Mountains, Deserts, and Floaters: The Geology and Ecology of Tond

 The "Tond" Series contains background information; what is often called "world-building" or more recently "lore". This was originally published in a seperate book called "The World of Tond: Companion Volume to the Tond Series", but: after some rewrites, that book has been unpublished. The background info now lives in the appendices to Book One. Here is a sample.

Tond, Book One: The Sons of Tlaen Ras-Erkéltis

Appendix 1

The Ecology and Geology of Tond

Due to the fact that natural “wormholes” open up from time to time between this world and Tond, any overview of the ecosystems of Tond must treat it as a subdivision of the ecosystems of this world. Most of the flora and fauna of Tond are also familiar here, though there appears to be a rather curious mix, i.e., here, camels and cactuses are not found sharing the same desert.

The geology of Tond follows that of known continental landmasses. A ridge of mountains is seen near the western coast, the result of collision between two large crustal plates. The mountain building is dormant at this time, though there was an enormous earthquake recorded roughly six hundred years ago, centered in Rohándal but affecting nearly the entire continent. A third plate in the south of Tond is moving northeastward, creating a smaller mountain chain that intersects the larger one (this is the Mountains of South Rohándal, separating it from the Karjan lands.) The large peninsula of Renjwaa (actually a continent in its own right) trails behind it. In the wild north of Tond, geological forces were (and are) particularly complex and fragmented; there, several small plates moved in different directions, sometimes moving across volcanic “hot spots”, and glaciers (Tond saw the same ice ages as here) carved out large valleys, fjords, and the archipelago of the Drennlands.

Flora and Fauna separate into roughly four zones, much like the zones that can be found here. In the north are the temperate forests and mountains; this zone continues along the coast as far south as the delta of the river Cheihar. In central Tond there is a large desert, the Desert of Rohándal, and a savanna, the Sherványa Lands. In the south are the tropical rainforests of the Karjan and Emb Lands, Tendh, and Renjwaa. South of this is the Southern Sea; legend tells of another continent far to the south, but it has never been explored.

 

THE NORTH

The thousand or so islands that constitute the Drennic Lands (Drennlands), the Drellyan States, and the Tashkrian and Chashk Territories are a center of evolutionary diversity. Each island is separated from its neighbors by enough space to have developed one or more unique (endemic) species, but all are near enough to one another to share many species as well. The unique species are usually rather small and (to most people) insignificant, such as worms, insects, and mice; there are, however, two notable exceptions: the large flightless birds (known as tsak-tsak, from their sound) on Chkenjuksha Island, Tashkrian Territories; and the brightly-colored silver and blue trout called nok-qor-ik “bright ones” found only in Lake Nwok on the island of Ya-Hoik, Drennic Lands.

Like the mainland, each of these islands has a rocky or sandy shore and an interior ecosystem with grassy areas and forests. The ratio of the forested to the grassy area depends on the size and shape of the island; those that have less coastline have relatively less salty and windy air, and can support more tree and shrub species. This much is probably obvious. The forests generally consist of conifers and maples; the underbrush is ferns and a surprisingly large numbers of fruit-bearing shrubs and vines — these are the famed “berries” (Fyorian sánatis) of the north. (A favorite Fyorian recipe is sánatar “two berry” sauce, made from imported Drennic berries.) The trees and shrubs are in a symbiotic relationship with a soil-dwelling fungus, which increases the nitrogen content of the soil while growing on the roots of fallen logs of trees. The fruiting body of the fungus, resembling a mushroom, is poisonous to humans but fed on by several species of birds and rodents. Other birds eat the berries or leaves of several plants; there are also fifteen species of birds of prey, including hawks and a very large eagle. Rodent species include several types of mice, voles, and squirrels; there is also a unique carnivorous rabbit on the northern of the two peninsulas that surround Drennic Bay.

Further inland, there are much higher mountains; the tallest is the massif of Kalaelitaka (16,300 feet above sea level). The forests continue through much of this mountainous region, though they eventually give way to tundra as one proceeds east.

