Codex: Isle of Life

As the
old saying goes “curiosity killed the cat” however this couldn’t be further
from the truth in the case of this small beast, as they seem to spend their
whole life exploring and sniffing around what they don’t know. Often found
following humans at a safe distance, the Curious Wildcat will take note of the
humans every move, everything the human touched, everything the human looked
at, the Curious Wildcat will sniff around it, trying to figure out why it
appealed to the human.

If a
person attempts to approach a Curious Wildcat, they’ll find that they like to
run away, though never far, as it is sure to be too curious to leave the human
alone and will soon be back to following them. Curious Wildcats are not usually
aggressive creature, although if cornered it may lash out before running off.

The
Stone Marten is indeed very strange, as no one has ever seen one move directly,
hence their name Stone Marten. Once a Stone Marten is seen, it freezes and
doesn’t move at all until it is sure the gaze upon it has moved. The only time
a human has seen a Stone Marten move is when it has tricked the creature into
thinking that they aren’t looking, usually via not looking at them directly.
Reflections are a common way for humans to watch Stone Martens, and mirrors are
often found in areas of pilgrimage where Stone Martens live. Stone Martens like
to stay up on tree branches or high walls so humans have a hard time touching
them if they are frozen still.

Due to
their timid nature, it is incredibly hard for a human to find a Timid Wood
Mouse and if found, it’s not long until they scuttle away in fear. Usually the
Timid Wood Mouse can be found in small groups of between three to six however
it is not unusual to see a lone one.

It is
completely harmless for all other creatures and is in fact very friendly
towards them, often trying to help humans out in some form. Found lying
sunbathing, a human can easily approach one and feed it fruit and pet it as if
it were a household pet. Unlike most snakes, this snake does not hunt and is a
herbivore that solely lives off fruit.

quite friendly, however a human that tries to approach one of these creatures will
quickly realise why they are called the “confused” gecko.

The
geckos will constantly bash themselves into objects as they run around and
frequently injure themselves in the process. The Confused Gecko has an unique
ability that allows them to detach their tails – which they often do in their
confusion - as they run away, leaving the tail as a decoy. After this, the tail
will regrow back in several minutes.

No one
is sure to why the Confused Gecko is always confused but one myth speculates
that due to their constant bashing of their heads, it simply comes down to
having a memory span of a few seconds.

### Avian

#### The Singing Partrdige

A
beautiful bird situated in the western islands, the Singing Partridge is in
stark contrast to the Noisy Gull although the phrase “you’ll hear them before
you see them” is for a much more pleasant reason this time around. It is common
to find these birds in pairs, flying from to tree to tree while singing.

The
small bird is only around 30cm in size, its body is fat with a round shape. The
beak and feet are red and it has two blue stripes beginning from the beak and
passing over the two eyes and over its head. The wings are often grey or green.

These
birds are non-migratory and thus are often isolated to the small islands in the
west. This also means that the birds suffer from a lack of food during the
winter, so humans often leave seeds out for them. They are monogamous birds
that can often be found in couples with the babies following suit behind them.
They love the sun and are common pets on the western islands.

#### The Noisy Gulls

The most
common avian throughout the world is the Noisy Gull. Found on every island in
the archipelago, these noisy creatures can often be heard long before being
seen. Usually the Noisy Gull will produce harsh wailing or squawking calls and
can be found in groups as small as three, to numbers higher the ten, thus
intensifying the noise.

These
creatures are quite large for birds, measuring up to 60cm when standing, thus
making them quite intimidating. Covered with white feather with some dark areas
like on the tips of their wings, the Noisy Gulls are very distinguishable from
other birds. These creatures have a nasty habit of trying to steal food out of
people’s hands, so be weary when carrying fruit.

### Aquarian

#### The Fearsome Sea Dragon

A
creature that is feared amongst humans as it is said that this monster will
drag you down to the depths of the deep blue sea to eat you, that is if someone
was caught too far out at water without being on a boat. However, the creature
has a bit of a misnomer as it’s a completely harmless herbivore. The story
sprung from the humans not understanding that people were being dragged under
the water due to the current.

