Arven Archipelago

Lush deep jungles cover a chain of small islands in the ocean southeast of the Greenlands Commonage. While the climate for the majority of the islands remains fairly tropical, the most southern regions are a much darker and cooler location. Home to the enigmatic Ougham and the The Point of Inception , these jungles remain one of the more dangerous places for those not familiar with the varied and often lethal new forms of life that have sprung up since the Blight fell. The waters that make up the aquifer of the small land masses filters the toxic oceans into something new, creating an abundance of unique mutations and lifeforms, to the south, however, an area known as the The Shadowgrove grew in a much different direction. This area, once a location of great importance to the fae creatures that traveled to and from Cairne prior to it being cut off from all outworld locations, mirrored the lives and hearts of the fae creatures that remained, growing dark and sinister over time. The denizens that remain there do not allow trespass of any kind, and few who have braved a glimpse into those darkened groves have come back able to tell what they have seen.

Geography

A large archipelago with a large central island covered largely with a sprawling, mutated jungle of constantly evolving flora and fauna. The waters that surround the islands are less toxic than most of the surrounding ocean due to the unique qualities of the islands themselves filtering a great deal of the toxicity from it, but it is still lethal. The southern regions are locked in a strange, unexplainable twilight that seems to be an arcane side effect of the creatures that call it home. Whether this is intentional or not remains to be seen, but very little is known of that region due to the dangers inherent in trespassing there.

Ecosystem

All manner of life can be found here, though all of it is changed significantly from what it may have once been, and the amount of new life that persists here is undocumented save for the collective knowledge of the Ougham. The flora and fauna here are in a constant state of mutative flux, and the varied species can alter drastically over the course of a single generation. This is of course more prevalent in creatures with shorter lifespans such as the insect population, but standing in the midst of it all are the Ougham themselves, a unique form of life that in many ways seems to bridge a gap between plant and animal, retaining so aspects of both. It is unclear how far south the mutations run, but the Shadowgrove regions have been documented as spreading slowly northward, encroaching on the lands of the State of O uncontested. Wherever the influence of the Shadowgrove moves, life seems to change even more drastically, warping into something far darker and more sinister than it was prior. The lands engulfed by their influence are a silent place covered in a soft darkness that grows worse the deeper one ventures into their domain. There are hypothesized, entire Fae communities hidden within those domains, and with them, many strange Fae touched wonders of beast and leaf as well, all twisted and changed by the permeating influence of the Void.

Ecosystem Cycles

The tropical climate of the archipelago remains fairly fixed. Warm temperatures and humid air, saturated as it is with toxicity are sustained by the location remaining in a pocketed area of the globe affects by a unique trade wind called the Manu Calda. The weather here can be a bit tumultuous, with frequent rains and even the occasional terrible storm raging against its shores. These hurricanes are extremely rare, but can be devastating to the local wildlife. Ironically, they are almost always followed with a boom of new life and diversity however, and the Ougham have employed a very effective system of not only predicting such things, but preparing for and weathering those storms as well by sheltering below ground in a cave system located off the lagoon on the central island.

Localized Phenomena

As mentioned prior, life is abundant, constantly changing, and unique in this location, but in the north and southern regions. While study is often attempted, the cost and risk involved to those outside of the Ougham is usually deemed not worth the effort due to the rate of evolution and mutation that occurs. The aquifer and water tables seem to undergo a unique metamorphosis as they pass through the porous stone and nutrient rich of the land that makes up the small islands, pulled up through the roots of the flora here and changed there. This is enough of the Void's toxicity to cause constant mutations, and even drastica ones at times, but not enough to completely poison the lands and kill off the life there. This is a unique quality within the world that happens nowhere else, and while a number of other cultures are desperate to study and understand it, the dangers of that place, and the Oughams' reluctance to allow their home to be exploited has hobbled those efforts.

Climate

The climate of the Northern regions of the archipelago remains warm and humid year round, cooling slightly in the winter months as the rains increase. The souther regions, under the effects of the Shadowgrove remains a constant temperate climate that rarely changes. Much cooler than the northern lands, and far less humid. this region seems to endure much fewer storms as well.

Fauna & Flora

Aside from the Ougham themselves, the abundant life here is so varied and ever changing that it is practically impossible to catalogue. While it is rumored that the Ougham keep a running record of all the life forms they are aware of on their lands within their collective intelligence, even this would be lacking due to the rate at which the mutations can occur here. Most of the life here seems to alter itself based upon immediate need, dictated by trends in food and non aggressive plant life, and the insect population is described as being "either a dream or a nightmare depending on what they are eating that season". One fact remains, and that is there is more life here than any other location inthe world.

Natural Resources

The trees that make up the jungle are porous and not fit for woodworking, and as such not viewed as a tradable resource, leaving them to grow and filter the waters around the island. There is a vast abundance of fruits and other edible plants that grow here, as well as a vast amount of medical herbs and extracts, but due to the everchanging nature of the place, it is hard to harvest anything with any degree of regularity.

History

Originally and elven territory, a number of old ruins remain on the island, including the remnants of Sharvisal Gwhynndahris 's private winery. The lands of this place were, pre Blight, a beautiful paradise rife with abundant resources and a symbiotic relationship between the elves that lived there and the nature that grew there as well. Many luxury goods were manufactured there and shipped around the world. When the Blight fell, the elves that remained there were recalled by the Queen, leaving the place abandoned save for a few workers, a handful of halflings, and a number of Brittleskin house keepers. It is assumed that these were all lost in the years that followed, either by the violence of the cataclysm, or the mutations that sprung up as the lands became quickly saturated with Void energy. In the south, though little in known about the internal politics of the Fae or the reason why those that stayed remained behind, the creatures there seemed to have closed ranks and dug in, likely sensing the worst was upon them. Prior to the Blight, the Fae here had enjoyed a mutually beneficial and robust relationship with the Elves that lived here, engaging in lucrative trade and sharing the lands in harmony. As is their nature, the Fey had little public dealings with the other races, having by nature been more isolationist and untrusting. This led to them being all but forgotten when the Blight fell.

Tourism

Both the Becht and the Culvarkt scholars have made several attempts to set up observation posts in the past, but in all instances they have been abandoned or left incomplete in construction due to their interactions with the often dangerous lifeforms there, or in more than once case, simply being asked to leave by the Ougham. With the recognition of the Ougham, fewer attempts have been made publically, but agents are still sent from time to time to try and glean the secrets of the environment there. There have been many instances of arcanists and treasure seekers alike attempting to seek their fortunes among the buried elven ruins there as well, but as with the scholarly attempts, these more often than not end in the disappearance of said individuals.

Type

Archipelago

Included Locations

Owner/Ruler

"I"

Additional Rulers/Owners