Maletsok Islands (MAL-et-sok)
Geography
All Maletsokish geography is founded upon the Maleseachian mountains which dictate the ecosystems of Maleseach, and influence the weather patterns of the Western Islands. Generally, Maletsok is lush and green, enjoying an easy temperate climate. It is home to all manner of ecosystems, from wetlands to deserts.
Maleseach
Maleseach is the largest island in the archipelago. It is divided into three sectors based on relation to the Maleseachian mountains: Semseach to the east and north of the mountains, Uremseach to the south, and Ilemseach to the west. The greatest diversity of ecosystems on the islands are found on Maleseach.
Maleseachian Mountains
The Maleseachian mountains are a treacherous volcanic mountain range, rising to its peak at Mount Darbreduun. They are quite lush and green at their feet in Semseach and Ilemseach, and dry in Uremseach, where there are grasslands and desert. The alpine regions of the mountains are barren, especially in relation to the lowlands, home only to small flowering shrubs and cactus-like trees. Clad in snow and stone, the summits of the range are inhospitable to nearly all life.
A feature of the foothills of Maleseach is the Zindush Valley in Semseach, often called the Darbreduun Valley, which was formed after the eruption of Mount Darbreduun in pre-history. It receives the highest rates of precipitation across Maletsok, as the humid trade winds from the north-east (called the Northwind) are condensed rapidly and significantly more in the Valley's narrowing channel than the rest of Semseach. This rainfall and snowmelt makes the Zindush River the largest and most powerful river on the archipelago.
Dominating the mountain range is Darbreduun, the dazzlingly tall composite volcano, which features as prominently in the Island's lore as it does on the landscape. The volcano has remained dormant for centuries, as it is said to not be a natural volcano, but a tool for the gods. It appears as a large cone placed at the heart of the mountain range, with a portion gouged away where the Zindush Valley has carved into its side.Semseach
The most populated and biodiverse area of Maleseach, Semseach is best known for the lush forests and deadly swamps fed by Maleseach's largest rivers: the Zindush, Olleth, Allameai, Naratheas, and Gafodle Rivers. Each of these rivers is born of the Northwind, which brings humid air to the mountains, where it turns to rain and snow.
The impact of the Northwind is twofold. Firstly, it provides ample fresh water for plants and animals living in Semseach to feed from. Secondly, the regular rain and snowfall on the mountains erodes them, injecting the five Rivers with boundless nutrient-rich volcanic sediment. This sediment both fertilizes the flora and fauna of, and expands the Northern Wetlands.
The entire north coast of Maleseach is marred by the thick Northern Wetlands. These salt marshes, sometimes not-s--lovingly called The Fens, are vast and deep, and host various amphibian creatures, many of which deadly. There is often a dense fog over the whole biome which limits visibility, further increasing the level of danger. According to Maletsokish lore, these swamps and fog are also the home of Malakienthe Beautiful, Goddess of Death, and the land of wandering spirits who have not been granted entry into the Kolaluthenut. Prior to Ethelan occupation, the Wetlands were entirely inhospitable. However, the Imperial spirit to overcome (and ample resources) allowed the Ethelan to conquer the lands with a large network of duckboards, walkways, and stilted villages. More about the Northern Wetlands can be found below.
The rest of Semseach is forested and vibrant. The coastal areas (just south of the Northern Wetlands, and along the eastern coast) are classified as temperate rainforests, with the foothills and Uremseach borderlands hosting a temperate deciduous environment. The rainforests are particularly biodiverse, with countless species of flora, fauna, and sprites residing there. Study and classification of these species is still underway by both Imperial and Indigenous scholars alike.