In the northeast, the mountains are lower but much more continuous. The exception is the enormous flat plateau of Borrogg, almost completely surrounded by mountains. In Borrogg, as elsewhere in the northeast, conditions are harsh. Cold dry winds blow from the ice fields in the far north; in Borrogg the temperature seldom exceeds 40 degrees F. Usually it is much colder. This is the realm of snow, tundra, and lichen-covered rocks; there are also several types of cold-adapted fungi that cling to stones, living off of the decaying bodies of insects and arachnids, both of which are common. Other animals are rare, except for several types of downy birds (including an owl), eagles, and unusually furry mice. There are no large mammals at all except for a unique genus, the so-called “lurkers” (Fyorian wártala). These are actually marsupials, like kangaroos, but made for the extreme cold; the “pouch” is concealed under thick fur, and long hair covers the entire body. Several types of lurkers have a turtle-like shell, impenetrable to the beaks of eagles (which hunt them). Lurkers are named for their habit of waiting unseen under or behind rocks or man-made structures, and grabbing their prey from hiding. The largest species of lurker stands erect and has been known to hunt humans. Semi-aquatic lurkers are found farther south.

 

CENTRAL TOND

Central Tond is unevenly divided into four ecosystems; the coastal forest, the mountains, the desert of Rohándal, and the Sherványa grasslands.

Extending southwards from the northern forests across a wide strip of land, the coastal forest, known by its natives as Dandwo (the word is related to Fyorian words for earth, such as “Tond”), is really a continuation of the forests of the north, though gradually the pines and maples give way to more tropical species such as palms and figs. The entire land is extremely well irrigated with run-off from the mountains. There are five major waterways and an untold number of tributaries. These rivers are inhabited by trout and salmon (particularly in the north); carp are found in the southern tributaries, and several unique species are found throughout. The abundant fish supports a large population of bears (in the north) and fishing cats (in the south); there are also many species of fruit-eating rodents and bats. Only one bird of prey is known from this area; this is the extremely intelligent “Eagle” of Tond — a remarkable bird, about the size of a large hawk, with a brown body and golden or white head. These birds are often domesticated, and when raised from chicks, develop an uncanny ability to understand human speech.

Some mention of the people in this forested region is in order. This is the wildest part of Tond, and some areas (far from the major rivers) are nearly uncharted. “Stone Age” tribes are known to live in several areas, almost completely isolated from the outside; those who are known about elsewhere in Tond are renowned for their ability to coexist with the land. It is said, for example, that a village of the Dorren people looks completely natural, and a visitor from elsewhere in Tond could walk right through it without seeing it. It is unknown how much this is true or just a legend (or stereotype).

Cutting off this wet green land from the interior is an unbroken chain of mountains; the highest in Tond (three peaks, known in Fyorian as Renyaldar, Tomolan, and Ar, are as high as the highest Himalayan mountains, though they are not near each other). These are the “Great Barrier Mountains”; no humans live even on their slopes, which are often very steep (a few isolated villages cling to precarious existence in the low-lying valleys). Mountain goats and wild yaks are found in the higher areas, though the tallest peaks are completely barren.

The mountains create a rain-shadow in the east; this is the vast desert of Rohándal. The desert has expanded in the last ten or twenty centuries at the expense of the grasslands; the Fyorians who live in Rohándal claim that the desert is partially man-made, though on accident — created in the general destruction of life during the Devastation.

Geographically the desert is an extension of the mountains that border it on three sides. It is a basin, thought not extremely low; at one time is appears to have been quite geologically active. There are several large lava flows. There are also sand seas and dune fields, and vast areas of fractured alkali badlands reminiscent of the most arid areas of the American west. The Halls of the Grimborn is near one of these, by a series of collapsed cliffs that may at one time have been an active volcano.

But what at first appears to be a barren land (a Ro-hánd-dal in Fyorian) has a number of fertile areas — there are several hundred springs and geysers, and (particularly in the south), the desert is dotted with oases. These are the famed éyuhandis of Rohándal, home of the Fyorians. Each éyuhand (singular) can be compared to an island; like the islands of the north of Tond, each has its own unique species, though nothing particularly spectacular. Around each oasis there are small fertile fields where wheat and corn can be grown, along with various types of gourds. These are the staples of the Fyorians, along with the edible cacti called qenéila, which grow wild just beyond most of the fields.

