The Chantinelle Islands

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The Chantinelle Islands

Postby Phaing on Sun Sep 01, 2013 5:37 am

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((is image-hosting no longer possible here?))

Phaing had a very active Summer in her ship, and this included her discovery of a tiny group of tropical islands to the south of Thallis in the otherwise empty southern sea. The journey can be as short as 3 days if you have a swift ship and the winds are with you... and a week or more if you have neither.

This is an Atoll, the decayed remnant of an ancient volcano that went dormant millions of years ago. There are more reefs than there is land showing above the water, but there is a navigable channel winding through the middle of the Atoll. See the map; the dark blue area is deep enough for any ocean-going ship even at low tide. The other areas range from a bit chancy to the Shallow Sands.
Shallow Sands are those areas that can be waded Human Adults at low tide, and it is possible to wade from one island to the other in some places.

Let's start with the rest of what you can see on the Map;
The best way in & out is the Channel at the Northwest corner next to the 40-acre island. It is straight and deep and all you have to do is run parallel to the shore of the big island and a couple of convenient islets that serve as markers. The channel at the East end is between Reefs, has no marker islands nearby and even lacks an aiming point at one end or the other... the east passage should only be used by people who live there.

The 40-acre island (none of these islands have names yet) is not only easy to reach and can control the West channel, but has the deepest protected anchorage. (Hey, if you are gong to shell out the big bucks, you get some perks) That island is covered mostly by Rain-forest and grassland, and some of the widest beaches in the whole group.
Gong Clock-wise-
The 20-acre island has a nice anchorage suitable for shalllow0draft (10 feet and less) ships and is so close to the smallest listed island that it can be bought together with it for a 23-acre purchase, if so desired. The 20-acre island is half-forested and the 3-acre island is mostly grass.
The 5-acre island is a mangrove swamp... see below for the hazards of that place.
The 12-acre island is one of the most beautiful, covered with Light Forest and surrounded by some of the healthiest coral reefs in the Atoll.
The 15-acre island is also blessed with Light forest, which gives you good air circulation and a soft forest floor. Buliding a maratime dock in the corner on either side will give you a tiny natural harbor suitable for boats.

The 30-acre island was chosen by Phaing for her own [ and yes, she bought & paid for it through the REB, this is part of the Empire, after all ]

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photo Phisland_zps1454fd4e.jpg
http://s424.photobucket.com/user/The_Exorcist/media/Phisland_zps1454fd4e.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0

The scale is Yards, the contour lines are 100-foot elevation. The rectangular dash in the crook of the island (center left) is her ship.

This island also has a somewhat shallow anchorage, but like every other island in the group it is just 500-yards from where the largest ships can anchor, and easy row in any boat. There is Grass at each end of the island, the rest is either light or Heavy forest. The center of the island is the closest we get to a real jungle in this little group.
Before the Volcano became extinct, it formed several minor blow-holes. Here is where you find the only one that is still above the waves. The small crater gathers just enough rain-water to keep a small stream of fresh-water flowing. At the top of the ridge is exposed rock, grey-black and devilishly hard & sharp.
Aside from the Dock (not shown) nothing has been built there yet.

The 7-acre and 10-acre islands are half forested and unremarkable aside from the easy connection they enjoy thanks to the Shallow Sands.

Halfway back to the big island is the other blow-hole that still exists, situated in the middle of a Reef. Its last eruption left its chamber hollow. Its is now the entrance to a deep, dark, salt-water cavern that has not been explored at this time. A watery nethergloom may exist down there... or perhaps not.

The most central feature here is called Knucklehead rock. This scarred and grey rock is a handy navigation aid and is difficult to reach. It has not worn away because it is basically one large diamond. However, it is impure and badly flawed. Even the toughest Dwarf would have a hellish time trying to hack his way to even a sliver of something that might be gem-quality. Every inch of this ugly rock is exposed to the Sun's rays and the reflection from the water all day long.

Continues....
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Re: The Chantinelle Islands

Postby Phaing on Sun Sep 01, 2013 6:52 am

There are ten islands of an acre or less. They are not of any value since they are at least 90% sand and have nothing else but patches of grass, scrub bushes and maybe a couple of palm-trees.

Flora & fauna;
The brilliance of a Tropical landscape is fully represented here. Its easier to mention what is lacking and a few of the oddities than to list all that is here. Pests like stinging insects and rodents are lacking, in fact the only rodents are a strange bat-eared Mouse and Flying Squirrels, which are stalked by and even stranger species of little flying Cats.

