Anya Venari
Star Queen Tirathana VII
The Isle of Beasts
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
Force Nexus:
The exact origins of the Isle of Beasts are known well enough in the big picture. Continental drift and faults caused the islands to emerge as volcanoes many millions of years ago. The biggest island was eventually formed in this method, but as the faults moved away four of the five volcanoes became extinct, and only one remained. Other islands sprung up though forming a chain, and these are still active in places.
The most famous feature of these islands though is a low level but persistent Force nexus which has affected the flora and fauna of the islands for millennia. The exact cause of this is unknown, as there is no obvious cause such as the Valley of the Jedi on Ruusan had. Perhaps it was merely the concentrated power of so much life in a small area caused this to happen. However, the fact that many animals from across Tygara made it to the island when it should not be possible indicates perhaps the original Rakata engineers of the planet are involved. They usually are, annoyingly.
As there has never been a settled population on the islands there is no history to describe the distant past. Therefore, the first discovery by the outside world came when the Khaimari Qadiri explorer Touran Jai Tahmasba undertook her circumnavigation of the world several centuries ago. By this stage Touran was returning from her expedition and was blown off course by a storm, eventually coming to see land in a place no one had known before. Originally, she attempted to pass through the gap between the Isle of Beasts and Morkaran, but a ship ran aground on the reefs and enraged giant crabs attacked them. After defeating that peril, they managed to reach a shelving beach to repair the damaged ship. Whilst this happened the northern volcano erupted. Touran encouraged the crew that it was a sign from the gods, and named the fire mount after herself. After reprovisioning water and food (though not without attacks from the hungry wildlife), they departed, passing by the southern tip and beyond, thoroughly charting it.
When Touran returned home to Khaimara, one of her adventures which attracted the most notice was the primordial islands filled with beasts. Many people in subsequent decades ventured for them, but many either did not find the islands or turned back. One who did reach there was a second wave explorer named Hyrali Jai Nakana. Some thirty years after Jai Tahmasba, she arrived off the islands and sought to land and either claim or explore the interior. With several small boats and twenty companions she landed on the southern shore. One group headed north-west, another north-east. Both came to grief. Hyrali herself was killed by a particularly large Partuz when she became webbed and trapped. Only three of her companions made it back to the boats and left, though possibly they abandoned some of their companions. After this, the Forsaken Isles as the Qadiri called them were much less attractive to visitors!
The islands saw little outside contact until quite recently when the Vashyada Paragon and priestess Tylania visited. Having heard of this strange island via rumour she sought out a ship to take her there. The Khajwari Qadiri who ended up taking her were very reluctant, and might well have been tempted to leave the 'mad woman' behind on the island, were it not for Tylania having some of her most trusted retainers on board to 'encourage' they kept their word. Regardless, the Vash landed alone on the eastern side, passing through the plains, up through the highlands, through Obsidian Pass and approaching the heart of the greatest volcano. The path was dangerous, but Tylania's power in the Force ensured she was able to make a path without hurting or being hurt by the beasts which roamed there. When she approached the mountain cave the Partuz stood aside with gifts and led her inside.
There she met the Great Mother of the Partuz, and the two communed telepathically for some time before she returned to the ship. All were amazed by her return, and many of the crew did not believe she had done so, to which Tylania produced a gemstone from the mountain's heart permeated with the Force which the Great Mother had given her. This settled the argument, and it was given as a bonus to the Captain as they left for home.
With the arrival of Firemane, the downfall of the Xio and the settling of Ajustra by the Eldorai, the Isle of Beasts inevitably became more noticed. Satellites and modern sea vessels now observed all. The island was visited several times by modern explorers, many of whom came to a bad end. An attempt by Firemane to survey the islands for exploitable reserves led to a temporary stockade being setup on the eastern side of the island. However, after near constant attacks by all manner of creatures and after several of them were eaten by Partuz it was abandoned and eventually washed away in a storm.
Another occasion, within the last couple of years was a manned expedition complete with speeders, aircraft and the services of a Qadiri big game hunter named Bhavani Jai Tembasa. The group sought allegedly to explore, but it became clear they were most interested in poaching rare animals for sale. The fact that Firemane agents were with them when this should have been illegal was an unfortunate turn.
