Archipelago of Acht (Ah-kt)
"Home is danger. You are weak. You will not live." -Aah, October 1st, 589 ME
An untamed group of islands, the Archipelago of Acht is home to countless primitive and savage tribes who make homes out of the ancient ruins found throughout the islands. Lush but brutal, the archipelago is constantly battered by storms and rain, making travel to the islands dangerous and constant settlement impossible.
Geography
Overgrown and Wet:
The Archipelago of Acht is predominantly covered in a lush jungles that rival Hrundar's. The near constant rainfall as led to muddy, hilly rainforests with deadly mudslides occurring often. Throughout these rainforests small caves can be found which offer a small respite from the rain and mud, however many of these caves are connected to the sea or near rivers and can quickly fill with water, drowning those inside. Rivers also flow throughout the islands and lead to waterfalls and small lakes or out to sea. These lakes and rivers are scattered throughout the islands and prove themselves a challenge for some travelling, some rivers can go from calm to brutally aggressive rapids at the drop of a hat.
The Drenched Wastes: The far southern areas of the archipelago are home to a desert unlike any other: the Drenched Wastes. While called a desert, the Drenched Wastes are more akin to the hills of Kojark or the geography hiding underneath the rest of the archipelago's rainforests. This area gets the brunt of the rainfall of the region, with raindrops so fierce some survivors of the region have said it is like a thousand daggers firing into you all at once. This rainfall is so aggressive that nothing besides small patches of grass and shrubs can survive, surrounded by a landscape of slippery mud on rolling hills. The edges of the Drenched Wastes are constantly battered by large waves making it nearly impossible to escape the region.
Knife Sharp Rocks: Surrounding the archipelago are sharp stones jutting from the open sea. These rocks are spread out randomly around the archipelago, starting from the coast and out to nearly a mile from the shore. These rocks increase in frequency the closer you are to the shore and the shores are surrounded by so many that some have called it the Acht Wall: sharp rocks with openings just large enough for a tiny boat. These rocks pose a threat alone, however due to the storms around the archipelago they have been the downfall of hundreds of ships and the reaper of countless lives.
The Drenched Wastes: The far southern areas of the archipelago are home to a desert unlike any other: the Drenched Wastes. While called a desert, the Drenched Wastes are more akin to the hills of Kojark or the geography hiding underneath the rest of the archipelago's rainforests. This area gets the brunt of the rainfall of the region, with raindrops so fierce some survivors of the region have said it is like a thousand daggers firing into you all at once. This rainfall is so aggressive that nothing besides small patches of grass and shrubs can survive, surrounded by a landscape of slippery mud on rolling hills. The edges of the Drenched Wastes are constantly battered by large waves making it nearly impossible to escape the region.
Knife Sharp Rocks: Surrounding the archipelago are sharp stones jutting from the open sea. These rocks are spread out randomly around the archipelago, starting from the coast and out to nearly a mile from the shore. These rocks increase in frequency the closer you are to the shore and the shores are surrounded by so many that some have called it the Acht Wall: sharp rocks with openings just large enough for a tiny boat. These rocks pose a threat alone, however due to the storms around the archipelago they have been the downfall of hundreds of ships and the reaper of countless lives.
Ecosystem
Only the Strongest Survive:
The brutal environment of the Archipelago of Acht has forced species to adapt and evolve to the conditions. This has led to very exotic adaptions, which can be found in the Flora and Fauna section, however much of these adaptions boil down to intake and defense. In the rainforests many creatures have astronomically increased their need for water with some going as far as to constantly intake water from the surrounding space. Many plants have adapted to have protective covers along their roots which open once or twice a day, allowing the plants to quench their thirst without drowning themselves. Predator use the sound of the rain to hide their footsteps allowing them to hunt smaller prey who have gained the ability to tune out the rain to focus on predators when threatened. In the Drenched Wastes where there is a lack of abundance in plants many creatures have adapted to eat mud or conserve energy by hibernating until prey wanders too close.
Localized Phenomena
Constant Storms:
The Archipelago of Acht is pelted by a near constant stream of rain, thunder storms, and hurricanes. Reasons for this is unknown, no magical reason has been found and nearby nations such as Eldia and Disbord do not face as many storms. This has led to deep study of the region by Eldian, Desvlan, and Ruitis scholars and scientists, however this has proven difficult due to the difficulty of actually exploring and documenting the region.
