OOC Info The Syka Codex

[Gossamer]

Within every domain there is a core information center where everything one needs to know about a domain is contained within. This Codex is Syka's collection of information. Please thoroughly read it before starting to play here. If you find that anything is lacking, please PM Gossamer so a discussion can happen and perhaps even more information can be added. In some instances, like the NPC Library, the posts are constant Works in Progress (WIP) due to the nature of the growth of the city. Other posts, such as Syka's IC and OOC Information should be fairly static. As always suggestions for additions are welcomed wholeheartedly.


❖ Index Of Posts

• The Syka Linkmap
• Setting The Scene For Paradise
• Getting Started In Syka
• NPC Library (*)
• Syka IC & OOC Information
• Syka's Holidays
• The Maw Guide
• The Sykan Rangers

*Located in Paradise Rediscovered - The Syka Development Forum

[Gossamer]

❖ The City Core
These locations are directly in the heart of Syka and require no special skills to find or safely travel too.

• The Syka Commons - The settlement's main gathering place.
• The Communal Forge - Syka's Public Forge
• The Communal Kitchens - Syka's public cooking space
• Community Water Storage - The Place Syka banks all its drinking water.
• The Monolith - Syka's miniature version of a Watchtower.
• The Community Events Center - Syka's covered gathering place.
• The Communal Kiln - Syka's wood-fired kiln and take pottery production.
• The Storm Shelter - Syka's ten-day storm, strife, and emergency shelter.
• The Syka Dovecote- Syka's doorway to The Outpost.
• The Fish Cleaning Station - Syka's easiest place to clean fish and carve up game.
• Swing Beach - Syka's main Beach.
• The Syka Dock - Syka's main point of entry & The Veronica's port of call.

❖ PC & NPC Businesses
These locations are directly in the heart of Syka and require no special skills to find or safely travel too.

• The Tidepool Bar - Syka's overwater watering hole and restaurant
• Ride The Waves Surf Shop - Randal's shop for surfing and paddleboarding needs.
• Creature Comforts - Syka's place for pets and animal rehabilitation.
• Tropical Fever Fashions - Syka's Clothing and Fabric Store
• The Syka Mercantile - Syka's basic supply shop for everything and anything.
• The Panacea - Syka's Healing Clinic.
• Tranquility Center - Syka's yoga, massage, and meditation center.
• The Sawmill - Syka's source of lumber and ashta.
• Standing Tall Builder's Emporium - Syka's local builders and contractors supply store.

❖ Syka Housing Options
These locations are directly in the heart of Syka and require no special skills to find or safely travel too.

• Guest Quarters - Syka's temporary housing for the homeless or just visiting.
• The Protea Inn - Syka's Bed and Breakfast Lodge
• The Bungalows - Little bungalows in the forest people can rent temporarily.
• The Overwater Ranchos - Octagonal rentals and homes for sale over the water.
• The Children's Pavillion - Orphanage Syka has gathered from other places to hopefully be the next generation of Sykans.

❖ Religious Sites
These locations are directly in the heart of Syka and require no special skills to find or safely travel too.

• Kihala's Shrine- Marking the place Kihala appeared to the settlement.
• The Bronze Parrot - Eywaat's gift to Syka in the form of a bronze parrot statue that gives speech to all birds in Syka's boundaries.

❖ Other Settlement Locations
These locations are in and around Syka accessible from The Cobbled Pathway of Syka and require no special skills to find or safely travel too.

• The Jungle Tar Pits - Syka's source of waterproofing and torch material.
• The Cobbled Pathway - Syka's version of a paved pathway.
• The Isuas Grove - Syka's export textile.
• The Swine Swells - A pig-infested beach north of the Syka Settlement.
• Sharktooth Point - Syka's rock outcropping over a very special reef system.
• Treasure Point - yet another source of pre-Valterrian artifacts.
• Jellyfish Lake Ruins - Ruins on the eastern side of Jellyfish Lake.
• The Jungle Tar Pits - Syka's source of waterproofing and torch material..

❖ PC & NPC Homes
These locations are in and around Syka and require no special skills to find or safely travel too.

• Mathias' Place - Syka's oldest Founder's home.
• Uta's Place- Syka's foremost botanist and naturalist's home.
• Randal's Place - Home of Syka's youngest Founder.
• Garden Beach - Tazrae's personal property adjacent to The Protea Inn.
• The Cave Of Everywhere's Door- Ialari's Claimed Land
• Tiger Lily Loft - Naadiya's Home
• Kamilla's Abode - Kam's cave home.

❖ Bodies Of Water
Some of these locations require Expert Level Wilderness Survival to travel to or an escort of an expert level WS NPC/PC. Check individual locations for details.

• The Community Pool - Syka's communal bath and swimming hole.
• The Fish Pools - Syka's source of catfish.
• Turtle Cove - Syka's lovely turtle population epicenter and shrine to Leth.
• The Sapphire Cenote - Syka's backup freshwater supply and cavern of bioluminescent moss and sound-reactive crystals.
• The Nullity Cenote - Syka's cenote that eliminates the effects of magic.
• Jellyfish Lake - A brackish water lake full of Euphoria Jellyfish.
• The Komorebi Estuary - A peaceful sheltered estuary south of the settlement.
• Stair Step Falls - Syka's infamous gold and artifact-bearing waterway.
• The Velispar's Eye - A sacred pool in the jungle dedicated to past life memories.

❖ Syka Bay
Some of these locations require Expert Level Wilderness Survival to travel to or an escort of an expert level WS NPC/PC. Solitude Island is a moderator permission only location.

• The Sunken City - A city in ruins beneath The Suvan Sea. Possibly Valkalah, the lost Akalak homeland.
• Solitude Island - An Island in Syka Bay littered with ancient ruins.

❖ The Maw Locations
All these locations require Expert Level Wilderness Survival to travel to or an escort of an expert level WS NPC/PC. Check individual locations for details.

• The Pavena World Gate - A leftover gate from the glory days of The Suvan Empire
• The Jungle Mounds - Mysterious thinly vegetative mounds hidden in the jungle.
• The Dais of The Forgotten - A strange dais near the jungle mounds.
• Caiyha's Arbor - A huge tree in the middle of the Maw.
• Sea of Palms - Syka's cultivated palm grove.
• Swinging Bridge - The one everlasting bridge over the Syka River.
• The Confluence - Ancient water storage area and swimming spot.
• The Overgrown Playground - A Remanent of Pavena's past still lingers.
• Reclaimed Knowledge - Ancient Library all but lost to the jungle.
• The Flooded Ateliers - Ancient artisan workshops fell to ruin.
• The Great Gathering Hall - Pavena's long lost community center.
• The Illuminated Underground Road - Pavena's ancient rail system in the Maw.
• Estuary Cave - A lovely cave where fish breed and flourish. It glows in the night.
• The Cheenga Ruins - Sister Towers that are in ruins in the jungle.
• The Ruined Citadel - Syka's haunted and mad neighbor.
• Bala's Bowl- A depression that includes a waterfall and lake a day and a half outside of Syka.
  

[Gossamer]

✨Setting The Scene For Paradise✨

Syka is a newly formed community that has been built on the ruins of a larger pre-Valterrian Suvan science research facility called Pavena. This situation is unbeknownst to Syka's founding NPCs. James, Mathias, and Randal are indeed starting to suspect the startling links to the past due to the sheer amount of ruins they are discovering surrounding the new settlement. There exists a large quantity of artifacts that turn up washed ashore or found after high water events throughout the surrounding jungles known as The Maw. This new settlement lies along the Suvan on the eastern edge of Falyndar so its location is indeed tropical with a large stretch of beach making up its eastern boundary.

A good deal of what gives Syka it's character is the setting. It is important to understand some basic rainforest terminology and makeup in order to function as writers within Syka's environment. To that end, we are going to venture into the land of Rain Forest Biology 101. Below, the reader can explore not only the habitat niches of this unusual setting but also a bit about the flora and fauna common in each niche as well.

All these things make up the resources available to Sykian residents and will become very important to their survival. This information can be passed on to PC's in the form of Lores which can be added to their Wilderness Survival and general Syka knowledge.

✨ Rain Forest Biology 101

Syka's rainforest environment is a luxuriant, dense forest rich in biodiversity and characterized by consistently heavy rainfall. This ecosystem combines an abundance of sunlight, rain, and high temperatures to create a very moist, almost steamy atmosphere. This atmosphere encourages rapid growth within the forest. In the rainforest there is an average of 90% humidity.

Syka, and indeed Falyndar itself, contains more than half of all living things known to Mizahar and is bursting with ecological diversity unmatched in other ecological zones. Therefore one will see much more variety of types of plants, trees, flowers, animals, birds, insects, and reptiles than is found elsewhere on Mizahar.

If one studies the diagram above, it can be noted that Syka's rainforest can be divided into four layers. Each layer is in itself its own niche. Within these major niches are smaller niches. Even single tree, living or fallen, can house its own ecosystem and thus become its own niche. So rather than get too in dept, we are going to talk generalities.

• Emergents – Ranging from 130-270 Ft above ground, this top layer of the rainforest consists of large trees which poke out of the canopy.
  
