Post by Deleted on May 6, 2016 22:36:15 GMT -5
Created by Roin
Name of Island: Toekoms Hoopeiland (Two-Koms Huep-i-land)
Island Description: One of the largest islands in terms of landmass, Toekoms' vast and sandy dunes encircle one of the largest mountains around, Mt. Huidig. The independent and proud forehead-horned humans known as the Siener call Toekoms home, the civilization having settled the island and held its freedom from the World Government for a few hundred years.
Society: The Siener Meritocracy (Afrikaans-inspired)
The Siener are a group that choose leaders and make decisions based upon an individual's abilities and accomplishments.
Size of Island: Roughly as large/slightly larger than Alabasta.
Location: Nightmare Route (or whatever its renamed to), Grand Line
Log Pose Time: 8 Days
Climactic Type: Spring (Inner Toekoms) and Summer (Outer Toekoms)
Climate: While the island is a standard island within the Grand Line, the massive mountain that makes up the inner section of the island has a seperate climate than the natural Summer, desert biome found on its shores and outer stretches. The mountain's climate boasts standard temperatures throughout most of the year, receiving much of the island's rain and snow during the fall and winter. The deserts around the island mirror this and often receives very little rainfall while boasting high and unbearable temperatures.
Island Appearance: *If a picture can be found/made similar to the description, it may be added.*
As one draws near Toekoms, they'll likely see its peak before they spot its shores. Sailing into its shallows, the dunes of its desert will block part of their view, almost shadowed by the giant mountain at its center. Snowy peaks, forests, and distant cities can be seen spotting the side of the mountain as one looks from the top toward the base to show that the life of the island is centered around this singular earthen formation.
Flora and Fauna:{Flora}{Apple Trees}
A basic tree that grews in groves along the mountain of Toekoms but a significant part of the Siener diet comes from these. Apple trees are viewed with significant importance, often resulting in every household growing and tending to at least one of these trees to keep themselves moderately cared for in the case of an emergency.{Destiny Flower}
A beautiful, rainbow-petal flower that grows near the base of the mountain only a few times throughout the year. With ten or more petals per flower, every Destiny Flower looks different as they will get different petals in different orders of colors. The Destiny Flower is unique in being something that many seek to acquire once every few years due to how impossible they can be to acquire when blooming and their actual inability to be used properly. Only blooming for a single day, these flowers will grant the user to peer into the future and see only what may become of them. To do so, the person simply takes the flower in both hands, closes one eye, and brings it up to their right eye, pressing their open eye into the center of the flower. This is due to the fact that once the user views the future, they may be able to avert the future they saw, leading many to find ways to prepare for terrible situations they may face. Due to the nature of how little the flower shows, it's far from useful in practical use and often requires a lot of guessing as to when the future they saw occurs as it could be as soon as after viewing the flower or at the end of their life. Of all the flora, it's the only one that hasn't changed and has always existed on the island.{Elemental Brush (1-4 ft tall, 1-3 inches wide)}
Suspected to be a variation or some distant evolutionary chain in line with Pop-Greens, Elemental Brush has grown in the upper reaches of Toekoms' massive mountain as long as the Siener can recall. The brush can grow in what many call a "dead zone" between the forestry and the snow, atop a rare mineral called Element Stone. This mineral, while useless individually, has become an evolutional tool for the brush to the degree that it has become the sole plant in the region to utilize the mineral. While this means that someone could buy Element Stone-enriched soil and grow Elemental Brush anywhere, the only thing that will grow and inherit the mineral's properties will be Elemental Brush. However, one should also prepare any growing area for the plant to mimic one of the four elements it can inherit if they want it to gain a specific series. Unlike standard plants the evolution of Elemental Brush is both to make full use of the nutrients it grows with, the environment it's in, and to ensure its survival from predators and to encourage help from those that would help it. All of these changes have been brought about by vast stores of nutrients and elements such as Carbon or Nitrogen within the earth being within the Element Stone-enrichment.
The first variant is what one would call its "default" form, the Elemental Brush almost identical to a standard bush in its young age. As it grows, however, the plant coats itself in moss to better hide itself among basic shrubbery or plant-life. This special moss allows the Brush to purify and store large amounts of water that comes into contact with it, rainfall, and any extra water it may leak from its leafs. This plant allows both underwater stores to be tapped and to purify any bodies of water their roots might leak into. Due to this nature, it's commonly known as Water Brush. The moss is a dark green, the rest of the plant roughly the same shades of green as a normal bush might be.
