Menagerie Coast

The Menagerie Coast is the region of Wildemount situated west of the Cyrios Mountains and along the coast. The term is also used politically for the confederation of city-states on that southwestern coast of Wildemount and the Swavain Islands united under the Clovis Concord. The region thrives on open trade and cultural freedom. This confederation controls most of the long-distance imports and exports for the virtually land-locked Empire, as all maritime imports and exports must pass through the Coast's ports.   Bordered by the Lucidian ocean to the west, the coast has several sets of islands. These are broadly referred to as the Swavain Islands and are found across the ocean. Included within this grouping are the Bisaft Isle, Gravid Archipelago, Twinward Isles, Brokenbank, Bwualli, Rumblecusp, Urukayxl, and Darktow Isle.    The Quoraska Jungle is a massive jungle that stretches between the Ashkeeper Peaks and the city of Nicodranas. The Lushgut Forest dominates the northwestern regions of the Menagerie Coast, far from most cities. Some other major forests include the Doralle Woods, Copia Wildwood, Vezdaweald, Plumgroves, and Cyrios End Forest.    The major cities of the coast belong to the Clovis Concord and include the following settlements: Port Damali, Nicodranas, Port Zoon, Gwardan, Tussoa, Feolinn, and Othe.

The Menagerie Coast is a region full of vitality and home to many different creatures. The lush biomes are each home to a creatures of different types, with the territories further from civilization containing some incredible creatures. Due to its proximity to the Lucidian Ocean, the coast has a great reliance on the bounties of the sea. Nutrients are swept along the coast through undersea currents, bringing with it a variety of sea creatures. The plentiful sunlight and nutrients also allow for a variety of plants to grow in abundance throughout the lands. In turn, these lead to a strong and robust food chain having constructed itself over the years in the Menagerie Coast.

There are several unusual occurences tied to certain regions in the Menagerie Coast. Most sailors or travelers tend to be familiar with them, lest they find themselves victims to these dangers. East of the coast, within the Lucidian Ocean is a region known the Diver's Grave, named after the almost hungry storms that appear and tear through ships that pass by this region. The Doralle woods to the north are often ascribed with stories of strange spirits and fey beings that have caused visions and disappearances. Northeast of the coast lies the endless column of smoke and ash belched upward by the Everplume volcano. Its continuous heat, energy, and growth have led some to wonder if there may be magics behind its existence. East of the city of Port Damali lies the Hearthstar Peaks, a cluster of tall mountains with an unusual trait. The highest of these peaks, known as Hearthstar, holds a massive column of ever-burning arcane fire. Legends say that the Lushgust forest to the north is a manifestation of the pain of a divine being and its battle with another.

The Menagerie Coast is a tropical landscape who's climate is hot all year round. During the summer months, it can be blisteringly hot and many hours of sunlight. The winter often brings about a slight dip in temperatures and is accompanied by many rainstorms leading into the spring. The northern ends of the coast, around the Lushgut Forest, tend to experience a more volatile turn between seasons. On the other hand, the southern regions close to Nicodranas exhibit nearly the same weather all year round.

There is a diverse set of creatures and plants that find home within the Menagerie Coast. Many of the environments are tropical jungles or evergreen grasslands that hold many ordinary beasts plants. However, what is most important to the travelers of the world are the notable creatures and useful flora.    In regards to creatures, many that enjoy hotter climates are found within the Menagerie Coast. The bountiful resources also allow for larger and more powerful creatures to find home within certain territories. In general, there are beasts, elementals, fey, giants, monstrosities, and plants found relatively commonly in the coast.   Larger variants of beasts, such as Giant Boar, are common, especially in the territories away from civilization. The tropical climate also allows for reptilian beasts to be more prevalent in the coast, including some more prehistoric creatures. Though rare to spot by common folk, there are creatures described as dinosaurs in the Menagerie Coast. Some say they were an earlier creation of beasts while others say they are ancient creatures that have traveled to Exandria from primal planes. Many species of fish make their home in the seas and coastal shallows as well, accompanied by whales and sharks in deeper waters.    The elements can be found in turmoil in certain regions of the coast. With its mix of ocean, volcanos, and rich earth, the Menagerie Coast happens to be a prime location for elementals to spawn forth or wander over from other planes. Most of these sightings do tend to be focused towards the regions with unusual or strong connections to certain elements.    With the bountiful resources and large number of creatures finding home here, clans of giants and unique monstrosities are able to find food and home here in the Menagerie Coast. In regards to the giants, there have been sightings of hill, fire, stone, and storm giants in the Menagerie Coast and tied to certain environments.    The many creatures here mean there is an expansive and strong ecosystem, one which is capable of supporting some of the most dangerous creatures in Exandria. Many wyverns call the coast their home, using their varied forms to adapt to the different biomes in the territory. Even more worrisome have been the occasional sightings of not just wyverns, but true dragons lurking in the wilds far from the city-states.    There are a variety of plants able to spring forth in the tropical weather of the Menagerie Coast. Some these grow in size and hunger to be predatory jungle plants while others gather enough arcana to become animated beings. In addition, there are many forms of alchemical plants found through the coast.

