The Geography of the Tagka Coast

The region known alternatively as the Tagka archipelago or the Salt Islands are battered by cold water currents that circulate around the poles. Here hardy trees thrive among mats of vegetation with the yearly climate never fluctuating from cold and wet year round. Across the southern ocean, dotted by granitic islands of varying climate are the larger islands of the Tagka, which are largely subarctic due to being enmeshed in the polar currents. The centers of most of the islands are quite mountainous, and here often precipitation will build enough to allow for hardy alpine forests above a certain altitude, but the inner coasts only have tree growth in very isolated microclimates. The most southerly islands are solidly tundra, and sustain little to no large plant growth.

## Names:

The Tagka refer to their world by several names. The loose island archipelago the Tagka inhabit is called the *Márga Dīl,* or the Salt Islands. This is derived from a old creation myth that says the great Mother Goddess Máh Ma spilled her bag of salt across the earth, the clumps forming the islands of the archipelago. Alternative names include the Blue Islands, the Dog Islands or simply, *Būsu Dīl*, The Named Islands. Individual islands also have their own names, and sub-groups within the archipelago.

## Islands:

Inside the Tagka archipelago, the center is dominated by the Dog Islands themselves, respectively Big and Little Dog Island. Both are foggy, cold tundra islands with craggy forested centers. Numerous small inlets are inside the wide gravel beaches next to hundreds of tiny granite islands scattered just off coast, most just large enough for a gull to perch on it.

Big Dog Island is the largest island by far in the Tagka archipelago. Most of it is a combination of eroded sediments from softer rocks around the islands bare granite core and volcanic soils from ancient volcanoe chains. Much of the Tagka archipelago is volcanic in origin, although any seismic activity has long since passed, only leaving jagged granite and basaltic sand. A thick layer of permafrost and sub-polar scrubland covers the large majority of the island except for the forests in the very center.

Off the northeastern coast are the Gull Islands, a cluster of rocky islands covered in thick grasses and home to major migratory bird nests. A very small population of indigenous Sea Tagka live here, eking out a hunter-gatherer existence among the eroded crevices splitting the rocks.

Little Dog Island is the second largest island, and is much narrower and rockier than Big Dog island. A long spine of sharp mountains extends the length of the island, sheltering specialized microclimates high above the long tundra strip below. It is marginally more fertile, and especially on the islands stretching across the Gixa Straits. From the northwestern coast of Little Dog Island across the Gixa islands to the mainland is a mass of foggy swamps and rocky lumps, erupting into masses of insects in the summer months.

Puy Island is the northern edge of true Tagka territory. Technically speaking a peninsula the isthmus connection it to the Fog Coast is really just a long beach that is barely submerged most of the year. Puy Island is a low swamp stretched between isolated rocky spires, covered in scrub and swamp conifers. It is a major trading point between Tagka and Uric clans, as well; as temporary home to a number of wandering Tagka hunters.

Much farther south is the intricate mess of islands called together, "The Daggers". Once the central mound of a prehistoric volcano, like much of the rest of the archipelago it has been eroded down to its rocky core, but these islands have much less vegetation cover and as such appear to be far more remote than the other islands north of it. Inbetween island straights that are sometimes only as wide as a foot near freezing water is forced through fast enough to chisel the rocks into wickedly jagged shapes. Except for barely a few dozen stunted trees there is no large vegetation on these islands, which are dominated by tiny, hardy shrubs-most endemic to individual inlets. Between Big Dog Island and the Daggers there are also a chain of small islands called the Rgeh Islands, most of which are barely underwater, someimes peaking above the surface at low tide.

Even farther south is what is called Worlds Edge, quite literally some of the most southerly land in Aelos. It is a bare rock and gravel lump where tiny grasses cling to the edges. There is a native population here, but they number at most a few dozen for the entire island, and have been so genetically isolated and interbred with the prehistoric aboriginal human species that once lived here as to be esentially a unique sub-species of human-highly adapted to live in a brutal polar climate.

## The Uric Peninsula:

Home to both the largest animal populations and the largest human settlements, the Uric Peninsula is a thickly wooded land jutting into the south ocean. From the fog forests of the Panos large wildlife has migrated south and adapted to the dark conifer lined coasts and the briny bogs that open gaps among the trees. Millenia of continous forestation have built up a thick layer of humus rich soil, making the ground here exceptionally lush despite the latitude.

