Contents: Geography - The Inner
Sea - The North - Nowek - The
Northern Interior - Tepat -
Tiptum, the continent on which Tepat sits, is the easternmost and
second largest continent. The continent as a whole stretches from
the tropics to the polar regions. Tiptum is divided roughly into
two half-continents, known as Lamnûm (the South) and Poknûm
the North). The area where they join, running through Notoq, is
sometimes referred to as Nûmtip, the ‘navel’ or ‘waist’ of
the continent, or Yôntip, its ‘belt.’ The continent is
also divided into east and west by the Tiptum Cordillera, which
mostly runs parallel to the eastern coast. It includes the Notoq,
Muqali, and Wasak Plateaux, the Muqali mountains, and the
interconnecting Amtom Ranges in the northeast. Tepat claims all
land south of 37 degrees latitude, as well as land within 50 km on
either side of the Pemet, Lower Phitim, and Luqtal rivers not
otherwise within that range.
The Yuk Sôl or Inner Sea is a very large
salt-water body situated just north of the equator and enclosed
almost entirely by the continent of Tiptum. As part of the
continental plate of Tiptum, it is much shallower than the open
ocean, and has its own circulation patterns. Nourished by the
heavy discharge of Tiptum’s rivers, and tropical rain, it is less
salty than the open ocean. It is also home to many unique species
of fish, and the coastal areas are rimmed by vast undersea sponge
forests. The lack of exchange with the ocean traps heat, making
the Sea the warmest one in the world. Numerous hurricanes spawn in
or near the Yuk Sôl, but because they follow westerly paths out of
the sea, they rarely threaten areas of Tiptum itself.
On a geological time scale, the Sea itself has been an ephemeral
feature, and may not have existed all even recently. During
previous ice ages, as ocean levels fell, the sea was cut off from
the outer ocean, and nearly evaporated, leaving behind a vast
desert dotted with salty lakes, and with many of the great rivers
flowing into them.
Fog fills the cliffs and fjords to the latitude of the
Conciliarity’s northern border, and further. At that point, the
clouds are nigh continuous, such that the sky over the forests is
just gray on green - faint gray above, dark green below. Prior to
Tepatic colonists, most of the inhabitants were Taknic, suggested
by the lack of labial sounds other than [w] in placenames.
The fog stops when it hits the mountains. Past them, clear, cold,
and dry skies observe the progression of airy pines to burly
shrubs and finally mere bristles of grass. By that time though, it
has reached the Eastern Range and Tumpen, and pines
reclaim their rank. Cold desert appears on the slops of the Tumpen
mountains as they approach the steppes. Further north, in the
Lake-and-River region, dense forest predominates, criss-cut by
ziggy rivers with paths so turning that they themselves barely
know which way they drain. This area is centered on one huge lake,
Lake Súli, the largest lake in Tiptum and one of the
largest in the world. Most of the Lake and rivers are edged by
wetlands. Not exactly great for human settlements, but during the
summer, the lakes are a massive gathering sport for
migrating birds, which people depend on to hunt seasonally. The
far north is mostly tundra, with humans turning to the sea for
sustenance. The large northern peninsula known as the ‘Far Handle’
(Lepthel) is barren, and some areas are almost continuously
covered with ice. Impossible though it may seem, Taknic hunters
occasionally venture even here.
Tepat, in the central region of Tiptum
The lifeline of Tepat is the great river valley cutting
diagonally through its center. The two major rivers of the north,
the Pemet and Phitim, merge in the center of the
country at Xhangtyel, the 'Meeting of Waters,' to form
the Yot Klun, 'Wide River.' The /Klun/ is also Tyel
Kyet or Yot Kyet, possibly meaning 'Braided River'
and referring to the fact that the waters of the two rivers are
‘twisted’ together here - or that the lower reaches of the river,
winding and surrounded by oxbow lakes, resemble braided hair.