• The Canopy – Ranging from 65-130 Ft above the ground, this mid level section of the rain forest is exposed to the sunlight and provides shade below.
  
• The Understorey – All vegitation above the ground rising to 65 Ft consists of this section. It houses a wide array of life creating a shady, moist environment.
  
• The Leaf Litter or Cryptoshere – This ground floor level of the rain forest provides a rich layer of decomposing leaves and wood for the soil. The vast majority of large creatures lives in this section including most of the sentient life.

Singular trees can exist in multiple layers at a time as evident by the diagram. They can emerge from the forest floor and rise up all the way through the emergent layers.

✨ Flora

To put plant life in Syka in perspective, one needs to understand a few things about Falyndar. Just try to find two trees of the same species in a short period of time (walking, hiking a straight line, etc) will prove difficult. That means while the term ‘massive biodiversity’ seems impressive, the scale and scope are hard to understand until you are indeed standing in The Maw among the vast diversity of life therein. You can keep walking and spot a whole host of different trees but not necessarily two trees of the same kind. Falyndar has the highest diversity of plants known in the world.

However, the norm in Falyndar is this: Many species, few specimens.

What does that mean? Anywhere between 20 to 50 species of tree can be found in an acre plot of land with very few species in duplicate. This is the typical scenario for anywhere in Falyndar.

Syka, however, is a bit different. This difference is one of the reasons the settlement was placed in this area. The settlement founders discovered numerous edible vegetables already seemingly growing wild and a whole host of crop plants already in place growing wild. Some example of these plants are Mango, Lemon, Sweet Oranges, Sugar Cane, Yucca, Banana, Plantain, Avacado, Macadamia Nuts, Tapioca, Papaya, Passion Fruit, Guava, Pineapple and a whole host of other things. Syka is also home to numerous varieties of coconut which is abundant and easily accessible.

While it is impossible to discuss all the plants found in Syka and the surrounding jungles, the information below further touches upon some of the important kinds of plants and what they mean to Syka, its residences, and the rainforest surrounding it.

Common Plants Used For Food And Trade :

James never sets sail with The Veronica empty handed. He doesn't need coin though. The new settlement of Syka is rich beyond imagining with a little hard work and a lot of hunting and gathering. Not counting exotic animal skins and meats, just the plant life alone around The Maw can keep Syka wealthy enough to trade without worry and eat without much effort. The following is a list of common Syka foods and spices. It is by no means conclusive.

• Allspice - The small, aromatic fruits have a subtle flavor like a mixture of clove, cinnamon, and nutmeg, hence the name "allspice. The berries-- shaped like peppercorns-- of this evergreen tree can grow up to 100' in height in height.
• Avacado – A pear-shaped fruit with a rough leathery skin, smooth oily edible flesh, surrounding a large seed called a stone.
• Banana – A delicious fruit which is highly nutritious. There are 21 species and subspecies which are edible.
• Black Pepper - A vine native to Falydar. Black pepper is made by drying the entire fruit (peppercorn) and white pepper is produced by first hulling the fruit, then grinding.
• Caspicum annum- A generic name for peppers of all kind. Cayenne pepper, sweet pepper, paprika, and jalapenos are just four of the many cultivars of this plant.
• Cardamom - Native to Faylandar, the third most expensive spice after saffron and vanilla.
• Chocolate/Cocoa - Chocolate and cocoa are made from the dried, ground seeds or "beans" of this small tree.
• Cinnamon – The bark of this small tree is considered a very valuable spice.
• Citrus - Citrus fruits produce oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruits, tangerines, and others. The largest citrus is the Pummelo. Citrus trees are tropical evergreens.
• Cloves - The aromatic flower buds are from a tropical evergreen.
• Coconut - The large, oval, brown seed of a tropical palm, consisting of a hard shell lined with edible white flesh and containing a clear liquid. It grows inside a woody husk, surrounded by fiber. It is used for food, oils, and fibers.
• Coffee – The seed or "bean" of this small tree or shrub is brewed to produce a potent drink.
• Guava - An edible pale orange tropical fruit with pink, juicy flesh and a strong, sweet aroma.
• Ginger - Root tubers used as a spice and in perfumes.
• Mango – A fleshy yellowish-red tropical fruit that is eaten ripe or used green for pickles or chutneys.
• Mung Bean – A small round green bean that makes a nutritious and versatile flour.
• Nuts – Macadamia nuts, Cashews, and hundreds of other nuts are completely edible and deliciously nutritious
• Nutmeg – The hard, aromatic, almost spherical seed of a tropical tree used as a popular spice. Mace is another spice derived from nutmeg.
• Papaya – A tropical fruit shaped like an elongated melon, with edible orange flesh and small black seeds.
• Passion Fruit – A edible purple fruit with a tasty inside meat that grows from a climbing vine.
• Peanut - The plant of the pea family that bears an encased bean, which develops in pods that ripen underground. It is widely cultivated for food and is favored roasted and salted.
• Pineapple - One of the rare forest floor fruits used in all sorts of ways as food.
• Saffron - An autumn-flowering crocus with reddish-purple flowers. Enormous numbers of flowers are required to produce a small quantity of the large red stigmas used for the spice which makes it the single most expensive spice known to Mizahar.
• Sesame - An ancient oil seed plant that is highly nutritious.
• Squash/ Cucumber - Eaten raw in salads or cooked into a wide variety of things from soups to breads and even desserts such as pie
• Sugar Cane - A perennial tropical grass with tall stout jointed stems from which sugar is extracted. The fibrous residue can be used as fuel, paper, and for a number of other purposes.
• Tapioca - A starchy substance in the form of hard white grains, obtained by cooking down the roots of a cassava plant. Tapioca is a delicious thickener and used in cooking puddings and other dishes.
• Turmeric - Dried, ground rhizomes produce the spice.
• Tamarind - Of the legume family, this small tree has fruit that is used as a table fruit, drink, preserves, and also has medicinal properties.
• Vanilla - Made from the dried seeds of the rainforest orchid tree. This is a powerful delicious seasoning.
• Yucca – A plant of the agave family with stiff sword like leaves and spikes of white bell-shaped flowers. Fruits and roots of Yucca are delicious and rich in nutrients.

The fact that Syka was rich in food crops growing wild was somewhat mysterious until the settlement of Syka was created and ruins revealing the remnants of an ancient civilization was discovered littered all over jungle peninsula known as The Maw. James and Mathias theorize this abundance of specific food are the deliberate remains of Pavena's agricultural production. Please note that the average settler and visitor to Syka, and indeed most of the Sykan Founders, do not know the original name of the ruins they have recolonized.

While almost all of the plants within Syka's region are not named nor classified, one can safely assume that the vast majority of them (up to one quarter) are epiphytes that are often found above the forest floor. An Epiphyte is a plant that grows on another plant but is not parasitic. Epiphytes encompass a wide range of plants: some ferns, orchids, cacti and mosses have the ability to live virtually in mid-air.

Syka is alive with beautiful flowers and scents. A shining star among oddities with importance is the bromeliads. These plants typically have short stems with rosettes of stiff, usually spiny, leaves. They often flower in profusion with deep intense colors. They are found throughout all the layers of rainforest - especially as epiphytes where they accumulate rainfall water and detritus in their cup-like structures. Because of this 'water bowl' or 'water glass' effect, tree frogs, snails and other species have are utterly dependent on bromeliads to complete part of their life cycles in these complex plant structures. Bromeliads provide them with shelter in some of their more vulnerable egg and tadpole forms.

Other plants that are common both as creepers and epiphytes in The Maw are the aroids, which include philodendrons. These plants begin life on the ground and grow as a tendril that goes up tree trunks and attaches to them by aerial roots. They eventually lose their ground roots and become climbing epiphytes. These types of flora assist local fauna in their travels up and down throughout the vertical layers of the rainforest.

Upon the forest floor are hundreds of thousands of herbaceous plants. Along with herbaceous plants, shrubs and small trees also prevail. Too numerous to list, the notable shining star of the Cryptoshere is fungi. There are thought to be about a half a million or more species of fungi in Falyandar, which vastly outnumber the regular vascular plants of which everything discussed so far falls into. Fungi do not need sunlight to survive and they need large amounts of water to thrive. They literally feed on dead or dying plant material and digest it for their nutrition.

Thus rainforests such as Syka's The Maw provide outstanding habitats for fungi and indeed depend upon them to break down dead plant materials to help further create rich nutrients. Ironically, most of these half a million species are too small to be noticed, with only about 5% of fungi produce fruiting bodies that are large enough to be seen by humans and other creatures. Fungi can be edible (and used make alcohol, bread, cheese or soy), poisonous, or can fall somewhere in between causing hallucinogens and confusion.

✨ Fauna

Forthcoming.

✨ Other Resources & Information

The jungle provides.

Below is a brief idea of what can be found in terms of resources outside of scope food within Syka's boundaries. Players seeking more information on some of the items listed below are responsible for their own research. This resource guide is just designed to be an overview or an 'at a glance' guide. Anyone wishing to add to the charts and lists below are welcome to by posting submissions to the Syka Discussion Thread.