The second variant is found in barren sections of the mountain, where most plant life is either gone or minuscule. Due to this barren section, the sun spends most of the day bearing down on the brush. This constant heat forces the Elemental Brush to emit vapors similar to elements like nitrogen, keeping the plant cool and catching condensation from the air around it to keep it well-watered and fresh until the plant is satisfied. The result causes the plants to turn what might be scalding hot rock into a temperature regulated area, making them great for air-conditioners and (with proper care) even freezers. Due to this nature, it's commonly known as Ice Brush. The body of the plant is a blue-green shade, with an icy blue base and roots.
The third variant is found in the colder range of the mountain, often near or in snow. At such extremes, the Elemental Brush develops a unique ability to keep itself warm enough to grow and prosper. Leafs around it grow thick with slow burning natural oil, dampening just enough to ensure the longest possible burn time, and finally it will begin a unique sort of photosynthesis. As the sun hits the plant, any leaf that gets a full blast from the sun will turn the plant's select leaf into a fireball, bursting into flames and providing enough warmth for the plant. This fire, in turn with fending off the snow and frost, will continue ensuring an almost perfect balance of moisture is present on the other plants to prevent combustion even with the natural oils on it. Due to this nature, it's commonly known as Flame Brush. The stems of the its igniting attachments (the leaf, you fool!) are an oily black, with an orange hue to the body of the plant.
The fourth and final variant is found in the lower reaches of the mountain near the desert-line. Down here, the Elemental Brush burrows into the sand-softened soil with long, vine-like roots similar to rope. It will use all the nutrients the Element Stone-enriched sand can provide for it to a degree and spend much of its life rather small and lightweight for an Elemental Brush. As it begins to run out, however, the leafs of the Elemental Brush will begin split and multiply in great number while reinforcing the leaf with any nutrients it may still have. Once this latch ditch effort is done, most will have almost four times the amount of leafs. These stronger and massed leafs will then catch the strongest gusts of the desert rolling in toward the mountain and pull the Elemental Brush up and out of the ground. It may fly and land in trees, in water, or even further in the desert, but if it lands on soil it can begin to "sap" nutrients from the rich soil of the lower mountain range using the vine-like roots on grass and the ground. This is, of course, all for a last ditch effort to ensure the Elemental Brush avoids devastation. Due to this nature, it's commonly known as Gust Brush. Looks like a normal bush with a whole lot more buddin' leaflets, until it unroots and has the long roots on display for all to see!{Cacti}
While there are tiny shrubs that occasionally spot the few drinking holes of the island, these cacti spot much of the desert once someone leaves the initial shoreline area and begins to move inward. The cacti of the island are fairly similar to the prickly pear cactus, however, carrying juices and the like to support the creatures that may live off of it.{Fauna}{Wake Tiger (5-6 ft tall, 10-15 ft long, 900-1000lbs estimate)}
A breed of tiger that has defied what one would expect of a mammal in the desert, the Wake Tiger has become adept at surviving in the low mountains, deserts, and near the shoreline due to the development of a unique set of organs from its descent away from the mountain ages ago. This set of organs allows the Wake Tiger to maximize all forms of liquid to the maximum, whether it be water, blood, juices, or even salt water. While salt water is far from optimal, the set of organs they've developed act as a distillery that can remove salt from the water. Due to this, however, the Wake Tiger ends up having to stay near the shoreline for quite some time if they're forced to use the organs, as they will use salt water to "flush" the salt out of their system and to keep a bit hydrated while the purified water begins to get utilized by the body. This unique adaptation has allowed the Wake Tiger to thrive in a hostile environment to the degree that most of their competition is with one another.
In terms of appearance, the Wake Tiger is fairly large compared to normal tigers. When born in litters of up to three, they're roughly the size of a human baby and have short, sand-colored coats to help hide them from other, hungry Wake Tigers and Siener looking for an emergency meal. Within four to six months of being cared for by their mother (like most felines), they will reach the "juvenile" stage of life and should have grown to roughly the size of normal tiger breeds. Their sand-colored coats will become striped with either white or brown, based upon what time of day they spent eating and hunting with their mother. As they reach this period, Wake Tigers leave their mother and hunt in small groups for another six to eight months, taking a full year to reach adulthood. Once they've become adults, Wake Tigers are around six feet tall and between the lengths of ten to fifteen feet long, weighing in at nearly 1000lbs. As they come to adulthood, these groups will get into a fight that often results in only one of the Wake Tigers surviving, enforcing their cannibalism tactic to prepare them for facing other Wake Tigers for territory. Those that survive this battle royale, be it as a victor or survivor, will go on and try to live their life roaming the deserts and lower ranges of Toekom's mountain. Due to this destructive method to their own numbers, however, Wake Tigers call a momentary "peace" during the winter so they can retreat to the Mountain's lower ranges to mate and ensure the next generation can survive and be brought about.
