Sebilian Jungle
I would rather jump naked into Aurora Bay in the dead of winter than take a tour of duty in the south. Either we're talking about the desert, or we're talking about the jungle. Either one will kill a man, so I'd rather have the option to walk knowingly to my death than be ordered into it to fill some fool's coin purse.The southern subcontinent of Erisdaire is dominated by a thick jungle, though it is broken up with the occasional ridge of hills or stretch of wetlands. Cartographers working with the Imperium have attempted to chart out the region, and the few which have returned have little detailed information about the terrain. What they did return with are tales of extraordinarily hazardous animals, and specimens to back up their stories. Merchant companies have likewise discovered there to be a considerable amount of various plants which were transformed into spices or herbal medicines. Attempts to transplant such things have not gone well, meaning some attempts at instilling civilization in the region were inevitable.
Despite the concerted efforts of those merchant houses, not many Imperial settlements exist here, save along the coasts where it's easier to make a defensible position. There are a few reasons, and most of them tend to be related to "sentient animals and plants which do not like being disturbed". Among these are tribes of lizardfolk, serpentfolk, and other reptilians not remotely interested deferring to the Empire's encroaching influence.
Geography
There is, firstly, the obvious detail: most of the Sebilian Jungle is trees. The canopy overhead renders it difficult to make out details from an aerial view, while the ground is often a tangle of roots and earth which can descend into sunken paths which have been 'carved' over time by runoff water. Earth trapped in roots which rise over the ground level also causes there to be swells of 'undergrowth' which rise over the ground level.
Several stretches of wetlands have been discovered through the jungle paths, and while they have been given names by cartographers, most people tend to refer to them by the predominant flora or fauna in the area. Similarly, there are two mountainous stretches of terrain which render access into the deepest stretch of the jungle virtually impossible to most. These are the "Cigele Cliffs", which are closer to the western side of the jungle, and "Serpentine Spires", which are visible from the northern edges of the forest and run southwards almost across the entire jungle to the southern cape horn.
One constant location is 'The Sebile Road', which runs along the eastern coast from Salchall to Fort Sutherwind. It also has a few locations where it veers into the jungle's edges for long stretches, as it was originally thought to be much easier for overland travel. Trade caravans using this route require significant - and well-informed - protection to remain safe from denizens of the jungle.
Several stretches of wetlands have been discovered through the jungle paths, and while they have been given names by cartographers, most people tend to refer to them by the predominant flora or fauna in the area. Similarly, there are two mountainous stretches of terrain which render access into the deepest stretch of the jungle virtually impossible to most. These are the "Cigele Cliffs", which are closer to the western side of the jungle, and "Serpentine Spires", which are visible from the northern edges of the forest and run southwards almost across the entire jungle to the southern cape horn.
One constant location is 'The Sebile Road', which runs along the eastern coast from Salchall to Fort Sutherwind. It also has a few locations where it veers into the jungle's edges for long stretches, as it was originally thought to be much easier for overland travel. Trade caravans using this route require significant - and well-informed - protection to remain safe from denizens of the jungle.
Fauna & Flora
The jungle is a hazardous place, and many beings living within it. These include reptiles, serpents, and amphibians (near the wetlands) which have evolved to fit into specific niches - and to have defenses which are often not obvious. There are a number of frogs with the ability to exude poisonous secretions through the skin to deter would-be-predators. Well-concealed serpents possess venom which can kill the unprepared, and great constricting serpents are always a danger to anything smaller than them. Rumors persist of beings with torsos of human shape as well as the lower body consistent with a serpent, but reliable proof has been hard to acquire. There are also mammalian species, such as the feline jungle stalker and plated cormaneri, either of which can be a hazard if provoked.
The diversity of dangerous life is more pronounced near the wetlands, as access to water is a necessary component for life, and there is a fierce competition for it throughout the jungle. Some of these areas are innocuously named, but remarkably dangerous to travel near. An example of such is 'Toad Lake', which is not an actual lake but is a known habitat for wagon-sized bipedal frogs with a habit of consuming anything which they can fit into their mouths and digest.
More infamous is 'Nightshade Heart', where one can find a particular species of nightshade called 'the Black Baron'. The leaves from this species can be processed and brewed for a tea which is known to have a bitter taste, yet can lead to visions of events yet to happen. Of course, there are various ambulatory plants which protect their domain which grow and reside in the same general area.
The diversity of dangerous life is more pronounced near the wetlands, as access to water is a necessary component for life, and there is a fierce competition for it throughout the jungle. Some of these areas are innocuously named, but remarkably dangerous to travel near. An example of such is 'Toad Lake', which is not an actual lake but is a known habitat for wagon-sized bipedal frogs with a habit of consuming anything which they can fit into their mouths and digest.
More infamous is 'Nightshade Heart', where one can find a particular species of nightshade called 'the Black Baron'. The leaves from this species can be processed and brewed for a tea which is known to have a bitter taste, yet can lead to visions of events yet to happen. Of course, there are various ambulatory plants which protect their domain which grow and reside in the same general area.
Natural Resources
Some people wonder why we bother with this place. Do you see this ring, the bright blue stone? That came out of the Cigele mines, before they shut down from lacking qualified miners. The spices the lords and ladies of the Empire fawn over so much? We harvest them from the jungle, roots and leaves which nobody would think to look twice at. Why do we bother with the jungle? We're not immoral enough to make it selling war, and not brave enough to delve ruins, so we make our money where we can.As mentioned while discussing the flora of the jungle, there is 'Black Baron tea', which is specifically cultivated by one merchant house from the plant of the same name. Being derived from a nightshade plant, of course, it is ill advised to drink it regularly without access to curatives. The 'Black Barony Trading Company' is responsible for the harvesting, preparation, and sale of this herb throughout many Imperial cities. (Despite the small detail of it being illegal in every province of the Empire's borders. Cities along the coast of the southern subcontinent, of course, are exempt due to being "allied territories".)
Non-organic resources abound in the mountains, as more than a few mines have been started (and adequately protected against hazards) with the interest in seeking out useful metallic ore. The 'Russet Chain Trading Company' is responsible for a number of these exploratory mines, which have struck iron-bearing ore as well as various gemstone sources along the northern edges of the Serpentine Spires. Some of the rivers have been found to have small amounts of gold which can be filtered out through panning; attempting to trace the origins of these rivers towards a potential gold motherlode have not provided useful information. Still, the desperate have been known to take to these rivers in an attempt to make it rich - few actually return to Salchall with good fortune.
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