ROLEPLAY

Makrock is a new fellow on the surface of Atys and is just roaming the Lakelands.
I have been remotely observing the area, from earth. And as a geologist, I was stricken by a certain number of features. I will try to make it as simple as possible:

*Tall cliffs of Lakelands: these are suggesting a very recent uplift and/or regression of water level. This seems corroborated by the lonely rocks plus the waterfall between lakes at different levels. You can understand with me that, if the sea level was gradually going down, there will be smoother landscape as the land get eroded by weathering and the sea.

* The obvious organic nature of the rocks seems to suggest a bacterial (aka stomatolites) or colonial polyps such as corals. You can even notice some shells, very fresh, hanging quite high on the cliffs, north west of FH.

* Sandy flats: the large extension of sandy flats in some area are contradicting the first hypothesis. However, there might have been 3 phases:
- creation of the beaches and sandy flats with the sea level at the same as now.
- Gradual raise from sea level followed by the growth of the colonial accumulations (stromatolite or coral or whatever it is)
- Sudden drop of the sea level which will generate cliffs.

* I noticed some circular patterns in the landscape of Lakelands. Is it the mark of some recent meteoric bombardment ? I need to look better at this.

* I have been very surprised by the lack of big predators in the sea. It seems the kinda of fishes are the largest predators existing. The sea bottom looks also very similar to an early paleozoic sea (Cambrian-Silurian) on earth. Why is there so few life in the water ?

* The clear aspect of water might be the answer: I deeply suspect that the colonial organism are filtrating the water and do not leave any particles in suspension. Thus, a very barren water, not able to feed much organism.

These are very preliminary observations. However, the 3 phases plus the possible meteorite bombardment should be quite concerning for us. Where did the water goes ? What causes it ? Is there any risk of more meteorites ?
I am a bit concerned on the stability of life on planet Atys.

Please do not hesitate to correct me if you have any additional information.

Try reading about the Karavan (the Myth)
The Kami might be a nice contrast to it as well but are not so much helpful on this topic.

Read all this already, it gave some indications. The "Green Rising" is still an interrogation for me, is it a rising in the sense of unrest, of rising of a civilization or rising of sea level ? Not very clear.

As it refers to the (sun) light being back it should be plants (or similar organisms) that are suddenly growing a lot.
And if you trek through the prime roots you'll see some weird old ruins.
This is supported by the fact that Atys is a giant Rootball (with a small rocky core) - so the sudden rise of the terrain could have been part of the "Green rising" where Atys suddenly grew a lot.

It does make a lot of sense now. If plants started to grow a lot suddenly, it mobilized a lot of water suddenly. Thus, a drop in the sea level. If the metabolism of the plants is similar to the one on earth, they will absorb the CO2 thus decreasing the greenhouse effect and bringing possibly a drop of temperature: this will bring also a drop of the sea level.
The dragon story could be a metaphor for pollution and/or increase of greenhouse gas following overindustrialization.
So let's summarize:
1/ Period of stability with pretty cold weather: pre-arrival of homins.
2/ Greenhouse effect following the arrival of homins. Rapid development of colonial organisms. For multiple reasons, I think they are siliceous, not carbonate like coral or stromatolite.
3/ The Green Rising: drop of sea level.

Makrock --

If you look at the formations from a distance and look also at the names of them you will see that you are mistaken in one quite significant way. The cliffs and rising "rocks" are not rock at all, but are the remains of trunks of trees. The circular features are the eroded centers of these giant stocks. Since Wood (especially heavily silicized wood) does not erode in the same way as rock does, the steep cliffs are not necessarily due to sudden uplift, but to the loss of the top of a bit of bark that has yet to be cast down.

Please note also that no matter who you believe in, Ma-Duk or Jena, Atys is clearly an artificial world, made for homins. The flow of water on it is clearly not just governed by gravity.

If this trees are silicified as you point out, it will mean they are extremely resistant to erosion. Which is not the case.
Steep cliffs are always showing a fast erosion. In addition, you noted that Atys is a windy place. There are a lot of sand. Sand and wind means eolian erosion which will smoothen the shapes. Look also at the "mushroom shapes" of some pillars of rocks going out of the sea, typical of recent formations. All leads me to say it is very recent.
About the flow of water, I do agree I still have to investigate a bit more. Something is definetely wrong.