The Three Rivers tend to swell and have maximum flow in mid-to-late summer, swollen by melting snows, and supplemented by spring snowmelt in the northern regions, and spring showers and thunderstorms, and the lowest flow in mid-to-late winter. From time to time, the summer rise of waters is excessive, leading to floods - or whenever massive rainstorms occurred. This has been a plague harrassing people from time immemorial since the Milim days, overflowing banks, breaking dykes, and sweeping away homes. In the alternate, when rain doesn’t come and the waters don’t rise, drought may occur. Either way, there is famine. But since Tepat, especially Eastern Tepat, also gets ample rain through the year, it is less dependent on the river as a whole than in dry areas. These areas could have garden rainfall agriculture even without river irrigation, although river irrigation was used for various intensive crops. However, the rivers, and their system of connections, was vital to transport, and to the whole economy and culture of the Kingdom. Beginning with the Milim, successful regimes in the Land of the Three Rivers made great efforts to tame and master the rivers. And when regimes fell apart, the waterworks decayed, and disaster occurred. Thus it is not too much to say that regimes were judged to a great extent by how they managed the river, and the river was its own department of government.
Different regions of Tepat have different seasonal patterns of
precipitation. The eastern part, with a humid subtropical climate,
gets precipitation mainly in the summer in the form of
thunderstorms, with less in winter. The western regions with more
Mediterranean climates have dry summers with rain in the winter.
In the middle of Tepat where the two climate zones transition,
there is a zone with two annual peaks in precipitation, in the
summer, and the winter. By coincidence, this area corresponds
largely to the drainage basin of the Klun River. The availability
of so much water year-round made it ideal for agriculture and
transport, however, floods were also a risk. The eastern branch of
the upper part of the Phitim River, through which most of the
country’s thunderstorms and tornadoes pass, was known as the
Winds’ Road, or Khat i-Xyul.
The southern part of Tiptum is known Hanam. The Klun River exits
here in a vast delta, with a family of small muddy lakes around
it. This is the muggiest part of Tepat. The Lenuk people who lived
here in ancient times lived primarily in boats, traveling the
labyrinth of lakes and rivers.
The western parts of Tepat have a Mediterranean climate and a
largely chaparral vegetation, which gets sparser toward the
southwest as it merges into desert. Oak is a big component of the
chaparral in the dry hills. It is also full of dark green,
thick-leaved or scaly evergreen shrubs. These shrublands are
subject to periodic natural fires; some of the plants bear seeds
with thick, hard hulls that do not open until scorched, and
fragrant oily leaves that aid combustion. They are also valued as
medicines and flavoring in wines and sauces.
Map of the southwest of Tepat, showing the
Strait and the Inner Sea
Western Tepat is the heartland of
Qom, one of the successors of the Nyow Kingdom, and the one that
ultimately reunited the realm as the Empire of Tepat. Although
Qom itself is extinct, the region remains colloquially known as
Qom. It may be divided roughly into coastal, highland, and
interior regions. The interior region, to the east of the
mountains, fades into the general Tepatic plain and the land of
the Three Rivers.
Coast - The seaward west coast is dry and hot during the summer, when almost no rain falls. It receives almost all its precipitation during the winter months. The mountains just inland force the winter clouds to drop almost all their rain, leading to sporadic torrential rains in the foothills, which the sandy soil struggles to absorb, with sometimes disastrous consequences. In these cases, small rivers completely overflow, and dry riverbeds suddenly become active, usually very rapidly, leading to sudden flooding. Because of the hot dry summers, the main growing season is actually over winter. During the Qom dynasty era, Qom’s massive public works focused on preventing winter flooding through creating artificial lakes, which stored water. As a bonus, these stored enough water to irrigate some places during the dry periods, making summer agriculture possible, and increasing the regions food base (for awhile at least, before environmental degradation happened). Outside of winter, on rarer occasions, the region may be struck by unusual hurricanes. Hurricanes usually travel west, and veer away from Tiptum, but sometimes they may be blown northeast, most commonly striking the Peiete region.
The Mountains - actually, a mixture of hills and valleys -
tend to be drier, even in the winter, although small rivers make
agriculture possible in the valleys. The old Qom capital, Ngemyam,
was located in one such valley near one of the major passes over
the mountain. Mountains on the western side tend to be wetter, and
are often covered with forests. The mountainous terrain itself
tends to be fairly rounded and not steep or jagged, such that they
are not particularly difficult mountains to cross, or to live
amongst. A fair amount of hunting, for rabbits, deer, and other
game animals, is possible in this region. In some places, snow is
possible on mountaintops in the depths of winter.
