Dendrite Crystals

In a single submarine cave under the Ferrous Ocean, there is a sight unlike anything else on Ammon. This vast cavern, which dwindles back into narrow outlets too small for divers to explore, is completely encrusted in tangerine and amber-colored crystals.

While some crystals are only the size of a human palm, most are meters tall, towering over the explorers. Unlike most stone geodes, these clusters grow in dendritic structures more common to resolidified metals, branching off of central stems like the arm of a snowflake.

First discovered by Joe Santoso, the dendrite cave soon became a popular destination for researchers in their spare time. After several months of unusually high fuel and oxygen costs, mission HQ imposed limits on visiting the cave for joyrides, citing danger to the crystalline structures. This caused no small amount of grumbling, especially among junior researchers and those whose disciplines couldn’t reasonably be stretched to justify a trip. Thankfully for the top brass, much of this excess energy has since been absorbed by the Dryfoot Derby.

The cave research team is currently headed by geologist Karen Nakamura.