Eyktol Climate Discussion

[Emissary]

Hello folks,

I am Emissary and this is the beginning of the rework for Eyktol. We're starting big and then moving specific, so this thread is exclusively for discussion of climate and environment. Please do not bring in animals or plants at this stage, unique flora and fauna are much later in the overview of the project.

These are the titles and subtitles of the topics I intend to include in the lore page. If you see any environments or especially meteorological events that might occur that I have missed please reply! Your input is invaluable.

Outline:
Biomes

• Canyons
  >‘Red Stone’ Canyons
  >Gorges
  >Floodplains
• High Desert
• Dune Sea
  >Oasis
• Coastal Environments

Meteorological Events

• Wind Currents
• Sandstorms
• Rainstorms
  >Flash Floods
• Windstorms

[Pisces]

What about a gelatin biome?

Oh wait. You meant desert.

[Sayana]

For geographical accuracy a few things might be considered: - Prevailing winds Which way are the winds going? One side of Eyktol might be less dry if warm humid air is traveling inland. Given the location of Falyndar and the fact that is is tropical, it is likely that the prevailing winds are coming from the west at that latitude. - Mountains To block humid air by the coasts from reaching the desert. Perhaps there is a mountain range on the west edge of Eyktol. - Rivers Maybe only a small region gets tropical storms but it is high enough that rivers flow down from it to drier regions (Like how the Nile river is set up). - Savannah Maybe all of Eyktol is desert but maybe there are regions of Savannah. There might also be regions that are only seasonally savannah (either in a regular or irregular pattern). In some desert regions even after a small bit of rain the dormant vegetation springs into life and it suddenly doesn't look like a desert. Those are just a few thoughts to toy with.

[Emissary]

Thank you for your input Sayana,

Winds: Yes, excellent idea that was in my mind but its better to have a header, added to the list.

Mountains: These will be included in the Canyon, Gorge, and Coastal Environments section.

Rivers: For the most part there will not be many rivers because rivers imply the water is running down from somewhere. Perhaps one could be included in the north though.

Savanna: There are no savannas specifically, there is high desert which is shrubs and tumble weed type areas. But the vegetation revival you described will take place however briefly on the floor plains. Savannas require a pretty large amount of water and are actually a grassland. Perhaps in Eyktols history savvanas did exist there though.

[Sedge]

Two small things: 1) Chaparral or, more broadly, scrubland is another biome you might consider including. 2) My understanding is that savanna has more trees than would be found in most of Eyktol. I would say the border of Cyphrus and Sylira is more likely to have a variant of savanna (perhaps akin to the oak savanna of the western US) than present-day Eyktol. I'll add some more thoughts later on.

[Sayana]

And just to clarify my last post, things like winds and mountains are what influence where certain biomes form. That and where the water is in relation to the land. So if you definitely want Eyktol to have a desert feel, then you don't want the geography set up so that hot humid winds are blowing inland. That's what makes the Sahara different from the Amazon. Near the Sahara, all the winds are blowing from inland (across the Middle East and across from Asia), whereas in the Amazon all the winds are blowing over the warm ocean. An example of the effect of mountains is the deserts in Western US (eg Arizona and Texas). Although there are west winds blowing hot moist air inland, they are blocked by the Rocky Mountains (and therefore release all the rain before they reach the desert in Arizona). Note, it's not necessary for Mizahar to be geographically accurate as long as it's fun and interesting but it makes me all warm and fuzzy inside when real principles have been thought of.

[Loess]

Hello again, Emissary.

I agree with Sayana on many of her points, especially about wind direction. Winds that come from over bodies of water carry more water, an arid region should logically have winds that have traveled extensively over land, and have therefore lost all moisture they carry. Wind currents and rainstorms should both be closely tied together, as monsoons (seasonal changes in wind pattern) are what cause drastic changes in rainfall in Southeastern Asia and Oceana. Studying those may be a good idea. If you don't have the time and are still interested in one of my ideas, I can put together a report for you. All up to you!

I think another major point can be outlining the rough status of aquifers in Eyktol. Most areas in a world like Mizahar very well might have vast stores of groundwater, even in Eyktol, as deep groundwater usually has been deposited thousands of years in that past and is greatly unaffected by current weather/climate. The keyword being: deep. For roleplaying purposes, players should never be able to dig a well out in the middle of the desert, as they don't know where aquifers exist and certainly wouldn't be able to reach deep ones.

Major cities like Ahnatep and Yahebah, on the other hand, should definitely have lore included about the bodies of groundwater they rely on because they open up so many opportunities for plot development. If a city is located close to a coast, its source of freshwater may be prone to saltwater contamination. If a city is located above an enclosed aquifer, that city may have artesian wells. (These wells continuously pump out water on their own--water that is pressurized below the surface and freed by artificial interference.)

Sayana has another good point that modeling Eyktol by real world standards isn't necessary at all, but I think it goes further than making me feel fuzzy! It is Adding lore about some features as you hopefully see, opens the door to more meaningful, cohesive roleplaying. Writing in Ahnatep would be so much fun if my character could have questlines about its groundwater--I'm gonna stop right now before I have a nerd-gasm. I'm so excited!

[Emissary]

Chapparal: While I have a scrubland already I am certainly going to draw from this biome for information.

Wind Currents: I am doing a great amount of research here, and wind currents by definition include direction. I am going to attempt to make it as realistic as I can without losing the magic of the region and congruency with surrounding regions.

Groundwater: I have already begun to address this in my outline and in my write up. Oases are generally products of aquifers. In Eyktol this will be especially true given its precipitation situation. Additionally both Yahebe and Ahnatep sit on top of natural wells.

[Sayana]

Edit: Proposed rough map removed.

[Loess]

That's a freaking good job, Sayana. Love it.