Umber Lake
Umber Lake is a lake just outside of Kasa. The waters of the lake are currently not umber coloured, but refer to the formerly polluted lake's colour. [1]
Lake Reclamation
Effort to clean the lake began under the reign of Sylla Halzhaan, third monarch of the Halzhaan dynasty. Her Court Mystic, Raph Aël of the Estorim created a new species of Umber Lake koi who eat away the pollution in the waters and while their work is still ongoing, have been largely successful in keeping the pollution at bay long after the secret of how their enchantment works has been long forgotten. [2]
Lingering effects
However, pollution lingers in the deepest parts of Umber Lake, and the animals who travel in these deep waters and their meat becomes tainted and can cause Nausea when eaten. [3] Even objects dredged up from the bottom of the lake have sticky umber stains on them that reject even the most diligent of cleaning. [4]
New Growth?
As the pollution in the lake cleared, an unknown root was found growing at the bottom of the lake, although attempts to find the plant that grew from this root proved fruitless. The roots are edible, with a bitter taste and cause a sense of unease after being eaten. This sensation has made the root a fashionable spice at elite gatherings. Despite this uncanny effect, as it does not cause physical harm, Umber Lake root is not a prohibited substance. [5]
Rivenleaf Research
According to a Vellan Knot left in Kasa, there is a repopulation effort at Umber Lake under the supervisorship of Professor Mennell, a professor of zoology, presumably a repopulation of an animal of some kind.
References
A marble and umber splotched fish.
This species of koi is most commonly found in the brackish waters of Umber Lake just outside of Kasa. It was introduced to Umber Lake by Empress Sylla Halzhaan during the fourth age. The species of Koi was enchanted by court mystic and brother-in-law to the empress "Raph Aël" to eat away at the polluted waters and clean any lake that the fish was inserted in. The secrets of his enchantment have been lost to time but the Umber Lake Koi fish are still diligently doing their duty many generations later.
This frog has most likely roamed the deepest parts of Umber Lake where pollution is still present, making its meat tainted in the process.
Umber Lake outside of Kasa was once called such for its severe pollution, but today the once brackish waters have cleared up somewhat due to the efforts of Mystics and researchers alike. When the waters cleared, the bottom of the Umber Lake became visible for the first time in generations and with it folk discovered a strange wicked-looking root growing at the bottom of the lake. The roots don't seem to be connected to any visible plant, instead they just sprout up through the lake bed. It is unknown where the roots are growing from, but no matter how much is harvested, it seems like they don't stop growing. The roots themselves are bitter and leaves you with a strange feeling of unease after eating. The uneasy feeling has made the root a sought-after spice among elite gatherings for its intriguing effects. The roots themselves are not noticeably toxic and so the consumption of the root has not been prohibited by the Council.
A fourth age headpiece rescued from the bottom of Umber Lake. Along with the rust, sticky umber stains have clung to the headpiece and refuse to let go.