forcave

Forcave is a fictional or speculative term used in fantasy and science fiction to describe subterranean caverns shaped or occupied by extraordinary forces—magical, psionic, tectonic, or otherwise non-ordinary—that differentiate them from natural caves formed solely by erosion. It is not a term used in standard geology.

In many works, forcaves feature luminescent organisms, air vents, unique ecosystems, and complex tunnel networks that shift in response to energy fields. They may serve as settings for exploration, acts of daring, or the ruins of ancient civilizations, providing a backdrop for encounters with strange fauna, magical artifacts, or hidden histories.

The term is not part of formal scientific vocabulary; outside of fiction, it is rarely used and has no formal definition. Etymology-wise, forcave likely combines force and cave, and is sometimes interpreted as meaning a “forced cave” or a cave altered by extraordinary forces. In practice, authors vary in how forcaves arise and behave; there is no canonical model. As a trope, forcaves are often used to symbolize hidden knowledge, danger, and mysteries waiting to be uncovered by explorers.

Related concepts include natural caves, artificially altered caverns, and the broader field of speleology. Forcave is primarily encountered in narrative contexts, game lore, and world-building discussions within speculative fiction.