Tanton
Tanton is a medium-sized island in A New World Opens. It's home to Tantonia, the Tantonites, and a pirate clan. Approximately 16 miles long and 14 across, Tanton is the largest island revealed thusfar. Despite its size, it has been mostly untouched by the Kingdom due to its dense forests and mountainous terrain.
Environment
Tanton Isle is a semi-tropical island. It's close enough to the equator to avoid snowstorms during winter, but far enough away to experience cold weather. It has extremely dense forests, enough so to provide a barrier to most travel inside the island. It also has rocky and mountainous terrain on the north side of the island, increasing in size and magnitude the further north one goes. Tends to get a lot of rain, and attracts some particularly large bugs, though nothing dangerous.
The terrain is also rather hilly, and large patches of flat ground are scarce.
Inhabitants
Three groups of people inhabit Tanton Isle: The Tantonians, the Tantonites, and the Hojick Ravagers Pirate clan.
Tantonians
- Main article: Tantonians
The Tantonians landed on Tanton roughly forty years ago. Outcasts and refugees from the Kingdom, they mainly live here to avoid the chaos and squabbles of the Kingdom's nobility and petty in-fighting. They consider themselves a nation independent from the Kingdom, content to live as they see fit.
The Tantonians live on the northwest side of the island, in a small village on the shore of an unnamed lake that serves as a harbor. The lake is connected to the ocean via a small channel dubbed by the Tantonians as Independence Channel.
Tantonites
- Main article: Tantonites
The Tantonites are the native peoples of Tanton. Primitive by normal cultural standards, they are a relatively peaceful people that thrive in the lush jungles of Tanton. They tend to create small camps comprising of twenty or thirty people, scattered throughout the island. The greatest Tantonite population, however, is located near the center of the island, where the most game can be found.
Tantonites are particularly adept at hunting, and at creating small craft for fishing. It's not uncommon to spot small Tantonite fishing craft in Tanton Bay during daylight hours.
The Tantonites have a cordial relationship with the Tantonians; indeed, most Tantonites now hunt and fight using Tantonian wands rather than normal weaponry.
Hojick Ravagers
A small pirate clan that settled on the east side of the island and built a fort. Not much is known about them yet, but they boast large numbers as well as an impressive fleet. Thusfar, they only are aware of the Tantonites, and consider them a nuisance.
Natural Resources
Aside from the vast amounts of timber, Tanton is not a rich island. Certain wild berries can be found, as can small deposits of iron and copper in the mountains. The oceans and lakes around also usually have high populations of fish, and boar is common inland. In fact, a notable facet of Tanton's resources is its lack of suitable farmland; because of the hilly terrain and dense forests, it's almost impossible to get a plot of land. Furthermore, the weather and low soil fertility often result in astonishingly poor yields.
However, the island does possess one unique resource: Tanton timber. Made from the Etya Trees, it's unusually durable and resistant to fire. Unfortunately, it also is difficult to harvest.
Unique Flora & Fauna
Tanton has no unique Fauna to speak of, but has several unusual plants in its ecosystem. Among the more notable are the Etya Tree, which grows only in the unusual climate of Tanton, and the Ralyin Berries, which possess magical curing abilities. When made into a specific brew, they can even extend the human lifespan. They also serve as an excellent source of nourishment.
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