The only note worth mentioning beyond their extreme adaptation, however, is the ability to imprint upon the Siener or those that may seek out a pet Wake Tiger. If one has the fortune of saving or stealing one from its mother when its still within its first four months since it was born, anyone can train a Wake Tiger as they might a dog. This is due to them not developing the natural instincts to hunt anything for food or trespassing on their territory, a skill they learn much later in their lives. For this reason, some of the Siener of Toekoms have been able to train Wake Tigers into mounts or raise them as companions, often marking them with collars or tail ornaments to mark those that are tamed.{Desert and Forest Hummingbirds}
These tiny birds see to ensuring the cacti, trees, and various plants around the island are given moderate care. If you see a fireball occur in a patch of Fire-oriented Elemental Brush, it was probably one of these suckers getting eliminated for foolishly trying to eat a pepper off of it.{Toekom Bull (7 or 9 ft tall, 18 ft long, 1800-2000lbs estimate)}
A wild bovine that resulted from livestock brought long ago escaping into the wild, the Toekom Bull is defined by living in the upper levels of the Toekoms peak. Having been afraid of the Wake Tigers of the island, they were driven steadily up and away from the populace until they vanished into the snowy peaks. While they're occasionally found and re-domesticated with the use of blindfolds to keep them from seeing Wake Tigers, the vast majority are instead hunted whenever they come down from the peak to feed at the edge of the forests and upon Elemental Brush. Most of them are only seven feet tall and tremendously long for a total of eighteen feet in length, traveling in tiny herds often supporting one or two bulls and many females. Living up in the peaks for so long has resulted in a permanent snow-white coat, even if they're re-domesticated it will fail to fade away. Regardless of their gender, the breed will always have a singular, three-foot long upward-curving brown horn jutting from their forehead.
Like normal bovine, they take roughly a year to come of age within their groups before splitting off and trying to expand new ones. So what makes a Toekom Bull special, one might ask? It's the rare few that live for a few years and ingest enough Elemental Brush of one kind that they "evolve" into a new type of Bull thanks in part to the plants filtering the nutrients and their own genetic evolution. Upon enough consumption, regardless of gender, the Toekom Bull will balloon two feet taller and gain considerable weight, their coat changing to one of four other colors. Green for the Water Brush, blue for the Ice Brush, red for the Flame Brush, and finally a dark brown for the Gust Brush. Atop this coloration and size boost, they can equally inherit gifts from these plants such as being able to coat themselves in icy mist should they need to defend themselves from predators, set sections of their fur ablaze to appear more fearsome, the ability to leap and float almost weightlessly to navigate terrain, or to coat themselves in moss for natural camouflage to make their way down the mountain for delicious apples.{Normal Desert Critters}
Snakes, lizards, and small bugs make up the remainder of the desert's creatures. A few of them occasionally head into the lower forests, but aside from that the vast majority of the fauna on Toekoms resides within the sandy hills!
Inhabitants:The Siener (Humans)
The Siener are the only ones to come and settle Toekoms long ago. Despite not living on the sands very much, countless generations of venturing into the sands to hunt the desert creatures have given these humans dark shades of skin from a light brown to almost pitch black. The hair of the Siener is often either brown or black, offset greatly by bright-colored eyes such as green and silver. Similar to the "variations" of humans found around the world, the Siener share a common trait of having one to five horns jutting from their forehead, varying in length and curvature often between each individual regardless of parents. The coloration of these horns tends to be pale shades of colors, the most common being shades of white to the most odd being pink, yellow, and baby blue.
Prominent Organizations, Groups and Establishments:The Wake Jagter
The name of the island's hunters and soldiers, the Wake Jagter are an unnofficial group given name only by those who have dared to attack the island. Wearing a trademark shawl regardless of gender, the men and women who swear themselves to defending Toekoms and fought in the many wars to ensure the island won its independence from the World Government have earned infamy around the world for their ferocity. This is due in part to a tradition requiring the young apprentice hunters and soldiers to face and kill a Wake Tiger with nothing but their bare hands and being sent out to do so completely nude and within three days. This tradition is only expected of those born in the Siener Meritocracy if they wish to wear the shawl, but it has resulted in not only the strongest and/or smartest of the Siener to become soldiers and hunters... but also the fact that the men and women who do so will have the ferocity of the animals that often make up their shawl.{Cultural Trends}Fashion
While the culture is fairly standard to traditional "Common Blue" island with a lack of electricity, the clothing is fairly dated among the population of Toekoms. A common design pattern on all clothing that stands out, however, is plaid! Regardless of the region, however, hunters and soldiers will often wear a mantled face-covering shawl. It'll remain short for those heading into the desert, but is long and billowing and lined with fur for traversing the snow.
