Canyons
Canyons are deep chasms between cliffs or escarpments formed by river erosion. Fictional canyons often form impassable or nearly impassable barriers with a few key traversable locations such as bridges or cliffside pathways. These routes may be secret or hidden. Canyons may be home to towns or cities situated within the gorge, on either side of the cleft, or hanging from the cliffsides themselves. Canyons are formed via river erosion but the river may have dried up years ago and may no longer exist. Alternatively, canyons may be sites of extreme flooding during heavy storms.
| Synonyms: gorges, ravines |
| Example Mythonyms: Bryant’s Cleft, Grandview Canyon |
Designing Fictional Canyons
Archetypes
Overview
Canyons can be difficult terrain features to cross, so often fictional canyons will serve as a natural site of a border or frontier. If this is the case, any routes or bridges that span the canyon will likely be defended.
Canyons are formed by river erosion. If a river is still present there may be river features such as waterfalls and rapids within the canyon. Waterfalls may also be located along the cliffsides of the canyon wall.
Fictional canyons often are the sites of hydroelectric dams, old mines, and ruins.
The canyon floor may be a vastly different environment than the landscape above. Rich forests may fill the crevasse or an impenetrable fog may have settled in the lower depths. Worldbuilders may wish to consider how the canyon floor differs in composition and tone from the higher elevations.
Canyons are often found in arid areas with lots of limestone.
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