Medicines & Dyes :

NAME	USEAGE
Annato	Red dye
Curare	Muscle relaxant
Diogenin	Arthritis and Asthma treatments, steroids, birth control
Quassia	Insecticide
Quinine	Anti-malarial treatment, pneumonia treatment
Reserpine	Sedative, tranquilizer
Strophanthus	Heart disease
Strychnine	Emetic, stimulant
Tuba root	Rotenone, flea control

*This list is by no means complete.

Woods :

Trees, especially large ones, hold the vast majority of the biomass contained within Syka's rainforest. There are far too many species to list. So instead we've compiled a list of 'notable' wood found in and around Syka and The Maw. These woods can be utilized in the Syka Sawmill and exported so long as the settlers of Syka keep their logging operations selective and sparse. If PCs cut more than they require for their immediate needs or start long term larger scale export schemes they are going to destroy the diversity and abundance of food in and around the settlement.

• Afromosia
• Amboyna (Misc spp)
• Aniegre (Misc spp)
• Balsa
• Blackwood (Misc spp)
• Bloodwood
• Bocote
• Boxwood (Misc spp)
• Bubinga
• Canary Wood
• Cedar (Misc spp)
• Chac Te Koke
• Chechen
• Cocobolo
• Cocuswood
• Ebony (Misc spp)
• Katalox
• Fustic
• Granadillo
• Goncalo Alves
• Imbuya
• Iroko
• Jarrah
• Jatoba
• Katalox
• Kingwood (Misc spp)
• Koa
• Lignum Vitae
• Lychee (Misc spp)
• Mahogany (Misc spp)
• Marblewood
• Palm (Misc spp)
• Parota (Misc spp)
• Pau Amarello
• Pink Ivory
• Primavera
• Rosewood (Misc spp)
• Sapele
• Shedua
• Teak (Misc spp)
• Thuya (Misc spp)
• Tulipwood
• Tzalan
• Walnut (Misc spp)
• Wenge
• Yellow Narra
• Zebrawood
• Ziricote

Fibers :

NAME	USEAGE
Bamboo	Furniture, baskets
Jute/ hemp	Rope, burlap
Kapol	Insulation, soundproofing, floating material
Raffia	Rope, Cord, Baskets
Ramie	Cotton-ramie fabric, fishing line
Rattan	Furniture, wickerwork, baskets, chair seats

*This list is by no means complete.

Oils :

NAME	USEAGE
Bay Oil	Perfumes
Camphor Oil	Perfumes, soap, disinfectant, deodorant
Cascarilla Oil	Confections, beverages
Coconut Oil	Suntan lotion, candles
Eucalyptus Oil	Perfumes, cough drops
Guaic Oil	Perfumes
Palm Oil	Shampoo, detergents
Patchouli Oil	Perfumes
Rosewood Oil	Perfumes, cosmetics, flavorings
Sandalwood Oil	Perfumes
Oil of Star-Anise	Scenting, confections, beverages, cough drops
Tola Balsam Oil	Confections, soaps, cosmetics, cough drops
Ylang-ylang	Perfumes

*This list is by no means complete.

Gums & Resins :

NAME	USEAGE
Chicle latex	Chewing gum
Copaiba	Perfumes, fuel
Copal	Paints and varnishes
Gutta percha	Golf ball covers
Rubber latex	Rubber products
Tung oil	Wood finishing

*This list is by no means complete.

✨ Mounts And Companion Animals

Animals in Syka mainly consist of things found in the jungles including bright parrots, monkeys, and a million sorts of small mammals. This should seem obvious, but to some players it is not. Animals common outside of Syka, such as horses, often do very poorly there. The reason this occurs is that there is very little grazable fodder for such creatures. The question has been asked about importing hay for mounts, however, such things aren’t really feasible. Why? Hay was not baled until relatively late in human history with the onset of the industrial revolution and mechanical harvesting methods. To import hay any other way, one would have to ship loose hay which would be prone to molding in the dank conditions of a ship’s bowels or pose a major fire hazard. Plus, the fact that loose hay by volume takes up a huge amount of room for relatively low payoff. One almost needs to condense hay (bale it) to ship it. And until that happens, The Veronica will not import horses to Syka unless it is a very special situation (say a Bloodbane that is carnivorous).

Dogs and cats (so long as they don’t have thick coats) do well in Syka. Birds common other places such as crows, ravens, hawks, etc also seemingly do fine.

Animals that are far more feasible in Syka as draft and mounts include Ashta which are small tuskless elephants and Jungle Ixam. Ixam are ridable lizards. However, since there are no individuals in Syka that raise or breed these animals, a PC would have to go through a great deal of threadwork to get one of these animals unless circumstances in the city change as the overall city plot evolves. New characters cannot start with Ashta or Ixam but must acquire them in thread.

• Ashta value starts at 300 for a young untrained individual and goes from there, with fully trained adult elders valued at around 2,000 GM.
• Jungle Ixam start out at 400 (egg), 450 (young), 700 (juvenile), 800 (young adult), 1000 (adult), 2,500 (elder) GM.

In Winter of 521 A.V., Syka rescued a large group of Ixam in the jungle that had been captured by an invasive mage force. They brought the Ixam to Syka and now they run wild, often sheltering in The Storm Shelter or on Garden Beach.

There is tack available for these animals and most are trained to ride or be pack animals. Players can tame individual Ixam and use them as mounts, though when not in use they will run wild with their lounges. They feel most comfortable in groups of three or four, though their lounges (a group of lizards) can be sometimes more.

They tend to be more active at night because they spend their days soaking in shallow streams to cool off. They are excellent hunters. They can carry half their own body weight without being unencumbered. They can carry ¾ of their body weight in rider and gear while moving at half speed. They can drag up to five times their weight.

** The Veronica will not ship horses to Syka. Captain James will patiently explain why to anyone who wants to argue as to why. James will not take bribes to ship them anyhow.

✨ Cenote & Fresh Water Sources

Pure drinkable water in Falyndar is often hard to find. Any sort of settlement or permanent camp needs a freshwater source that is safe to consume. Stagnent water in the jungle is not safe to drink and conveys a whole host of problems to most sentient creatures. Stomach aches, vomiting, and disentary often result in the consumption of this type tainted water. Other diseases are also common. And because of the type of porous soil in rainforests, digging wells is not preferred and does not guarantee safe drinking water. Due to the fact that most of the rivers and streams come into contact with stagnant water in the course of their risings and fallings - depending on weather and rainfall - they are most usually contaminated and unsafe to drink as well.

The vast majority of freshwater is collected via rainfall in cisterns that are housed on roofs and in water storage systems. The people in and around Syka can also collect water from plants such as vines, roots, and palm trees. Water can often be collected from condensation since the jungle is often thick with humidity.

The Maw Peninsula is basically a flat piece of limestone protruding out into the Suvan Sea. This landmass is scattered with caves and cenotes which host a huge number of distinctive locations. This vast network of fractures drains the rainwater from the surface into many vast underground river systems which in turn charge the Syka River and drain into the Suvan. Some of these underground fractures from cenotes. Cenotes can be in various stages of development and are constantly evolving. They tend to house freshwater that is potable, with each individual cenote often forming a microcosm with its own species. It’s very difficult to know the exact number of how many cenotes are out there in the Falyndar jungle but there are over a dozen in the immediate vicinity of Syka, with more being discovered as the people of Syka grow bolder and more familiar with the jungle.

• CAVES - Caves, sometimes called Solution Caverns, are naturally acidic groundwater seeping through cracks in the limestone bedrock dissolves areas of softer rock lying beneath the hard surface crust. Over time, this process creates large undergound caverns roofed with only a thin layer of surface limestone.
  
• YOUNG CENOTE - As erosion continues, this thin roof eventually collapses, leaving an open, water-filled hole.
  
• MATURE CENOTE - Over hundreds of years, erosion gradually fills the cenote with organic and mineral debris, reducing its depth.
  
• DRY CENOTE - As erosion continues, the cenote may completely fill, becoming a dry, shallow basin supporting trees and other vegetation.

✨ A Final Message

If you've taken the time to completely read this guide I'd like to take a moment to thank you. It took a considerable amount of time to write and hopefully by the time it's been posted for a few years it will have had the added contributions of many interested players. One of the reasons I opened Syka was to promote Rainforest Awareness in the real world. People in the western populated nations of America and Europe often don't fully grasp the biodiversity of the real world tropics and how important they are to our climate and our overall health. Hopefully just reading this guide in the name of learning a setting on a fantasy world has educated the reader and broadened their awareness significantly. It is not my intention as an author to influence your purchasing decisions or attitudes on how you handle your lives. However, it is fully my intention to arm you with knowledge to make more educated decisions when dealing with conservation and climate issues. Hopefully roleplaying in Syka will accomplish that.

~Gossamer
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[Gossamer]

✨Syka - Saying Hello!

Lets be honest. When new Domains open players get excited and create alternative PCs to explore a new area. New areas are risky. Storytellers might run out of steam and ignore them. The theme might be too complicated and the scenarios might not work. Thread partners may go missing as the initial buzz wears off. Like I said, its risky.

