Tornok

Tornok (Pronounced Tore-Nock.

Tornok is a savage land that much of the known world sees as primitive. Almost all the population are tribal. Even their magic seems more primal and not as sophisticated as the sorcerers or wizards of Sarino or Atland.

Geography:
Tornok  straddles the equator, having an almost equal south and north extent. This division of Tornok into almost two equal parts (lengthwise) across the equator makes the climatic and physical conditions in the north repeat themselves in the south. For example, The Red Waste is the south's answer to The Savage Badlands; the Restless Flatlands matches the Mirrored Wilds, while the conditions in the Cape area are almost identical to those of the Bellcour region.

Tornok is the most tropical of all continents. Climate and vegetation range from equatorial rainforests, tropical deserts and savanna grassland to Bellcour. The Savage Badlands, the largest of its kind anywhere in the world, is over 10.4 million km2 n North to south is approx. 1800 kms and east-west is 5600km.

Tornok’s coastline is generally straight and relatively short compared with that of other continents thereby resulting in more artificial harbors than natural ones. The shape of Tornok is relatively simple with a remarkably smooth outline. The rivers plunge off the edges of the plateau into the sea in a series of falls and rapids. The coast is fringed with coral reefs, sand bars, mangrove swamps and lagoons that block passage to the continents interior. The coastline of Tornok is remarkably straight, free from the indentations that make for good natural harbors. The narrow continental shelf is related to the steep face that the continent generally presents to the sea and the faulting that has produced its general shape.

The only place with an extended continental shelf is the Bouanka Bank (extends 320 kms or 200 miles off shore). The absence of any major continental shelf as in Sarino and the northeastern part of Pneumanor limits the development of fishing grounds and the opportunities of exploring for major petroleum sources of the coast. No major coastal island (except Konja - the 4th largest island in the world). The coastline is generally smooth.

Tornok is the most tropical of all continents. Tornok is one of only two continents that straddles the equator and therefore incorporates both the Tropic of Phiara'el and Umsyn'el. The climate south of the equator mirrors that of the north of the equator but the shape of the northern half of Tornok reduces any maritime influence. This shape difference results in a large desert, The Savage Badlands in the north and a much smaller one, the red waste, in the south. The shape difference again makes the southern portion of Tornok cooler than the northern section of the continent (thereby making East Tornok more favorable for Sarino settlement than West Tornok: Garada and Ebvam are both located on Latitude 15 degrees from the equator but Ebvam is warmer). Archaeological studies and Satellite images show that the climate of Tornok has not always remained the same. Conditions that are more humid had once existed in The Savage Badlands and other drier parts of the continent.

Rainfall is the most significant climatic factor in Tornok. Temperature is high through the continent because of the continent’s location relative to Equator. Range of temperature is quite small and Wind is much less of a feature than in temperate climates

Settlements:
There are not many large settlements in the land of Tornok, only four cities would count as large settlements and all four cities can be found in Northern Tornok.


 * 1) Tobyan - North West City off the coast of the Bellcour. Dose the most trading with Sarino.
 * 2) Agades - Central North City
 * 3) Nemca - North West City off the Nektus River
 * 4) Cupe - Most Northern West City
 * 5) Drurgodh Dhu is an Orcish Temple to the Great Wyrm Red Dragon Buthenth,  Lady Of The Red. It is said the Buthenth guards a great secret lost to the ages. The Temple can be found in The Cholgrud Basin.  The Cholgrud Basin region is sometimes known simply as the Cholgrud. It contains some of the largest tropical rainforests in the world.

Humans:
Humans possess exceptional drive and a great capacity to endure and expand, and as such are currently the dominant race in the world. Their empires and nations are vast, sprawling things, and the citizens of these societies carve names for themselves with the strength of their sword arms and the power of their spells. Humanity is best characterized by its tumultuousness and diversity, and human cultures run the gamut from savage but honorable tribes to decadent, devil-worshiping noble families in the most cosmopolitan cities. Humans’ curiosity and ambition often triumph over their predilection for a sedentary lifestyle, and many leave their homes to explore the innumerable forgotten corners of the world or lead mighty armies to conquer their neighbors, simply because they can.

The ethnic groups of Tornok number in the thousands, with each population generally having its own language (or dialect of a language) and culture.

