Yularan Geography and Biota

Yulara is an island of northwest Rathnir predominantly featuring deserts, savannas and patches of green plains, with multitude of different climates, flora and fauna in different regions, due to the major influences of Syltor and Helmian lands surrounding the island. Due to influx of human inhabitants and development of agriculture, there has been major changes to the biomes through the decades, and thus many of the research is done in the combined Yularan Institute of Archaeology, Climatology and Ecology.

Climate and Geography of Yulara
The climate and geography of Yulara are highly interrelated, and determines the flora, fauna and civilization that develop in that region. It should be pointed out that Yulara has the same climate year long, forming monthly patterns instead.

Ib
Ib is the southern desert peninsula of Yulara, surrounded by waters on three side. It is best known for housing the city of Dragoonios, and its importance of shielding the port formed between the southern provinces, a natural wind shelter for ships against the typhoons and cyclones formed south of Yulara in the Syltor seas, as they travel up to East Dragoonios port, Ramtopia (Lemebah) and Credian ports.


 * Hot and Arid The climate of Ib is arid and tropical, experiencing high temperatures and irregular rainfall that mainly come from the southeastern cyclones. It is shielded of the cold winds from West and Northeastern Syltor by Riverrun and Heliodusion respectively, and upon reaching Ib, the intense solar heating and lack of cooling from plantation results in hot air rising and forming a thermal low pressure zone, with low rainfall and consecutive days of extreme heat.


 * Storms of Ib However, Ib is not completely dry, as tropical cyclones often form in the warm southeastern Syltor seas, and will first land at the region of Ib. They are known to carry large amount of rainfall, which subsequently forms rapid streams in land to the oceans sweeping away plants that do not have deep and thick enough roots; and strong winds, enough to uproot any plants taller than knee height. However, the humidity from these storms quickly fade, either through evaporation or through the loose sand back to the ocean. Quicksand can be occasionally seen just after the storms, trapping unassuming prey when escaping from predators from the adjacent savannas.  These storms, despite its destructive powers, have become essential for early settlements here, as its inhabitants developed an underground system to avoid the cyclones, while creating crude water collection systems all over Ib to catch the downpour during the storms, in order to face the arid and hot days to follow. However, with technological improvements, the people of Ib have been able to plant other crops by incorporating soil into the landscape; and the city of Dragoonios now features multiple high story buildings thanks to the elaborate walls and strong sandstone and granite base of the city, specifically designed for the strong wind at low altitudes and relatively light winds at high altitude during typhoons. It also features an elaborate underground water system in its Undercity to ensure adequate water storage for citizens and plants alike, and prevents flooding amidst heavy rainfall.


 * Climate Changes However, it is to note that as Dragoonios was built to the Southeastern corner of Ib due to economical and military reasons, it has shielded much of the western desert of Ib from the tropical winds, and there has been rising heat and lowering humidity in these regions in the near decade. As more water-dependant crops are cultivated in the region, the water is often absorbed by the shallow roots of foreign flora before it reaches the deep roots of native plants, which are decreasing in numbers. As the thermal low environment of Ib pushes to new extremes, Ib has experienced more prolonged days of new temperature highs, and sudden prolonged storms overflooding the water systems in the area. It is still unknown what long term climate effects will be brought about due to the recent changes of this landscape.

Birds

 * The Ibean Raptor (Raptor Ibiens), is a small bird of prey that is highly intelligent. The raptor commonly consumes desert and field mice for a diet, and sometimes even juvenile river serpents. Residents in the Ib region of Yulara use Ibean Raptors frequently as messenger birds due to the Raptor's ability to reach high air speeds when diving. The Raptor has a very strong sense of direction, making it a natural messenger bird. Ibean Raptors nest commonly in the branches of desert shrubs and in desert cliff crevices, where males partner for mates each year during mating season.


 * The Heliodusic Cormorant (Phalacrocorax heliodusionensis) is a large bird with a long bill first discovered in the Heliodusion region of Yulara, along the estuaries of the Epipia river. Despite its name, the Heliodusic Cormorant is common along much of the Yularan coastline. Its diet consists primarily of coastal fish. The Cormorant male has a more colorful plumage than the female in order to attract mates, and both sexes mate for life. Common nests are found along beaches, where eggs are wrapped in seaweed and downy feathers for nests. The mother cormorant incubates the eggs for 4-month period before hatching takes place. Maturity takes 1.5 years.

Drakes and Pseudodragons

 * The Umbra Pseudodragon ( Draconis minor, umbra), often referred to as a "Darkdrake" by locals is a small Pseudodragon that hails from northern Valle but are most often found within the dark city Innercity of Skyreach. Having a classic shape of a small dragonoid, they are unique in that they possess the ability to camouflage within shadows or places lacking enough light, leading to their nickname among the locals. Friendly, if shy creatures, they have been observed to behave similar to Faries, and have shown a limited inkling to use illusion magic, provided they within a dark place. These "Darkdrakes" have a pitch-black skin, phosphorescent yellow eyes, and have been noted to smoke when placed into a source of light; though it has been determined that sunlight itself does not harm them. Their diets consist of rats, birds, insects, but have been noted to predominately feed off of the latent magic present within Skyreach due to the Ley line source beneath it. While a nest has never found, it has been surmised from their population density that they take around a year to hatch, and can live up to around 350 years old, though no upper limit has yet been confirmed. The Darkdrake has domesticated by locals, most often spell casters and wizards as pets and familairs.

Spirits and Malignant Undead

 * The Shade (Umbra etherious) is an ethereal ghost-like creature native to Skyreach’s inner city that began soon after the necropolis’ early construction. These deadly creatures are a recent addition to the Isle, only having begun appearing after the initial construction of Skyreach, and now lurk in it’s darkest shadows and alleyways. The Shade drains and feeds off the lifeforce of living creatures, Though they tend to stick to smaller and easier prey. Resembling shadows or a black smoke, these creatures are theorized to have originated from the plane of shadow, or possibly the void; given their hatred for light. Sunlight is innately harmful to Shades, with most lesser light sources such as laterned merely warding them off. Their method of reproduction appears to come from the slaying of a sentient: within a few days of being slain and having it’s life force consumed, a new Shade will arise from the body. It is unknown if anything of the original person remains in the new Shade, or if it is merely a mindless beast.

Unclassified (lack of information)

 * The Draconis, Vacuus (Draconis Yularnas Vacuus) is the name assigned to the set of bones and skull found within the southern region of Valle, under Skyreach's Central Tower. The Bones were discovered by the local governor (Astra Cornaro) while attempting to unearth the origin of a leyline point (Which was later to be revealed to be the large chamber that the bones and skull presided in.) According to Astra, he found it in a perfectly preserved state, alongside an ancient tome. He has refused to elaborate upon what he had found within the tome and had details burning it after reading its contents. As to the skeleton, he claimed to have "Moved it to somewhere safer", and also gave a scant few details on it, but did produce a small shard from it. The sliver of bone shard was pitch black and seemed to cause light around it to dim, and could only be described as unnerving to anyone who came into contact with it.


 * The Ex Infra (Ex Infra ) was a monstrous creature that apparently roamed the world before the arrival of the gods*, long before the modern era. A husk of the creature was found by Astra Cornaro Somewhere beneath Luperkania. The husk has been relocated to a "safer and more secure area" according to Astra. Though refusing to provide solid evidence of the creature, he described it as "An amoeba like creature made out of iridescent black slime, with multiple eyes "floating" on the surface" and being around "50 feet wide/across" referring to the book found in the cavern of the Draconis, Vacuus, he stated that they may have once been members of Ex Infra far larger, though would not elaborate further.