The most recent Underworld Ascendant website update — remember, updates for the project are now posted on its website proper, rather than on Kickstarter — discusses the various biomes that will be found within the depths of the Abyss.

We’ve already revealed that we plan for Underworld Ascendant to have a fully functioning ecological system and will be filled with flora and fauna that are established in clearly defined predator/prey tiers, feeding on each other, migrating when food becomes scarce, and proliferating when food is in abundance. This system will be self-sustaining and perpetual.

Well, at least until the player shows up and starts messing with things.

But, the Underworld isn’t going to have just one established food chain with every creature neatly fitting into a specific slot on the chain. Just as in the real world, the Underworld will have different areas, different biomes, each with their own natural inhabitants and each with unique food chain structures.

Not only will this feel more “real” but it also allows us to make different areas of the Underworld unique and different. And just as each area will have a different look, they will also have a different feel.

Several biomes are discussed, beginning with the cave environment:

Most of the Underworld is likely to consist of “typical” cavern and excavated areas, the type of terrain one would expect to find in a dungeon crawler: dry to damp passageways, small open areas with all sorts of stalactites and stalagmites, carved out chambers, stairwells and ancient ruins. We can think of this type of terrain as the standard for the Underworld, on which the rest of the biomes will be based.

As such, the typical cave biome will also hold the most variety of life. It’s an easy place to get by, after all. It has water, but isn’t too wet. It’s cool to warm. It has a varying level of natural light (bioluminescence). And lots of room for different varieties of plant, fungus and creature to find a niche and thrive.

Some parts of the Abyss will be rather warmer, however:

The hot caverns biome requires a bit more specialization from its inhabitants. Filled with lava flows and pools, the hot caverns are quite dry and, well, pretty hot. For life to exist here it’s going to have to get creative. Plants or fungus with deep roots to reach as far as possible for moisture; predators who can hunt at a distance from the cooler perimeter away from the lava.

This being a fantasy world, however, means this creativity can take some pretty dramatic directions. Hellhounds and lavabats, for instance, literally have fire in their bellies, with the later actually using lava as a means for digestion. These guys don’t give a whit about the existence of water and thus would be some of the more common creatures found in this biome.

And things get stranger in the Underswamp biome:

We can imagine the Underswamp biome being almost the polar opposite of the hot cavern biome. Here, water is everywhere, and darkness and shadow. Finding sustenance is easy in the Underswamp and therefore is a less important skill to have. Being able to defend against your predators starts to become paramount. And in the Underswamp there are plenty of predators…

With so much food to be found growing in the Underswamp, from lichens and plants to trees and mushrooms, it is here we start to see the first true herbivores and grazers in the Underworld. But, unlike deer or antelope, grazers have to use more than simple speed to avoid becoming someone else’s lunch; though big, the Underswamp isn’t so big that a creature could run for miles to get away from a predator.

For those of you that enjoy large mushrooms, there’s also a fungal forest to explore:

The fungal forest biome presents its own interesting quandaries to predator and prey alike. Dark and damp and filled with sound deadening fungal turf and growths, this mock forest is eerily quiet and dangerous. Improved senses are a must for both the eater and the possibly eaten, as well as a digestion suitably disposed towards lots of mushrooms.

Of all the biomes in the Underworld it is hardest to track and hunt prey in the fungal forest. With plenty of line of sight obstructions, and the spongy, sound proof floor, it is hard to stay on target. Predators who specialize in laying traps to catch their food are very successful in this environment, such as giant spiders and their web snares.

The use of darkness can also give advantage here. Though the forest is lit with plenty of bioluminescent sources, these do more to light the source than their surroundings. Those creatures that are most at home in the dark, such as the ghostly famishers and the petulant dire faeries, rule this muted landscape.

The original Ultima Underworld experimented with this idea a little bit, to the limits of the technology of the day. Ultima Underworld 2 presented a much wider range of biomes to the player, or at least presented a wider range of environmental art. The engine wasn’t really advanced enough, I don’t think, to throw a variety of environmental effects at the player.