There are no pigs, the largest animal is an Emu-sized flightless waterfowl that swims from island to island as they forage for Crab, Coconuts and foot-long Centipedes. Phaing has taken to calling them Lion-birds because of their coloring and the fact that they go around in packs of 4-12. Like Swans, they are placid, unless you get too close.
The Lion-Birds are the ones that decide what "too" close is.

There are seasonal visitors that fill the calendar.
Within days of the Fall & spring equinox the islands are host to hundreds of the Majestic Frigate-birds, a type of sea-going eagle with a 7-foot wingspan.
In the summer the Sea-turtles are there in force, as are Sharks. Sharks are uncommon the rest of the year and all leave in the winter.
Leave, or are devoured.
The coast around Thallis is home to a moderate number of Salt-water Crocodiles. During the mild winters, they sometimes burrow into the mud and hibernate. The largest of them (over 20 feet) find it difficult to burrow deep enough in hard winters and instead migrate to the Chantinelle Islands.
For about 3 months one year in 3, up to a dozen such monsters make their home in the 5-acre island. They don't often appear on land, their stubby legs don't do so well in soft sand, but they are a menace to anything in the water.

The reefs are rich and diverse, as is the plant-life, but that's for another day.
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Re: The Chantinelle Islands

Postby Tehya on Sun Sep 01, 2013 3:00 pm

Very interesting write up Phaing, would be an ideal place to visit with a group of characters, or run a quest.
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Re: The Chantinelle Islands

Postby Phaing on Sun Sep 08, 2013 9:15 pm

Tehya wrote:Very interesting write up Phaing, would be an ideal place to visit with a group of characters, or run a quest.

Sure, the place is wide open. Only the 30-acre island is owned by anyone yet, and nothing is built there yet.

It rains a lot, but only for about an hour or two a day most of the time, or at night in some seasons.

You could park a LOT of ships in the protected waters inside the anchorage, but why you would want to is beyond me. There isn't enough water to keep thousands of men alive, so they would have to bring it with them.
You could have a battle inside the atoll, but be careful about running aground!

There may be other seasonal visitors, we have not been observing that island-group for very long. It would make a good rest-stop for smugglers or anyone else wandering around. People might be marooned or shipwrecked there.

Yes, a fine place for adventures, until it all gets bought-up. Its especially good in winter if you want to get away from the snow & ice and Barbarian invasions. However, building there might be a problem. There is little hardwood, unless you want to go mucking around in the mangrove swamp (the one the giant Crocs like so much) and only the largest islands have rocky outcrops.

I worry that people might try to exploit Knucklehead Rock, so let me repeat; Its diamond, but so impure and so cloudy with flaws that it would take a serious gemologist to even tell what it is. When the rest of the islands are worn down below sea-level this will be the last thing standing. That's its purpose, in fact.
The only think I can imagine it being useful for is for translucent blocks in a stone building, if you could find one of the right size and shape. If you don't get lucky like that, I'm not sure you could shape such a block without shattering it.

There is one resource that can be exploited without causing much harm; those shallow sand areas have vast Clam & Oyster beds. Fish & crabs are also there in plenty. Over 100 people could live here year-round and get most (but not all) of what they need to have a balanced diet.

Have fun with the nautical frontier!
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Re: The Chantinelle Islands

Postby Phaing on Sat Mar 08, 2014 7:51 am

We have been building a few things on Hideaway Island (hey, had to call it something! :wink: )

Well, you have to have a place to go in and get out of the rain, right?
And it rains here almost every day.

First up was a Stone House. Yes, stone, nice and thick for a break from the heat of mid-day and stable temps through the night. I took the max. Stone house and exploded it to give a Villa-like effect, and to space things out a little bit around the stream;

http://s424.photobucket.com/user/The_Ex ... sort=3&o=9

Paid for 2 stories but only 2 rooms are on the upper floor, a couple of bedrooms joined by a little foot-bridge;

http://s424.photobucket.com/user/The_Ex ... sort=3&o=8

Its a comfy place, and you can see the ocean through the trees to the north, barely, but it would be very hard to spot this home from the water.
The Stream is slow and shallow, just deep enough to allow a skiff to tie up there. The "waterfall" is only a couple of hip-high tumbles, but a bamboo pipe can bring water to head-height for a shower of sorts. The little round channel is decorative and allows those who swam in the ocean to wash the salt off before going inside to relax. Cooling breezes can circulate through the many windows of this little complex, which was designed with the local environment in mind every step of the way.