A swift
and agile creature, the Fearsome Sea Dragon is actually quite a majestic beast
and they often peer their proud heads above the sea water, it is thought that
these creatures do this to scout for any danger that might lurk ahead above the
water despite the fact that their large stature means that they have few
natural predators. Usually the Friendly Sea Dragon swims in schools of five or
six members. Not much is known about their young or how their reproductive
cycles as few have been seen by humans, it has been said that maybe these
creatures are not native to these seas and are just passing through.

## Flora

### Trees

#### Tamarisk Tree

An
evergreen tree that is characterised by its thin branches and green foliage.
Growing to a potential height of 18 metres, these trees can form dense foliage
to provide suitable shade from the sun. The bark of this tree is of a dark
brown colour and its flowers are commonly pink though white is not uncommon
either.

#### Chestnut Tree

The
chestnut tree has a thick trunk that can grow to 2 metres in diameter and
potentially up to 50 metres in height, the bark of the tree is of a greyish
tint. The green leaves from a chestnut tree are large and particularly veiny on
its underside. The seeds are covered in a thick bur with spikes on it to
protect in the inner nut. A chestnut is a popular food throughout the island
and is commonly roasted.

#### Oak Tree

Oak
trees are the ideal tree for timber throughout the archipelago and are often
seen in tree farms. The trees can grow to a height of 20 metres. Oak Trees are
also known to be one of the longest living trees and it is not uncommon for
signs to be posted on oak trees stating their approximate age. Oak
trees produce acorns as their seeds.

### Shrubs

#### Lentisk

Lentisk
is an evergreen shrub that grows to a maximum height of 5 metres though usually
average out at around 2 or 3 metres. This shrub likes to grow in dry, rocky and
salty environments, so it’s common to see them by the sea. The leaves grow on
stems in groups of 5 or 6 leaflets and often has small flowers growing from the
same stem. The plant produces stoned fruit that start of red by as they ripe,
begin to turn black.

#### Thyme

Thyme is
a small evergreen shrub with greyish, green leaves. Growing to upwards, on
Thyme plant possesses many wood-like branching stems from which the leaves
grow. The flowers that blossom from the plant are often pink or a very light
shade of purple. Thyme is well sought after for its use as a condiment
throughout the archipelago.

### Fruit Plants

#### Strawberry Plant

The
Strawberry Plant is characterised by its low hanging red, sweet fruit, green
leaves and white flowers. The fruit is popular throughout the islands and can
be eaten fresh, used in desserts or juiced. Eaten in large quantities by both
humans and animals alike, its not uncommon to see these plants in farms or with
a Friendly Fruit Snake close by.

#### Apple Tree

Usually
standing around 2 to 4 metres tall, the Apple Tree is another commonly farmed
plant throughout the islands. They usually have dark green leaves and produce
white flower with a pink tinge. The apple fruit produced can come in a variety
of colours such as green, red, yellow and pink. Apples can range in flavours,
though they are usually sweet or bitter and thus have a wide application of
culinary uses throughout the island. Apple juice is a common drink given to
children.

#### Olive Tree

The
Olive Tree is an evergreen tree or small shrub that is commonly around 10
metres tall. The tree has silvery green leaves and a twisted trunk. The tree
produces white flowers and fruit that can range in colours from purple to
green, the olive fruit also contains a stone in the middle. The fruit is
popular in salads and cooking with high quality olive oil fetching high prices
at markets.

### Flowers

#### Poppies

A flower
popular for its medicinal purposes as a painkiller, this flower can be seen
throughout most of the islands and those that don’t grow the flower often
import them. The flowers have 4 to 6 petals each with many stamens and the
petals can come in almost any colour though red seems to be the most common
colour.

#### Daisies

A flower
that is considered a weed by many and as ornamental by others, this flower
appears anywhere and everywhere throughout the archipelago. The Daisy has white
petals and yellow disc florets. It’s common for children to chain them together
into bracelets or necklaces.

#### Tulips

A tall
standing flower coming in a wide variety of bright colours. They have a
relatively small number of leaves on their stems usually in the range of two to
six. Tulips have 3 petals that form a bell shape and 3 sepals. The Tulips
produce tiny fruit that contain its seeds. These plants are often found both in
the wild in large groups or in gardens in an orderly fashion. These flowers are
often given as presents to spouses or friends.