Boys and men of Toekoms, regardless of profession, tend to wear fluffed out pantaloons of various lengths depending on the height that they intend to spend the day at. Those near the desert and its heat will often cover their body with a loose-fitting blouse to protect from the sun along with plant-fiber/straw hats and Wake Tiger shoes due to the thin yet protective natures of the fur. Closer to the peak of the mountain, these are traded out with Toekom Bull leather and fur boots, a blouse, and a long-coat of one of many designs. In this case, the straw and plant fiber hat is changed out with a leather hat along the lines of a tricorne or bicorne-styled hat.
Girls and women of Toekoms are fairly similar, being able to wear any of the attire men might be seen wearing. The exception, however, is that it's culturally accepted for women to wear dresses or skirts along with these clothing types in comparison to what the men might wear, moss-laced cloth or furred hoods more common than the hats worn by men.
Politics
The Siener Meritocracy has kept Toekoms free of World Government control for a long time, the various residents having lost faith in the stretched arm of the Marine forces and for their ability to manage the island's affairs. This all stems from their government structure, the best leaders in various fields being chosen among those who show the most skill and accomplishments. This led to the complete lack of importance of economic-structured classes, men and women instead defined by what they've accomplished in life. In day-to-day life, this allows the Siener to head into the deserts with a predator as dangerous as the Wake Tiger and thrive, their society operating almost flawlessly with the most proven leading with very little question in the field.
In more recent years, however, a division has begun to appear in the mentality of Siener that seems to promote different views of the Meritocracy. Those sharing a more "purist" method are labeled Old Siener, often encouraging those who look promising and ignoring or berating those who lean toward failure. Opposing this belief is a ideology that sprung up during the last war Toekoms waged known as New Siener. The New Siener are met with some dislike from Old Siener but effectively tolerated due to the fact that new Siener still reward and encourage others based on their accomplishments. Where the split occurs, however, is that those who call themselves New Siener willingly look past the failures of those not born in Hoopeiland. In short, these men and women are willing to forgive outsiders within much greater margins. And while neither side is specifically a "group" or organization like a proper political party, this split in their ideals has the nation looking into a future where the island may not stand alone.
Industry
While the island lacks any industrial feats in terms of mechanical or metallic goods, the animals and flora of the island allow them to create various things. Low-tech plant fixtures to allow cold-faring ships warmth sources on deck or wind-catching fixtures along the side of a ship to support those who dare to make airships are only two examples of uses for Elemental Brush. While the Wake Tiger itself is a valuable trading good, its pelts are often gathered in moderate number thanks to the various ones that die across the island or get hunted to make some trade off of them. The most valuable commodity and the most common, however, are sheathes made from the horns of Toekom Bulls and decorated using the Elemental Brush-enhanced furs, providing beautifully colored and almost incredibly long-lasting ornate weapon holsters.
Cuisine
While the apples themselves are just normal ones, the cooks of Toekom have gained recent popularity for combining apples, Wake Tiger choice cuts, and a rack of Toekom ribs seasoned lightly. If the Toekom has enhanced itself, it changes the dish to accommodate any new taste it might have. One example would be the dish being served at room temperature if the Toekom was Ice Brush-enhanced. If it's Flame, it's served chilled to help handle the spiciness of the Toekom. Gust is often served with rice and bread as it tends to be more lean, providing a more hearty overall meal. And finally, Water is prepared with a salad where it keeps it nice and well moisturized more than long enough for someone to enjoy it!
NPCS{Eon Uys (56, Male)}
A tall, middle-aged man of light-brown complexion and a natural-born Siener and one of the most famous soldiers from the last war Toekoms waged. Standing at eight feet tall and often with his arms crossed, few can miss the man thanks to his musculature and sheer size. As a prior soldier and a man who's lived much of his life within his part of Tydlynmuur, Eon wears a brown-striped Wake Tiger shawl over a pink, loosely-fit blouse. Brown, short pantaloons leave his lower legs for all to see but a pair of brown-striped Wake Tiger fur shoes hide the man's rather large feet. While his face is similar to that of most hardened and chiseled men of the sea, most people notice immediately the man has four horns evenly spaced out along the span of his forehead. With his ragged, black hair long enough to hide the start of them, the four bright blue horns extend roughly to a foot long with a slight, upward angling near the tips.