The group landed near Mount Tahmasba and tried to approach Morkana but were attacked by giant, hungry crabs and several were eaten. Turning back, they pushed across the plains but found themselves picked off by aggressive and unusually cunning animals. Bhavani was so irritated by the group's lack of discipline and stupidity in not following her advice she left them to their own devices. Undeterred, their leader, a minor executive in Firemane, pushed on heedless to Obsidian Pass. There the group was ambushed by a nightmarish horde of Partuz descending from the cliffs on webs. Their last transmissions were beamed out and were mostly screams, gunfire…and chomping. After this Firemane officially quarantined the island.
As a result of this and the reputation this failed expedition caused, the islands remain a place of mystery and wonder, waiting to be properly explored.
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: To make a home for this friend. A mysterious 'lost world' to explore on Tygara.
- Image Credit: Here.
- Canon: N/A
- Permissions: N/A
- Links: Tygara , Vashyada , Qadiri , Tylania , Partuz , The Great Mother , Khaimari ,
- Landmark Name: The Isle of Beasts. A rather more poetic name given by the Vashyada is 'The Sea Fangs' for the way the islands jut like teeth from the water. The Qadiri coined the term Isle of Beasts, but also call it 'The Forsaken Land' or the 'Jewels of Nanshe' after their sea goddess.
- Classification: Tropical island chain.
- Location: Tygara, western ocean, north west of Yarkul. Roughly 30-degrees south.
- Affiliation: None directly.
- Size: Small on a global scale, but it is a considerable island, 10,000 square kilometres or so. With the other islands it comes to roughly 13,000 square kilometres.
- Population: Uninhabited by sentients. A vast array of animals and plants live there.
- Demographics: N/A
- Accessibility: Tygara is a remote planet in the galactic rim. These islands are also little known and less explored. The fact that most visitors end up eaten means that little of what is there is passed on.
- Description: The Isle of Beasts is a large, vaguely circular, island about 150km across. It is complemented by six smaller islands to the north west known as the 'Jewels of Nanshe'. It is composed on five great volcanoes, one still active, and the plains and erosion around it creating the main part of the island.
The western side of the island receives vastly more rain than the east due to the rain shadow effect caused by the central line of volcanoes. Here and in the south the vast rainforests grow.
To the north the one active volcano continues to erupt periodically, and new grasslands spring up, to be burnt out with new eruptions as they come.
To the eastern side the more arid plains still grow vast fields of grass and dense shrubs. This area, despite appearances, can be as hard to navigate as the jungle!
In the centre is the chain of volcanoes, four of which are extinct, which form a high bastion between west and east. The only 'easy' access is via Obsidian Pass.
- The Isle of Beasts. The main island in the chain is the largest, measuring over 150km across in a vaguely circle shape. Five great volcanoes form this island, having grown over millions of years.
- The Jewels of Nanshe. The smaller, scattered islands in the chain were nicknamed the 'Jewels of Nanshe' by the explorer Touran Jai Tahmasba. Six small islands extend in an arc of some 300km to the north west. These islands are mostly small, volcanic cones, home to birds and have little space for other creatures. One island; Morkaran, has a large fallen caldera with a freshwater lake formed in it home to a species of lizards found nowhere else.
- The Primeval Rainforest. Vast trees of gargantuan size grow on the main island's western side. These trees are beaten in the whole galaxy by few places; Kashyyyk and Endor specifically. Inside this rainforest is such a profusion of life of such size and abundance it would be a wonder for naturalists to study…if they didn't keep getting eaten!
- The Mother's Home. Deep inside the caldera of the largest extinct volcano is where The Great Mother makes her nest. Here thousands of her children are safely kept, developed and organised. The proximity to the rainforest, plains and cliffs make for good hunting ground.
- Silver Rain Falls. Hundreds of thousands of years ago, a serious earthquake hit the islands, and the fracturing created a great shearing which raised a massive cliff higher into the air. As it is above the rainforest, the waterfall that comes from it falls nearly a kilometre to the humid rainforest below, creating an effect like constant misty rain. Birds nest on these sheer cliffs and are hunted by Partuz.
