FLORA
- Juniper bushes are edible and found in many climates. He may recognize them.
NOTE: Juniper berries are a very powerful diuretic, and more than a handful
of the bitter fruit will cause cramping, severe diarrhea.
- Date palms MAY be available due to the ecology of the island. Otherwise small palm species with edible fruits and stalks include Senegal Date Palms (very small, bush like palm with handfuls of tiny edible fruits). Jelly palms (Butia capitata) are small, moisture loving palms with bunches of coin-sized fruits that taste much like apricots. Starnut palms have very very tough shells but the meat inside is nutritious and bland.
- Oleander is extraordinarily poisonous and causes hallucinations, vomiting, cramping, severe diarrhea and psychotic breaks. This includes chewing the leaves, drinking the honey or nectar of anything made with Oleander, even being stung by bees who have been feeding on oleander nectar.
- Acacia tortillis is noted as being on the island. The gum of this tree is very edible but in excess can cause damage to the stomach lining (we’re talking handfuls of the stuff). Flowers are small and so highly aromatic they can be smelled from great distances. Due to the harshness of the husks of these trees, the seed pods have been used as digging tools. The bark of the tree is also very high in tannins, a valuable mineral.
FAUNA
- Small birds and wild cats have been noted on the island, as well as rats.
- Rats have been known to cluster and ‘mob’ prey such as cats and birds in gigantic family groups. Are the rats on the island highly aggressive, or small isolated populations? If so, what subspecies? The most common subspecies in dry, arid areas seem to be the Gambian Pouched Rat (a vegetarian species that grows to about 3 feet) and Rattus rattus (the Black rat, grows to about 6 inches long and can be extraordinarily aggressive).
- What small bird species prevail? Birds like rollers, cisticolas, and weavers have been used by tribes for centuries to find water. Weavers are giant colony birds that could be a possible source of eggs (though they are ferociously protective).
- Are any poisonous snakes prevalent? Possible non-poisonous species would include sand boas, tree boas, and small eyelash vipers. Poisonous species would include Gaboon vipers (which are one of the most poisonous snakes on earth), many species of bird-eating rear-fanged snake. I am studying to be a herpetologist, so ask any and all questions
- What species of seabird? Almost all are edible but the meat is highly salty and the livers are impossible to eat due to possible vitamin A poisoning.
- Frigate birds often frequent this sort of topographic landscape.
- Wild cat species could include Geoffrey’s Cat (a small, bird hunting cat found in South America), Sand Cats (a very aggressive, very tiny species of sand cat found in the Sahara), and general Feral Cats. Due the seawater, I would suggest subspecies with a very high tolerance of salts (Sand Cats have been found to have extraordinary powers in this area, and can drink seawater without kidney damage).
TOPOGRAPHY OF THE ISLAND
- The Forest of Thorns could house medium sized deer such as Sitka deer. Unfortunately, these animals are extraordinarily hard to hunt due to their excellent hearing and long, fleet legs. Roe deer could also be found, or perhaps species of wild pig (though wild pigs have a very low tolerance for dehydration).
- The Prairie is vast and barren. But do the experiments from the wizards include blasting the soil with heat? If so, sandy soil may yield small glass deposits which could be useful in a number of ways (namely starting fires). Bones are also mentioned. Are they bones that are hollow or devoid of marrow? Marrow can stay fresh for weeks in old bones, and is very high in protein and fats. Marrow in survival situations is extremely valuable and can even be dried out and saved.
- The Mudpools are characterized by rotting eggs. This suggests the presence of sulfur. Many elephants burrow deep into pools like these to bring up clay from the soil filled with calcium, bicarbonate, nitrogen rich soil and phosphorus...all useful in a survival situation. Complications from engaging in pika (eating of things generally considered non-food) may result in impaction.
- Large deposits of basalt are on the island. What kind of basalt? Alkali basalt is rich in sodium, while Boninite basalt is high in magnesium and calcium oxide, which can be eaten to replenish nutrition in a desperate situation. Is it columnar basalt (large, polygonal stalks of basalt rock pushed together to form walls) or pillow basalt (large lumps of rock that may form from magma hitting the ocean).
NOTES:
-Albitau is from a grass plains area and will know to let animals guide him to water. This could be useful in observing bird populations.
-He would not know, however, about palms since they are not native to his region. He would know to avoid eating massive amounts of juniper but might not know about oleander.
-He does not have spears, arrows, to obtain meat from the bird population which necessitates some degree of sneakiness or innovation. This will most likely be done through trial and error and will cause a great deal of hardship.
-Albitau is fully albino, meaning that being out in the sun is more dangerous for him than any other, and bright lights can easily damage his unprotected eyes.
-His arrogance and quick temper will make him slow to learn hunting skills, which could be highly detrimental to his survival in Sahova.
-However, due to the ownership of a horse he is highly mobile, and able to run from swift animals he couldn't outpace on foot. However his horse is still exposed and cannot do things like climb trees to sleep in a safe place, putting the animal at risk.
-Conversely, the horse is an early warning system for strange animals or Nuit. Albitau has been around horses all his life as a Drykas, and knows the warning signs horses give off.