Yôntluq - the dry strip - Yônikhut - the Grass Belt - The
interior Qom, toward the eastern side of the mountains, is
relatively flat, and somewhat drier year-round. Rangeland and
shrubland occur here, often used for grazing. The winds that cross
the mountains have usually spent their moisture before crossing,
and when they barrel downhill, blow strong, dry, and hot over the
land. On the other hand, these places can suck moisture from
interior Tepat, which in turn sucks moisture from the Inner Sea.
Most precipitation occurs in the summer from occasional
thunderstorms. Grass and trees get higher as one moves eastward
away from the mountains, and this fades into the general
environment of interior Tepat. This area was inhabited by some
Swiric and Towic peoples in ancient times, before being
assimilated by Tepat. They had typically practiced semipastoral
lifestyles, alternating between grazing on the mountain foothills
and gardening in villages along waterways. This region was the
original “home” of Qom, but Qom was pushed back by defeats by
Thûp, and this region was incorporated into Thûp briefly, leaving
Qom Proper only the foothills and the regions beyond. Hence Qom
border stations and guard towers were built in a line along the
foothills, at the start of roads and rivers.
At the southern tip, near Fog Turn, the environments of Yôntluq
and the Coast approach each other, fading into the driest, almost
rainless region. This desert area was inhabited by those
characteristic desert dwellers, the Peiete.
Twin lighthouses, TôqhawLam and Pok, are found at each end of the
strait known as Tôlman, "Fog Turn," where ships from the south
turn into the Inner Sea. The fog that rolls in at night vanishes
by noon without ever touching the ground, leaving the sun with
perfect clarity for the rest of the day. Following the glow, ships
from the Outside dock safely for the night, have their cargo
inspected by Tepat in the morning, and wait for the clarity of
afternoon to round the point into the Inner Sea. Such is the whole
west coast, south and north of it. Such is the whole west coast,
south and north of it. Lôkh i-Mûn, Warning Island is nearly midway
between the prongs of Tiptum at the entrance to the Sea.
South of the straits is the desert peninsula Pet. Despite the
millions of water droplets hanging over it each morning, this is
the driest region of Tiptum. Some plants do actually grow here,
all of these which are efficiently exploited by the native Heiepe,
who inhabited the peninsula before it was colonized by Tepat in
its attempt to control shipping through the strait.
The ubiquitous ground cover, in distant patches, is needle grass
(Yuktepat: /khut-chut/), which fends off all foragers with stiff,
sharp-pointed leaves. Brave humans have nevertheless collected it
in order to sew clothes. Other residents include the only slightly
more appetizing spiky fatleafs (/ti-yôp-phuk/) and bladeleafs
(/ti-yôp-lam/). The fatleafs’ bulbous leaves are covered with
short thorns that spiral upward toward the tip of the leaf. Every
few years they produce flowers on a single tall stalk. Those
patient enough to gather the leaves and cut off the thorns can eat
them, or pulp them to make juice or beer. Bladeleafs’ leaves are
nested within each other, with edges so sharp the natives have
used dried ones as hunting weapons. The Heiepe make bowls out of
the clustered plant leaves, which they cover with cloth and set
outside at night. The fog condenses in the cloth and the leaves as
dew, by which the people obtain a very useful substance known as
water.
The southwest desert areas of Tiptum are typically dry and
receive little rain, but are affected by neighboring tropical
weather systems. The region receives most of its precipitation in
brief and sudden torrents from west-moving tropical storms that
begin in the Inner Sea. These storms often dissipate when they
reach the desert, but sometimes they reform and gain strength on
the other side of the ocean, swelling into hurricanes that end up
blasting the coasts of Aipura and Tricunia.
Near the center of Tiptum is the "Waist," and the three "mountain countries," Notoq, Wasak, and Muqali.
Forests generally bordering the mountains in their lower, more
level reaches. These are often mixed forests; the broadleaves tend
to drop off as one climbs up, the steeper ridges being mostly the
aforementioned airy pines (also spruce, fir, pine, larch, hemlock,
and yew), and the summits generally bald and snowy. The mountains
are also home to mountain goats and bears, as well as the boss
cat. As these mountains run along the only major tectonic fault
line in Tiptum, they are subject to occasional earthquakes,
leading to occasional avalanches and landslides, and have limited
volcanic activity. It is believed that Tepat’s legendary Hyum’s
Cauldron, a lake of fire, may have been a reference to some
formerly active volcano in this mountain chain. There are a number
of volcanoes, hot springs, and caldera lakes here and there.