The Menagerie Coast is able to support a booming mercantile business and large set of city-states through foreign imports and exports alongside its own resources. These key resources include seafood, monster parts, alchemical plants, timber, rare woods, tropical crops, wines, steamcast metals, arcane crafts, and various metals. Outside of the Shattered Teeth, few other lands can boast a similar variety of seafood to what is caught in the nets and hooks of the denizens of the coast. Various monsters in the biomes of this land in turn mean a booming market of meats, bones, and crafting materials. Ordinary and rare woods can be found in the forests of the coast, whose weather also allows for the harvesting of tropical crops unfit to be grown elsewhere. The families of Feolinn ship their expensive wines across the coast and the rest of Exandria as well. Similarly, the crafters of Gwardan and Port Zoon sell their steamcast and magitech creations across the world, respectively. The mines in the north of the coast yield gold and platinum alongside large amounts of iron, tin, copper, zinc, and more. The many jungles, swamps, and coastlands are home to a variety of notable alchemical plants. These include those often seen in grasslands, forests, swamps, and coastal territories.

While destruction came to the farthest reaches of the world during the divine conflicts of the Calamity, the islands of the Lucidian Ocean off the western coast of Wildemount thought they might fare better than most. But though they were far removed from the central fury of the magics unleashed in the final battles, the region's civilizations were instead wiped out by massive floods. Immense tidal surges left the coast drowned and empty, the islands consumed by the raging ocean, leaving behind only the most accomplished of sailors. Eventually, the waters settled once more, and nature swiftly reclaimed the lands with lush green jungles.   The few scattered survivors of the floods found shelter among the higher jungles of the Swavain Islands, gifted with the bounty of a more plentiful and tropical environment. These seafaring people rebuilt among the islands and took the name Ki'Nau, meaning "the Water Children" in their language of Naush. Though the terrible floods of the Calamity had passed, the deadly seas and flourishing horrors of the wilds were still a persistent threat to the Ki'Nau. Each generation struggled to survive the elements that sunk their boats and the predators of the jungles and ocean depths. Over time, an older mind began to call from the waters and entered their dreams. This powerful being, a leviathan creation abandoned by his creator Zehir in the Divergence, called himself Uk'otoa. He spoke of his divinity and promised protection to the Ki'Nau people in exchange for their worship. The Ki'Nau accepted the persuasive entity as an ally and protector, allowing Uk'otoa to rise up as the guardian of the islands and help the Ki'Nau become a proud society of warriors, establishing dominance over the region for centuries.   Around the year 400 PD, an exploration vessel from the distant land of Marquet was nearing the end of its provisions when it reached the Swavain Islands. Discovered and captured by the ever-watchful Ki'Nau, the desperate explorers made trade offerings of foreign gold, spices, and fine silks. This diplomatic approach won over the leaders of the Ki'Nau, and an alliance was made with the Marquesian travelers to return with trade goods and establish a Marquesian outpost, which was to be named Damali. During this time, a cruel seafaring culture called the Vukan discovered the Ki'Nau and coveted their lush homesteads and rich, sea-gathered jewelry. These Vukan began a series of coordinated assaults on the Ki'Nau, killing and kidnapping a number of them under the shadow of night. The Marquesian guilds who had sent the exploration ship agreed to offer naval support to combat these attacks, but it was Uk'otoa whose fury ultimately annihilated the Vukan at their home villages and erased them from Exandria. Having lost a portion of their fleet in these fights, the surviving Marquesian naval ships remained to build small settlements along the coast to aid in their trade with the Ki'Nau. The Ki'Nau leader Tauan kept a tentative peace with the foreign sailors, but Uk'otoa wanted to dominate the new arrivals who refused to renounce their old gods and bow to him. These tensions came to a head when a secret sect of Marquesian worshipers of the Cloaked Serpent Zehir were given a task by their enraged god from beyond the Divine Gate: to destroy Uk'otoa for his insolence. With the aid of a powerful cult leader within an archeological guild known as the Allegiance of Allsight, a series of temples built to Uk'otoa were corrupted with Zehir's influence and used to seal Uk'otoa deep beneath the rock of the ocean floor, robbing the Ki'Nau of their patron.   At this time, the city of Ank'Harel in Marquet had just named the mysterious ]'mon Sa Ord as their new emperor. In the transition, the Marquesian colonists now living along the coast demanded independence from Marquet to begin building their own society and identity alongside the Ki'Nau. Ord eventually accepted the request, and the emancipated Marquesians allied themselves with the Ki'Nau to build a new civilization. Over the following centuries, numerous port towns sprung up and grew into city states, trade routes expanded along what is now known as the Menagerie Coast, and the emerging guilds consolidated enough power to become the region's ruling class: the Clovis Concord. The concord works together to keep the surrounding Lucidian Ocean under their watch and rule, setting trade laws and guiding the fortunes of those who sail on the open waters. The blend of cultures that forms the Menagerie Coast creates a diverse community where the arts are lauded and coin is king. However, the shadow of the Myriad syndicate continues to infiltrate the streets, while the pirate alliance known as the Revelry has risen to harry the trade routes and rebel against the concord. Tensions are further escalated by the threat of expanding war to the northeast between the Dwendalian Empire and the Kryn Dynasty.

As the center of international trade in Wildemount, there are many different cultures that come together in the Menagerie Coast. Due to its many port cities and shipping lanes, this region is also home to a variety of tourism from other lands. Cities such as Nicodranas are a popular destination for individuals from the Empire. Marquet has a long history of trade and travel which leads to many tourists in the coastal cities having come from the desert continent. Individuals from Tal'Dorei also often wind their way to the coast, whether it be from Emon, Whitestone, etc.   Tied to its environments, the Menagerie Coast is a tropical landscape with many tourist destinations. There are forests such as the Plumgrtoves which attract individuals from the different cities and foreign lands as well. There was even the small city of Palma Flora which was built upon the premise of being a vacation destination. However, recent events with the environment and Revelry have troubled recreational travel and tourism.