Post by Head Moderator on Feb 1, 2012 1:05:57 GMT -5
"Only a fool tests the depth of the water with both feet." - Anoi'pua Tribal Saying
The Anoi'pua Islands are a chain of numerous sub-tropical volcanic islands and atolls in the Thunder Sea ruled by tribal clans, and are constantly at war with each other. Summers are hot, though there is usually a nice breeze on the coast from the sea and winters are warm. As soon as one steps upon the islands the fragrance of the many flowers mingle to form a delightful scent. There are eleven islands that are big enough to be on most ship's maps but many more small and even tiny ones dot the area.
There are mountains and cliffs covered by greenery along the ocean's edge, or white sands that open into the sub-tropical rainforest. Some of the large islands have small mountain ranges and active and inactive volcanoes. Some of the large islands have inland mangrove swamps that hold crocodiles and other creatures. There is a volcano bubbling beneath the waters known as the Sleeping Thunder.
There are some myths that claim entire cities exist beneath the ocean in these areas, and in the caves beneath the seas, but there is no proof. Many a ship has met it's fate on the reefs and small islands that dot this area.
Pearl diving is a great commodity in the islands and pearls are often traded by the tribes to sailors, then sold to merchant ships who take the treasures back to the mainlands. Coral, especially red coral, is also harvested and the tribal folk of the island are skilled in creating intricate and lovely beads from the coral.
Fruits and spices that are harvested and grown on these islands are banana, cacao (chocolate), coconuts, mango, pineapple, vanilla, cloves, cinnamon. These are expensive on the mainland, and the royals and nobles of all the kingdoms have a high demand of these items.
There are a few flowers that are also exported such as the orchid, hibiscus and camellias. Also, there is a berry called the mati that is grown here that makes the richest and brightest red dye known.
And of course there is "lightwood" which is a type of tree that is prolific on the items, as strong as ordinary wood but weighs only half as much. This is extremely useful to shipbuilders.
Religion, farming, fishing, building of out-rigger canoes, weather prediction, and and navigation are the main skills of the tribal folk as it is imperative to their life that they know these things. Pearl diving has also become important for trade with other lands and islands.
"No man can paddle two canoes." - Anoi'pua Tribal Saying
Wishfern Grove
Whispers from the explorers of the islands say that on one of the uninhabited islands exists a wishfern. It is the most treasured yet hardest magical plant to raise. It closely resembles a normal fern, but it is much larger and a darker green. A wishfern only blossoms every 1d100 years, and always on the night of the Winter Solstice. For that one night, the wishfern wears a flower of unparalled beauty, a fist sized blossom of luminous white. The blossom contains incredible power, for if properly harvested without bruise or damage it grants one wish. With the coming of the sun, the blossom withers and disintegrates, leaving behind a single seed, whether it granted a wish or not. Wishferns cannot exist within 100 miles of another. Growing a wishfern is extremely difficult as it requires absolute absence of contact. It only blooms in isolation. Planting or transplating a viable seed without killing it requires a DC 18 Knowledge (nature) check. Once planted, it is best left alone as the merest touch from a living creature can kill it. Whenever a living creature touches a wishfern without first succeeding at a DC 18 Profession (gardener) check the plant must attempt a DC 12 Save or die. As a result most growers protect their wishfern with spells and natural barriers rather than guards. Any attempt to coax a wishfern to produce it's blossom early or to produce multiple blossoms at once results in the immediate death of the plant. A single, healthy seed sells for 25,000gp.
Lake of Steam
The Lake of Steam (as called by those from the mainland) is an area above the Sleeping Thunder so named for its stinking yellow waters that give off clouds of steam due to volcanic activity beneath the waves. Its waters are always warm and cloaked with impenetrable mists on chill nights. Shallow as a pan, the area is less than two hundred feet deep at its deepest, and only a few dozen feet in depth around the various islands.
The warm, iron-strong, undrinkable waters are rich in minerals that spur weeds, shellfish, and fish to grow to great size; the lake has been called "the Breadbasket of the Sea." Predators here grow very large, too, from birds and otters to dragon turtles. Dolphins are common, and sharks and leeches as big as rowboats are frequent, outnumbering more fearsome aquatic monsters. The lake is also known for the greenish pearls of its oysters.