As a man, Eon is considerably care-free when handling others through the years at war and most of his life hunting Wake Tigers with others. However, those that lack the ability to make a name for themselves or earn any sort of significant accomplishment will receive nothing but a frown and the truth from the man. This two-edged sword makes Eon considerably along the lines of an Old Siener, as the man still refuses to believe or forgive those that have wronged the nation or himself. And in a time of strife like this, with a good attitude on his shoulders and the reputation he carries, the old soldier is quite possibly more influential than ever as he spends his days trying to raise the men and women who seek him out to understand the old beliefs of their people.{Ruan De Beer (38, Female)}
A short and stout Siener woman with an almost sand-like skin color, standing at about five feet and two inches tall. Ruan's black hair is kept in a pixie cut, tipped with a bright blue dye that matches the two five-inch, sky blue horns curving up and back over her head, slightly angled to fit their respective sides. With a much softer face than the warriors and even most of the citizens of Toekoms, Ruan is considerably younger looking and carries quite a bit of pep to match it. With her big, blue eyes always gazing around at whatever is ahead of her, the woman spends very little time on her attire, wearing a calf-length dark blue, green, and red plaid dress with almost knee-high blue Toekom Bull fur boots.
Despite her age, being a mother of five children (all born in the last seven years), and being descendant of the long-lost "nobles" that once were part of Toekoms' ancient settling party... Ruan is far from mature. Having spent much of her life in the upper peaks, she never learned to hunt and has spent most of her life tending to apple trees in the forests near the capital has ensured that she's one of the few Siener who didn't serve in battle or hunt to gain recognition. Many believe, however, that it's Ruan that started the New Siener split due in part to her not holding grudges or failures against anyone. Combining this happy-go-lucky gal's ability to mingle with the men, women, and children has no doubt ensured the island's begun to undergo such changes. Whether it's good or bad, Ruan has no interest as long as everyone is happy and prospering!{Imka Uys (22, Female)}
A woman standing at seven feet tall with shoulder-length brown hair, Imka might be young but the genes she shares with her father are obvious to many. With a slightly darker complexion than Eon, Imka's frame lacks the same broadness that her father has, instead appearing lean and far more like a gymnast than a warrior. A single, three-inch horn juts from the center of her forehead, a bright ivory in harsh contrast to her skin but matching well with a silver-eyed gaze. Wearing a short-sleeved white blouse that leaves her well-toned arms visible for all to see, Imka sports a leather button-up vest over the attire that "chokes" in the design of the shirt and practically make it clear she's a woman, the vest pulled tight enough to make her modest assets identifiable to the average gaze. Green, brown, and red plaid-designed short pantaloons complete the myriad of colors in her outfit, short white-striped Wake Tiger fur boots protecting her feet and ending just above the ankle. With a white-striped Wake Tiger shawl wrapped around both shoulders, the woman leaves her face exposed in opposition to the traditional act of covering her face.
Being bold and having spent much of her life hunting, Imka boasts plenty of self-confident without minding what others think of her. Those who call her strange she will seek to show her worth through ability, forgiving them for their transgressions if they're wise enough to admit they were wrong. In a practical defiance of her father, the idea of forgiving others and not holding grudges marks her far more into the category of a New Siener, often leading to disagreements between the two. However, the following and reputation of her father is steadily being caught up to by the day, gatherers and the sparse merchants of the island having been saved by the woman more than a fair share of times. In a time of change for Toekoms Hoopeiland, both the young and old are beginning to recognize Imka's skills and potential to become far greater than even her father.{Town(s)/Village(s)/Cities and Natural Landmarks}
Mt. Huidig (Hoi-deugh)
The massive mountain that sails into the clouds, Huidig is an island as old as the world many might say. This hasn't been scientifically proven, but it is well known that the massive mountain hasn't been scaled very many times from the sheer height dissuading the normal and ill-prepared. This immense height and the sheer size encompasses most of the widespread landmass of Toekoms seemingly giving it more actual landmass than most islands thanks to having been steadily carved out by both glacial water and the Siener people over the nearly six hundred years of settling the island has undergone.
Oustad (Ow-stahd)
The largest city and positioned in what many call the "pleasant" range of the mountain, Oustad is the unofficial capital of Toekoms Hoopeiland due in part to having the most recently built buildings and some of the most well-carved out space of the entire mountain. The forests around the city have been trimmed enough that should one approach from the south of the island, they can see much of Oustad from the shoreline.