I am determined that this will not be the case with Syka. I'm dedicated to the project. Honestly I need a city project to recharge my storyteller batteries and get my creative juices flowing as badly as I think some veteren players (and new folks) need something _different_. However, my worst nightmare is a city full of alternative characters that get attention from their players only some of the time. I want players to log on and check Syka's new posts FIRST. In order to achieve that situation I have to EARN that recognition and excitement. I understand that. Earning it happens through hard work, good plots, and heavy development.

I also want players to EARN it too. They can do this by trying to do what I'm trying to do and that is encourage and facilitate each other. I want players to be invested in the stories here and pester me to start their own projects as solo threads and group threads. You don't need me to have fun. You just need a setting and a site like Mizahar. I'm going to do all I can to see that plotlines are facilitated and characters can learn and grow as their players see fit. It is my greatest wish that players keep this in mind when they choose Syka as a domain to park a PC in and understand I WANT TO HELP to get you started and keep you going. I want you to thread. I want you to have more fun than should be legal. Writing is an amazing hobby. It takes nothing away from you but time and gives immeasurable gifts in return.

As a result of all these desires, there is a starting package incentive to play in Syka. There are things you need to think about as a player to before you get started. The section below details this process.

✨Details On Creating A Character

When creating a character for Syka (or indeed moving to Syka) there are a series of questions a player must ask themselves before they get started.

1. Does my character have the skills to survive here?
2. Does my character have the equipment to survive here?
3. How is my character getting here? Be realistically creative.
4. What can my character's presence contribute to the setting?
5. What is my motivation for my character being here?
6. What does my character want out of his/her Syka experience?

If you can answer these questions thoroughly and positively (and without saying 'omg that's cheesy') then you are halfway there! Every pc and their presence in any domain should be well thought out. Syka is no exception.

And there's good news. You are eligible for some things if you decide to start in Syka or come to Syka as a veteran PC. The founders will give you a loan of up to 1500 GM (or more depending upon your needs).

Lets break it down:

✨PC’s Will Receive✨

• 1 Loan of 1500 GM (Optional)
• Labor Assistance In Building Extremely Simple Habitation & Businesses
• A personalized thread by an ST to get you started (Optional - Mandatory to introduce yourself to the founders).

✨Details On Skills Needed To Survive In Syka


Syka is a dangerous place. The longer the settlement exists, the safer it will become. But this time frame is in years, not seasons. Until then, characters MUST have some sort of skills to survive the wilderness. What is absolutely required is a Wilderness Survival (hopefully jungle) of a competent level. A competent weapons skill is also required. Helpful skills include carpentry and construction, as discussed previously. Foraging and hunting are also necessary at a competent level. New PCs cannot afford to purchase all these skills before game start so as long as they are actively working on them, they will be fine to start in Syka with less than these requirements as long as they get their Wilderness Survival up to competant in their first season. This holds true of PCs migrating or traveling to Syka. Established PCs that journey to Syka need to attempt to meet these requirements before their arrival on Syka's shores or work actively towards them in their initial seasons. If zero effort or a very noted lack of effort is made towards working on these skills, PCs will be asked to leave IC by the Founders.

Please note as well that Falyndar's jungles require a Wilderness Survival of Expert to venture into them unescorted. There are plenty of NPCs that can go into the jungle with a player character until they reach these levels. Syka only requires a C+ for wandering the settlement because the brush has been cut back, predators are actively driven away, and the area is tamer than the actual jungle. But for optimum functionality in Syka, that Expert-level Wilderness Survival is almost a must.

Summary for those TLDR Folks:

Wilderness Survival: E+
Weapon: C+
Hunting: C+
Foraging: C+
Carpentry: N+
Construction: N+
Contribution Skill: C+

PC's will also be required to CONTRIBUTE to the Settlement. This means they must produce something the settlement needs. The interpretation of what this means is exclusively reserved to the storyteller's discretion. This means before you arrive in Syka, please TALK TO THE STORYTELLERS OOC. If you will not be contributing, you will not be allowed to stay.

All PCs entering Syka and planning on staying will be required to either write a solo thread featuring a discussion with the Founders or have a moderated thread with a storyteller. These threads must include the PC introducing themselves to the Founders, arranging for housing (and land perks), and discussing how they are going to contribute to the settlement. This is non-negotiable. Without these threads, the PCs will be asked to leave.... or exterminated by the Storytellers via numerous jungle means.




✨Details On Resources

The first thing Syka players are going to have to realize is that (unless they fund their own businesses and bring their own laborers) structures and labor is limited. PCs are going to have to build their homes and businesses partially themselves, although the NPCs will help. That means take a hard look at a PC’s skills list and realize a lot of pcs are missing carpentry and construction. PCs can learn them here in Syka, but not without blood, sweat, and tears.

No one is going to be able to build anything above ‘simple’ off the price list and even that is pushing it. The Sawmill is up and running so lumber will be easily acquired. Without the purchase of lumber, most of the buildings will be log, mud, or even pole buildings with woven mat sides. PCs will need to figure out a way to harvest the material and haul it to their sites. Lumber can be delivered by elephant from the Sawmill. No one is going to be able to borrow a tremendous amount of money or be able to have sprawling buildings unless they fund them and build them on their own.

Most businesses will have to open initially as one room situations and there will be no technologies like labs or fancy shops. These can come later and be built up over time. For example, blacksmiths will have outdoor smithys – covered from the rain of course – but nothing stone until they have the time and technology available to scavenge and move stone. Their forges, as another example, will have to be made of hand gathered and hand plastered rock.

Syka has very primitive hand hewn conditions and a very limited labor supply. If PCs need very specialized things like poisoncrafting/alchemy/herbalism/etc labs, they are going to have to order them from other cities and use portable versions when they arrive. Fancier intuitions can be built over time as the game progresses and characters get more skill.

The building of Syka is for right now one of Syka’s major stories. Please understand that. PCs that come here are Mizaharian Pioneers.

✨Details On Land

Land is fairly unlimited. Locations for one acre parcels are not set in stone with the simple map that Syka has in its Codex. That map can be added too or subtracted from at any time. Parcels are not square so if two players want a parcel adjacent to something, they both can have them. I believe in fairness both in moderating and roleplaying. I will not grant ‘locations’ to people which are already noted on the map unless they are for specific purposes that suit the maps needs. Pre-existing numbered map locations are for set landmarks or businesses such as The Sawmill and whatever shops people want to open.

Jungle costs 900 gm per acre. If you want beachfront property, it costs an addon of waterfront at 300 gm for a total of 1200 gm per acre.

✨Details On Business Plans

First and foremost, characters DO NOT have to own a business to roleplay in Syka. It is, however, a good idea to contribute to the settlement in significant ways or the founding NPCs might just ask a non-contributing PC to leave. One of the best ways to contribute is to create a business for your PC. Conversely jobs are available too, though they are limited in number. One can, however, clerk in an existing shop or ask the founding NPCs for a job which makes sense to the community.

Any business planned for Syka must be approved through the Business Plans Forum first. This means a business plan must be submitted to Gillar to get started. Once that happens, a PC is golden to get started. We are not however holding up threads waiting on plan approvals. PCs can either request a moderated thread from me to get started in Syka (I’ll give everyone ONE thread who requests it) or PCs can start a group or self-moderated thread with these conditions. Please use the request thread to request one. Posting speed will depend on the number of threads (and my IRL Schedule) I have going at one time.

Because threads will not be held up awaiting approvals, this means if a PC’s initial idea morphs into something else they must write their threads accordingly to reflect their course changes.


✨Details on Loans

In terms of loans, the three founding NPCs of Syka are not a bank with unlimited funds. They have limited resources and some of those resources they need to keep the city going and facilitate trade. Thus PCs can’t ask them for exorbitant loans they will never be able to repay with the potential income they can generate in Syka with its limited inhabitants. Loans will be capped at 2500 GM. They will be required to be paid back ASAP, with no set timeline. This means PCs can hunter/gather/harvest and trade to earn back their loans and gain additional money more rapidly than they can be using their generated income season by season. Veteren players may borrow more coin, though they must be opening a business and have a solid business plan.

If a PC doesn't want to build their own housing, they can get Randal Dor to build it for them. They must arrange in thread with him to get on his waiting list. He will give you a date the building will be completed. Until then you can background thread about construction. Founders will loan for housing, but it must be paid back within a season or two either in coin, barter, or labor. Ledgers must clearly state loans and loan payments. No actual moderated threads will occur to build housing or business structures. That would burn moderators out fast. But PCs can feel free to thread about these issues and help each other without moderators being involved. PCs can always use founders as NPCs if they get permission. A quick yes/no will be granted via PM or Chat fairly rapidly.

PCs that fail to pay back their loans get booted from Syka. Remember, total loans (for businesses or housing) are capped at 2500 unless other arragements are made. PCs can only have one loan at a time.

✨Final Information

If PCs have any questions, please contact me. I welcome questions, pms, and HD tickets. Storytellers are there for brainstorming and helping PCs get started with new projects, new locations, and new pcs.

I’ll try to do whatever I can to help people get started. All questions are welcome. Use your resources, read the material, and I will do what I can to help you jumpstart in Syka.

