Nalendi
The lush, tropical landscape of Nalendi is home to many of the sapient species we know today. Warm, wet winds blow in from the innermost ring and cause heavy rainfall, creating swamps and jungle in the lowlands, and cool rainforest in the highlands. The region is most easily navigable by its waterways - thousands of rivers of varying size crisscross the region, meeting to form lakes and wetlands before continuing towards the sea.
Home to Many
Five species call this region home: The tabaxi, simani, loxodon, iruxi, and two ancestries of yuan-ti. The wild jungle provides ample food for herbivores and omnivores like the loxodon, iruxi, and simani; and the massive diversity in animal life meant ancestral tabaxi and yuan-ti had plenty to hunt. Aside from the sapient species, thousands of unique kinds of flora and fauna are native to Nalendi. Beautiful jungle birds, prowling undergrowth predators, arboreal beasts, hundreds of kinds of insects and amphibians, and more fish than anyone can catalog. Scholars theorize that in the distant past, the rivers that crisscross the region must've had greater quantities of magic within, leading the magical evolution of the five sapient species that call it home.River Villages
Nalendi doesn't have a typical road system - there are no cobble streets or signposted roads, and hardly any dirt trails to follow. The locals instead navigate by the network of streams and rivers. Some rivers are wide and slow moving, others narrow and fast streams that carry you between destinations. Thousands of tiny villages have popped up along these waterways. Many are on stilts to avoid seasonal flooding, but in areas where the water levels are more consistent, homes rest right along the shore. In larger lake or wetland areas it's common to see floating farms, built out of logs and soil and optimally spaced to ensure all crops receive the same moisture. Canoes, rafts, paddleboats, and riverboats are all perfectly good ways to traverse Nalendi, and many can be hired as taxis for the right amount of coin.Regional Power
Nalendi has no single governing body. Instead, each city is managed by a governor. This might be an elected official in a larger city, or an elder or chieftain in a small village. The governor has full authority over signing laws and making city-wide decisions, but also assumes full responsibility when things go poorly. If the people are unable to feed themselves, it's the governor's responsibility to increase food production or provide rations. If barbarians or raiders attack, the governor must raise a militia. When matters arise concerning the whole of Nalendi; such as border disputes, trade, or war, the governors are called to meet in Daro, at the central temple. Here, they'll vote on how to respond to issues.Notable Places:
Travel Tips:
Traverse Nalendi via water as much as you can. While trekking through the jungle can sound adventurous and exciting, you'll quickly find yourself bitten by bugs, sweltering from the tropical heat, and tangled in the jungle undergrowth. Boating down the riverways and across the lakes and wetlands is not only quicker, it also helps you avoid the many dangerous beasts lurking in the jungle. Keep a spear handy for any aquatic threats, however! -Rodanté
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