Red Mountain

Red Mountain, also called Dagoth Ur, Red Tower, Mount Vvardenfell  or Sahqo-Strunma (in the Dragon language) is a large complex volcano located in the northern part of Morrowind, making up the whole Vvardenfell island. It’s ancient lava flows cover the whole area. It is the largest volcanoes in Tamriel, and it used to be the also tallest peak.

Red Mountain is regarded as one of the most dangerous volcanoes of the world, due to its tendencies toward extremely violent eruptions, constant release of toxic volcanic gasses and it’s high VEI.

Morphology
Formed in the middle of an old submarine caldera (Which borders can be seen on the shore of the surrounding lands), Red Mountain shows characteristics of both shield and stratovolcanoes. It’s shield base is a proof that the volcano used to have gentle, hawaiian type eruptions. Several lava domes, maars and hot springs cover the whole island. It's peculiar morphology made the volcano eruptive style extremely verstatile, going from Hawaiian style, with pāhoehoe lava, to extremely violent Plinian eruptions. Most Red Mountain eruptions are vulcanian.

Origins.
Legends of Tamriel tell that the Aedra ripped Lorkhan hearth off and threw it in the sea.

Ancient red mountain formed from a submarine fissure vent, and shortly it emerged, evolving into a highly active, large shield volcano. It was named ‘Red Mountain’ by most races in Tamriel because of constant lava flows, and Vvardenfell, which means “City of the Strong Shield” by the Dwemers (that colonized the volcano), because of the morphology.

Sun’s death Eruption
Legends tell that the Dwemer located Lorkhan's heart under the volcano, and tried to use it's power to their advantages. This caused a large war that was ended by the red Mountain massive eruption.

Is the first known large eruption of the Red Mountain. It occurred in the First Era (1E 668, end of the 7th Century) and it was estimated to be a lower end VEI-7. The sun was darkened by the volcanic ash that surrounded the whole world for the following years, and caused a volcanic winter. In order to survive, some plants, such as the Nirnroot evolved to be able to survive in the darkness. The whole volcanic edifice was destroyed, leaving a caldera on the northern part of Morrowind. The caldera was filled by the sea.In the middle of the caldera, soon a new shield volcanic island started to form.

Stratovolcano era
In 3E 427 The volcanic activity on Red Mountain changed from a Hawaiian effusive eruptive style to a more violent Strombolian/Vulcanian eruptive style, and on the top of the shield, a stratocone started to build. Evolved into a stratovolcano, Red mountain became the highest peak in Tamriel. In those years the volcano spewed so much tephra and this phenomena was called ‘ash storm’.

Legends say that in that period, Lorkhan's heart was destroyed.

Red Year
In 4E 5, Red Mountain had a second Plinian eruption. A thick deposit of pumice, teprha and lahars covered the whole Morrowind and pyroclastic flows reached the southern part of the once fertile island of Solstheim, making it inhospitable. It also destroyed part of the nearby country of Skyrim. Climatic disturbances occurred in the whole Tamriel. Red mountain lost several meters of it’s height, losing the primate of the tallest peak of Tamriel. The eruption was a major VEI-6. The volcano lost it's peak. The effect of the eruption are still visible today.

Enviroment
Red mountain erupted constantly, spewing ash in the atmosphere, on occasion erupting violently and maintaining an average VEI of 4, sometimes even reaching a VEI of 5.

The volcano ash covered the northern part of Vvardenfell island, that was properly named Ashland. Red Mountain also erupt effusively, forming lava tubes and lava rivers, making the area. On Red Mountain shield base, several lava domes and  maars can be found. Because of the frequent eruptions and the constant ash falling, Vvardenfell is inhospitable.

There is a saying that the ash storm from Red mountain was magical in nature, and malignant, corrupting all living beings (humans, creatures and animals) and making them hostile. Those storms ended after the end of the umpteenth battle occurred in the volcano lava tubes. after the end of the battle, the volcano calmed down and went back to erupt mainly effusively, like in the origins. The effect of the ash storm subsided, but are still there.

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