The Severed
Isles of Rhovaan
Discovery
First observed by a cartographic survey team in 1961 during a routine aerial pass over the southern volcanic corridor. Pilot Renaud Maric logged what he described as “shadows with no corresponding ground feature” before returning to base. A second flight confirmed the presence of suspended landmasses.
The report was filed as a surveying error and shelved for nearly two decades. In 1979 a ground team led by Dr. Emara Voss reached the shelf on foot and confirmed the islands were physical, stable, and inhabited by wildlife. The finding prompted the establishment of a permanent observation outpost along the basin’s northern rim.
Classification
Geothermal Anomaly
Islands Counted
7 discrete landmasses
Max Elevation
~200m above basin
Basin Temperature
70–110°C surface
Vegetation
Mature canopy, roots intact
Wildlife
Avian, small mammals
Structural Supports
None identified
Current Conditions
All seven islands maintain their original elevation and position within a tolerance of less than one meter across four decades of continuous measurement. The basin floor beneath them has proven far less stable.
Two new lava channels have opened since 1979 and sulfur output has increased by an estimated thirty percent. Three of the original observation posts have been abandoned due to toxic gas concentrations at ground level. The islands themselves remain inert, temperate, and undisturbed. Birdsong has been reported from the largest island by every survey team since the first ground expedition.