[Gossamer]

✨IC & OOC INFORMATION✨

✨General City Feel✨

Lets be honest. Calling Syka a city is laughable at best. There’s nothing really ‘city’ about this fledgling group of buildings. Syka is a very basic settlement surrounding one deep water mooring that services The Veronica and a single mercantile that caters to the entire area and its very new population. Syka has a scattering of buildings that are linked together by sand or lightly cobbled pathways that would be wide enough for a single horseman or several people walking two or three abreast to travel. Line of sight, unless one is on the beach, is very limited..

Most buildings are not visible to each other, being sprawled out throughout the east coast side of The Maw. One end of the settlement is miles from the other mainly due to the fact that each settler is being granted 5 acres of land from the Founders once they prove they are willing to settle and provide some sort of service to the settlement. As a result, most residents are fairly young, phyiscally fit, and tend to do a lot of walking on a daily basis in order to survive or socialize.

More telling, perhaps, is what Syka is secretly built upon. Syka's inhabitants walk among the great ruins of a once thriving hub of science and magic unkowingly each and every day. The very air they breathe was once filled with the promise of dreams being fulfilled and ideas made into reality.

Even the world gate sits undiscovered, its shadow casting light on the beaches of Syka each sunset.

Syka has been inadvertently placed on the ruins of a pre-valterrian settlement known as Pavena. Why? Happenchance. The resources, food, fresh water, and realtively peaceful climate are all there. Its very environment lends itself to success in survival and ease of living. People that want not for food often turn to other studies to fulfill their needs... scholarship, art, science, and even magic. Pavena was a technological fortress and its surrounding supporting city owned by Myrna Kelvic who specialized in off world exploration. Myrna, twin to Marcus Kelvic, was a very well recognized and accomplished scientist and mage in her own right. Pavena was her fortress much like Ironrock was Marcus'. Her work, at least the ruins of it, remain in the area of Syka today. Most of it is undiscovered as of yet by the settlers who are just now trying to unbeknownst to them re-establish civilization here.

✨City Architecture✨

Everything in the city of Syka has been built recently and mostly of native materials. That means a great deal of its architecture is made from heavy rainforest trees that are dragged down to the beach or even washed ashore as flotsam or driftwood logs. Furnishings are simple hardwood made by furniture carvers that produce heavy simple pieces that withstand the warmth and wear.

Mattresses are stuffed with feathers and fur or even the soft down of tree bark. Weavers use natural materials to create privacy screens or open dividers between rooms. Many complex buildings are made from wrapped bamboo and sport palm frond roofs. Thatch and weaving is used a great deal. Due to the weather being so warm, buildings are often built without solid walls and sometimes even floors. More advanced builders often make sure their construction is lofted to catch the breezes and avoid ground level pests and predators. More adventuresome builders will place buildings rancho style out over the water perched on pylons that are coated in natural creosote to prevent rotting.[

Interiors are simplistic. Sleeping areas are often lofted if nothing else in a structure is. Cooking is carried out in fire pits over open flames. The settlement has a few closed ovens for baking, though such things are rare. Decor often consists of seashells, some massive, and a lot of drift wood that has been turned into tables, chairs and benches. Light often comes from tiki style torches.

✨Sykans & Their Attitudes ✨

Sykans have two modes. The first is the most common - laid back and relaxed. Partially responsible for this Syka Ease is their surrounding, of course, but more so is the absolute abundance of food all around the residents that generates this ease of living. Once a typical settler of Syka has gotten used to plucking dinner off a tree, there isn't much survival necessary on the edge of the jungle tucked up against the coast. Days are spent fishing, napping, and improving one's already good quality of living. There isn't much tangible luxury in Syka, but once one settles in and truly understands the nature of the place - the actual physical wealth is staggering.

Newcomers often don't understand that there is no true seasonality to Syka. They don't have to spend their entire Spring and Summer putting away food for Winter when the snow flies and starvation is a real threat. Syka's temperature fluxuates about ten degrees seasonally and that is all. Mangos and bananas grow year round as well as a whole host of other fruits. There is no 'set' time for say Passion Fruit to flower and grow heavy on the vines. Instead, one tree might do so this season, while another does so the following one. Fish are always abundant as well. They do not seasonally migrate in the tropics as they do in the colder more northern waters. Birds are plentiful and the chickens the settlers have introduced into the area lay all year round. Pork is also a very staple protein as the pigs that roam the beaches near Syka procreate profusely and seem to threaten to take over at any given time making the settlers not at all inhibited in their harvesting of these animals.

Perhaps the only compromise is the availability of certain imported goods that can be had through the mercantile. Anything brought from the outside world often has to fit into the seasonality of other places.

The second mode is one of strict survival. Away from the beach and the life of absolute abundance is a very dangerous world. Just footsteps, less than a half mile into the jungle, lies a whole new world of danger. That's when things get serious. Creatures that dwell in the jungle can and will kill the residents of Syka. The ruins of Pavena are rife with dangers and only the very well armed or very well skilled will venture forth into the heart of The Maw and live to tell about it. There are poisonous snakes, insects, and predators so large that Talderian creatures even tremble. Survival is never a matter of luck. Survival is always a matter of careful planning, cautious advancement, and meticulous training. And tough choices need to be made in the jungle. If someone slows the group down, that person might well be left behind rather than cost an entire group their lives.

✨Demographics✨

Syka has a very small population, so its hard to actually call this settlement particularly diverse. However, despite the small population, Syka does enjoy a wide variety of peoples. While humanity makes up 65% of the total population, by and large that population of humans is made up of mostly Svefra. Mixed humans are next - the type that have no defined subculture. It is very rare to find a Drykas or Vantha among the humans of Syka.

• Humans 65% (All Subcultures Included)
• Kelvic 15%
• Akalak 8%
• Konti 5%
• Dhani 3%
• Myrian 2%
• Other 2%

For all their differences, Syka is unique in that the three Founders keep the settlement in cooperation and working together to make sure everyone survives. If someone is not a social person or one that tends to join in a group effort, they will not survive long in Syka. The set up of the city precludes loaners from thriving too long. That includes people like Myrians acting on age old racial biases against Dhani. If any of the racism or culturalism that exists elsewhere comes to light in Syka, a settlement member would be quietly dealt with perhaps by asking them to move on or using them to feed the big predators off the shore that come into the shallows at high tide to feed.

✨Fashion✨

Syka is probably the one place on Mizahar where there is a melting pot of cultural dress that tends to bleed into virtually nothing after a settler arrives. Fashion is prevalent in many cities and often one can be identified by one's clothing as to where one originates. That is true almost anywhere except Syka. Syka's residents have two modes of dress that reflect the dual nature of the settlement. One mode of dress is minimalistic. Nudity is not an issue in Syka first and foremost due to the extremely warm climate. Heat can be oppressive especially after a rain storm. Feet, on the beach and within the main settlement itself, are often bare or just minimally covered with leather sandals or basic wraps. Swimming nude is common and often both men and women forego any garments on their upper torsos. Shorts and wraps are also common in both males and females. Most residents sleep unclothed completely.

When venturing into the jungle things change. Heavy boots, leather pants, and even long sleeve shirts are very common. Despite the heat, it is far more important that most of what one wears in the heart of the jungle is good quality leather. From boots to gloves to even a head covering, leather is important to keep out claws, fangs, bites and a whole host of other things that could harm one - including accidental scratches. To this end many Sykans dress in layers and the deeper in they venture the more layers they have on. The further out to the coast and eventually to the beach itself, the less they wear.

To this end rugged and roomier packs are very common. Not only do they house food and water, but they often hold the comfortable changes of clothing and the very necessary rain slicker or poncho made of well oiled canvas that every resident needs.

✨Laws✨

Syka has no formal laws. The ultimate authority in Syka however resides in the three founders who decide if someone's actions are deserving of response or correcting. Their authority is absolute and they are the ones that are handing out land, assigning jobs, and basically governing the new settlement. Eventually they will draft some sort of charter for the new 'city' when it shows signs of being successfully settled and thriving. Until then the city is fairly open to ideas though does not enjoy the lawlessness of say Sunberth. To someone used to Syliras and its strict laws, Syka would seem to be somewhat a breath of fresh air.

✨Employment, Professions, and Owning a Business✨

Even though food is plentiful, the Founders of Syka have made it their business to make sure everyone contributes to the settlement in order for it to succeed. If one isn't contributing, one will be asked to leave. To those that do contribute, the rewards are very lucrative. Five acres of land is given to each person, which include a portion of the beach (while it lasts) stretching up into the jungle. Most of the settlers have chosen to make their homes off the beach portion where safety is more guaranteed than up in the heavy bush. Settlers are required to have a skill that is marketable be it a trade or education that can be passed on to others. Folks with skills in healing and survival are doubly valued because they ensure the settlement remains safe. Combat is looked upon favorably but it is not something one can completely rely upon to survive.

The settlement has one guard and he may or may not hire helpers at his leisure. When laws are voted on and imposed, it will be this man and his men who will enforce those laws. The Founders will become the judges and jury of the settlement at that time.

Until then, people are encouraged to create, craft, and pass on their knowledge to others.

✨Trade✨

Syka has no vast established trade routes. In fact, they tend to trade solely with two groups. The first comes in the form of the Veronica which makes three trips a season to Riverfall to exchange goods and resupply the settlement. The other source of trade mainly includes the Svefra that regularly visit Syka's shores.