Inhabitants of the desert include various insects and spiders, reptiles, rabbits (considered a delicacy by the Fyorians), nest-dwelling desert-rats, and lizards. Most of these animals are quite drab in appearance, grayish or brownish; with the exception of the venomous snakes and toads, both groups which often sport bright greens, blues, and reds. There are also diamondback rattlesnakes, the same species as in the American southwest. Plant species include shrubs and palms, all of which have durable seeds that can lie dormant for centuries, if necessary, then revive when moisture is plenty. These plants are found in great numbers in and near each éyuhand.

Eastwards, the desert gradually gives way to grassland as the land rises and the weather becomes cooler. This prairie or savanna is the Sherványa Lands. The southern part of this region is heavily cultivated; this is the breadbasket of Tond. Sherványa farmers here grow wheat, corn, millet, amaranth, oats, and several other grains.

Northwards, the landscape grows wilder, with less cultivation, until it merges with the northern tundra. This large expanse of flat grassland is the home of herds of wild cattle and horses (some descended from domesticated animals that escaped into the wild). There are also rabbits (seemingly ubiquitous in Tond), rodents, and various lizards and snakes. Also found mostly in this area, but often drifting elsewhere north of the Karjan Imperium, is a wholly unique life-form not found outside of Tond: floaters.

Floaters (Fyorian dányala) are neither plants nor animals, and are usually thought to be most closely related to fungi (though recent evidence suggests that they may be a different form of life altogether; their cells actually closely resemble bacteria, rather than eukaryotic cells.) But, unlike bacteria, floaters are anything but microscopic. Their general outward appearance is a sphere, irregular potato-shape, or double- or triple-lobed blob, ranging from about ten to nearly one hundred meters around, and colored various shades of pastel pink, green, brown, or orange. Some types have stripes or geometrical patterns. Their most notable feature, however, is their ability to float in the air (hence their name). Each floater is in reality a living air bag, with a translucent organic “window” across much of the top surface. Sunlight filters in through the window and heats gas inside; this then expands, making the floater lighter than air, and it rises. At night, as the air cools, the floater settles on the ground, showing an ability (even with the apparent lack of sense organs) to avoid sharp objects or rough terrain. A network of filaments (roots? rhizomes? hyphae?) then unfolds and penetrates the ground, taking nourishment from microbes. At dawn, the “roots” fold up or are retracted, and the process repeats.

 

THE SOUTH

As stated above, the woodiness of much of northern Tond extends south along the coast through Dandwo to the River Cheihar, where it blends imperceptibly with the tropical rainforests of southern Tond. This vast area has not been well explored; much of the jungle is impenetrable. Rumors of the wildlife deep within include large apes.

As elsewhere in Tond, civilizations are found here along the relatively clear areas. The Karjan Imperium is located along the navigable banks of the river Cheihar, the Emb Lands occupy a drier area to the south, and the coast of the peninsula of Renjwaa appears to have been settled by people from a smaller continent to the west of Tond, between Tond and the original home of the Karjans.

Jungle plant species include palms, tree ferns, figs, mangroves, and many types not known outside of Tond. Orchids and other jungle flowers and vines, along with one hundred or so types of moss, grow in and on the trees. Insects are ubiquitous; larger wildlife includes five subspecies of tigers (the largest type is sometimes caught by Karjan hunting parties, returned to the Imperium and used for executing criminals; one smaller type is about the size of a lynx and is sometimes domesticated by the Emb).

In the middle of this wild land is a flat area, surrounded on two sides by low mountains. This area is a little drier (it even has a small desert, not nearly as large as that in Rohándal), and is appropriate for human habitation; Emb live there, as well as native Tondish (called the Tendh), cousins of the Fyorians. Both peoples have domesticated the camels that live in this small desert, though attempts to import the camels to the larger desert of Rohándal have failed.

 

Tond, then, like any large continental area, is a vast and varied land, and it has been settled by several peoples, whose history will be explored in Appendix Two: The Peoples of Tond.

To read more of this book: Tond, Book One: The Sons of Tlaen Ras-Erkéltis: Scribner, Steven E.: 9781520157573: Amazon.com: Books