Fauna & Flora
Flora:
The flora of the Archipelago of Acht are heavily resistant to water. Some notable examples are the Iron Tree, a tree covered in a thick bark white as iron which extends around the roots. This bark splits apart once per week for about an hour, during which the tree soaks up all the liquid around the roots and uses it throughout the week. This tree's word is exceedingly sturdy, the surviving crew of the Calm of Storm used it to build walls and roofs for their homes.
Some flora is also brutally aggressive, however. Due to the constant rainfall, sunlight is rare throughout the archipelago. This has led to some plants finding new ways to gain nutrients to grow. The Sunlight Sipper, for instance, is a small bush about the size of a bear trap. These bushes grow in small groups and await a creature to walk over them. Once they are stepped on, vines with sharp points fly out from the ground and impale themselves into the creature, normally knocking them to the ground and awakening more Sunlight Sippers. The creature is then slowly dragged under the mud as the plant sucks the blood from the creature. How this blood aids in photosynthesis is unknown. The corpse is then left slightly above the mud as bait for allies or scavengers.
Some other plants have behavior that seems to aid them in no way. For instance, Fear Flowers are large, multicolored flowers with a thorny base that exude a thick gas. This gas attracts creatures towards the thorns who impale themselves and slowly bleed out, all the while trying to get closer.
Fauna: The fauna of the archipelago is just as brutal. For instance, the Mudsnake is a giant snake that hides itself under the mud. When a creature walks over its tongue, disguised as a vine, the snake leaps forward and snakes its mouth shut but slinking back into the ground. The native Aah spoke of these snakes regularly when threatening his captors.
Other fauna are unnaturally kind. The Calm of Storm survivors spoke in great detail of what they called a Water Owl. This small creature nested in the survivors camp and stayed with them for most of their struggles. The Water Owl seemed to have innately magical abilities: it would sit in the open for hours at a time with wings spread before taking flight. Instead of flapping, however, it would blast water from its tail region and blast itself forward for momentum. This Water Owl regularly brought the survivors berries and fruit, dropping it at one of the goblins feet. However, when this goblin died to a Mudsnake, the owl stopped its visits.
Aah also spoke of other creatures on the islands: the Mud Beetle in the Drenched Wastes is a giant insect with a back as hard as metal which protects it from the painful rainfall. This gentle giant sometimes allows smaller creatures to hide beneath its shell for protection from the rain. There are also Lightning Beasts, monsters made of lightning which attack any who approach. Some scholars from Insistia Magical College have noted this could be a subspecies of Air Elemental. Aah also spoke of some of the intelligent races of the region: the Grung are a frog like species that range in color and toxicity. Some males of the species are born with highly toxic skin which kills or incapacitates prey or predators. The Grung seem to use Locathah, a fish like species, as slave labor. These fish are able to live on land due to the constant rainfall, however Aah notes they struggle to breath at times despite this. The Locathah are the only species found outside of the archipelago: a small group lives off the coast of Ascor, however they are rarely seen and believed extinct. Aah spoke in great detail about his true enemy: the Tortles. These turtle like creatures are hated by the Grung for their peaceful nature and have been crusaded against for "long long time". Finally, Aah spoke about the Owlin, a mysterious race who live deep in the forest and are invincible. The Grung have never been able to kill one and they believe they are the creation of the devil. Owlin are mentioned rarely in ancient Fey history, however they have long since died out in the Feywild.
Some flora is also brutally aggressive, however. Due to the constant rainfall, sunlight is rare throughout the archipelago. This has led to some plants finding new ways to gain nutrients to grow. The Sunlight Sipper, for instance, is a small bush about the size of a bear trap. These bushes grow in small groups and await a creature to walk over them. Once they are stepped on, vines with sharp points fly out from the ground and impale themselves into the creature, normally knocking them to the ground and awakening more Sunlight Sippers. The creature is then slowly dragged under the mud as the plant sucks the blood from the creature. How this blood aids in photosynthesis is unknown. The corpse is then left slightly above the mud as bait for allies or scavengers.
Some other plants have behavior that seems to aid them in no way. For instance, Fear Flowers are large, multicolored flowers with a thorny base that exude a thick gas. This gas attracts creatures towards the thorns who impale themselves and slowly bleed out, all the while trying to get closer.
