Einladen is a relatively small island upon which one can find just under a dozen settelments. Many know of the island, and specifically it's largest settlement,
Wohlig. For its size, Einladen packs in a good variety of topography, upon which one can find abundant, though not highly varied, flora and fauna. To most, Einladen is synonymous with cozy and easy living. This perception only lasts because most have no awareness of, nor thought for, what occurs on the less accessible eastern third of the island.
Topography
The island is approximately three miles, east to west. The eastern portion of the island is about two miles, north to south, but tapers down to a mile on the western third.
On the western edge of the island one can find a lake, which is half a mile in diameter. The lake is kept from flowing off the side of the floating island by a three foot strip of land encircling the outermost portion of the lake.
The land just east of the lake is relatively flat, but with an incline, for it leads into a mountain range that runs north and south through the center of the island.
On the eastern third of the island, past the mountains, stretch large plains interspersed with thick patches of forest, like oases in a desert. Though this part of Einladen abuts the mountains, there is no publically known method of entering the mountains. Instead, the mountains end in a sharp drop at least a dozen yards above the eastern plains. Thus, the mountains sit like a wall rising to the heavens, preventing the residents from travelling between the western and eastern sides of the island.
Towns and Villages
By far, the town of Wohlig is the most known and takes up the entirety of the western portion of the island, stopping at the eastern edge of the Flechtan Mountains. The
Gyre(jahyuhr) Guild of tinkerers is the largest organization on the island, and ,as such, has become the governing body of the town. Visitors are encouraged in Wohlig, and rumors of the atmosphere boast a warm, comfy, welcoming experience. Traders are also encouraged to visit Wohlig, though the town imports more than it exports in an effort to keep the tourists coming to see items only sold on Einladen.
The eastern side of the island is called the Verbinden Plains. There, over a half dozen villages have been established, which are far smaller than Wohlig, and largely unknown. For the most part, the population of the Verbinden Plains experiences little change - there are equal numbers of births and deaths. Some of the villages are composed of a small cluster of common buildings used by farmers and orchardists spread out along the plains, and some villages are situated within the forest clusters.
Each village governs itself, but cooperation - trade and coming together when misfortune strikes - is a necessity for survival since the people of the Einladen east are isolated from not only the west, but the rest of StarSea. Off-island traders and tourists rarely anchor to the eastern side of Einladen, and those that do don't stay long when they realize they are far from the bustle of Wohlig. Consequently, the people of the Verbinden Plains are self-suffient by necessity.
Suspicious Neighbors
Three of the villages in the east do not cooperate with the others. These villages are each enclosed by fences tall enough to block view of all but the roofs of buildings. When these secretive neighbors travel, they do so in clothing or carts that hide them from observers. They travel among the three fenced villages, but also often make trips to the mountain wall on the western side of the Verbinden plains. Most of the eastern residents have little to no reason to visit the mountain wall except during winter rains, so this is suspicious to the people.
And well they should be suspicious, for the secretive neighbors are in fact a tribe of Don Raiders loyal to Don Lanik, who go by the name of Fennec.
The Flechtan Mountains
The mountain range of Einladen is in reality a group of several stretches of mountain interwoven with valley paths accessible from the west. From above, they resemble a thick, disorderly braid. The paths between the mountains makes the range easily traversible. The peaks themselves are a bit steep, though not very high. They are clearly far taller than any mortal-built structure, but, were it not for their sharpness, they might be called hills.
The Flip-Switch Tunnels
Winding under the mountains of Einladen are dozens of tunnels created by the Gyre Guild in the western third and the Fennec Tribe in the eastern third. The tunnels are supported and defended by intricate flip-switch, and rotation technology. Only the raiders and the guild know how to travel in a direct manner through these puzzle-like mechanisms. So far, the secret allies have had no trouble with unwanted trespassers - that they know of - but should anyone find the entrance, they are more likely to get lost and trapped in the flip-switch tunnels than they are to figure out where they lead.
The Lake
Wohlig lake is a resource of great importance to the west. The fresh lake supplies much needed water, and is also home to various species of fish, which are a major food source and export for Wohlig. The lake is a restricted area, and is not avaiable for recreational use. This protects the water and the fish. The
Gyre Guild has set up restrictions on fishing to protect the numbers of fish and ensure that more populate the lake each year so food is still available during the next year.
Seasons
Einladen is an island that experiences long stretches of spring and summer, with a short autumn, and even shorter winter. The duration of the seasons is very beneficial to Wohlig, which has a lake of fresh water to rely upon. The east suffers with no large fresh water source.
Luckily, Einladen experiences rain nearly every day of winter. In the western third, this refills the lake. In the eastern third, people have found ways to gather water and store it for the summer. One of the methods is placing large bucket-like structures along the mountain wall to catch the run-off water that cascades off the ledge. Water is stored in a few underground aquifers built in town centers. These aquifers are built with
alchemically modified materials that prevent the water from entering the wood, and leaking through. Despite these collections, water often has to be rationed in the eastern third, especially during the later weeks of the summer season.
