Frequent rains, humid heat waves, powerful rivers, and seasonal monsoons nurture tangled jungles and sprawling swamps in the region surrounding Sasserine. Those who brave the wilds are sure to encounter the rich and often dangerous flora and fauna that flourish within these fecund reaches. Players should familiarize themselves with the rules regarding getting lost should they attempt to brave any of these wondorous, and dangerous, areas...
Amedio Jungle: This lush tropical jungle dominates the region. Ancient, widely spaced trees form a dense canopy, which in turn cloaks the jungle floor in an endless green night. Broadleaf plants, creeping vines, pervasive streams, and tracks of bogs characterize the jungle floor. All manner of insects and animals (some of monstrous size), predatory plants, oozes, and even occasional will-o'-wisps, tags, hydras, or black dragons lair in these verdant depths. Far from civilization, clans of lizardfolk, bullywugs, and strangely colored goblins make their homes, along with primitive tribes of short humans known as the Olman, and lithe, dark-skinned elves called the grugach.
Blood Bay: There are many stories behind the color of Blood Bay. Some old salts hold that the waves run scarlet with the blood of Gulrotha, a kraken too wounded by sailors to return to the open ocean. Others think it is a pirate plot, the entire bay dyed red in an effort to scare the curious away from their underhanded dealings. Sages scoff at both ideas, claiming the bay's unique coloring is merely the result of iron deposits swept down the mountains by the Hungry Fish River.
Crab River: Cut off -- to a degree -- from the larger predators of the Amedio Jungle, the swamps around the Crab River are largely considered safer than those to the east. As such, smugglers, outcasts, and followers of a gruesome aggregate religion make the river banks their home. Despite the river's name, aside from small populations of crayfish and hermit crabs, no sizable species of crustaceans scuttle below these meandering waters. Local legends tell of a chul-like creature of incredible size that lairs deep within the swamp, and whenever someone goes mysteriously missing on the rivers, local swampers are quick to claim "Ol' Rek Claw" gottem!"
Hellfurnaces: Volcanic instability, violently changing features, frigid winds, and searing lava flows all characterize this angry range of mountains. Extremely difficult to travel and inhospitable to the majority of life, only the most rugged and determined creatures -- often those that relish scorching heat and flame -- hunt these treacherous heights.
Jeklea Bay: Largely isolated from the rest of the Azure Sea by the Hellfurnaces on one side and the Hook Peninsula on the other, Jeklea Bay spent many years as a holding of the nefarious Sea Princes before public unrest and the assassinations arranged by the Scarlet Brotherhood saw it fall into anarchy. Though the now-autonomous city of Sasserine has begun to emerge as the main power in the region, Brotherhood ships stil l frequently ply the waters along this coast to maintain their holdings in the rich and fertile southern jungles. Due to the bay's shape, a steady current swirls the waters counter-clockwise along the shore, speeding the passage of frequent merchant, smuggler, and slaver ships as they spur on the sudden resurgence of colonization of the Amedio.
Kraken's Cove: Rumored to be guarded by the legendary kraken Gulrotha, this cove is shrouded in mystery. Barely visible as a dark patch among rocky cliffs, any safe port here is walled off from the rest of the bay by a wide swath of reefs, rocks, and the occasional scuttled ship, lead-tipped masts just inches below the waves.
Thunder River: Thunder River is the lifeblood of Sasserine's thriving lumber industry. Lumberjacks upriver in the dense jungles south of Castle Rakin fell huge numbers of exotic hardwood trees, limbing and floating the logs downstream to Sasserine for milling and shipping. Along the way, the logs are tended by brave and foolhardy logriders, who make the thirty-plus-mile journey, balanced on crudely-lashed log bundles and wielding long pikes, to both prevent jams and to guard shipments from competing logging concerns.
Tiger River: While tigers and other large predators do inhabit the eastern reaches of the Amedio Jungle, the Tiger River takes its name from the ferocity of it aquatic inhabitants. The river is best known for its small population of a rare freshwater species of seacat. The bright scales of these tropical magical beasts fetch high prices, making hunting the aquatic felines as lucrative as it is deadly.
Vohoun Ocean: Vohoun is the name given to the Pearl Sea by the Suel settlers of the region. It means "frothy" in their ancient tongue. This is probably due to the swirling fogs that seem to characterize these waters. The Vohoun actually touches many shores, including the mysterious Isle of Dread, the tribal lands of the Olman people of the Amedio, and the Pirate Isles, thereby linking many lands and cultures. As if enough dangers (such as pirate fleets) don't ply its surface, the Vohoun is also known for the many cultures that exist under its waves, including numerous sea monsters such as kraken and sea serpents. Reports include enclaves of merfolk and sea elves, in addition to sahuagin and demon-worshipping ixitxachitl. |
