Step 1, find entrance. Step 2, go into lava zone.

Nobody asked, but fire extinguishers needed (if you're in Cyclops) also, get the reinforced diving suit and rebreather, I highly recommend taking Prawn with drill arm and grappling arm, it makes everything easy peasy, but never forget that you will need to dodge fire, if you haven't been to lava zone before.... You will understand

If you’re going in the east entrance it’s pretty natural to keep going down to the active lava zone at the bottom, skipping the Lava Castle. Watch your depth and make sure you don’t do that.

Update 1: I have made the enzyme and hatched the babies and deactivated the turret and now just building the rocket.

Update 2: I have built the rocket and finished the game!

The floor is...lava.

Also yes, there’s the Lava Castle in the middle of it, and a couple ways deeper. All of which is guarded by the dragons. Sonar makes it all easier.

Flicking the shield on and back off will remove all larva from the ship. If you get a thermal reactor though you can basically just ignore them.

There should be a mountain somewhere in the middle of the cave. That's the fortress. There should be a pit to the south of it and lava falls to the north. Those are your ways down.

i straight up murdered a sea dragon with a grapple arm and a drill so you can do it too

I don't really know, but I suggest you don't bring your cyclops down there, only your prawn. If you have the grapple hook arm, the thermal reactor, the proper depth modules, and the jump jet upgrade it's super easy to traverse. I suggest you make a lost river base and dock your cyclops there for emergencies, but only go to the lava zone in your prawn, since it's much easier to notice and kill the larvae on your prawn. I kind of speedran this area of the game just by zooming through in my prawn. (edit: there's a deeper lava zone under there, and there are 2 entrances, i suggest you watch a tutorial for that because i couldn't find it for a while even with tutorials, also theres a cool loking rock formation with tunnels inside of it that lead to an alien thermal plant that you need to go to in order to progress the story.)

which lava zone? I usually put one right at the bottom of the vertical shaft between lost river and inactive, kind of right between the ghost leviathan at the top and the dragon just ahead.

Below the lava

I made one in the containment tank lol

I built one near that big pit near the lava castle. You could still very much hear the Sea Dragon, but the the area seemed just outside their area and the nearby warpers. That said there was a continuous presence of larva, so make sure if you park your cyclops to either make sure it has the thermal mod, or unplug the power cells when not in use.

Though... I will add if you're intending for this to also be a base to be a jumping off point to get into the lava lakes. Uh... do not. I had a hell of a time basically just running from a Sea Dragon that was dead set on my demise when I finished in the Thermal lab...

Video Game Science. Bear in mind there’s something very strange about water on 4546B, too; crystalline salt deposits just sitting there underwater?

Don’t think about it too hard. Just enjoy. :)

Submarine Volcanos are absolutely a thing in real life, but lava just out in the open, not so much. It looks cool and is a fun set piece. Don't worry about it too much.

If you move them down there do they die? I know you can move them up.

This is actually one of the more realistic aspects of this game. You should rather be asking how the fuck Riley Robinson's janitor ass can withstand greater pressure than a deep sea submersible with a titanium hull, or how he is completely immune to the bends.

I believe there is something about 4546B in a databank or environment scan somewhere(don’t know) about how it has a nitrogen oxygen atmosphere or something

The air is breathable. I believe that indicates the presence of nitrogen. I am not an expert.

How can every fish species live comfortably in every environment from 0 to 1500 m?

Why is metallic lithium sitting underwater on the ground’s surface?

" aesthetic choice I shouldn't look too far into"

Yes. Rule of cool.

You get to the Lava Zones via the Lost River, which you access through the Blood Kelp Zone or an entrance in the Mountains biome.

To get to the Lava zones, you have to enter the lost river. There are several lost river entrances, I usually use one in the deep grand reef. Following the lost river will take you past a precursor base and cache, and you’ll eventually get to the Inactive Lava Zone/ILZ Corridor, which is mostly stone with lava peeking out. Following this path will eventually get you to the Lava Lakes and the Active Lava Zone.

You’re going to need several depth upgrades for your cyclops/prawn suit. It’s too deep for the seamoth, even with all the depth upgrades. The thermal reactor is a good idea too.

Inside the lost river, past the cove tree the ground drown down a tunnel. Follow that

There is no surface entrance and I’ll leave it at that

I use the entrance near the mountains and bulb zone and then go straight before turning right to the ghost leviathan tree.

Note: I killed the ghost leviathan in my way.

From there I built my base around vents and used the surrounding deposits to fuel my adventures. It also was a nice refuge from the never ending danger of the depths.

Deeper location >!I also turned left before finding a strangely global rock that looked unnatural and then kept going forward to go even deeper. !<

Blood Kelp Trench to the SW of the map. It feels pretty safe and I can avoid most big creatures until the lava areas.

I love how the concept art shows a direct exit to the upper map as if this biome was originally planned to be directly under the safe shallows lmao

The Lost River entrance near the front of the Aurora, near the bulb zone.

Just travel down until you find a massive hole straight down

Only downside is the ghost leviathan but he's really easy to evade

When you get down, the area you land in should have enough kyinate without going below depth

My first trip down he attacked my Cyclops and pushed it into the lava zone to get covered in those energy suckers. Then I got attacked by warpers.

I have no regrets or remorse for my actions.

Yeah, it's basically a straight shot to the castle, and takes you right over the lower lz entrance. Castle has all the kysnite you'd need inside it.

It's straight north of the life pod in the bulb zone, that's how I've always found it

The easiest entrance to find is just to get to the big tree in the lost river, and then keep going.

Two entrances at least that I’m aware of. The easiest to describe is to go to the big tree thing and keep going to the next room beyond it. The shelf ends and you can go underneath it and down.

I prefer the other way though. It depends on where you come from but the way I go down to the lost river, if you go to the disease research base and keep going through that passageway you’ll come to a big room. There will probably be a ghost reaper here. It has yet to be an issue for me. Just go silent and have a decoy ready if he sees you. You’re going to drop down the hole right where the room opens up. Very hard to miss. I prefer this way because it’s a shorter trip, but you do have to go through the reaper. The other way has no leviathans unless one gets drawn over that way.

You can click around this [map] if you're not troubled by spoiling lots of stuff for yourself.

>!The drop down menu near the bottom lets you pick which areas show on the map.!<

>!Start by selecting the Lost River in that drop down menu. Then select the Inactive Lava Zone and see where they overlap.!<

There are entrances big enough for Cyclops to get into pretty much every major area, including lowest depths of the map.

As always, try not to draw too much unwanted attention.

Yes if you have max depth

Yep, it can. It's an adventure and a half to steer though

That's what it's made for. Bring the Prawn with it

apply mk3 upgrade, then yes.

but beware of what you find there! :)

He looks so happy to be in cold waters for a change :D

He just came up for a quick hello, look he's even waving

Why do the sea dragon leviathans always look so happy?