Ætoya (Eye-toy'-a)
"I don't know which is worse, the smell of Ætoya or Aũ Bo." "Oh, Ætoya, by far!" "Why's that?" "At least in Market Town, only your clothes and hair absorbs the smell. After visiting Ætoya, even your damn skin stinks for weeks."Ætoya is considered one of the most inhospitable places on Imnnacon. Not because of anything being particularly venomous or poisonous, the flora and fauna of the Pozemok rainforest are far more numerous and deadly. It's the stench. A stench so profound, so gods-awful, that it is said even the creatures of the Abyssal Plane are loath to walk the fetid land.
Geography
Ætoya is a roughly triangular shaped area on the northeast tip of Erocien. To its north is the The Wild Domain. The southern border touches the Sea of Estvala, and the western edge is bounded by the Lourefell Mountains. The average elevation of the area is two feet above sea level.
Ecosystem
As a result of its low elevation and large shoreline, the extreme high tides created by the conjunction of the two moons with Imnnacon flood the swamp with salt water. This salt water slowly mixes with the fresh water flowing off the Lourefell Mountains and creates a unique low-oxygen brackish ecosystem.
This ecosystem is home to many species of plant and animal life that simply don't exist anywhere else on the planet. One interesting species is the Mangrel tree, a tree whose roots have evolved to constantly degass a mild sulfur-smelling organic acid into the soil and water. This acid aids in the breakdown of organic matter, which, in turn, provides nutrients that the tree can more readily absorb. It is this phenomenon, in this ecosystem, which contributes the most to the legenday stench of Ætoya.
Localized Phenomena
The waters that flood the land at high tide remain until low tide when the excess is finally able to drain away. During this time, the water "boils" as the Mangrel trees increase the amount of gases expelled, capitalizing on the greater amount of water.
History
The only known date of importance regarding the land is when a band of Nephilim wandered into the area and settled. As a result of this settlement, Sicklebee Tea was discovered.
Alternative Name(s)
The Bog of Eternal Stench, The Boiling Swamps
Type
Wetland / Swamp
Location under
Related Ethnicities
Related Tradition (Primary)
Inhabiting Species
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