desertrunner
Journeyman
Byra is the central island of the archipelago. The traders guild that rules the island makes full use of that fact.
Tásttym has bloomed overnight into a bustling city-port. Crammed into a small valley between the Tym river and the western cliffs of the Corrán pateau, it makes use of it's waterways to the fullest. The Demás sound's astounding depth all the way up to the coasts allows even the largest ships to dock. The river is fed by a series of hot sifx springs that keep the sound open even in the most bitterly cold of winters. The Byrá trader's guild makes full use of not only the water but also the sifx itself.
A white powdery mineral unique to the island of Byrá, sifx is a miraculously explosive material when introduced to a flame. The guild has devised numerous methods for extracting their precios commodity from the river but none have yet been able to withdraw large amounts of material. Small casks are traded for anything the city may need.
The northern plateau keeps the city isolated from the rest of the island. Few plants have been able to adapt to the sifx rich soil of the plateau like the sifxgrasses have. Waist high and a pequliar burnt orange color, they dominate the highland.
The southern portion of Byrá is nourished by another unique spring. Deep, nitrogen rich soil has given birth to a vast forest of towering pines as wide as houses. The Námma river rolls and winds through the rolling hills down to the twin port cities of Sym and Tyox. Logs from the Tixán forest are floated down the river four times a day to mills and waiting ships. Four times a day the Tixán spring erupts into a gieser of boiling water. During each eruption the river swells to nearly three times its otherwise size. Ships leaving port have to wait for the swell to be able navigate out of the river. The Byrá traders guild employs the loggers, millers, and port officials.
the west third of the island is fed by yet another spring. Instead of a forest, fields of farmed wheat cover the large delta of the Tyr river. The most docile of the spring rivers, it provides vital nutrients to sustain the eight month long growing season western Byrá enjoys. Small settlements line the river as crops and supplies are shipped up and down the slow, deep river. Large schools of fish remain active even in the deep of winter. The small port city of Cáryn guards the entrance to their lifesource.
At each city batteries of cannons stand ready to guard Byrá's resources for the guild. As of yet, none of the neighboring islands have tried anything, but the shrewd businessmen running the island aren't willing to take chances. They remain neutral and more than willing to make a deal if you have the coin. The motto for Tásttym is, "Diplomacy is highly overrated and unprofitable."
Tásttym has bloomed overnight into a bustling city-port. Crammed into a small valley between the Tym river and the western cliffs of the Corrán pateau, it makes use of it's waterways to the fullest. The Demás sound's astounding depth all the way up to the coasts allows even the largest ships to dock. The river is fed by a series of hot sifx springs that keep the sound open even in the most bitterly cold of winters. The Byrá trader's guild makes full use of not only the water but also the sifx itself.
A white powdery mineral unique to the island of Byrá, sifx is a miraculously explosive material when introduced to a flame. The guild has devised numerous methods for extracting their precios commodity from the river but none have yet been able to withdraw large amounts of material. Small casks are traded for anything the city may need.
The northern plateau keeps the city isolated from the rest of the island. Few plants have been able to adapt to the sifx rich soil of the plateau like the sifxgrasses have. Waist high and a pequliar burnt orange color, they dominate the highland.
The southern portion of Byrá is nourished by another unique spring. Deep, nitrogen rich soil has given birth to a vast forest of towering pines as wide as houses. The Námma river rolls and winds through the rolling hills down to the twin port cities of Sym and Tyox. Logs from the Tixán forest are floated down the river four times a day to mills and waiting ships. Four times a day the Tixán spring erupts into a gieser of boiling water. During each eruption the river swells to nearly three times its otherwise size. Ships leaving port have to wait for the swell to be able navigate out of the river. The Byrá traders guild employs the loggers, millers, and port officials.
the west third of the island is fed by yet another spring. Instead of a forest, fields of farmed wheat cover the large delta of the Tyr river. The most docile of the spring rivers, it provides vital nutrients to sustain the eight month long growing season western Byrá enjoys. Small settlements line the river as crops and supplies are shipped up and down the slow, deep river. Large schools of fish remain active even in the deep of winter. The small port city of Cáryn guards the entrance to their lifesource.
At each city batteries of cannons stand ready to guard Byrá's resources for the guild. As of yet, none of the neighboring islands have tried anything, but the shrewd businessmen running the island aren't willing to take chances. They remain neutral and more than willing to make a deal if you have the coin. The motto for Tásttym is, "Diplomacy is highly overrated and unprofitable."
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