Skaderak
Pronunciation: SKAD-er-rack
Map Index: B-2, B-3, C-2, C-3, D-2
Location: A large island off the northwestern shore of Aorlan
Geography: The imposing steep barren mountains of northern Skaderak present a beautiful but stark landscape. These rocky peaks, dominate a rugged and sometimes nearly impassable northern landscape. Even today, these mountains continue to grow steadily upward, subjecting the land to ongoing frequent earthquakes.
The southern half of the island has a far different origin. Submerged beneath the Great Western Sea, cataclysmic forces uplifted the seabed until it rose above sea level. As a result, the land remains mostly level to gently sloping with only a spine of newly growing hills running down its center.
Skaderak's short history reads as one of violent cataclysmic upheaval, rendering it a wilderness area untouched by civilization. Its isolation and rugged terrain make it a land of both danger and intrigue, while promising potential discoveries for the adventurous and a habitat for unique, resilient flora and fauna that can adapt to its harsh conditions.
Primary Population: None
Secondary Population: None
Minor Population: None
Climate: The island experiences a temperate climate with long, harsh winters and brief, mild summers. Northern Skaderak endures colder temperatures compared to the south, and rainfall is distributed evenly throughout the year, sustaining the island's limited vegetation.
Wildlife: The plant community on Skaderak primarily consists of small weedy annuals and shrubs, mainly introduced by birds that transported seeds from the mainland. The eastern shore, the only region with trees, offers a stark contrast to the generally barren landscape farther inland. In the south, the old sea bottom soils, comprise flatlands that contain a high level of salt that inhibits vegetation. As a result, only salt-tolerant vegetation grows in this area.
The scarce wildlife on the island consists primarily of large flocks of sea and shorebirds who thrive due to the absence of predators. Along the shoreline, colonies of marine mammals such as seals and otters bask along the shoreline after sucessful hunts for food. The interior of the island remains largely unexplored and adds a sense of mystery to the island.
Humanoids: No humanoids live on this great island. The Valmyrri elves claim to be the first explorers to have set foot on the island, but the stark lifeless nature of this land discouraged them from staying long.
Monsters: Few monsters live on this mostly uninhabited island.
History: A place of dramatic rapid geological transformation, the large island of Skaderak traces its origin back to the Great Cataclysm. During this tumultuous event, a great north-south oriented rift suddenly opened and violently separated the great island from the mainland. Unimaginably powerful earthquakes wracked the land incessantly, giving rise to the stark Skaderak Range of mountains west of the rift and the Andunoros Range to the east. At this time, great layers of hard bedrock were rapidly thrust ever higher, as the bare rock mountains rapidly took shape.
Today: The great island of Skaderak remains an desolate uninhabited land that stands alone off the west coast of Aorlan. A land with much future potential, it stands in the sea as a great monument to the immense changes wrought by the Great Cataclysm.
Map Index: B-2, B-3, C-2, C-3, D-2
Location: A large island off the northwestern shore of Aorlan
Geography: The imposing steep barren mountains of northern Skaderak present a beautiful but stark landscape. These rocky peaks, dominate a rugged and sometimes nearly impassable northern landscape. Even today, these mountains continue to grow steadily upward, subjecting the land to ongoing frequent earthquakes.
The southern half of the island has a far different origin. Submerged beneath the Great Western Sea, cataclysmic forces uplifted the seabed until it rose above sea level. As a result, the land remains mostly level to gently sloping with only a spine of newly growing hills running down its center.
Skaderak's short history reads as one of violent cataclysmic upheaval, rendering it a wilderness area untouched by civilization. Its isolation and rugged terrain make it a land of both danger and intrigue, while promising potential discoveries for the adventurous and a habitat for unique, resilient flora and fauna that can adapt to its harsh conditions.
Primary Population: None
Secondary Population: None
Minor Population: None
Climate: The island experiences a temperate climate with long, harsh winters and brief, mild summers. Northern Skaderak endures colder temperatures compared to the south, and rainfall is distributed evenly throughout the year, sustaining the island's limited vegetation.
Wildlife: The plant community on Skaderak primarily consists of small weedy annuals and shrubs, mainly introduced by birds that transported seeds from the mainland. The eastern shore, the only region with trees, offers a stark contrast to the generally barren landscape farther inland. In the south, the old sea bottom soils, comprise flatlands that contain a high level of salt that inhibits vegetation. As a result, only salt-tolerant vegetation grows in this area.
The scarce wildlife on the island consists primarily of large flocks of sea and shorebirds who thrive due to the absence of predators. Along the shoreline, colonies of marine mammals such as seals and otters bask along the shoreline after sucessful hunts for food. The interior of the island remains largely unexplored and adds a sense of mystery to the island.
Humanoids: No humanoids live on this great island. The Valmyrri elves claim to be the first explorers to have set foot on the island, but the stark lifeless nature of this land discouraged them from staying long.
Monsters: Few monsters live on this mostly uninhabited island.
History: A place of dramatic rapid geological transformation, the large island of Skaderak traces its origin back to the Great Cataclysm. During this tumultuous event, a great north-south oriented rift suddenly opened and violently separated the great island from the mainland. Unimaginably powerful earthquakes wracked the land incessantly, giving rise to the stark Skaderak Range of mountains west of the rift and the Andunoros Range to the east. At this time, great layers of hard bedrock were rapidly thrust ever higher, as the bare rock mountains rapidly took shape.
Today: The great island of Skaderak remains an desolate uninhabited land that stands alone off the west coast of Aorlan. A land with much future potential, it stands in the sea as a great monument to the immense changes wrought by the Great Cataclysm.