Fauna: The fauna of the archipelago is just as brutal. For instance, the Mudsnake is a giant snake that hides itself under the mud. When a creature walks over its tongue, disguised as a vine, the snake leaps forward and snakes its mouth shut but slinking back into the ground. The native Aah spoke of these snakes regularly when threatening his captors.
Other fauna are unnaturally kind. The Calm of Storm survivors spoke in great detail of what they called a Water Owl. This small creature nested in the survivors camp and stayed with them for most of their struggles. The Water Owl seemed to have innately magical abilities: it would sit in the open for hours at a time with wings spread before taking flight. Instead of flapping, however, it would blast water from its tail region and blast itself forward for momentum. This Water Owl regularly brought the survivors berries and fruit, dropping it at one of the goblins feet. However, when this goblin died to a Mudsnake, the owl stopped its visits.
Aah also spoke of other creatures on the islands: the Mud Beetle in the Drenched Wastes is a giant insect with a back as hard as metal which protects it from the painful rainfall. This gentle giant sometimes allows smaller creatures to hide beneath its shell for protection from the rain. There are also Lightning Beasts, monsters made of lightning which attack any who approach. Some scholars from Insistia Magical College have noted this could be a subspecies of Air Elemental. Aah also spoke of some of the intelligent races of the region: the Grung are a frog like species that range in color and toxicity. Some males of the species are born with highly toxic skin which kills or incapacitates prey or predators. The Grung seem to use Locathah, a fish like species, as slave labor. These fish are able to live on land due to the constant rainfall, however Aah notes they struggle to breath at times despite this. The Locathah are the only species found outside of the archipelago: a small group lives off the coast of Ascor, however they are rarely seen and believed extinct. Aah spoke in great detail about his true enemy: the Tortles. These turtle like creatures are hated by the Grung for their peaceful nature and have been crusaded against for "long long time". Finally, Aah spoke about the Owlin, a mysterious race who live deep in the forest and are invincible. The Grung have never been able to kill one and they believe they are the creation of the devil. Owlin are mentioned rarely in ancient Fey history, however they have long since died out in the Feywild.
History
March 17th, 583 ME- Disappearance of the Brass Explorer:
In 583 ME, an Ascor ship was reported missing when it failed to arrive at the Eldian port town of Eastpoint. This ship, the Brass Explorer, was sent from Ascor to speak to the Eldian government on recent conflicts with trade but never arrived. Ascor sent a second ship a month later which sailed to Eldia with little issue. The ship was believed lost and the crew of 14 lizard folk and 2 dragonborn were officially declared dead.
July 12th, 585 ME- Disappearance of the Greater Cog: The Kojan merchant ship the Greater Cog went missing in 585 ME while on a venture to Bachela. The final sighting of the ship occurred in Golar when the ship stopped for rest and planning. The captain of the ship, Hinto Klren, had spoken to a merchant where he said the Greater Cog was going to travel below Disbord to avoid encroaching on giant controlled sea. The ship and its 8 dwarf crew were pronounced lost at sea, effectively deceased, on July 29th, 585 ME.
November 1st, 585 ME- Disappearance of the Raging Orc: The Raging Orc, an Eldian ship, disappeared while travelling to Bachela in 585 ME. The crew of 4 humans, 6 orcs, and 3 goblins were announced dead on December 20th, 585 ME.
May 3rd, 588 ME- The Calm of Storm is found by the Marauding Meadow: On May 3rd, 588 ME the Marauding Meadow was returning to Eldia after travelling to Golar on a delivery when they came across the Calm of Storm drifting from the south. The ship caught the attention of the Marauding Meadow when the captain noticed it bore the materials and designs of Ascor, Eldian, and Kojan ships. As the Marauding Meadow approached the Calm of Storm, a large group began to gather at the deck and waved at the ship. The crew of the Calm of Storm pleaded with the Marauding Meadow to help them return to civilization and told the captain their story. The crew was in fact the remains of the crews of the Brass Explorer, Greater Cog, and Raging Orc and they had been surviving on a stormy island for years. The crew eventually used the remains of their three ships, which had all crashed at similar locations, to escape the island, but had lost their sail and taken heavy damage in their escape. The Marauding Meadow towed the ship to the capital of Eldia where the crew was officially documented: 2 humans, 5 orcs, 1 goblin, 6 dwarves, 1 dragonborn, and 5 lizard folk survived the island
June 24th, 589 ME- The Archipelago is "Discovered": Over a year after the Calm of Storm was saved, the nations of Eldia and Kojark send a large group of ships to search for and document the archipelago. Of the 10 ships sent to the region, only four return with about six ships worth of crew. The 5 month long expedition resulted in little results: the archipelago was officially documented, a rudimentary map of the islands was created, and a prisoner was returned to Eldia. This prisoner was a native of the large island the Calm of Storm survived on and was a previously undiscovered race: a Grung. This prisoner was primitive and savage, attacking multiple translators and guards. Eventually, the prisoner was able to translate its name and speak to a translator. The prisoner, Aah, mostly insulted and vowed vengeance on the translator, however it also revealed the archipelago was named Acht and there were more "intelligent" natives than originally believed. Aah later died on October 19th 589 after contracting a common sickness.