• Riverfall: Fruit, Medicine, Fur, Leather, Feathers, Spices, and Exotic Animals. Some gold and minerals are also included along with a small portion of clay.
• Svefra: Meat, Fruit, Medicine, Fur, Leather, Feathers, Spices, and Exotic Animals.
• Misc Ships: Occasionally larger trading ships will visit and trade odds and ends on their way around the horn to Lhavit or to one of Eyktol's cities.

Individuals in the settlement might very well trade their own goods and services such as pottery, jewelry, or brews.

✨Magic In Syka✨

The Settlement of Syka is probably one of the more open-minded places in Mizahar that accepts magic as an everyday thing. Mages are common among the NPCs of Syka and enough of the Sykan Rangers have magic of their own to control renegade mages or those that have issues with sanity due to overgiving.

Magic is not hidden. It can be practiced openly, and as a result, is commonly taught amongst the denizens. The only exception to this is Reinmancy. You must talk another player into teaching you Reimancy or get special permission from the storyteller of Syka to acquire it via an NPC.

✨In Conclusion✨

Syka is always changing. There will be additions made to this Codex as these changes happen and as the settlement grows. Don't be afraid to suggest changes and additions to this thread. The more knowledge we can arm players with the better they will be at fitting into the society of Syka as we envision it. PM myself - Gossamer - if you have questions or concerns. Leave suggestions in the OOC chat thread.

[Gossamer]

[/center]

✨The Festival of Kihala


Dates: 11th - 16th of Summer


On the 11th of Summer, 520 A.V. a great storm washed over Syka forcing the residents to shelter together in the nearby caves that had been prepared for such an eventuality. The way the community came together to deal with that stressful time would be worthy of a holiday by itself even if what was to follow did not occur.

However, that was not to be the end of their cooperation. Amidst the cleanup, a search was also organized to find the strange totems that had been spotted that morning. Over the next several days, strangers and friends alike worked together to find these artifacts. It took ingenuity, skill, and a lot of hard work to find them all.

By the 16th of Summer, they had found them all. Gathering together in the commons, they decided unanimously to put them together. What happened next no one could have expected. The goddess of life, Kihala appeared alongside the guardians who had been housed in the totems. After marking some of those involved, she left them with a directive and the protection of these guardians.

To honor this gift, a holiday has been developed to remember the occasion by, spanning the same number of days that it took that Summer.

What this holiday entails:

First is the night of the storm where everyone gathers together to spend the night in close proximity while preparing for the festival to follow. Aside from cooking and the various other things required of a festival, those with a talent in a craft are encouraged towards making something to decorate the areas around the guardians and the shrine itself. At the end of the night, a vote is taken. Those with the most votes will decorate the shrine.

Before that can happen however, these items are hidden that night around Syka, much in the same way the totem's had been. Come morning, a search is organized to find the hidden items. Whether they are found quickly or not, the culmination of the celebration always happens on the 16th in front of the shrine to Kihala.

Fresh fruits, cakes, and baked goods are a preference for the occasion, though there are other options as well. At the end of the feast, everyone gathers together to take the decorations to the various guardians before everyone ends up at the shrine once again. Then each person celebrates the rest of the day as they wish with some choosing to devote themselves to prayer while others may prefer to let loose, and liven things up. In the end, it is about celebrating the fact that they have survived another year, and to thank Kihala for the boons she has bestowed. Something that the people of Syka know how to do in a grand fashion.

Credit: Marino Oceangem




✨Tenday


Dates: 10th, 20th, 30th, 40th, 50th, 60th, 70th, 80th, 90th

Every ten days in Syka, the community gets together for a sort of subtle Community Check-In when the afternoon turns to evening. A communal fire is built, the settlement shares a pot-luck, gossip and news are spread, and there are dancing and merriment held as the night grows longer.

This event serves to tie the community closer together and allows those settlers who are living on the outskirts of the community to be seen and in a way checked upon. Syka has so few calls for formal occasions, so Tenday is an excuse to put on some finery and comingle.

Tenday is also an excuse for stories to be told, musicians to debut new materials, and even smaller businesses like vintners or potters to bring out new pieces or experiments to see how the community reacts. There can be a group hunt the day before and a meeting before dinner each tenday to catch up on world events or discuss issues that affected the whole settlement.

If someone misses a tenday, they can expect a Founder or one of the rangers to go check on them a day or two afterward to make sure they are doing okay. It's also a chance to see if someone in the community is struggling and might need some support from others in the area.

Credit: Tazrae

[Gossamer]

As a Storyteller, I get asked a lot of questions about Syka and most especially The Maw and how to go about things. Here are some of the most common questions I get asked and how I respond to them so you understand that everyone gets treated equally.

Please note, that while these rules may seem harsh, I want you to understand that any time I do any reading or watch a program on TV about ruins discovered in the jungle somewhere, people are always saying something to the effect that "In the jungle, you can walk by a two hundred thousand-year-old pyramid and not even realize it..." because the vegetation is so thick and the jungle landscape tends to conceal such things.

It's only been through innovations such as LIDAR technology that modern archeologists have found a vast number of lost cities in the Amazon and South America. Many of these are not in out-of-the-way places but right smack in the middle of populated areas or national parks.

It's simply HARD to find things. Keep that in mind. Even if a trail is cut to a new area, it needs to be maintained or the jungle will reclaim it in very short order.

✨Discovering New Locations✨

✨INTRODUCTION

First off, you can't venture into the jungle alone unless you have a Wilderness Survival Skill of Expert or higher. That's a hard-fast rule. You won't make it ten feet off a trail without getting lost or eaten. Syka's jungles are heavily populated by predators, poisonous flora and fauna, and flat-out hard to traverse territory. That being said, there are a ton of really interesting places and ancient NPCs to meet. Do you want to browse a library that has an ancient ghostly librarian? It's in The Maw. The jungle around Syka proper - not the whole of Falyndar - is referred to as The Maw due to its shape on the map which resembles a predator's head with jaws open and snapping.

So, that means there are two types of people; those with Wilderness Survival of less than Expert and those with Wilderness Survival of Expert or higher.

✨THOSE WITHOUT EXPERT WILDERNESS SURVIVAL

So say you have a burning desire to find someplace listed on the map but your wilderness survival is lacking? Cool. Not a problem. You have three options. First, get a PC that has been there to take you. That's doable... and should be the reward of the PCs that have worked hard to achieve the high level of Expert or greater. They get to show anyone they want or can convince/bribe/threaten them to take them.

You are all set.

Are no PCs available? No problem. You can take an NPC of high wilderness survival like Uta, Indigo, or even Randal. Anyone from the NPC Masterlist is available. However, there is one caveat. You must take the entirety of the Link Map location list, count it - excluding PC homes - and roll a 1d#of locations in #dicerollers in Discord Chat. I would put a hard fast number here but let's face it, I'm always adding things. So say there are 54 locations on the map. You need to roll a 1d54. The dice bot says you got a 30... so you count down 30 locations on the map, and that's what you can find. If it's someplace you have already been to and know the location of, you can reroll. You might get someplace in the Syka Commons. You might get an ultra-rare mysterious location in the jungle. One never knows. However, you must visit that location (if you haven't before) in an entire thread BEFORE you reroll to find a new location in a new thread. If it's someplace like the docks, well, we've all been there. You can re-roll.

WHAT? That's super silly, Goss! No, it's not! It forces you to visit more locations and learn more of Syka's details before you go discovering Syka's secrets. In fact, the odds are that you are NOT going to find what you are looking for in a few paragraphs in a random thread that way. You must WORK for it. I think this is far more realistic than taking OOC knowledge (reading the link map and finding someplace that you are dying to visit and go visiting it) IC to go find a new location.

✨THOSE WITH EXPERT WILDERNESS SURVIVAL

This is somewhat the same option as those without the Wilderness Survival at Expert but with perks. First, you can get someone who knows somewhere you've never been to take you. If it's a PC, that's a straightforward head out and go there. If it's an NPC, that requires the same rolling scenario from above. However, you only need to roll in The Maw location list... count the number of places in the Maw, note which one you want to find, and roll. If you land on that location's number you get to go to that location. If you land on something new you've never been to, you must visit that location before you roll again. If you land on a location you've been to, then you can reroll.

Secondly, someone can give you a rough idea of where the location you seek is and if you can roll a 1d100 under your WS level, you can easily find it. That means if you are barely an Expert, it might be very difficult to find the location just by a generalized description of the location. And if that's true, you must skip to the next section.

However, if you don't have directions or blow your direction roll, you still have one more option. That means you need to roll to find it in a similar fashion as a person without the required WS skill whose taking an NPC. Only this time, you only have to count The Maw Locations and roll within those to land on your location's number and find it. This is still hard to get on the first try, but in the thread, you can have a whole lot more flexibility.

