Ossa
Variously considered a small continent or a very large island, Ossa is densely forested, and shares the balmy, tropical climate of most locales in this part of the Sea of Light. It is the homeland of Tabaxi , Grippli, Yuan-Ti, and some species of Lizardfolk, as well as some Humans.
Geography
The majority of Ossa is covered in dense rainforest, often doubly-obscured by humid fogs. Toward the south, perhaps because of the pull of the Swamp of Oblivion, the jungle's many rivers and streams coalesce into a wetland, still canopied by many water-loving trees.
Along the centre of the island, like a spine, rise several mountains of copperish stone, the highest of which are capped with snow. Along the northeast coast, the jungle parts into a broad grassland.
Ecosystem
While each civilization exerts a different level of control over the landscape around it, overall, Ossa in general is ruled by the rhythms of its natural environs. Predators and pray oscillate in cycles of hunting, repopulating, and hunting again. Summer lightning strikes burn old growth, and winter rain nurtures seeds in the ashes.
Climate
Like much of southern Oceanus, Ossa enjoys a tropical climate. The summers are blisteringly hot, dangerous for those from more temperate climate. The winters are marked more by an increase in rain and typhoon activity than anything else.
Fauna & Flora
Ossa is a vibrant land, full of life of all kinds. Though it is home to several villages of sapient creatures, most of the land is still wild and tangled, most often left that way intentionally.
The dense rainforest which covers most of the island is home to a variety of tropical plants, from huge trees to dense brush with leaves as large as a grown human, flowers so vibrant they dazzle the eye, and crawling vines that wind around every surface.
The wildlife is also extremely varied, including jaguars, ocelots, tapirs, capybaras, spectacled bears, anteaters, anacondas, sloths, and all manner of lizard and reptile. These include gigantic boa constrictors, anacondas, black mambas, phasmids, poison dart frogs, and tree frogs.
The birds are often brightly colored, and usually larger than the small songbirds common to Primus. Common species include toucans, condors, macaws, hawks, eagles, flamingoes, herons, and kingfishers.
Beyond these beasts, many magical creatures have made their homes in this challenging environments. Dimension beasts, blink dogs, and phase spiders prey from the ethereal plane, Owlbears prowl the forests, harpies and chimeras make homes on the mountain slopes, as do a number of wyverns and dragons, especially greens.
History
Legend says that in ancient days, the primordial Ubtao caused another ancient primordial, Dendar the Night Serpent, to be imprisoned on the settling mass of elemental chaos which would become Oceanus. The serpent's writhing under the hardening earth settled into the mountains which form the spine of Oceanus. According to this legend, Ubtao then charged the first peoples of the land with the guardianship of Dendar's prison, warning that were she ever to escape, she would consume the entirety of the Realms, and no god or primordial could hope to stop her.