It is a peaceful place and has no defensive quality at all.
The next feature is a very, very different kettle of fish.

Its a squat, ugly little Tower that has "Don't fuck with us!" written all over it.
We call it The Tarantula.
http://s424.photobucket.com/user/The_Ex ... sort=3&o=5

Just a 3-story, 30' circumference Tower (costing about what the House did) with just one basement level. Built on a rocky ridge, its tall enough that an eagle-eyed watcher can spot incoming ships from about an hour's sailing time farther away than they could just standing on the ridge.

Yes, I insisted on paying for 3 Stories, even if there are only 2 covered and 30-feet in size.
Take a look at the plans and then I will tell you why-

http://s424.photobucket.com/user/The_Ex ... sort=3&o=6

Lets go top to bottom here.
The 3rd floor is a platform for a Balistae with a 360-deg. field of fire. It is supported by the central column and flying arches with spines meant to discourage flying monsters from attacking. This is Phaing's 2nd Balistae and she has made this one better adapted to withstand a hot, wet climate, and paid for it with coin and a favor that has yet to be called in.
Downward;
There is a iron spiral staircase giving access to the various floors. It is plated with brass to resist corrosion, but is only wide enough for one person at a time... which could cause problems. The deck below the Balistae is for Fighters and there are a couple of Braziers for cooking or heating up a nasty surprise for any attackers.
The 2nd floor has 2 bedrooms for the owners and favored guests and an open-air arms locker. The thick walls are pierced with 8 arrow slits that can be shuttered.

The 1st floor has bunks for 12 people, a small sitting area and a small amount of storage space. Those 4 "windows" are sealed shut, they are just blocks of that very low-grade diamond (they still don't know what it really is) that is just barely translucent enough to allow some natural light inside on a nice day.
As the exterior plan shows, it would be very hard to batter that door down; there is no place for a ram bigger than what a single man could carry.

The basement is simply storage, a single cell and a water catchment. Rain-water is collected on the roofs and runs down channels chiseled in the walls and covered with flat rocks. There is a Bathtub and a Toilet that can be "flushed" by opening up a little sluice gate and letting the stuff flow through a small tunnel in the rock. Over-flow from the cistern simply goes over the sluice gate and down the toilet, which can happen during rainy weeks.

Yes, this is not a comfy place, it is made for shelter in violent times, that is all.
the max capacity is 16-20 people, and with that many you have water & food for a few weeks. Phaing had air-attack in mind because its an island, not large armies that are unlikely to ever show up here. Only ships or wings can defeat the Oceans, after all. So, lots of brass-plated spikes, and a big Balistae that can fire slightly downwards as well as up in all directions.
It is also placed so that that weapon and any Longbows here can fire straight down the Dock for this island. Any bad-guys that tries to land here the easy way are going to feel like the pins in a Bowler's Green.
And, this could also make a great Tsunami-shelter. Any wave tall enough to over-top the tower would of course destroy it, but that would be an insanely rare sort of wave.


This island itself with built features drawn in-
http://s424.photobucket.com/user/The_Ex ... sort=3&o=7

From the left-
A ship about the size of her Indy is parked in the water right where it was last time.
Then you see the Dock, with the T-shaped end for larger ships to make fast there. Looking inland you can see the black spot marking the location of the Tarantula. Due east of there you should be able to make out where the mini-villa is. Things are drawn to scale, but only approximately ... they had to be big enough for you to see them. :wink:

Other islands are still up for grabs, care to join us?
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Re: The Chantinelle Islands

Postby Jodice on Sat Mar 08, 2014 6:06 pm

Almost sounds like a good place for a pirate group :)
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Re: The Chantinelle Islands

Postby Tehya on Mon Mar 10, 2014 10:44 pm

Great write up, my character Ivy might want to speak to Phaing.
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Re: The Chantinelle Islands

Postby Phaing on Sat Mar 15, 2014 5:17 am

Tehya wrote:Great write up, my character Ivy might want to speak to Phaing.

Cool, give me a week, still tied up with RL but in about a week I get to start spending some quality time here again.

It sure would be nice if that place started to come alive a little bit.
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