Tydlynmuur (Tide-line Meer)
One of the oldest "cities" in the Meritocracy, Tydlynmurr is in actuality many cities spotting an ancient and massive wall that encircles the foot of the mountain. While impractical to have been built, the massive carving out and taming of the island resulted in a wall that not only gives the people a way to defend themselves from attack from any point of their island, but it also acts as a way to ensure Wake Tigers don't slip up and into the safety of their settled land.
Eindehawe (Aye-den-ha-vah)
A rather barren city that only sees use during periods where the Siener are heading to war and need to prepare ships, this ruins is barely maintained and positioned along the western shore of the island. The ancient stone of the buildings has kept the sea-faring town rather well-standing, thanks in part to the last war not being terribly long ago. A few Siener scouts might be spotted here these days, more than likely using the buildings for a brief refuge, but the furnishing and lack of valuables makes it more or less a dead-spot when it comes to prime targets.
Island Plot Hooks:
Dancing With Jagter
You (and maybe friends) stumble onto Toekoms in search of anything you can use to survive. You can explore the shores or push into the sands toward the distant city, but the anti-foreigner Wake Jagter are out and about and willing to capture or kill anyone. Can you slip by them while avoiding death by Wake Tiger? Will you fight them? Or will you try to talk things out and get a chance to see what life is like on Toekoms?
A Father's Dilemma
Father and Daughter, most of the time spent together between Eon and Imka has steadily grown more and more tense. While Eon supports the old ways that helped establish the island's independence, Imka is willing to roll her eyes and live life like it's an adventure. With this in mind, Eon decides to see if you (and maybe your friends) are worth trusting despite not having bore witness to any of your achievements. Specifically, he's asking if you'd help him get through to his daughter that he just worries for her!
A Noble's Cause
War is far out of sight for the island, but as you arrive you find a fleet beached along the shore under the command of the World Government. They don't seem terribly focused on anything beyond attacking the mountain. There's talk that the island has a "bounty" on it for the noble that topples and takes it over and requests your help. Join the assault and take on the guards of the city, skirmish the Jagter in their home environment in the dunes, or maybe see what's really going on and fight for the island!{Island History}
Roughly 750 Years Ago
The Void Century had ended just a short while before the story of Toekoms begins. Some islands had undergone great wars, such as the example of the Kingdom of Shadora. Each has its own tale, however, and Toekoms starts with many neighboring islands having lost contact with the island. It had always been a small, rather quiet island but the World Government sought out trying to re-establish contact. Sending a single fleet to the island, however, they found a vastly changed island. What had long ago been a beautiful and tranquil forested island now looked like a volcanic wasteland. A powerful eruption and tectonic activity had devastated the island, many of its animals having survived by swimming and living along the shore. The World Government was in shock, but of the surviving species there was a singular hope. The destruction unleashed upon the island had ended... forming a massive mountain that contained the volcanic ash that could become a powerful tool in resettling the island.
Over almost two-hundred and fifty years, the World Government worked to settle and repair the ecosystem in the same stroke. The surviving species of animals were small in number, only a few cattle and some tigers. At the time, an ancient noble family known as the Da Beer took over funding and tending to the island. They mounted countless vessels of professionals, servants, and willing civilians to head to the island to handle the repairs. Where the land was charred and black, the years of the constant waves began to beat away at it. But a strange phenomenon occurred that to this day has yet to be explained. The island's change in size and the sheer height of the mountain morphed the climates. Where they tried to work most of the land, it went from rock and soil to sand. The waves beat away and prevented much to be done as the island seemed to steadily turn into a desert island. But the Nobles noticed the island's original weather remained centered around the mountain's base and the sides of the mighty mountain. To venture so far in-land, however, would mean preparing more carts and supplies and no doubt turning their vessels into wagons. And throwing caution to the wind that they could succeed, the Da Beer family strode out into the wastes with their expeditions and sought to prove to the world that they could fix the once beautiful island.
Roughly 500 Years Ago
The deserts had proven impossible for the various settlers, the crossing having been brutal and costly for their cattle as much as their own numbers. The Tigers had adapted over all the time and become quite fearsome, similar to the Wake Tigers seen today. Many cattle had escaped and fled ahead toward the mountain. And as they neared the foot of the mountain, the settlers were utterly shocked to find that enough grass had survived that the base was wrapped in it. They'd gone through so much trying to save the island that none had dared guess that the inner parts of the island had come along so far. The Wake Tiger would no doubt give chase and force them to cut away at the behemoth of a mountain... and they'd do just that.