The actual coastline itself is marked by rows of undulating highly eroded hills covered in dense underbrush, dwindling down into long beaches around the water. The climate is cold and wet year-round, but summer temperatures can still reach considerable highs, although the coastline is always colder on average than the forests farther north. Large stockaded settlements litter the coast, the towns of the Uric tribes. Related to the Tagka, they are nevertheless a distinct ethnolinguistic group and their customs vary quite strongly from their oceanic relatives. A telling difference is skin-tone. While the Tagka are very notably bluish in tone, many of the Uric tribes, if blue at all, will instead be quite pale.

## Biodiversity:

Many species of land and marine animals have adapted to the southern climate, including a wide variety of migratory birds and fishes. Some creatures are very recognizable to other peoples while others are far more unique to their individual habitats.

## Fauna:

### Land Animals

#### Sheep-Cows:

The sheep-cow ( called various names, but the most common is Ko or Go) is a integral part of Tagka life. It is not native to the islands, but came with the Tagka as they migrated wholesale southwards. It has adapted with its masters to suit a colder environment.

Heat is the key is the survival, its generation and retention. As they moved south the ancestors of the Tagka brought with them their animals, who through generations changed to fit their new environment just as their masters did. The Tagka breed of the sheep-cow is a smaller breed, with stocky wide limbs and thick shaggy hair covering its body. Its snout is shorter with a large nose for better managing body heat. Its horns are also slightly thicker and sturdier due to a need for breaking up hard snow cover to access vegetation underneath. They will swing their heads from side to side, hitting the snow with the sides of their horns and tearing horizontal scars through which they soon scavenge for grasses. It is hardy, and can survive on much rougher vegetation than its relatives farther north.

The Tagka use sheep-cows for their meat, pelts, horns, and dairy. Sheep-cows are quite large animals, so a individual clan might slaughter one only every few weeks, and only if the animal has been injured or is growing old. Every part of the sheep-cow is used except for the lower intestine, which is considered unclean. The meat will be smoked and consumed after the edible organs and marrow have been eaten. Hide is cleaned while bones and horns are used to fashion tools and other objects. During the return to the winter settlements, most clans will sacrifice a bull and contribute the meat to the larger food stockpiles, or a bull might be sacrificed at a feast or religious ceremony.

#### Bears:

The oldest and most feared scourge of the Tagka, and indeed those peoples before them, are the bears that frequent the islands. Pale white to the point of seeming blue, these bears can weigh up to 800+ kg and nigh ten feet tall when standing. They have short rectangular snouts with tiny beady eyes, and scavenge along mountain crevices for tasty berries or grubs. Inevitably, when the meagre food supplies run out and winter approaches in earnest they switch to meatier more caloric fare. They wander to the coast and will catch fish as well as ambush seals, or the unlucky fisherman who gets too close. It is a great feat to kill one of them, and not easily accomplished even by the large gangs of men required for the task. Most often, they are left alone and in the case one wanders close to a camp the Tagka will retreat and leave a food offering, praying the bear spirits guide one of their own to more distant feeding grounds.

#### Rhinos:

Survivors of an extinct group of species once common across the southern mainland and the islands, the Southern Rhino [placeholder name] is a amphibious mammal that near deep arctic lakes or sheltered coves. It is in fact related distantly to the small boars that frequent the southern bogs, and tapir-like species far to the north.

Thickly built and blubbery, it's best described for now as more of a hippo, if classified by lifestyle. It feeds on thick banks of seaweed that thrive in the straits between rocky islands. They live in small family groups of at most 2-4 adult animals, giving birth to only one live baby at a time, caring for it for a very long period.

#### Camelids:

Several distinct species of camelids inhabit the southern tundras. Similar in size and proportion to a slightly smaller caribou, they have adapted to eat a wide variety of plant-life at any time of the year. They have dwindled since the arrival of humans to the southern islands due to the unique pressure sheep-cows have put on the local vegetation, but are still very much common.

The most common group is a cluster of related sub-species called the Gada that span from the Panos in the north down to isolated populations on the Daggers. Hardy and well adapted, they serve as a main food source for large predators-man and beast alike.

#### Wolves:

There is a native species of pack carnivore at a glance that resembles wolves, but really is a member of the Felidae family rather than Canidea. It’s in effect a polar hyena. Built with thick loping front limbs and a long wide tail, they prey widely on both living and dead creatures, using versatile claws to tear through thick hides. The Tagka consider these creatures the closest to man of any wild animal, on account of their intelligence and social complexity. Behind their eyes lies a intelligence much higher than even the lemurs that prowl the northern shorelines, as an old proverb goes, “they are smart enough to speak-but wise enough not to.”

They are not easily tameable and the majority of tribes still rely on the dogs they once brought south with them, although a gift of a tamed wolf raised from birth is a special occasion in any clan.

