Mytinene is one of four islands at the mouth of the Estuary of the Forked Tongue. The island has thirty miles of shoreline, slightly longer running east-west, forming a roughly oval shape. In the center of the island is Smokemount, a four thousand foot tall peak of black igneous rock and a still marginally active volcano. Though it has not erupted in over a century, magma still swirls only a hundred feet below the surface of the crater atop Smokemount. Whisps of smoke constantly drift out of these rifts, giving the mountain it's name. When it rains, the water seeps down to the magna, causing great plumes of steam into the air and obscuring the top of the mountain.

Due to Mytinene's volcanic past, most of the surface is bare rock, making very little of the island suitable for plant life. With a few exceptions, topsoil is nonexistant. The ground is generally smooth, covered with wave-like patterns formed long ago when lava poured from Smokemount. The mountain itself is not as smooth, with sharp protusions and crumbling ledges. Tunnels wind below the surface where magma once flowed, some a few hundred feet underneath, others only a dozen.

Flora & Fauna

Plant life on Mytinene is very scarce - the igneous surface of the island makes it difficult for plants to take root. The largest area of vegetation is on the western shore where a shallow ravine has filled with soil. Giant dandelions, reaching upwards of ten feet in height with flowers of yellow and white, fill a hundred acres of land. The dandelions are poisonous to eat, though the giants of the island have discovered a method of cooking which renders them harmless. They do not share this method with outsiders, thinking these intruders would steal their only source of plant life.

Native animals are limited, though they are typically dangerous creatures befitting such a harsh environment. Fire rats can be found all over Mytinene, but are most prevalent on the eastern side among the petrified forest (see below.) They range from russet to bright red in color and can grow to be up to five feet in length. Their bite is mildly poisonous, causing a burning pain in its victims, thus giving the rats their name. Because of their coloration and their burning bite, the giants that inhabit Mytinene believe they are magical creatures, though this does not stop them from hunting the giant vermin for food.

Gelk are lizards that live along the coasts of the island, often completely sumerged underneath the silt. They are able to breathe under silt due to membranes in their nose, and can stay underneath the surface indefinately. The smaller lizards are not aggressive, but older lizards become quite territorial. The gelk have long, narrow snouts with sharp teeth that angle backwards, making it difficult for prey to escape once bitten.

Two varieties of giant snakes lair in the upper regions of Smokemount making the challenging ascent even more dangerous. One species, aaklis, is of the constricting variety, reaching up to forty feet in length. The other type of snake, targha, is poisonous and is distiguished by the red and white diamonds on it's back. They reach up to twenty feet in length and are aggressive no matter their size.

Society

Mytinene is the home of a tribe of beasthead giants who call themselves the Gelkhinn - literally 'lizard friend.' While other beasthead tribes may have varying types of animal heads, the Gelkhinn are strickly gelk. The tribe is 45 giants strong, a far cry from it's past numbers. Internal conflicts, casualties from raids, and adventures looking for ancient treasures have lessened their numbers. But the losses have not decreased the aggressiveness of the Gelkhinn. As Mytinene has very little in the way of native plant and animal life to support the giants, they often raid the neighboring communities - both giant and humanoid - to acquire what they need.

The leader of the Gelkhinn is Graac, a 4th level barbarian. He is an unpredicable chief, often leading his warriors on raids with no warning (or planning.) His tribe consists of 2 2nd level warriors, 8 1st level warriors, and 34 0 level giants. The Gelkhinn are very protective of their territory, considering all of Mytinene their possession. Intruders are immediately attacked unless they can give a compelling reason to stay the giants clubs.

The village is located on the southwest corner of the island in a deep ravine running from the Smokemount to the shore of the island. Though its dimensions vary, the average width is 200 feet and its depth is 120 feet. The giants have carved their homes into the rock walls. The typical Gelkhinn home is one room and because of their generally small size, families are kept small as well. No more than four giants will be found in a home, and two or three giants is the norm. Once male children are old enough to fight with the adults, they must find (or build) their own cave.

Points of Interest

Along the eastern side of the island is a petrified forest, the trunks of these ancient trees ranging from gray to white in color. The average height of the trunks is fifteen feet high, though for every standing trunk there is one that has collapsed. The area is infested with fire rats. The only other inhabitant of the forest is a dwarf, the sole survivor of a ship destroyed by the giants. The giants know he is there, but he is quite adapt at avoiding the giants, and he is a fierce fighter. He uses an old fire rat den for his home.

The top of Smokemount is sometimes visited by humanoid figures made of smoke and fire. The Gelkhinn have encountered them before, attacking what they saw as intruders on their islands. The beastheads were badly defeated - several still have the burns - and since then, they have made no attempt to scale the Smokemount to face them again. The figures are never seen arriving or leaving - they simply appear atop the mountain.

The only water source on Mytinene is a pool on the southern coast. It is heated by volcanic fires and is boiling hot. The giants have crafted several stone buckets which they use to safely gather water and carry it back to their village. The water tastes slightly of sulfur, but is safe to drink once it cools. The pool also attracts fire rats, which seem to be able to safely drink from the scalding waters, further adding to rumor of the rats magical nature.

On the north side of the island is a tower of gray stone. Almost completely covered in hardened magma, only the front side of the top third of the tower is revealed. Shadows sometimes pass across the only window left uncovered, and howlings from some beast can heard from within. The giants avoid it - they believe it to be cursed and haunted.