Post by Kurosaki on Nov 14, 2014 22:11:35 GMT -5
Created by Djinn.
Name of Island: Burning Caldera
Society: None, no one lives on the island to speak of, those who come here rarely stay long.
Size of Island: Medium (Composed mainly of the collapsed mountain that formed the Caldera, as well as the barren volcanic beaches resulting from sporadic magma flows into the ocean.)
Location: South-West of Mt. Obsidian in South Blue. Indeed, the two islands were once seen as sisters, before the eruption that caused it to be abandoned.
Climatic Type: Dry Polar. Dry and desolate.
Climate: Hot. The utter lack of foliage on the island means there is no isolation from the sun: the hot days are unbearably so, the cold days are tempered by the many volcanic springs, geysers, and the natural heat of the Caldera. When it does snow, this is merely rain by the time it hits the islands surface.
Island Appearance: From the horizon, this blackened isle looks like nothing special, a collapsed mountain sometimes seen smoking, others sitting inert. The lack of other notable land masses in it's immediate area would be the only reason landfall on this isle would occur at all; its barren surface was not always so, but is a wasteland roamed by monsters. The shores of the caldera slope gently into the sea, besides some minor geological landmarks there is little here to draw interest. The volcanic rock assumes all sorts of strange and otherworldly forms and configurations; this is due to the occasional magma flows the island is sometimes host to.
Flora and Fauna:This island was once lush and green, inhabited by myriad of species, but now it has been scorched clean of all but its most resilient inhabitants. Now, there are only two species left on the island in any great numbers.
-Goliath Ants: These insects have developed iron-like hides in response to the harsh volcanic environment. They eat soil, metal, and minerals. They vary in size to the point where the workers are the size of house cats, the soldiers are the size of horses, and their Queen is about the size of a small bus. They possess incredible strength even for their size, able to crush near anything with their pincers. The soldiers are capable of spewing out a strong acid capable of melting stone in moments. These creatures have worked their way into the volcanic rock, and they have tunnels honey-combing the whole island.
-Salamanders: The only other species capable of surviving the harsh environment found in the Caldera, these giant lizards are also the only known predator of the Goliath Ant. They generally possess a blackish grey mottled hide, perfect for hiding amongst the volcanic formations. Their saliva is usually at about the temperature of magma and can melt metal as easily as flesh. Their life-span is unknown, but what is known is that they hatch from the volcanic pools across the island, reaching juvenile size in about six months. Juveniles can weigh up to 500 lbs and measure up to about six feet long not counting the tail. The largest specimens reach about twelve feet long and can weight up to a ton. They eat Goliath Ants as well as each other.
-Volcanic Mushrooms: These toadstools grow in the shade of the crater, grown basking in the ash and volcanic heat of the Caldera they have grown very toxic as well as naturally spicy. The toxicity results in a psychedelic trip that some have described as "pretty neat" before being eaten by the indigenous wildlife.
Inhabitants:All attempts to colonize the island have met with failure one way or the other. Decades as a volcanic wasteland have left any remnants of civilization as out of place fossils.
Prominent Organizations, Groups and Establishments:-Though there have been several scientific expeditions into the Caldera to survey for usable thermal power, all have met with disastrous results following encounters with local wild-life. The major surveys have been backed by the Silver University of Silvers Isle.
-The island is known to old-time pirate crews, they used to use it as a hideaway from the law and good place to stash treasure where no one will find it. Because of this little known status, the place is known to those who know the seas well, but not to those land-lubbers who are too scared to leave those isles under the protection of the Navy. Groups such as the Pirate Market Syndicate, Obsidian League, and Silver University all have it on their charts.
-The Marines briefly considered the island for military facilities, eventually settling on Vitkas because of the Caldera's unstable nature.
NPCS:
Old Grey: This is the largest Salamander on the Island, nearly 18 feet long and almost two tons of reptilian aggression. Covered in countless scars sustained in a life-time of battle have left its hide a dull grey in color. It survives by eating anything it comes across, and it has been known to relentlessly hunt down anyone it perceives as invading its territory (the whole island). This beast has recovered from many grievous wounds throughout its life and it always comes back for vengeance; even going so far as to walk through Magma to find his quarry.
Goliath Queen: There is only ever one Goliath Queen, and during her life-time she is the mother of every single other Goliath Ant. Though she is massive, the Queen is also immobile; her every need is attended to by the workers around her, they move her periodically throughout he massive maze of tunnels they've made through the rock beneath the Caldera.
Town(s)/Village(s)/City or Cities:
There are only the remnants of those who tried to settle this harsh land. Three places stand out in the deserted landscape.
-San Icopa: This once thriving port has been reduced to a ghost-town. It exists as a few wrecked shells of brick buildings covered in volcanic sand and rock. These make for some interesting rock formations, but anyone caught sight-seeing will soon find that the town's new residents are Goliath Ants!
-Dermit's Landing: This shoal on the north side of the island has the deepest draft of the whole island, making it an ideal spot to unload ships. As such, it the spot for many shady dealings the island is sometimes used for. It's also a spot for clandestine battles due to the wide, flat, area just inland of the shore. Rarely visited, only a couple totems on the shore mark this area.
-Lost Campsite: This was once the site of an expedition that met with disaster, it still has some of the surveying equipment on site, but no one from the initial group remains.
Missions:
-Mission #181: Search the tunnels for hidden treasure.
-Mission #182: A clandestine meeting at Dermit's Landing goes awry.
-Mission #183: You're sent to recover some of the information (or maybe equipment) from the ruined campsite by the Silver University.
Island History:
The island was first mentioned in the histories as San Icopa, and was mentioned as a peaceful and verdant island that had close ties with the kingdom ruling over Mt. Obsidian. The people of San Icopa thrived until the mountain they had built their lives in the shadow of erupted, wiping out the inhabitants in a day along with most of the wildlife and vegetation. Furthermore , the island was covered in a coat of ash that choked out the remaining plant-life. Within a year, everything but the species encountered on the island to this day had been wiped out by starvation, predation, or simply being unsuited to the islands new climate.
It's worth noting that the loss of trade from San Icopa drove the Kurohari Kingdom to its ruinous final civil-war. After this period in history, both islands sat undisturbed for a long time; until a trade-route sprang up near these "sister isles," which renewed the islands usefulness. This brought many a pirate crew to the island in search of a good place to avoid the law and hide loot, eventually it became one of those places that was part legend and part fact; though any starry eyed rookies who came to the island did so at their own risk, some didn't come back. Eventually this folk-lore quality brought people looking for less obvious treasure. Years ago, a particularly ambitious professor at Silver University promised an incredible feat, an island modernized by tapping into natural gas and steam power. Though the initial plans called for an underwater pipe from the Caldera to The Silver Isles, the expedition he led to the island, however, never returned.
Finally the Island was selected as a potential training ground for new recruits by the Marines, a small installation was considered; but the plans were abandoned when it became obvious that any attempts at permanent settlement would be greatly risked by the island's unstable volcanic nature. After this initial Marine interest faded, the island has been returned to a rarely visited curiosity on the edges of civilization. Only the brave or foolish dare tread on this Island, those who dare do so at their own risk.