#### Mustelids:

Several species of small mustelid exist in the far south, including a native breed of southern otter, several varieties of forest stoat-like creatures, and a comparatively large short-faced mongoose of similar build to a wolverine. The large majority of these species populations is restricted to more fertile coastal forests or wooded pygmy forest enclaves on the islands, although they all can be found on occassion deep in the tundra itself.

#### Gliders:

Endemic to the higher altitude regions in the far south, large gliding mammals act as pack predators. Technically speaking a flying mustelid almost like a otter, they long ago changed to a more carnivorous diet as well as becoming much larger than most other flying mammals. Standing at about 4-5 feet tall with a ‘wingspan’ of 9-11 feet fully extended, it normally moves in a very low crouched posture, which hides its true size. Its wings aren’t true wings but rather membranes between its limbs that fan out in the air, acting as aerofoils to allow it to glide. To allow a animal of its size to glide the Glider [placeholder name] has evolved very long forelimbs to maximize membrane size. Other adaptations to its unique lifestyle include secondary eyelids to protect against airborne dust as well as very light bones to minimize body weight.

Leaping from high cliffs and trees it will ride the perennial winds that lash the tundra, gliding sometimes for miles while it scans the landscape for prey, upon where it will dive down and attack the animal from above, latching on with its claws and biting the back of neck, snapping the vertebrae.

Adult animals can take down a full grown sheep-cow by themselves, but often they go after creatures this large in packs of 5-6. Spreading out over a wide area they will scope out a target herd, whether it's a native species or a unfortunate tribesman's herd. Singling out the weaker animals they swoop down and circle from every direction, forcing a chase and cutting off escape routes. Once a specific animal has been directly attacked by the alpha hunter, others will latch onto its sides, anchoring it down and slowly dragging it to a halt. Gliders are not able to move fast enough along the ground to catch herd mammals, but are able to move quickly enough in close proximity to still be dangerous, not to mention being able to leap quite long distances as well.

They eat their catch where they kill it, which leaves them open to other predators to scavenge off their kills. Gliders as a result will tear wildly through their prey, eating down to the bones in only a few hours, and then quickly loping to their dens higher in more remote terrain. Ironically, unlike many endemic species gliders have greatly benefited from the arrival of sheep-cows, because they are large, relatively slow and have not yet developed the all-pervading skittishness common to native herbivores. Many a herder has wandered too far into terrain he shouldn’t have, only to see one of his prize bulls stand blissfully idle as long shadows glide across the landscape, totally unaware to the danger above.

#### Boars:

Distantly related to the jungle tapirs of the Panos region, these are small furry boars that are quite common in marshy terrain. They live in medium sized family groups and give birth to many young at a time. Attracted to marshy peat bogs for their heat, they wallow in the low muddy water. Long tusks and durable fur make them common hunting targets for the Tagka.

#### Rodents:

A number of small rodents inhabit the southern tundra. They are of little specific note but are several species of mouse, lemmings and a agile long-legged marmot that takes the niche hares would otherwise have. More conventional rabbits predominate in the mainland forests however.

There is as well one species of mole. Of special note are several species of ground-dwelling lagomorphs of rough similarity to a cross between a hare and a pika, that form the primary food source of the smaller predators of the south

Large warrens of mice are common especially near peat bogs, and live in close proximity to native groups of boars. These animals are quite useful to the Tagka, who bait and trap them as they serve as a cheap and common source of protein. Smoked and ground up, mouse-meat can last for many years in storage-a useful trait for the cold long winters in the south.

#### Primates:

Perhaps the strangest creature to inhabit the far south, the Polar Lemur is a large furry Strepsirrhine primate that frequents coastal gravel beaches. They live in small family groups and in close symbiotic relationships with Seal-Bird species. When the Seal-Birds beach during mating season, these lemurs move between them, picking off oceanic parasites and nibbling on the berry bushes that grow near their guano. Notable for thick maned back-hair, these lemurs also live close to human settlements to take advantage of food scraps. Some troupes are almost domesticated, so accustomed to seasonal human camps that they live within the camp itself, and the Tagka don’t mind either for the lemurs are entertaining pets. Lemur is not a common food, for once a stray lemur is killed the entire troupe will quickly abandon the camp, and there are few lemurs that taste good enough to compensate. Also, they are quite difficult to catch.

### Birds:

#### Seal-Birds:

Forming the predominant large aquatic creatures in the southern seas, the seal-birds form a wide group of semi to fully aquatic oceanic birds. They are distinguished by swimming much like seals with specialized wings and large paddle-like feet. Their diet is primarily fish-based although some species also consume other marine creatures and sometimes even seaweed.