Uremseach
Known as the agricultural heart of Maletsok, Uremseach is noticeably drier than Semseach, but no less fertile. Historically grassland, Uremseach is used by the inhabitants as vast farmland, growing all nature of grains and corns and fruiting shrubs and trees. As such, this has created a culture of agriculture and growth. Uremseach is also famous for it's three large lakes, Sonholago, Balsolago, and Nascencelago, which are the largest in Maletsok. These lakes have traditionally represented the passage of life for its inhabitants, with Nascencelago representing birth, Balsolago representing the journey of life, and Sonholago representing life after death (curiously, in this instance, life flows against the river current).
Crowning the landscape of Uremseach, of course, is the Uremseach Desert. This rain-shadow desert is the one locale the Ethelan refuse to settle, as there are no useful resources to be extracted. Besides the Brafolk tribes who live in the sands, and the countless legends of giant creatures swimming in the dunes, little is actually known of the desert.
Ilemseach
Before the Belsumese invasion in 1301 T.E., Ilemseach was once similar to the forested areas of Semseach. Rolling hills of deciduous woodlands dominated the landscape, while rivers from the mountains carve small valleys on their way to the sea. These rivers were once famously a source of gold, as runoff from the mountains carried tiny particles of the element. Today, however, much has changed. According to reports from spies, defectors, and (criminal) thrill-seekers returning from the Belsumese territory, the once thick woodland is nothing more than a charred wasteland, the trees apparently being used to fuel Belsumese industry and military. The disappearance of the trees disrupted the water-cycle, causing the land to heat and dry up and the rivers to routinely flood their banks. Much of the rocky coastline is slowly filling in with sediment from the flooding upstream. Nevertheless, some areas of the land have been reclaimed as farmland by Belsumese ingenuity.
Western Islands
The Western Islands comprise Ilemis (Western Island), Ilemer (West Reach), and Sombemis (Dark Island). The Islands are generally similar to each other, but quite different from Maleseach, especially in the fact that the Belsumese have not yet harmed the landscape with their industry. Lying between Maleseach and the Western Islands is the Ilemesturak, the Western Channel.
Ilemetsurak
Ilemis
Ilemis is the largest of the Western Islands. Topographically, it is incredibly flat in comparison to it's neighbour Maleseach. Only two rivers run across its surface, one to the east and one to the west, which create two shallow valleys terminating in beaches at the sea. Save for these two beaches, however, the coast is rough and rocky, in many places being sheer sharp cliffs of volcanic rock. These cliff walls, coupled with the relative flatness of the terrain, gives the whole island the appearance of a fortress, with a short citadel at its centre in the form of a hill (whereupon rests the Belsumese Capital Bodrumsun).
The plateau is nothing more than grassland, feeding off of the residual volcanic nutrients in the soil. The top layer of soil is too shallow for any large plants to grow -- some shrubs find difficulty planting root -- making Ilemis a very bland land to be.
Ilemer
Much like Ilemis, Ilemer has rocky cliff faces all around. In contrast, however, it is significantly rockier, cursed with a near absence of soil. The majority of the Reach is rocky, greened only by moss and weed. Only at the northern end, where the cliffs rise the steepest, is there a habitable location. There, the stone has been eroded enough by sea-wind to be smooth walls, with sandy beaches at their feet. Despite its seemingly inhospitable nature, Ilemer is actually the site of the Maletsokish Gull breeding grounds.
Sombemis
Sombemis has a rocky coast like it's neighbours. It is precisely there that any similarity to the rest of Maletsok ends. Sombemis is entirely lifeless, making the alpine region of Maleseach seem lively by comparison. The soil is nothing more than sharp, obsidian gravel. The only natural site of note is the Blackstone Wood on the northern half of the Island. There, great pillars of obsidian and black stone rise out from the ground at such angles and so tightly as to form an impenetrable canopy above, letting nearly no light through. During the day, the floor of the Blackstone Wood appears as a starry sky, as minute beams of sunlight penetrate the "foliage." At night, the Wood is as dark as a cruel magic.
