of ghasts and skeletons to spawn, but also due to the deposits of soul sand which slows one down. Boots enchanted with Soul Speed allows one to avoid the slowing effect of soul sand. Bluish-colored soul fire is common here and are more dangerous than regular fires. The properties of soul sand have been analyzed numerous times from both scientific and magical view points. The most prominent theory is that soul soil can absorb the soul energy of death organisms and trap them in the soil. Such soul sand is found more often in spots where known zombie massacres have taken place.

### Basalt Deltas

With high amounts of lava and magma cubes, this is one of the most dangerous biomes in the Nether. The terrain consists of steep and spiky basalt formations along with the flatter deltas, which formed during a period when the Nether was far more colder than it is today. When the biome collides with a lava sea, archipelagos of basalt and gravel form. The biome is almost impossible to build in, which might explain why bastion remnants aren't here. Blackstone also generates more commonly here than in other Nether biomes, making the basalt deltas ideal for making stone tools.

### Lava Seas

Lava seas cover most of the Nether and are host to little life forms except for the Strider. The sea level in the Nether is located at Y=31. Despite the Nether's vast amount of lava seas, the average temperature is moderated by the large amount of Crimson and Warped forests, allowing life to exist in this hostile environment.

## Structures

### Nether Fortress

Nether fortresses are large, castle-like structures that are composed of nether bricks. This structure is often found bridging over lava seas, or tunnelling through netherrack. These structures are the abandoned colonies of humans who colonized the Nether during the New Sisanctan Era. Since their abandonement, they have become places where blazes and wither skeletons spawn. Fortresses also contain blaze monster spawners, as well as small nether wart farms where nether wart can be obtained, possibly hinting at the fact that these colonies were used to brew potions.

### Bastion Remnant

Bastion remnants are large fortifications made up of blackstone, blackstone bricks and basalt, constructed and inhabited by Piglins. A large amount of gold blocks and loot chests can be found within these structures.

### Ruined Portal

A structure containing what appears to be a destroyed nether portal and various types of stone or blackstone materials. These ruined portals are likely the ancient gateways used by the Piglins to escape to the Nether.