Elves (Bush Elves):
An elf is a tall, slender humanoid, usually taller but lighter than their human counterparts. Elves tend to be more frail than humans, though their natural lifespan is measured in centuries. Elves tend to be elegant, in both appearance and movement, possessed of an almost supernatural grace.

The Bush Elves are a large group of Wild Elves that migrated to Tornok two thousand years ago. Like the humans of Tornok the Bush Elves' skin darkened and they also became more tribal, developing  many different cultures, traditions and dialects.

Orcs/Half-Orc:
Along with their brute strength and comparatively low intellect, the primary difference between orcs and the civilized humanoids is their attitude. As a culture, orcs are violent and aggressive, with the strongest ruling the rest through fear and brutality. They take what they want by force, and think nothing of slaughtering or enslaving entire villages when they can get away with it. They have little time for niceties or details, and their camps and villages tend to be filthy, ramshackle affairs filled with drunken brawls, pit fights, and other sadistic entertainment. Lacking the patience for farming and only able to shepherd the most robust and self-sufficient animals, orcs almost always find it easier to take what someone else has built than to create things themselves. They are arrogant and quick to anger when challenged, but only worry about honor so far as it directly benefits them to do so.

An adult male orc is roughly 6 feet tall and 210 pounds. Orcs and humans interbreed frequently, though this is almost always the result of raids and slave-taking rather than consensual unions. Many orc tribes purposefully breed for half-orcs and raise them as their own, as the smarter progeny make excellent strategists and leaders for their tribes.

LizardFolk:
Lizardfolk are proud and powerful reptilian predators that make their communal homes in scattered villages deep within swamps and marshes. Uninterested in colonization of the dry lands and content with the simple weapons and rituals that have served them well for millennia, lizardfolk are viewed by many other races as backwater savages, but within their isolated communities lizardfolk are actually a vibrant people filled with tradition and an oral history stretching back to before humans walked upright.

Most lizardfolk stand 6 to 7 feet tall and weigh 200 to 250 pounds, their powerful muscles covered in scales of gray, green, or brown. Some breeds have short dorsal spikes or brightly colored frills, and all swim well by moving with flicks of their powerful 4-foot-long tails. While completely at home in the water, they breathe air and return to their clustered mound-dwellings to breed and sleep. As their reptilian blood makes them sluggish in the cold, most lizardfolk hunt and work during the day and retreat to their homes at night to curl up with other tribesmen in the shared warmth of large peat fires.

Though generally neutral, lizardfolks’ standoffish demeanor, staunch rejection of civilization’s “gifts,” and legendary ferocity in battle cause them to be viewed negatively by most humanoids. These traits stem from good reasons, however, as their own slow rate of reproduction is no match for warm-blooded humanoids, and those tribes who don’t defend their wetland territories to the last breath quickly find themselves overwhelmed by the mammalian hordes. As for their tendency to consume the bodies of dead friends and enemies alike, the practical lizardfolk are quick to point out that life is hard in the swamp, and nothing should go to waste.

The lizardfolk presented here dwell in a swampy environment. Lizardfolk tribes can exist in other environments as well, but they lose their swim speed and instead gain a climb speed of 15 feet.

Catfolk also known as The Panthera:
One of the catfolk races to emigrate from Avaland over a millenia ago, The Panthera were the first catfolk to achieve acknowledgement, if not acceptance. Honorable and faithful, sometimes to a fault, The Panthera espouse valor and virtue, traits that endeared themselves to some of the other Tornokians.

The Panthera are big and well-muscled, standing well over 6 feet tall, sometimes even reaching 7 feet.The Panthera, like the rest of the catfolk, have small claws for nails, though they are usually not sharp enough for combat. The Panthera have blond, bushy hair on their forearms and shins, and they generally have light skin tones, but they show only mild effects of prolonged exposure to sunlight over long periods. Male Panthera have bushy blond hair and beards that resemble a lion's mane, but can sometimes be reddish in hue. The Panthera, like all catfolk, walk on human shaped feet instead of animal-like paws. The Panthera faces resemble that of a lion, with eyes that vary in color like that of a human.

The Panthera show little preference in the clothing they wear, emulating the fashion of the province they live in, though it is more to keep up appearances as most clothes sold in Tornok don't fit The Panthera easily. Most Panthera prefer to wear shirts and pants instead of the overly ostentatious clothes many of the wealthy in the island nation put on.