Biologically, they are distinguished by having extremely dense, smooth feathers that resemble fur from a glance, widespread counter-shading, and a internal skin membrane that lines the edge of their beaks to filter out marine particles.

It is hard to behaviorally define this large class of seabirds, but a plurality will beach themselves in large colonies during part of the year to lay eggs while during the rest they split up into smaller aquatic flocks. These are the significant species:

* The Giant Seal Bird
* The Red-Throated Seal Bird
* The Hopping Seal Bird
* The Soaring Seal Bird
* The Pebble Seal Bird

Making their presence known through a cacophony of calls, large crowds of Giant Seal Birds, some the size of the fallen boulders that litter the same shorelines, crowd the seashore. The smell from their prodigious guano deposits is also striking. Among them smaller birds hop around, picking stray insects of their matted feathers while circles of squawking gannets fly above. The Tagka make good use of these colonies, although for a single hunter to kill a 4,000 pound male Seal Bird is a difficult task under any circumstances. Instead they work in teams, using the sluggishness of these creatures on land to their advantage. Choosing a singular target, preferably far from the water several hunters will surround the Seal-Bird from the back to avoid its beak and use bronze halberds to pierce its skull, but preserve its skin.

Smaller Seal Birds are more solitary, alternatively swimming around in search of fish shoals or hopping up on rocky inlets to scavenge for crabs and clams. Others are fully aquatic and swim miles out into open ocean in search of food. Still others dive to incredibly deep waters in the farthest south, eating ice fish at the south pole.

##### Water Birds:

Along with a number of unremarkable gannet and gull species, the far south is host to many species of loons, auks, and sea ducks. Of note is the primitive bird species similar almost to a ptarmigan that has retained claws where most other birds have lost them. They use these claws to cling to cliff-faces while they dig for grubs in the pitted granite.

There are also many species of divers that plunge beneath the water through schools of minnows, and a species of duck that feeds exclusively on seabed molluscs.

#### Marine Life:

To compensate for the harshness of the land, the southern seas teem with life. Massive shoals of icefish and char dominate the far south while the more habitable archipelagos are crowded with minnows, cods, mackerel and gunnel. Thick eels and hagfish slither the seabed between mounds of starfish and cold-water corals.

To the Tagka, the ocean is a frightening place, capricious and prone to rage. Only the clans who live right on the coast, who don’t tend to herds like the inland tribes rely on the water. Sailing on long skin boats they throw nets and spear seal-birds, good trading goods with the tribe's inland, but the ocean does not wholly provide bounty. Native to the shallower channels are schools of small predatory fish that feast on any unlucky fish too slow to get away. Much like real-world piranha’s, they won’t attack large fish but a fisherman who falls from his boat is certainly a tempting target. Massive carnivorous eels also lurk in murky aquatic caves, easily strong enough to launch themselves above water for the quick catch of a seabird. Octopuses, disguised as long chains of brown kelp snatch fish from deep-sea crevices and packs of squids circle in the open ocean.

Sharks don’t come south often, and the only native species of shark dwells both too far south and too deeply in the water to ever be a threat to humans, and as such other creatures have filled the niche of apex predator. To the Tagka, the greatest enemy of the ocean is the whale. Not the peaceful feeders that glide in the deep ocean, but the beast that preys upon them. Closely related to the basilosaurus of the more advanced continent across the seas it rarely is hungry enough to attack humans, and indeed they dwell in such open and deep waters coming across one is rare in the first place. And yet, every fishing tribe has a story of that one boat that went too far out, and the creature that rose from below to swallow it whole.

Not all whales are giants or carnivores, some are simple cetaceans. Clusters of small porpoises travel south each year, but unlike most whales they are actually herbivores, and feed on the vast kelp forests of the island straits and channels. Some kelps in the far south can grow to the height of conifers; feeding thousands of creatures year-round. Primitive arthropods such as sea scorpions, horseshoe crabs and trilobites cluster at their bases while clouds of plankton filter through the water above. Trilobite especially is a favorite meal of the Sea-Tagka, as they are called. They will walk along the seashore in the summer, gathering up stray trilobites that get caught up in rough currents, they scooping the insides and eating them raw.

Clouds of jellyfish occupy these waters, but the Tagka avoid them-and for good reason. The primary species of the ocean here is laced with electric cells, and many a ignorant fisherman who tried to scoop up a few has found himself at the receiving end of a nasty shock. Thus, only in cases of great famine will the Tagka venture out and gather these jellyfish, only eating the non-electric mantle and insides, and discarding the rest.