Natural Resources
Water
As described above, the length of the seasons lead to a scarcity of water which makes it the most valuable resource on Einladen. This is especially felt on the Verbinden Plains where water is the one resource that, if stolen, will lead a village to seek retribution through war.
Fauna
The most abundant species of fauna available to the western third is a species of ibex found in the mountains. This herbivore is a common source of food and leather. The numbers are large enough that it can be hunted for a few months, which is nearly @[half a year]. Though other species large enough to provide meat and leather exist in the mountains, they are far fewer in number. There is a single predator of the ibex, but it needs little enough meat to survive that the ibex herds don't decline dangerously so long as the predator numbers are controlled. The Gyre Guild regulates what species can be hunted at any one time.
The only land-bound creatures found within the boundaries of Wohlig are rodents and insects which are dealt with like pests. In the lake, one can find copious amounts of fish. Similar to the ibex, these are used for food, and fishing is regulated by the Gyre Guild.
On the Verbinden plains, there are far fewer species of fauna, which are limited to insects and rodents, many of which are used as food sources. The most prolific species is a species of gopher dubbed gopher-gnomes by the residents because the rodents fur makes it look like it has a beard.
On rare occasions, a beast of the mountains may fall off the mountain wall which runs along the border of the plains. The people of the eastern villages all gather for these rare occasions and, together, feast on this rare juicy meat.
Flora
Trees, grains, and seeds are the most beneficial and most oft used flora on Einladen.
There are four main sub-groups of trees found on the island. In the mountains, the western residents find yellow-tinted white oak trees and a species of fruit tree unique to Einladen called suben trees. The white oak wood is used for building and firewood, and the suben fruit and suben leaves are used in various recipes meant to draw in tourists. In the east, a species of black oak grows in clusters, and orchardists cultivate non-native species of fruit trees brought by early settlers.
Secret Fruit
An alchemist in one of the plain villages attempted to create a new type of fruit which retained nearly all the aspects of fruit, but was boosted by the protein levels of gopher meat. After a few admittedly gross failed attempts with ripe fruit, she attempted to use a fruit pit. This meld seemed successful, but could only be verified after the tree grew to maturity and bore fruit. That tree should bear fruit during this year.
In the east, the grain grown was brought by settlers, just like the fruit trees. Farmers also grow fields of native flax. The seeds can be used as food and the stems are used to make linen for clothing, bedding, and other similar needs.
In the west, the residents also garther large amounts of a grain they call wurzig. This tangy grain grows exclusively around the trunks of suben trees. It is used in breads of various kinds, and when paired with the sweet suben fruit, is considered the signature taste of Wohlig.
A Symbiotic Relationship
The suben tree and wurzig grain have a symbiotic relationship. Because the spring and summer are especially long on Einladen, the plants which survive are those which have a way to store water. Wurzig cannot do that on its own, but instead it grows at the trunk of suben trees, and benefits from the water stored by the trees and the nutrients in the soil brought by bacteria that gathers in abundance along the vast root system of the trees.
The grain is beneficial to the tree in the early spring season. At that time, the main food source for the native species of ibex will have wilted, and is no longer available. Instead, the goats seek less appealing food, such as wurzig. As spring approaches, the ibex start to ram their horns against the trunks of trees as a way to attract mates. This causes the now fully softened, mush-like suben fruit to fall in great numbers so that the pits inside the fruit are scattered.
Stone
The stone available in the mountains is often used in conjunction with the oak trees to build. This is less common in the plains, where procuring large slabs of stone is not plausible, though crumbled pieces are gathered during the winter when the water collection buckets are being installed. In the west, there is plenty of access to the stone, and it is used often. The tinkers (all, including those not in the Gyre Guild) utilize the materials for their creations, which may include, but is not limited to, buildings and furniture.
Trade
The eastern third does not participate in import and export, being isolated from the the port at Wohlig and rarely, if ever, visited by travellers.
The western third has many avenues of trade which have been established for decades. Wohlig's main imports are clothing and off-island technologies. These technologies are usually kept in the
Wharf Overlook and evaluated by the Gyre Guild before it is traded directly with other residents. When Wohlig exports, it is usually some amount of ibex meat or fish, though this only happens if there is a surplus of wildlife as the Gyre Guild keeps a close eye on the numbers of the wild species.
The people of Wohlig are forbidden from exporting any trinkets, toys, or even household items that include the rotation, flip-switch style mechanisms which are a main attraction of Wohlig. The purpose of this restriction is to ensure that people continue to journey to Wohlig for this type of technology. Consequently, visitors can purchase souveneirs that use the special mechanisms, but never in bulk. Any other type of inventions or creations are not restricted.
The suben fruit and leaves, as well as the wurzig grain are somewhat regulated, though not as jealously as the tinker creations - likely because the Gyre Guild of tinkerers is the governing body of Wohlig. Some of the unique flora is exported, but most of it is needed on the island, so even that rarely makes it off the island.
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