Durrin Isle

        Durrin Isle is a large island on the equator of the planet Alden.
Most of Durrin Isle is tropical savannah, although much of the western end
of the island is tropical rainforest.  All of the seacoast inhabitants of
Durrin profit from the islands position  on the trade routes between the
northern and the southern continents.  Ships traveling both north and south
stop on Durrin Isle to resupply, and to pick up the exotic products of the
Isle itself.  The tropical environment produces a number of wonderful
benefits, which include bountiful seas, pleasant temperatures, and ample
rainfall.  Of course, once a year those ample rainfalls turn into Monsoons,
and these storms ravish the coastlines.  Those groups who are most
affected, the fishing communities along the western coast, have built
strongholds to defend against the storms.
        Durrin Isle is the ancestral home of three ancient races.  The
Ironrocks have lived in the Ironrock Mountains practically since the island
was born.  This reclusive race does not let humans trespass within their
borders, but they do actively trade with their neighbors.  The Maracarans,
who live in the western rainforest, are much more friendly.  Although they
have lived in the forests as long as the Ironrocks have lived in the
mountains, they have developed it very little.  Unlike the Ironrocks, the
Maracarans prefer things to develop naturally.  For this reason treaties
between the Bramhillians and the Maracarans allow only sustainable
agriculture within the rainforest.  The third ancient race also lives in
the Maracaran Rainforest.  The reptilian Slasanza have lived in this
forest even longer than the Maracarans.  The Maracarans believe that the
Slasanza are the oldest inhabitants of the isle.
        Most of Durrin Isle is populated by various human races.  Humans
first came to Durrin many centuries ago as colonists of firstempire, from
the northern continent.  firstempire crumbled, leaving several small
colonies to survive as best they could.  Over several centuries, known as
The Dark Age, the colonists expanded and met the three ancient races.  A
diverse patchwork of cultures developed on Durrin during this time, only to
be overrun when the secondempire sent new colonists.  These colonists were
better armed than the Durrin natives, and over the next several centuries,
almost all of Durrin came under the control of the secondempire.  However,
the secondempire had other concerns, and again abandoned Durrin.  This
time, however, the human races of Durrin were able to maintain control of
the Isle, and there was not a second Dark Age.  During the past five
hundred years, almost all of the human population has been consolidated
into three large human kingdoms; Bramhillian, Tasnais and Labhartain.
These three Kingdoms are referred to as the Triad Kingdoms of Durrin.
        There are only two groups of humans who do not belong to one of
Triad Kingdoms.  The Merchant Caravaners have no homeland, and travel
continually.  These people, descendents of the ancient Geothonnish nomads,
travel the length and breadth of Durrin trading and transporting goods.
Although most of the respectable people in the Triad look down upon these
landless folk, their trading ability has kept them alive and at least
mostly respectable.  The second group are the Thonnish Nomads of the
eastern savannah.  Distant cousins of the Merchant Caravaners, these simple
people are namadic herders who claim allegiance to no power other than
thier own tribal chiefs.  Although at times both Tashnais and Labhartain
claim the Thonnish territories as their own, the Thonnish tribesmen tend to
ignore them.