- The Black Plains. The volcanic plains of the island's western side are more arid, but feature vast grass and shrublands. Here large animals hunt and feed on the sloping shelves down to the water. The black volcanic soil combined with the nexus effects makes the grass here exceptionally tall and thick. At times it is hard for animals to navigate through, leaving them open to ambush.
- Mount Tahmasba. When the famous explorer Touran Jai Tahmasba sailed past the isles several centuries ago she witnessed the only active volcano erupt on the north side of the main island. She named it after herself, and after taking drawings of it and some samples she sailed away.
- Nakana Bay. Decades after Tahmasba discovered the islands, a Qadiri trader known as Hyrali Jai Nakana stopped by after being blown off course by a storm. Recognising Mount Tahmasba by the descriptions in that explorer's widely published notes, she decided to land and see if the island was worth claiming for her people. Setting sail from her main ship with a couple of rowboats and twenty companions she landed. The bay she landed in was named for her…as a memorial, as she did not return.
- The Fire Rift. Near Mount Tahmasba at the north of the island is a burning gulf caused by continental movement which is slowly pulling the island apart. Here a wound nearly three kilometres long and half deep is often filled with lava and boils with smoke.
- Obsidian Pass. Near the centre of the island is one of the few land paths between east and west. This valley caused by continental faulting is still arduous to ascend and descend. It is named for the Obsidian which forms many crevasses and caves to the side. Many Partuz spin their webs here and wait to pounce on the unwary.
- The Hungry Reef. The reefs which connect the big island to the others is a confusing arc of coral, rock and sand. Many sea creatures, affected by the nexus, live here, and have become larger than normal. Several ships over the centuries have come to grief here, including one of Tahmasba's, before they were able to free it and repair the vessel.
Force Nexus:
- Intent: To provide a wild and mysterious reason for why the Isle of the Beasts is this way. Give an interesting place to explore.
- Nexus Name: Heart of the Wild
- Nexus Alignment: Light-Neutral. The aura is predominantly neutral, but tending slightly to Light. The effects enhance the natural order rather than warping it, and there is no corrupting effects of the Dark Side present.
- Size: Medium-Large. The strongest effects lie at the heart of the largest volcano, but lesser effects can be felt across roughly the whole island.
- Strength: Except at its very heart, the nexus is not especially strong in overall power. Rather, the energy of the Force permeates the Isle and over time has altered the flora and fauna which lives there. The background effect covers roughly the island chain and some of the seas around, decreasing linearly based on distance.
- Accessibility: As with the island as a whole, though even harder to locate and access due to a large number of Partuz calling the area home.
- Effects: Much of the Heart's power is a low level, background and gradual power. Over centuries and millennia, it has subtly warped the plants and animals of the Isle of the Beasts. This change has manifested itself in flora and fauna growing much larger, more cunning and more numerous than would otherwise be possible. These effects scale based on the organism's lifespan, so certain trees have grown to vast sizes rivalling those of Kashyyyk or Endor. Meanwhile the Great Mother has reached exceptional age and intelligence through centuries of exposure to the centre of the nexus.
These effects are not ones a visiting sentient can easily draw from, though by living there and meditating it might be possible to gain a greater connection with the wild and increase their natural savagery. This, however, is unproved.
HISTORICAL INFORMATION
The exact origins of the Isle of Beasts are known well enough in the big picture. Continental drift and faults caused the islands to emerge as volcanoes many millions of years ago. The biggest island was eventually formed in this method, but as the faults moved away four of the five volcanoes became extinct, and only one remained. Other islands sprung up though forming a chain, and these are still active in places.
The most famous feature of these islands though is a low level but persistent Force nexus which has affected the flora and fauna of the islands for millennia. The exact cause of this is unknown, as there is no obvious cause such as the Valley of the Jedi on Ruusan had. Perhaps it was merely the concentrated power of so much life in a small area caused this to happen. However, the fact that many animals from across Tygara made it to the island when it should not be possible indicates perhaps the original Rakata engineers of the planet are involved. They usually are, annoyingly.
