Neudaugstad

The western-most island of the Posuidete Archipelago is traditionally known as Xiqiaodao by the Eshou humans who live further north. Meaning western-bridge island in the Eshou language, it was once used by them as a waystation when sailing to Skortenia. The new name was provided to the island by a group of travellers from the Averum Republic who thought the island to be undiscovered prior to them finding it. It is home to North Averland, a trading post/ exploratory expedition funded by the Averum Republic.

Geography

The island has a mixture of low-lying flat beaches and high-reaching cliff faces around its coast. Towards the islands center is an elevated landscape, with slight hills, subtle valleys or exposed rocks breaking up that appearance. The northern edge of the island is the only to feature outlying islands, in particular a collection of floating sea stacks that act as a geological landmark from the Time of Absent Magic.
A few small ponds and underground rivers are the primary sources of freshwater.

Views

The south features frequent storms far in the distance, while the north and west having calm waters where ships make infrequent trips past the island. Out to the east, long twisting sandbars are frequent appearances, especially at low tide, creating a virtual maze of sand islands.

Ecosystem

A mixture of subtropical plants and small swamps dot the lanscape of the island, with a thick jungle covering around 80% of the islands surface.
Most plants of the island are subtropical, flowering and producing for about the half the year. This has ensured that the island maintained relatively high animal populations, though this does fluctuate over the seasons. Most animals of the island live off the fruit and vegetable producing plants native on the island, with that prey in turn being hunted by predators both native to, and from nearby islands who migrate on occasion.
Monkeys, wild goats and other mammals are common throughout Neudaugstad, while sea birds remain an even more prevalent fixture. Together they act as the primary target for predators, which often are Posuidragons (giant lizards), crocodiles, jaguars and on occasion cave bears emerging from the islands underground.

Ecosystem Cycles

Two main cycles effect the island with consistency, plant growth and tidal patterns. When fruits and flowers are in great abundance, many herbivorous creatures take the opportunity to breed or do so beforehand, which in turn brings more predators to the island as well. Tidal patterns affect the sandbars around the islands east and the loose connections it has to neighboring islands.

Seasons

Seasons effect the islands in a far more limited capacity than areas of similar latitude, such as the Orikste mountains of Skortenia. This comes as a result of the warms currents that pass through Gilded Bridgewater, ensuring the plants of the island have leaves near-year round. The seasons are treated as a humid period from Ches through to Eleint and a dry period from Marpenoth through to Ulturiak. Both seasons remain warm or slightly cool, with cold spells or heatwaves being extremely rare.

Tides

Low and high tides have typical changes to the island, revealing more of the coast or covering it. Low tides help to increase the size of sandbars in the east, making overland movement somewhat possible. High tides prevent virtually any land-travel to other isands. King tides do little to increase sandbar sizes when active, though can do so through sand deposits or current erosion.

Fauna & Flora

Flora

• Subtropical plants
• Carnivorous plants

Fauna

• Water buffalo
• Wild boar
• Monitor lizards
• Pythons
• Small poisonous snakes
• Crocodiles
• Rats
• Swimming macaque
• Cockatiels
• Seabirds

History

Neudaugstad first went by the name Xuiqiaodao, named by a group of Shouran immigrants in the year -701 AS who traveled to the island when scouting for potential places to reside. They landed on the island and lived there for a short period before moving further east along the Posiuidete Archipelago.
Only when trade routes had formed late in the Ascension in the year -592 AS did the island see any use, spurred on by the growing power of Queshou-Guina, it became an occasional way-station for vessels crossing the Eshouaya Sea. A small settlement was formed, named Xuiqiaodao, however just 12 years late, a cyclone tore through and wiped out the village.
The name was still used by sailors despite the settlements destruction, and it still acted as a place to gather supplies for ships who happened past it, though no rebuilding attempts were ever made. The only record of activity on the island prior to 1482 DC was an earthquake along the Gilded Bridgewater in 973 DC, with sailors reporting the island appeared oddly different after the event.
In the year 1475, the island was landed upon by a group of Chundan settlers hailing from the Averum Republic, who returned in 1482 and created the trading outpost of North Averland.

Tourism

Tourists are rare, however ships working with the Averum Republic make it a point of emphasis to use the outpost when they travel through the area.

Alternative Name(s)

Xiqiaodao

Type

Island

Location under

Gilded Bridgewater

Included Locations

• North Averland

Contested By

• Averum Republic