Tumpen, the interior valley between two of the mountain
ranges, hosts some of the driest and warmest temperatures in
northern Tiptum. The vegetation here is not related to other
desert plants, but evolved from the taiga on either side. In
latter days, this drew in settlers from the East Coast who wished
to exploit this area for cultivation, causing conflict with
original inhabitants.
The Sickle
Far Handle (Lepthel, Chûnthel?)
Notoq is the original homeland of Tepat - Tepatic people spread from here over the rest of the Plain of Tepat and Land of the Three Rivers. Unified under the kingdom of the Nyow dynasty, founded by Womuq, Tepat was divided during the age of the Shattered Land, and Notoq has been independent since then.
Notoq is situated on a plateau, part of the mountain chain running north and south through the continent. The border between Tepat and Notoq is defined by the Xhop River. The watershed boundary of the Cordillera separates Notoq from Kutsu. Nottep Pass, or the Diamond Pass, the aorta of international transport and commerce in Tepat, marks a four-way boundary among Tepat, Notoq, Kutsu, and Pahs. Meanwhile, the AAA hills (a low mountain range, compared to the plateau) separates Notoq from Muqali.
The majority of Notoq is a plateau, somewhat lower than Muqali’s,
composed of hard volcanic rock overlain on softer deposits. Like
part of the Muqali plateau, Notoq was probably deposited over
aeons by floods of molten rock, perhaps embedded in long-lost and
distorted memory reflected in myths of a Great Flood of Fire.
Where this stony layer ends, often abruptly, a series of falls are
produced, such as those at Ninil and Xhatim. Ninil
originally had a pine forest surrounding it, and two especially
old and large pines grew on either side of the fall. They were
torn down during the Shattered Land, but the name and memory
remains. Xhatim is named for two fang-like
projections of rock, between which the stream jets out. One of the
other main features is Thak i-Tsak, the "Tears of
the Rock," which features twin falls springing directly from a
rock face.
Southeastern regions of Notoq are home to partially assimilated
minority peoples who speak lesser Tepatic and Muqalic languages.
They were used as a pretext by Muqali for invading Notoq to annex
the land, followed by the “liberation” of the minorities and a
program of forced de-Notoqification. This ushered in the Age of
the Iron Fists, in which several authoritarian regimes emerged
around Tiptum.
By contrast, much of Wasak is sedimentary rock, and eroded by
water into deep-cut canyons. The various Wasak people - speaking
languages distantly related to Yuk Tepat - formed villages growing
crops in these valleys. Close to but outside the realm of Tepat,
the coastal strip was a destination for people from Tepat fleeing
the chaos of the Shattered Land. After Wasak tried to kick them
out, this invited the Conciliarity to intervene and occupy Wasak,
bringing it into the Tepatic sphere.
The Muqali plateau and adjacent mountains are the most elevated
region in Tiptum. Along its eastern border, the Qhalucutl Range is
the longest and highest mountain range in Tepat. Qatlak P’awu,
'The Dragon's Fang,' is approximately 6000m high, and the highest
mountain in Tiptum. In the northeast, along the border with Kutsu,
is the Hayalwa Range, almost as high. The country is home to a
large number of precipitous valleys, the result of glaciers which
extended very far downhill during the ice age. As clouds work
their way sweating up the slopes, they dump heavy rainfall on the
western margins of Muqali. As a consequence, parts of the lower
slopes are densely treed, though they resemble the cool fog
forests of Nowek more than the warm jungles downhill. Even further
up, and in drier interior areas, the forests turn into humble
pines. Grasses and shrubs top those, then moss and lichens, and by
the top, some of the mountains are completely covered in glaciers.
Being close to the equator, the seasons are slight and day and
night remain nigh equal throughout the year, but being highly
elevated, temperatures are cool and even frosty, being usually 10°
C cooler than the lowlands.
Map of the East Coast region of Tiptum
Amtom refers to the eastern coast, particularly of the northern half of the continent. Unlike the open areas to the west, in the east, the mountains abut very closely to the sea, and the shoreline is much more irregular than other parts of the continent. Compared to Tepat, Amtom streams are typically swift, deep, and narrow. Unlike broad, flat Tepat, the topography has worked to keep the region divided into small states, which specialize in seabourne trading.