As there has never been a settled population on the islands there is no history to describe the distant past. Therefore, the first discovery by the outside world came when the Khaimari Qadiri explorer Touran Jai Tahmasba undertook her circumnavigation of the world several centuries ago. By this stage Touran was returning from her expedition and was blown off course by a storm, eventually coming to see land in a place no one had known before. Originally, she attempted to pass through the gap between the Isle of Beasts and Morkaran, but a ship ran aground on the reefs and enraged giant crabs attacked them. After defeating that peril, they managed to reach a shelving beach to repair the damaged ship. Whilst this happened the northern volcano erupted. Touran encouraged the crew that it was a sign from the gods, and named the fire mount after herself. After reprovisioning water and food (though not without attacks from the hungry wildlife), they departed, passing by the southern tip and beyond, thoroughly charting it.
When Touran returned home to Khaimara, one of her adventures which attracted the most notice was the primordial islands filled with beasts. Many people in subsequent decades ventured for them, but many either did not find the islands or turned back. One who did reach there was a second wave explorer named Hyrali Jai Nakana. Some thirty years after Jai Tahmasba, she arrived off the islands and sought to land and either claim or explore the interior. With several small boats and twenty companions she landed on the southern shore. One group headed north-west, another north-east. Both came to grief. Hyrali herself was killed by a particularly large Partuz when she became webbed and trapped. Only three of her companions made it back to the boats and left, though possibly they abandoned some of their companions. After this, the Forsaken Isles as the Qadiri called them were much less attractive to visitors!
The islands saw little outside contact until quite recently when the Vashyada Paragon and priestess Tylania visited. Having heard of this strange island via rumour she sought out a ship to take her there. The Khajwari Qadiri who ended up taking her were very reluctant, and might well have been tempted to leave the 'mad woman' behind on the island, were it not for Tylania having some of her most trusted retainers on board to 'encourage' they kept their word. Regardless, the Vash landed alone on the eastern side, passing through the plains, up through the highlands, through Obsidian Pass and approaching the heart of the greatest volcano. The path was dangerous, but Tylania's power in the Force ensured she was able to make a path without hurting or being hurt by the beasts which roamed there. When she approached the mountain cave the Partuz stood aside with gifts and led her inside.
There she met the Great Mother of the Partuz, and the two communed telepathically for some time before she returned to the ship. All were amazed by her return, and many of the crew did not believe she had done so, to which Tylania produced a gemstone from the mountain's heart permeated with the Force which the Great Mother had given her. This settled the argument, and it was given as a bonus to the Captain as they left for home.
With the arrival of Firemane, the downfall of the Xio and the settling of Ajustra by the Eldorai, the Isle of Beasts inevitably became more noticed. Satellites and modern sea vessels now observed all. The island was visited several times by modern explorers, many of whom came to a bad end. An attempt by Firemane to survey the islands for exploitable reserves led to a temporary stockade being setup on the eastern side of the island. However, after near constant attacks by all manner of creatures and after several of them were eaten by Partuz it was abandoned and eventually washed away in a storm.
Another occasion, within the last couple of years was a manned expedition complete with speeders, aircraft and the services of a Qadiri big game hunter named Bhavani Jai Tembasa. The group sought allegedly to explore, but it became clear they were most interested in poaching rare animals for sale. The fact that Firemane agents were with them when this should have been illegal was an unfortunate turn.
The group landed near Mount Tahmasba and tried to approach Morkana but were attacked by giant, hungry crabs and several were eaten. Turning back, they pushed across the plains but found themselves picked off by aggressive and unusually cunning animals. Bhavani was so irritated by the group's lack of discipline and stupidity in not following her advice she left them to their own devices. Undeterred, their leader, a minor executive in Firemane, pushed on heedless to Obsidian Pass. There the group was ambushed by a nightmarish horde of Partuz descending from the cliffs on webs. Their last transmissions were beamed out and were mostly screams, gunfire…and chomping. After this Firemane officially quarantined the island.
As a result of this and the reputation this failed expedition caused, the islands remain a place of mystery and wonder, waiting to be properly explored.