It'd be another hundred years, but the progress to repair Toekoms finally seemed profitable. The wagons were broke down for the first buildings and various tree sapplings were planted. Apple trees were planted first, the settlers having to spend a lot of time hunting and scavenging the few creatures that had been reintroduced to the desert and thrived. With the help of hummingbirds that had survived the chaos of the island and done quite well thanks to the cacti, the flora seemed to expand as the settlers began to build true homes. Tents were replaced with wooden huts, while wooden buildings were fit and replaced with stone. As they mined away at rock formations that stuck out and rich deposits of sturdy stone that would give them more room at the base of the mountain, the amount of stone was put into erecting the wall. This wall would become the very same that stands in Tydlynmuur today, but at the time they erected the wall, it was merely a few feet high to dissuade the Wake Tigers from venturing further and to keep the cattle that survived and hadn't run off from fleeing or wandering off. The quality of life was primitive, the lack of power making weather almost constant, but things would change soon enough.
Roughly 400 Years Ago
The debt to the World Government and their responsibility had slipped away after so many generations spent on the island. There was talk about how they'd need to report the status of the island, but none were worried about that. And as they began to venture into the mountains, word of wild cattle with thicker fur and of sturdier nature than their domestic breeds, the men and women would find something that had sprung up on the island. Living in and so close to the desert had left the settlers all dark-skinned by now, the men and women that would become the Siener only just then growing stubs of their horns. None knew why and fewer cared about the horns as they didn't interfere with their way of life. And as they neared the peak, they'd find something that would keep them distracted far longer. They stumbled upon Elemental Brush.
It was assumed to be the only plant to have survived the eruption from so long ago, the properties of the soil and stone having brought the plants along strange evolutions... but the people who found it didn't think of that for very long. They were too busy being astounded by the properties of the various Brush types. Bringing it back and experimenting resulted in what would be equivalent to advancing to a new age of technology. Dark nights no longer needed potentially dangerous fires or what oil they could find and produce. Flame Brush was prepared in special containers and used as torch light, the humidity of the plant and the metal allowing them to manipulate it once it was fully grown rather than risk the sun burning it away and for warming their homes as they pushed upward. Ice Brush was used to produce icy leafs for cooling things and others down, allowing the island to tame the hottest days of their desert life. Gust Brush was fixed to carts in the place of animals, men and women using its lofty and wind-catching properties to haul things higher with the wind of the desert. And Water Brush allowed the men and women a more steady supply of water for watering their other plants and even personal beverages.
Over the course of only twenty years, the island went from a struggling effort into one that at last had comfort. They began to expand and enjoy themselves, hunters having time to train apprentices properly. Books saw more use and the island itself began to prosper greatly. And as they did, many began to see and understand exactly what would need to happen. No other effort was going to be put forward to help save the island... and the only way to prove they had succeeded was to venture across the desert and prepare ships to sail off the island. Apple trees were fine for food, but they'd need more time for the other trees to grow and then time to make sure they could transport everything they'd need. Eindehawe was well-documented in their few maps, the city the settlers had originally landed in... and they knew it had to be standing to some degree. Toekoms would make an effort, using their hunters as escorts and the few that still retained traceable lineage to the nobles mentioned, to get more aid from the World Government following their success.
380-378 Years Ago - "The War For Toekoms Independence"
It took two more years for the people of Toekoms to prepare the food they'd need to survive in the desert, secure and prepare a route for communication back and forth between their massive walled city and the port, and to make everything happen. As they arrived in at the Red Line, Wake Tiger cloaks adorning their regal hunters, many World Government officials were stunned. The humans who had left so long ago, mentioned only in official records, looked vastly different as they entered an official hearing chamber. A man by the name of Lot Da Beer, with three horns that angled upward and back over his hair, came forth to speak. Their clothing was strange, comprised of Toekom's cattle, some of which had begun to become Elemental Brush-enhanced, and the Wake Tiger fur. Lot spoke for the people of Toekoms, announcing themselves as the Siener since they had long forgone their ancestral titles and kingdoms.
The meeting had been going well despite the looks and clear differences between what the World Government saw and expected. But the issues arose as the World Government's speaker for the hearing rose to his feet with a declaration that they wouldn't be able to support the Siener unless they paid taxes and were willing to fund a Marine base on the island until they were certain of the island's loyalties. Lot was stunned, immediately declaring that they had no right to do that. As the argument built up, a few soldiers of the World Government ran in to take the men and women of Siener out. They'd not expected the lifestyle of constant hunting to have made the guards with Lot strong, however. The guards fended off the officers and secured a path out of the hearing, Lot declaring loudly and proudly a statement that is carried to the day in all history books related to the island.