Off the coast lies a subduction zone, which is capable of
producing massive earthquakes, at least one per century. The East
Coast is thus sometimes threatened by tsunami, although mitigated
by the aptly-named Barrier Islands (not yet on the map). The giant
waves, rising from the trench, wash over the (less-populated)
eastern shores of the Barrier Islands, but dissipate before
passing through the straits toward the main Amtomic coast.
During the winter, warm dry winds roll over the mountain slopes,
keeping the coast warm and largely free of ice and snow, although
they also increase the risk of fires. During the summer, rain is
provided mostly in the form of afternoon thunderstorms (though
milder than in Tepat), and less frequently, but more dramatically,
in the form of typhoons blown in from the equatorial waters to the
east.
The mountainous interior is forested by large deciduous trees,
largely the same species found in Eastern Tepat, and at higher
elevations and latitudes, needleleaf trees. There are great
differences between the boreal forests in the north, and tropical
ones in the south. Offshore, the islands have essentially the same
profile of trees and wildlife, though with some unique species
here and there in the Barriers.
Map of the southern tropical region of Tiptum
The tropical region encompassing the provinces (or states) of
Nusam and Wetey may be collectively referred to as Thoyot, which
is presumed to be a corruption of /they yot/, or “four rivers,”
referring to four major rivers that drain the region and exit to
the sea nearby each other. The Tulpaya (Muqali, “Great River”) is
the longest and widest, and one of two major rivers that originate
in Muqali and drain southwest through the forested lowlands into
the Yuk Sôl. (The other big river is the Cipcuya.) It is also,
narrowly, behind the Phitim river system as the longest river
system in Tiptum. The Tulpaya originates from a mountain spring in
Northern Muqali which feeds 'Worldbirth' Lake, Taluk Niqtawu. It
exits the lake and flows in a broad arc southward and westward
into the forested area and reaches the sea at the equator. Its
biggest tributary is the Milk’it, which originates in the Huttha
region of southern Muqali and turns northwest to join the Tulpaya
near the foothills.
The entire region is warm year-round and covered with forests.
These include true tropical rainforests in the lowlands along the
coast and the river banks, sometimes extending out into the water
as swamps. Further inland they become more savannah-like, before
thickening again into cooler, misty cloud forests toward the
foothills of the mountains. The forests finally thin out again
into perverted shrubs as one reaches the proper Muqali region. The
tropical grasslands are characterized by frequent lumpy
pampas-grass-like clumps and tussocks, and more occasionally
various heights of palms, grass-trees, and other odd and gangly
monocots, besides thorned acacia or mesquite trees.
In the southeast corner of the tropics, there is a spur of land
which offers a harbor safe from destructive sea waves, allowing a
port to be built there, and evolve into a big city and a major
spot on the international sea shipping lanes.
Reguándóy domum <http://ando.conlang.org/>
© 2005-2025 by Damátir Ando. Updated May 6, 2025.
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Tiptum
Tiptum, the continent on which Tepat sits, is the easternmost and
second largest continent on the planet.
Physical
Climate
Vegetation
Political
Linguistic
Tepat sits in the center of the second-largest continent, above a
large mediterranean sea. The continent as a whole stretches from
the tropics to the polar regions. Tiptum is divided roughly into
two half-continents, known as Pantip Lam and Pantip Pok, Panlam
and Panpok, Lamtip and Poktip, or Lamitip and Pokitip. The area
where they join, running through Notoq, is sometimes referred to
as /Nûmtip/, the ‘navel’ or ‘waist’ of the continent, or /Yôntip/,
its ‘belt.’
In addition to north and south, the continent is also divided into
east and west by a series of mountain ranges. The Tiptum
Cordillera runs through Tiptum, primarily parallel to the eastern
coast of the continent. It includes the Notoq and Muqali Plateaux,
and the Muqali mountains. The Muqali mountains are the highest,
forming a long chain parallel to the east coast of the southern
half of the continent. The Hamtum ranges consist of several
interconnecting short mountain ranges in the northeast of the
country.
The continent as a whole produces a weak monsoon. There is a peak
in rain during the summer season on the east coast, with
relatively even precipitation through the year in western parts of
the continent. Northwestern Tiptum is also home to the world’s
most tornado-prone region, for much the same reason that North
America is on Earth. Northern Tiptum sits above a very warm sea,
feeding moisture into the continent. The north-south orientation
of the Cordillera, and absence of east-west mountain ranges, means
that nothing blocks the free flow of air over the continent, and
the collision of hot and cold masses, producing violent storms.
