The Subaquatic age, which is part of the Ages of Devokan storyline, is a very interesting age. Its nature is fairly complex, so describing it won't be easy. I feel that the best way to explain the age to you would be by telling you the ages story from the beginning.
When Tal'ri first wrote the age of Subaquatic, it had entirely different name altogether. It was called Oasis. The age consisted of a massive pillar of rock in the middle of a vast desert. The pillar was riddled with a network of tunnels, and contained its own ecosystem. The tunnels made up a subterranean jungle, filled with a wide variety of plant and animal life. The lush interior of the pillar was in hash contrast to the surrounding desert.
When Tal'ri first linked into the age, he expected the interior of the pillar to be easily accessible, for he had written the age so that the pillar would have many openings. He was surprised to find, however, that all of the tunnels were blocked by a strange transparent crystal which grew in thin sheets. The crystals seamlessly covered all of the openings, sealing them completely. They also were completely flat, so you could see through them without any distortions in the light. Tal'ri found this surprising and intriguing, noting that the crystals were like naturally formed windows. He decided he would have to break through one in order to get inside. He found this more difficult than he anticipated, for the crystal was surprisingly strong, but he eventually broke through.
While exploring, he found many fascinating organisms. To spend prolonged periods of time in his age and study the jungle life, he built a research base next to the pillar. The base included laboratories as well as living quarters.
He also found that at the very top of the pillar, there was an exit that wasn't blocked by crystal. He realized that this and the one he broke though were the only unobstructed entrances.
All seemed to go according to plan, but one day, something strange began to happen. Water began flowing in from the desert. At first there were a few trickles here and there, but more and more began to come until there was a thin layer of water covering the ground as far as the eye could see. Tal'ri didn't know why this was happening, but could see that more water was still coming, so he decided to prepare. He made his research base water-tight, and connected it to the entrance to the pillar. With these modifications, he could easily move between the pillar and the base, and neither of them would flood. He also sealed the entrance at the top of the pillar in case the water rose above that too.
The water continued to rise until the water level was just below the top of the pillar. The age had gone from a dessert to an ocean in a matter of weeks. Tal'ri checked the water level to see if there was any danger of it rising any more. After realizing there was none, he removed the seal from the top of the pillar, which was now an island. After he did so, he did some experiments to determine the reason for the flood, and came to this conclusion: The planet of the age is subject to rather extreme tides. The water is always on only one side of the planet, and it stays there for the most part. Every few thousand years, however, the planet is subject to a polar shift, and during that time, all of the water flows to the other side of the planet.
Tal'ri, realizing this, begins to understand that this jungle is capable of surviving in both of the planet's states. The crystals allow sunlight into the pillar without letting it flood, allowing photosynthesis in the plants. The plants can survive in a wide range of light levels, so they are okay both when the water blocks some of the light, as well as when the sun is shining full force through the windows.
Tal'ri decided that with the age's recent changes, the name Oasis was not very fitting. He decided to change it to Subaquatic.
He discovered several unique chemical compounds in some of the plants, and ran experiments on them. Their properties allowed for some interesting possibilities.
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Okay. So that's the age's story. When you reach the age, it will of course be much more difficult to get to the surface from the base, due to Tal'ri's added security measures. Don't worry. This age won't be like Edanna. Only one or two of the age's puzzles will require interaction with the flora. Most of it will involve interaction with Tal'ri's construction. I also want there to be at least one puzzle that involves mixing chemicals.
There is one more fact about the age that you need to know. The plants DO need water to survive, and while the pillar keeps most water out, there is still a reasonable amount that gets in through the opening at the top. Rainstorms occur from time to time in the age, even on the desert side of the planet. A lot of water flows through the tunnels (although not enough to flood them) during these showers and finally collects in a basin in a large chamber at the bottom of the pillar. When the basin overflows, the overflowing water from the basin falls into smaller tunnels within which live plants which act as natural water pumps. These plants send the water through the tunnels and finally outside of the pillar. They also prevent water from getting back in through these tunnels, even if they have an ocean bearing down on them. Still, these plants don't pump water very fast, so if the tunnels become flooded, they won't pump the water out quickly enough to save the pillar's delicate ecosystem.
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