Say there are 15 locations in the Maw. I add new ones often so this number changes. We are just using 15 as an example. You want to visit a location that is number 6 in the maw section counting from the top down. You know 4 more of those locations first hand. If you land on number 6, you are golden and can head out and find the location just fine. However, if you roll a 1d15 and land on a location you already know, you can feel free to re-roll at this point. You can reroll every location you have already visited if you have Expert in Wilderness Survival. If you roll a location you have not visited, go visit it in the thread you want to find that other number 6 specific location in... and after you've visited that location (with an effort, not a line of text) then feel free to roll again and keep looking. This means, in one singular thread, it's conceivable for a person with Wilderness Survival to visit every Maw Location and learn The Maw forwards and backward.

✨TLDR - To long didn't read.

With WS below Expert

• Get a PC that's been there to take you.
• Get an NPC/PC(that hasn't been there) to take you. Roll a 1d(the number of TOTAL locations on the linkmap) to see if you hit that location to find it. All NPCs are assumed to have not been to these locations even though they probably have. If there are multiple pcs going, the better chance someone has of landing on the number. If everyone fails, and one person succeeds, then you all can ride the skirt-tails of the successful roller and just go.
  
  • If you land on the number you are aiming for, go find it. You're golden.
  • If you don't land on it, you can re-roll if you land on a location you've been to before (actually been there in a thread you can point to, to not just assume you have).
  • If its a brand new location (even something lame or local like The Storm Shelter) you must visit it in an entire thread before you roll again to find the maw location you are looking for. This gets you threading and familiar with the whole domain. This helps you learn the domain faster. If there are multiple people failing, and no successes, you must visit all the failed locations before you do another thread to find the location you want to go to.
• Going alone is not an option, your chance of death is high and you will not find the location.

With WS at Expert or higher

• Get a PC that's been there to take you.
• Roll a d1(however many MAW locations there are).
  
  • If you land on the location you want to find, you can go find it in thread.
  • If you land on a location you already know, you can re-roll.
  • If you land on a location that's unknown, you have to find and visit that location in the thread you are looking for the specific location you are rolling from before you can re-roll and attempt the actual place you are looking for.
  • If there are multiple PCs going, they can all roll (if they want! - or you can rely only on the veteran's rolls) under the rules they fall under and you must visit their failed locations before everyone rolls again and gives it a try. If someone succeeds, you can head straight to the location you were trying to find. This means you might be making a lot of stops around town, but again everyone is learning geography and what's where. Think about how much fun you will have trying to think up a reason to visit Swing Beach before heading out to the jungle, etc.
  
  
  Please limit your attempts to find a specific location to three rolls per person per thread.

✨Discovering Easy Locations To Find✨

Some locations in Syka are easy to find and require no rules to get to. If the location is off the cobbled pathway, it will be noted with a little sign and a trail off the pathway. This includes places like Swine Swells, Jellyfish Lake, and Sharktooth Point. However, if you are trying to find more complex locations in the Maw and roll one of these easy-to-find locations, you still have to visit it in thread before re-rolling rather than skip it as you are allowed to if you can prove you've been there before.

In addition, some locations like Stairstep Falls are right on the beach and all you need to do to find them is follow simple directions like walk the beach south until you see the falls. These require no dice rules to find.

✨Discovering Treasure✨

Treasure is everywhere to be had in Syka. I have charts and charts of random treasure people can find if they ask me. If you are discovering a new location or trekking through the jungle, let me know you want to roll for some Treasure. Abundant places are often Stairstep Falls, and the beach below Treasure Point. These places require you to roll a 1d100 below your Observation skill.

I can happily hand out found treasure to the tune of 1 item per 1K words in a thread. If you roll extreme rolls, like 1's, the treasure can be magical or artifact level. I will judge the risk of the thread and hand out the reward accordingly. These items will be acquired via you rolling and me plucking them off one of my random charts that have been adjusted to Syka's standards. Just let me know and we'll hook up in chat to do it using the dice bots.

[Gossamer]

✨General Information


Participation in The Sykan Rangers is only mandatory for those who have Expert In Wilderness Survival (WS). This mandate does not apply to those who are not Expertly skilled in WS. People interested in joining without the requirements can volunteer as Reserve. The details are below in The Reserve Section.

When originally settled, Syka had no formal military or defense situation. Since the Settlement has grown and security needs have changed, a group of Sykans has risen and taken on the name Rangers. This group has become the primary defense force of the Settlement and its version of a pseudo-military.

The Rangers started out being voluntary full-time positions for well-qualified individuals. However, with recent incursions and threats against the Settlement, the Rangers have grown in their capacity and have become a mandatory force.

Rangers are in charge of the Defense of Syka. They scout out new locations in The Maw, train others in Wilderness Survival, and keep trails and pathways open and clear of obstruction. They build new trails, bridges, and other features that are helpful to the residents of Syka.

Individual Rangers and Quintets escort Sykans not proficient in Wilderness Survival on excursions out into the Wilderness to do things like forage, investigation, and exploration. The rangers also assist in resolving emergencies and conflicts within the community.

The Rangers are divided into Quintets - groups of five - with each Quintet having a leader called a Doyen. The Quintet Doyen's answer to the Leutienents who in turn answer to the Captain of the Rangers. Currently, each Quintet is distinguished by color (ie... Chartreuse Quintet). Once a Quintet is formed, they can pick their own color and specialization... though they can be activated at any time in the face of an emergency requiring the Ranger's intervention.

PCs may select their own Quintet (so long as someone hasn't already used the NPC) and color callsign. Quintets will be tracked (as in who's in what quintet) in a secondary post to the Rangers Headquarter location post when one is built.

Please submit your Quintet in the Syka Submissions Thread until there is a Headquarters to list all the Quintets. PCs can include up to two unclaimed NPCs in their Quintet, though they will need to determine who is the Doyen when they submit. Doyen's should be NPCs unless PCs are highly skilled.


✨Recruitment and Membership


Ranger positions are definitely open for full-time dedicated members who meet the requirements to become a Ranger. Full-time dedicated members are eligible to become officers in the Rangers, namely Quintet Doyen's.

Buraga, in charge of the Rangers, posted a formal announcement in The Syka Commons in the Summer of 522 A.V. stating that every single person skilled enough to survive in the Wilderness (E+) will be swearing a Ranger's Oath and joining the Sykan Rangers in order to provide a trained combat force that can rise to counter threats to the Community.

Others, not as expertly skilled, will be allowed to join on a volunteer basis and train as Reserve Rangers until they are skilled enough to be considered full Rangers.


✨Requirements & The Ranger Oath


Anyone having an Expert Wilderness Survival skill will be required by public order to join the Rangers. However, there are other skills that are essential to being successful as a Ranger of Syka.

In addition to the Expert Wilderness Survival Requirement, full-time Rangers should have a weapons skill or Unarmed Combat of at least Competent, though Expert is encouraged. In regards to weapons, Buraga encourages combinations of a singular Weapon and Unarmed. However, Doyens are required to have both a ranged and melee weapon as well as Unarmed Training in their toolbox of skills.

Rangers also should also have a Master of Observation or working towards one. Tactics, Leadership, and Logic are also encouraged (though not required) to be at least Competent. Riding Ixam should be Competent as well. Rangers need to move around Syka and The Maw quickly, so they should have a good idea of where things are located and how the trail system works.

The Ranger Oath is the same for both full-time Rangers and Reserve Rangers. This Oath is generally sworn in the presence of one or more of the Founders, Buraga, and at Kihala's Shrine since the Rangers have no Headquarters of their own. Once they do have Headquarters, the location of the Oath will be relocated to those headquarters.

I, (name), do solemnly affirm that I will support and defend the people, ideas, and boundaries of Syka against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the Founders of Syka and the orders of the officers appointed over me. In Kihala's name, I pledge my weapon, my magic, and my life. And also in the names of (the Gods you follow).

The Oath must be sworn in character in a completed RP Thread.



✨Ranger Income


Rangers, both voluntary and involuntary, are paid for their participation. This payment is above and beyond any job income unless being a Ranger is their full-time primary job. This service will be mandatory and will allow for additional income (5 gm base pay + Weapons/Magic/Wilderness Survival skill bonus for levels above base) if characters participate in Ranger activities (training, patrol, escort threads - 2 pers season).

Reserve Rangers can draw a stipend at half the wages of a full ranger until such a time as their Wilderness Survival ability coincides with the requirements of a full ranger. Reserve Rangers must not venture into the jungle without the presence of a full Ranger at their sides.

The Ranger income will be on top of any job income outside of the Rangers your PC may hold. The Reserve Rangers can use a wide variety of skills, including but not limited to, medical, any smithing, tactical, tracking, hunting, animal husbandry, riding, investigation, stealth, archaeology, leather working, cartography, etc. Be creative.

You must talk to Gossamer to get your Ranger Income added to your SS thread.


✨Assignments


In the central Commons, there is a clipboard hanging under the cover of the lofted area where people gather. On that clipboard is a list of tasks that is kept current by Buraga. Those tasks include things like trails that need to be cleared, small bridges and accesses across streams and seeps that need to be built, escort duties that people want to be performed, etc. Rangers are often asked to make wooden carved signs and stake them in the proper locations to mark where something is. Rangers have complex duties that don't just involve fighting. They can be asked to be craftsmen, drawing up maps or even detailing the contents of found caches of treasure or weapons.

For now, the Rangers also have a small armory under the Commons alongside where the temporary housing cushions are stowed against storms.


