Otter Island (setting)

Otter Island is an island that is supposed to lie somewhere in the vast, remote expanses of the southern Pacific Ocean in the "real world" Earth. It is home to otters of every imaginable kind. It is the setting for the Otter Island stories.
== Origins ==
Otter Island was selected by chance as the location of Oberon's gate on this world and as such, it eventually caught the notice of the world's most powerful wizards. The place became littered with all manner of magic objects and palaces for the wizards to live in. After the wizards disappeared through the gate never to return, the island was abandoned but the magic leaking from the gate had a profound effect on the island. The island became self-aware and over time, it realized it was all alone and felt lonely. Then one day, an otter lost at sea drifted close enough for the Island to beckon to it. The island, possibly using its influence over the local weather and ocean conditions, nursed the otter back to health and the two became friends. Overjoyed at its discovery, the island began to call out to otters all over the world.
Otter Island was created by Oren Otter, inspired by real-life stories about otters as well as his own.
== Appearance ==
The island has by now adopted a very otter-like identity, which can be seen in the physical shape of the generally crescent-shaped island. It basically resembles a swimming otter circling back on itself as if focusing on some object. It has a topography reflecting the many and varied places otters call home, including forests, reefs, fjords, a mountain, and of course a lake. The mountain, called Mt. Sploosh, is full of springs and tunnels filled with water flowing from a subterranean reservoir and is a major attraction. Incidentally, this feature corresponds to where a forelimb would be. The spirit of Otter Island has been known to manifest itself visibly as a miniature likeness of its physical "body".
== Personality ==
The Island's emotions are generally rather uncomplicated, but they are expressed on a huge scale corresponding to its physical size. Local weather is often a gauge of how the Island is feeling at any given time. It communicates with other sentients by telepathy or dreams, though it does so most effectively with strong telepaths such as Amanda. It loves otters and will fight anyone who wants to hurt them. It is at once powerful and vulnerable because it cannot act directly in its own defense, but on the other hand it has ways of influencing others to accomplish what it wants. That said, the Island is content to live with the otters it protects and has no desire to expand its influence or power.
== The Invisible Island ==
Realistically, if such a place as Otter Island exists, humans should know of its existence, but clearly they do not. Apparently some sort of magic is at work, but suffice it to say that generally speaking, the Island can be elusive when it does not wish to be seen.
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