The smaller islands around the Lake of Steam change as volcanic stacks collapse and rise.
"The big fish is caught with big bait." - Anoi'pua Island
Forest of Stone
The Forest of Stone is located on Inoa Island, and is a very large area of massive stone formations one after the other spanning a good portion of the island along the river that cuts through it and onwards.
Achnix Village
Inhabited by a tribe with cannibalistic tendencies Achnix is the friendliest place a traveler can ever die in. The local advice is to not act like food, and most travelers who keep their wits about them and remember their manners can expect the locals to do the same. Boorish guests, thieves, and the like can expect an even more genial welcome, with their hosts thanking them for coming even as the cleavers fall and pieces of bloody meat are dropped into the cookpot.
ALE'VINA ISLAND
While most of the islands are unspoiled beauty, claimed only by the primitive tribes that live upon them, one island, Ale'vina (or "Friend of the Elves"), has embraced the flow of commerce. This large island in the chain has been somewhat tamed by a small influx of elves and other humanoids, creating small seaport towns.
The western coast is mostly elven holds, the the eastern coast has not been tamed, mainly because it is a harsh but beautiful landscape of sheer cliff walls and sub-tropical jungle. There are some tribes, seldom seen, in the inland of Ale'vina but many have moved to other island with the influx of the other kingdoms.
North Bay
The northern coast is home to North Bay, the "capital" of the Anoi'pua Islands only because it is the largest trade town and where the current Governor of the islands resides.
Dream Spinners
Dream Spinners are the spiritual men and women of Anoi'pua tribes, practicing the arts of herbal magic and divination. They are considered sacred by the populace.
Plots, Hooks and Rumors
• One of the smaller "uninhabited" islands is said to be the location of a pirate's cove, a safe place for pirate ships to disappear.
• Treasure abounds! These islands are supposedly dotted with hidden pirate treasure!
• The hunt for relics and treasures also extend into the tribal areas as some explorers have told of massive carved statuary and religious temples filled with gemstones and gold.
• A rare flower is said to exist on these islands alone, which can be used in herbal or alchemical preparation to extend one's life.
---EXTRA INFORMATION---
Though the Anoi'pua Islands host a diverse culture there are some beliefs that hold true in almost all of the tribes.
• Experiences with spirits or gods are of great importance.
• Death is not the end to one's life. The spirit of the ancestors guide, protect, and in some cases torment those that still live. They believe that fetuses that die come back as vicious demons, neglected souls become wandering and pathetic ghosts, and revered relatives can become as gods.
• The world of the living is in constant communion with the spirit world.
• Many times the spirits embody animals that become totems for the family.
• The tribal folk wear their wealth on their bodies. Pearls, earrings, bracelets, anklets, nose rings all show one's wealth. Coral beads are also worn. Beads can also be made from bones, coconut shells, hair, hardwoods, seed pearls, talons and claws, shells and mother of pearl. Beads are strung together with sinew, hemp, or hair. It is not uncommon for beads and necklaces to be made from the hair or teeth of a deceased relative.
• Ritual scarring and tattoos are not uncommon.
• The Rain Goddess, The Fire God, the Sea God and the Bird Goddess are all worshipped in various ways by all the tribes, along with many other gods and goddesses, and ancestral spirits. Worship of these deities can range from special ceremonies and offerings, to the sacrifice of animals and even people to the volcanos to appease the fire gods.
• Sorcerors of the tribes are on par with the Priests and Priestesses and are revered and feared. Every tribe also has a Storyteller, that passes down the stories of the tribe and in some cases, travels to other tribes to tell their stories. They would be considered the bards of the tribes.
• Dancing is important to all tribes, though they may do it differently. Some tribes only the females dance. Some only the males, and some only the warriors.
• The drinking of yaqona (a pepper like root that has medicinal as well as drug inducing qualities) is an important aspect of any meeting and if you are ever invited to a tribal gathering and given yaqona, drink and do not ask questions or refuse, or you could end up dead, or worse, dinner. (Yes, there are a few cannibal tribes).