✨Required Ranger Gear


Each individual Ranger will be required to have some sort of gear they carry into the jungle. This is a combination of a survival pack, clothing, and weapons/armor.

Rangers are required to carry at least one weapon, both melee and ranged are encouraged. They should have a hatchet, machete, and a Sykan Survival Knife with them. Any armor should be limited in the jungle due to the heat and weight. Arm guards and gloves are a good idea. Body armor is a poor idea.

Rangers need to travel light and that means packing light. The job provides no amenities. Characters are often dirty, sweaty and muddy. The situations involve movement, so keep that in mind while packing. The weather is hot, humid, and one sweats heavily. Wear clothing that wicks away water and keeps the wearer dry. Wear dull, muted, natural-hued clothing. Bright clothing attracts insects and predators. No matter how hot it is, wear long sleeves, not tank tops or short sleeves, and long pants, not shorts. Bare skin gives mosquitos and biting flies access to flesh to feast on and they will have a banquet.

Ranger gear should have at least ten meters of rope, of the lightest strongest type possible. Changes of clothing are unnecessarily heavy so bring only multiple spares if the trip will be long in duration. Bring soap to wash clothing out daily. Pack some sort of bedroll, a hammock, if possible, to get oneself up off the ground to sleep, and something to sleep in that’s light and keeps the insects off one’s skin. Long sleeve and long-legged pajamas are appropriate. Carry a poncho or waterproof cloak and light sweater for cooler nights.

For extended trips of indeterminable time in the jungle, two pairs of Isuas pants are recommended – lightweight and loose-fitting with a belt. Three or four long-sleeve shirts of Isuas are also recommended. One can take three or four tank tops to wear under one’s shirt to soak up sweat. Take four or five pairs of underwear and wash out frequently. Bring three sports bras or bikini tops for women.

Critical is a pair of sturdy ankle-supported boots that stretch high up on the thighs or a pair of shorter boots with snake guards. The mercantile sells both set-ups.

A comprehensive small first-aid kit is a necessity. Any NPC at the Panacea or Mercantile can assist you in putting one together. Insect repellent is a must. So too, is some sort of cream to soothe bites and rashes. Sunscreen is also recommended. And as for toiletries, please include soap for one’s skin, hair, and clothing. A toothbrush, toothpowder, and a brush should be included. Men and women should also carry a razor if they like clean hair-free skin.

Recommended but not required is a small writing journal, quills, and ink. Sometimes writing will keep one sane in a war or wilderness survival situation.

Canteens and ways to carry water are also highly recommended.

✨Opting Out Of Service


There are always going to be certain individuals who are not designed to go to war or become defenders. The Leadership of Syka understands this. Thus, they have provided a way for people to opt-out of service to the Rangers if they feel they are unsuited, disinterested, or flat out too busy.

These individuals may become a 'Ranger Supporter' and pay a 250 GM fee per season to be excluded from the mandatory service. If the fee is paid, no further activity is required. This fee only applies to those that don't want to do Ranger threads or are too busy. That means PCs that have a busy season and have no time to perform Ranger threads can support via the fee for a season without doing their threads (even if they are an Oath-Sworn Ranger). Fees are only charged for PCs with an Expert in Wilderness Survival. Unskilled PCs are not required to serve in the Rangers or support them.

PCs that cannot afford the 250 GM fee may volunteer to assist the Rangers seasonally by performing two supportive threads where they do odds and ends jobs to assist the rangers such as pack lunches for them, patch or mend gear, clean any Headquarters they may have in the future, etc. These threads can be placeholders done one season after their supposed support. Be creative!

You cannot count Ranger Supporter threads as regular job threads. Meaning, that one thread cannot do double duty for both activities.


✨The NPCs


The following NPCs are associated with the Rangers but have other duties to the Settlement as well.

 

Buraga Shamzen

Name: Buraga Shamzen
Race: Human
DoB: Winter 40th, 460 A.V (57 yrs. old)
PoB: Denval
Title: Captain of The Rangers, Syka Guardian, Settlement Defender.
Skills: Longsword 93, Longbow 87, Unarmed Combat 91, Wilderness Survival 68, Tactics 60, Endurance: 55, Body Building 53
Gnosis: Priskil - 2 Marks

Additional Info:
Hardened beyond anything most his age should be able to claim, Buraga is, above all else, a warrior. However, people should not mistake his hardness for malice. In his youth he was embraced by the kindness of Priskil. Born and raised in Denval, he was child expected to someday become a valuable member of the Denvali militia. It wasn't long, though, before that expectation was proven to be true. He rose to up to become a respected member within the Denval Chapterhouse of the Order of Radiance.

Even since the Djed storm of 512, Buraga had lost all real purpose in life. He remained a hopeful man. But after losing all of his family, his home, and most of his friends. He had nothing to devote his time to other than Radiance.

Buraga's pride would not allow him to settle in Zeltiva as a refugee. He wandered the world until he learned of Syka. Since every man in a position of power needs a good right arm for security; and Buraga's certainly packs one heck of a punch. That was why he went to James Chaliva with two idea in mind, the first was to help build up settlement defenses. And the second was to start a new Chapterhouse for the Order of Radiance.

 

Zayne Nightstorm

Name: Zayne Nightstorm
Race: Human
DoB: 492 A.V. (30)
PoB: Lhavit
Title: Owner - Tranquility Center, Yoga/Massage/Unarmed Combat Instructor, Lieutenant of The Rangers
Skills: Meditation 90, Yoga 88, Massage 79, Projection 78 , Flux 76, Wilderness Survival 76, Unarmed Combat 65, Astronomy 65, Staff 55, Teaching 52, etc.
Gnosis: Akajia - 2 Marks, Nysel - 1 Mark, Zintila - 1 Mark

Zayne is an ex-Constellations member from Lhavit. He trained extensively in magic, meditation, and massage but got tired of the chill of Lhavit and being somewhat lost among the other Constellations. From the Svefra that often trade in Lhavit, Zayne heard of the new settlement on the edge of the jungle and decided to pack up his things and move. He felt called to teach others in an atmosphere where magic was more accepted and the mind and body connection could be taught and recognized.

 

Sorian Blackward

Name: Sorian Blackward
Race: Human - Drykas
DoB: 487 A.V. (35)
PoB: Endrykas
Title: Owner - Standing Tall, Head Builder, Lieutenant of The Rangers
Skills: Carpentry 95, Building 83, Wilderness Survival 78, Business 47, Warhammer 68, Composite Longbow 65, Interior Design 64, Unarmed Combat 61, Mathmatics 55, Drawing 50, Magecrafting 57, Arcanology 35
Gnosis: Akvin 2 Marks

Sorian was incredibly unhappy living in Riverfall among the Akalaks. But with his Gods Given talents, he was wasted among the Drykas. So when Akvin appeared to him and told him his skills were needed in Syka where he would be happy and thrive, Sorian immediately hit the boat with his accumulated wealth. He's invested all his lifetime accumulated coin into his project and feels like he can make a real impact in Syka providing them with a full-time building advisor and contractor.

✨Becoming A Ranger Leader

If a player is interested in the Leadership of the Rangers there are several steps you must take, One would not be awarded leadership of the Rangers immediately. It would be a 'rise through the ranks' situation.

First, you must join, at first as a Reserve until you meet the skill requirement, be a full-time Ranger after you get your weapons requirements met, and then become a Doylen. Once you become a Doyen and RP as one for a while then you can strive to be the Leader.

Reserves make the 5 GM a day at half salary until they become full Ranger. This is designed to be a supplemental income, not a primary income. Full rangers get a full wage and can be considered full rangers when their WS requirements are met and they are working on the other requirements.

As the ranger article states, everyone with a Wilderness Survival of E+ is required to join the rangers. After that, they need the following or must be working on the following:

• Weapon or Unarmed Combat of at least C+. (though E is encouraged).
• Doyens need ranged and melee weapons, plus Unarmed as well at C.
• Observation at M or working towards one.
• Tactics, Leadership, and Logic are also encouraged at C+.
• Riding Ixam should be at C+.
• Working knowledge of Syka, The Maw, and how to get to numerous places fast.

The leadership would be granted through a moderated thread of Buraga retiring and letting someone else assume Leadership. This is going to take time and investment in the situation in Syka. They would need all the required Sykan Ranger skills plus Leadership at M.


✨Final Notes


As PCs and NPCs get higher in Wilderness Survival, they experience a phenomenon that manifests where they need less and less actual gear to survive. PCs that wouldn't venture into the jungle without heavy boots with snake guards will find themselves going barefoot. This situation is very evident in Syka where the temperatures allow for survival without clothing. Masters in Wilderness Survival, especially that of the jungle biome, become more and more feral in nature as they attune to the Wilderness. That does not mean they will be less human, it simply means they need fewer human ties to survive. This is especially true of the individuals who have access to magic that eliminates the need for weapons. Thus a powerful survivalist, even a Ranger, might very well do fine in the jungle without any gear at all or in a singular loaner situation. These highly skilled Rangers are often members of the same Quintets and are broken up to assist less skilled Quintets to provide stability and guidance. An experienced highly skilled ranger can do wonders to calm and stabilize newer less skilled quintents.