The Azupl Isles

The jewels of the north

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Located north of the continent of Aenica, the Azupl Isles are a volcanic island cluster known for being the most biodiverse place in the Frozen North. They are a collection of twenty-four islands situated in what is known as the Azupl Sea, an expanse of ocean with constant geothermal activity. It is extremely rare that the ocean in this area will freeze over, and many outsiders have remarked that the area is 'uncannily warm' for it's latitude. That said, it is still a cold place, with temperatures reaching a rare high of only ten degrees celsius in the summer months. In the winter, the nights are long and hostile.

The islands themselves are characterised by pitch black rock and dark sand beaches, sharp peaks jutting into the frosty sky. Each island has at least one active volcano, though most have more, with more still lying dormant or extinct. Boiling steam rises from fissures in the ground, and hot water bubbles up from underground springs, minerals staining the resulting pools a rainbow of colours.

Whilst grasses are rare, many of the islands are covered in a patchwork of mosses and lichens, as well as dense stands of mocl trees. The mocl is an aggressively fast-growing tree that reproduces by both runners and seed pods. Its trunk is about an inch thick, and it can grow around two metres in the space of a few months. During the winter, they go dormant and all growth ceases to conserve energy.

Of the twenty-four islands that make up the archipelago, eighteen have at least one or more permanent settlements, whilst the others often host an itinerant camp or two. The largest island, Zihuitl, is home to Tlanta, the most populous town in the archipelago. It is considered the islands' capital, a hub for trading, governance, and diplomacy. Buildings tend to be made of woven mocl wood, softened with steam over geothermal fissures. The woven structures are then plastered with mud, and moss and lichen is encouraged to grow over it for added insulation.

There are three distinct groups of people that call the Azupl Isles home, as well as a not insignificant number of those with mixed heritage. Generally, the three groups get on together rather well, though that does not mean there has not been brutal and bloody conflicts in their history.

The oldest civilisation on the archipelago is the Qoatl, dragons that have evolved to be much more serpentine than others of their kind. In dragon form, they usually stick to the water, as their legs are short and clumsy. They are the ones who officially named the islands, though the other civilisations have their own monikers for most of them.

The other two civilisations consist of shapeshifters, and both arrived at the islands before the start of recorded history. The Vasheen can take on the form of rime orcas, and generally try to avoid the local wild pod. More often than not, the Vasheen are blamed for the onset of any hostilities between the three nations, as their blood runs hot and they prefer to settle disagreements with fists rather than words. Youths often deliberately beach themselves in orca form to sunbathe, much to the disapproval of their elders.

The other shapeshifters, the Erca, can take on the form of the ruddy yak. The ruddy yak is native to northern Aenica, so it is believed that the Erca originated from there. This belief is given further credence by the existence there of another group of shapeshifters, the Grellish, who also can transform into the ruddy yak. Unusually for shapeshifters, the Erca spent about eighty percent of their time in their animal form.