"We shall not be taxed and watched by your dogs! My ancestors accomplished more in taming Toekoms than any of you will in your entire lives!"
This statement was seen as an insult on the World Government's officials, but the scene was so petty and the island so insignificant that they didn't view it as a direct insult. It wasn't a declaration of war, but a spit on the World Government's shoes. The World Government dispatched a fleet to the island, intending to put down anyone and take control of the island forcefully... but when they arrived, the Siener had already made their first move. The port had been entirely abandoned, all supplies and resources stripped besides the building themselves. They had removed markers that indicated safe paths through the desert, instead leaving Elemental Stones spotting the environment that any foreigner would miss for anything other than a lone stone. The Wake Tigers harried the Marines that trekked across the desert toward the mountain, damaging morale before a single shot had been fired. And as they finally came into sight of the walls, they came across boxes littering the space to the great wall.
There was very little that the Siener had in terms of firepower. The blades they had were only recently forged with the easy acquisition of fire through Flame Brush and the few guns they had weren't nearly as top of the line as one might expect for the common firearms. They had the numbers, however, and the total disregard for their ability. The men and women had spent their lives hunting the deserts and the fierce creatures that caused so much trouble for the foreign Marine's normal troops. The soldiers knocked aside the boxes after opening them to see Elemental Brush. The World Government had no idea of the plant... and it showed as they ignored the various boxes and began to push toward the wall with their cannons. With a big smirk, the commander of the Siener defenses ordered their hunters to fire. Experience had made them crackshots, even with how primitive their weaponry was. They'd been trained... and as they landed shots on the boxes, the oils were caught in sparks or exposed to the desert heat, the dried out brush doing what it does best. Fires broke out in the grassland the Marines were wading in, encircling much of the force. The few officers that tried to reign in control immediately became identifiable and gave the hunters the best shots.
The World Government's force was pushed into a hard retreat before they could utilize their artillery. Their vessels lacked the ability to bombard so far inland with effectiveness, especially with effects of the desert and its powerful winds. The survivors were hassled every step, demoralizing them when what they might think was only sand would be a Wake Tiger, a Siener guerilla fighter, or a Siener with a Wake Tiger pet. And as they fled the island aboard their ship, it was such a crushing and hard to attack island that the World Government cut their losses. The island wasn't worth the trouble to dislodge even such primitive-armed individuals as they knew the island more than they could hope to. In an edition of the papers sent across the world and even to Toekoms, the World Government announced they would be "removing Toekoms" from its areas of supported islands. It was a way to avoid losing face as much as a way to say they no longer cared what Toekoms did. They'd won their independence and the entire island felt accomplished in defeating the World Government. They'd dared to doubt the island's will and tried to treat them like criminals... and even if they technically were to a degree now, they had showed that they wouldn't back down if challenged.
378-30 Years Ago
For about three-hundred and fifty years (give or take), Toekoms has been challenged by neighboring Kings and Explorers seeking to either claim their island or to handle the problem that the World Government has no time to fully focus on. In the time sense, their prospering has been in part due to periodic voyages and the few trusted traders being escorted to and from the city for other goods. Mt. Huidig continues providing for the island from their many quarries, even still far larger than most mountains despite hundreds of years of mining and cutting away at it. The times have changed somewhat, the ancient walls lined almost all around with cannons and the island's armory consisting of far more modern firearms, but the vibe of the island hasn't changed.
With the occasional war, more and more often the Siener found themselves appreciating the skill and accomplishments of one another. After the island's fifth minor war with a pirate lord around one-hundred and thirty years ago, the Siener established a proper government in the form of their Meritocracy. It had always been the way things were that the best at their jobs and the ones who succeeded were leading, but they had made it official. The community of settlers from so long ago would no doubt be proud of the Siener of the modern day, even with their splitting ideals and willingness to start forgiving. Because at the end of the day, with many of them laughing and enjoying apples and the various creatures in the form of jerky and maybe even the occasional fish... they showed the world that Toekoms Hoopeiland wasn't beyond saving. Even with the discarding of fancy titles and the loss of pleasures that most of the world enjoys, the Siener Meritocracy has carved a way of life unique to their home island but similar in quality to those of others. And with the last war well in the past and their enemies few or far from ready, Toekoms once again looks to prosper in the Grand Age of Pirates.