January 30th, 590 ME- The Archipelago is Abandoned: On January 30th, 690 ME, King Fritz, Demus Kojark, and an Ascoran diplomat met in Eldia to discuss the archipelago. After some debate, the group decides to abandon exploration of the archipelago due to the dangers posed and inability to safely and regularly even approach the island. The nations decide to give ownership of the region to Kojark with Eldia and Ascor having free roam and control of the region. To this day, there has been no official exploration of the region.
July 12th, 585 ME- Disappearance of the Greater Cog: The Kojan merchant ship the Greater Cog went missing in 585 ME while on a venture to Bachela. The final sighting of the ship occurred in Golar when the ship stopped for rest and planning. The captain of the ship, Hinto Klren, had spoken to a merchant where he said the Greater Cog was going to travel below Disbord to avoid encroaching on giant controlled sea. The ship and its 8 dwarf crew were pronounced lost at sea, effectively deceased, on July 29th, 585 ME.
November 1st, 585 ME- Disappearance of the Raging Orc: The Raging Orc, an Eldian ship, disappeared while travelling to Bachela in 585 ME. The crew of 4 humans, 6 orcs, and 3 goblins were announced dead on December 20th, 585 ME.
May 3rd, 588 ME- The Calm of Storm is found by the Marauding Meadow: On May 3rd, 588 ME the Marauding Meadow was returning to Eldia after travelling to Golar on a delivery when they came across the Calm of Storm drifting from the south. The ship caught the attention of the Marauding Meadow when the captain noticed it bore the materials and designs of Ascor, Eldian, and Kojan ships. As the Marauding Meadow approached the Calm of Storm, a large group began to gather at the deck and waved at the ship. The crew of the Calm of Storm pleaded with the Marauding Meadow to help them return to civilization and told the captain their story. The crew was in fact the remains of the crews of the Brass Explorer, Greater Cog, and Raging Orc and they had been surviving on a stormy island for years. The crew eventually used the remains of their three ships, which had all crashed at similar locations, to escape the island, but had lost their sail and taken heavy damage in their escape. The Marauding Meadow towed the ship to the capital of Eldia where the crew was officially documented: 2 humans, 5 orcs, 1 goblin, 6 dwarves, 1 dragonborn, and 5 lizard folk survived the island
June 24th, 589 ME- The Archipelago is "Discovered": Over a year after the Calm of Storm was saved, the nations of Eldia and Kojark send a large group of ships to search for and document the archipelago. Of the 10 ships sent to the region, only four return with about six ships worth of crew. The 5 month long expedition resulted in little results: the archipelago was officially documented, a rudimentary map of the islands was created, and a prisoner was returned to Eldia. This prisoner was a native of the large island the Calm of Storm survived on and was a previously undiscovered race: a Grung. This prisoner was primitive and savage, attacking multiple translators and guards. Eventually, the prisoner was able to translate its name and speak to a translator. The prisoner, Aah, mostly insulted and vowed vengeance on the translator, however it also revealed the archipelago was named Acht and there were more "intelligent" natives than originally believed. Aah later died on October 19th 589 after contracting a common sickness.
January 30th, 590 ME- The Archipelago is Abandoned: On January 30th, 690 ME, King Fritz, Demus Kojark, and an Ascoran diplomat met in Eldia to discuss the archipelago. After some debate, the group decides to abandon exploration of the archipelago due to the dangers posed and inability to safely and regularly even approach the island. The nations decide to give ownership of the region to Kojark with Eldia and Ascor having free roam and control of the region. To this day, there has been no official exploration of the region.
Comments