Localized Phenomena
Although relatively unknown to outsiders, Maletsok is host to numerous unique phenomena that have eluded Imperial scholars for centuries. The most famous (or infamous) are mentioned briefly here:
Northern Wetlands Ethereal Blurring
Most famously and well-documented of Meltsok's phenomena, the Northern Wetlands is renowned for its blurring of the boundaries between Nedia and the Merikesken Plane. Documented cases of the laws of the Polasenok abound, notably spirits being seen from Nedia without the use of spells like True Seeing or See Invisibility. More terrifyingly, these spirits have been known to physically interact with the material world and vise versa. The only known cases of living mortal creatures being killed by the souls of the dead have been recorded in the Northern Wetlands. Another important peculiarity of the Fens are disappearances. Although never witnessed firsthand, people have been known to disappear in the Wetlands and, it is said, be taken body and soul into the Ethereal.
The only substantial theory of these lands comes from the Maletsokish natives, who believe the Wetlands to be the Holy Homeland of the Goddess Malakienthe Beautiful, Goddess of Death. Here, it is said, she takes the souls of the dead and carries them to the Kolaluthenut. Although this theory is irrefutable to explain the ethereal blurring, it completely contradicts the Polasenok, as physical and material things cannot exist in the Ethereal.
Tim's Bay Tides
Inexplicably, the tides in Tim's Bay in Uremseach are significantly higher than the average. Whereas elsewhere in Maletsok, tidal ranges are around 5 feet, Tim's Bay tides can range upwards of 25 to 30 feet. More strangely, the tides have been recorded predicting large stormfronts at sea, and have been used by both sailors before a voyage, and local administrators preparing for disasters. More tangibly, the tides also bear objects from the sea; brought in at high tide and deposited in the intertidal zone at low tide. These objects have been treasures normally too heavy to float in ocean currents, debris from ancient shipwrecks, survivors from recent wrecks, and scrolls and tomes, among others. The written pieces are in a language unknown to any living being in the Empire, and their translation continues to elude experts. Finally, the night tides also bear with them increased spiritual activity to an effect normally only found in the Northern Wetlands.
One theory claims the unique topography of the Bay causes a funneling action, amplifying the tides. Where this theory falters is the timing; Tim's Bay's tides were recorded as being closer to average until the Belsumese Empire invasion, and its strengthening has only increased in the century since. Moreover, it does not reckon with the strange loads hauled in by the tides, nor the predictive and supernatural elements that come with it. The more prevalent theory, espoused especially by Stormfolgers (see Luthaenelism) is that the bay is an alternative Holy Site of Bokorenthe Sonorous, replacing the Sikristerm Lighthouse after its capture. This theory also fails to fully account for all facets of the phenomenon, notably the heightened spiritual (nondivine) activity.
Uremseach Desert Abominations
The Uremseach Desert on the leeward side of the Maleseachian Mountains should, by all accounts, be an ordinary desert. No Luthaenel Deities claim it as a homeland, and only the Brafolk (see Human) inhabit it. Nevertheless, the sands shift and tumble from great movements below. Very little else is known and documented about this phenomenon; only anecdotal evidence and rumours tell of what lies under the moving sands, such as the ancient local belief that below lies the Pits of Akkolorn. This, however, would explain sinister apparitions, not abominations against the Alworthy .
Although the Brafolk are deeply secretive and at times violent, there are reports from brave souls who have ventured into the Desert and survived. They speak of creatures beyond description; abominations of nature that wander beneath and above the harsh landscape. These creatures are savage, and have no care for life whatsoever. Some reports of these creatures claim them to be sentient.
To date, no theories have surfaced regarding the Uremseach Desert as there is far too little evidence. The Imperial Academy refuses to fund research expeditions due to the dangers, and the few brave adventures who attempt to traverse the sands seldom return. Not even the Maletsokish have a notion of what could cause such disturbances. Fortunately, reports of the abominations have increased within the past half century, bringing new evidence to study.
Comments