The tornado season climbs northward throughout the year, roughly
following the advance of the warm spring and summer air masses.
Beginning in the delta region in February-March, the peak of
tornado formation reaches the central Valley region in
March-April, proceeds north of it in April-May, and reaches the
Swíra regions in May-June, before disappearing. There may be a
smaller bump in tornado occurrences during the fall. In Hamtom,
hurricanes are common but tornadoes are rarer, and most tornadoes
that do form are spawned on the edges of hurricanes that strike
land.
The Northern Interior
The fog stops when it hits the mountains. Past them, clear, cold,
and dry skies observe the progression of airy pines to burly
shrubs and finally mere bristles of grass. By that time though, it
has reached the Eastern Range and Tumpen, and pines reclaim their
rank.
Tepat
Different regions of Tepat have different seasonal patterns of
precipitation. The eastern part, with a humid subtropical climate,
gets precipitation mainly in the summer in the form of
thunderstorms, with less in winter. The western regions with more
Mediterranean climates have dry summers with rain in the winter.
In the middle of Tepat where the two climate zones transition,
there is a zone with two annual peaks in precipitation, in the
summer, and the winter. By coincidence, this area corresponds
largely to the drainage basin of the Phitim river. The
availability of so much water year-round made it ideal for
agriculture and transport, however, floods were also a risk. Thus
a major aspect of Tepatic governance and history concerned the
maintenance of flood control systems and the management of
irrigation and transportation systems.
//////
/The
Straits and the Southwest Corner///
/The Desert
of Tiptum///
Southwest of Tepat, across the strait that offers the only
entrance to the Inner Sea, the port of /Tôlman/, “Fog Turn,” lies
on a desert peninsula. Fog rolls in each night, and vanishes by
noon. Tepat has erected numerous lighthouses to guide ships past
the rocky shores. Following the glow, ships from the Outside dock
safely for the night, have their cargo inspected by Tepat in the
morning, and wait for the clarity of afternoon to round the point
into the Inner Sea.
Despite the millions of water droplets hanging over it each
morning, this is the driest region of Tiptum. Some plants do
actually grow here, all of these which are efficiently exploited
by the native Heiepe, who inhabited the peninsula before it was
colonized by Tepat in its attempt to control shipping through the
strait.
The ubiquitous ground cover, in distant patches, is needle grass
(Yuktepat: /khut-chut/), which fends off all foragers with stiff,
sharp-pointed leaves. Brave humans have nevertheless collected it
in order to sew clothes. Other residents include the only slightly
more appetizing spiky fatleafs (/ti-yôp-phuk/) and bladeleafs
(/ti-yôp-lam/). The fatleafs’ bulbous leaves are covered with
short thorns that spiral upward toward the tip of the leaf. Every
few years they produce flowers on a single tall stalk. Those
patient enough to gather the leaves and cut off the thorns can eat
them, or pulp them to make juice or beer.
Bladeleafs’ leaves are nested within each other, with edges so
sharp the natives have used dried ones as hunting weapons. The
Heiepe make bowls out of the clustered plant leaves, which they
cover with cloth and set outside at night. The fog condenses in
the cloth and the leaves as dew, by which the people obtain a very
useful substance known as /water/.
The southwest desert areas of Tiptum are typically dry and receive
little rain, but are affected by neighboring tropical weather
systems. The region receives most of its precipitation in brief
and sudden torrents from west-moving tropical storms that begin in
the Inner Sea. These storms often dissipate when they reach the
desert, but sometimes they reform and gain strength on the other
side of the ocean, swelling into hurricanes that end up blasting
the coasts of Aipura and Tricunia.
The Muqali plateau and adjacent mountains are the most elevated
region in Tiptum. The country is home to a large number of
precipitous valleys, the result of glaciers which extended very
far downhill during the ice age.
As clouds work their way sweating up the slopes, they dump heavy
rainfall on the western margins of Muqali. As a consequence, parts
of the lower slopes are densely treed, though they resemble the
cool fog forests of Nowek more than the warm jungles downhill.
Even further up, and in drier interior areas, the forests turn
into humble pines. Grasses and shrubs top those, then moss and
lichens, and by the top, some of the mountains are completely
covered in glaciers.
Muqali is a curious case in that, being close to the equator, the
seasons are slight and day and night remain nigh equal throughout
the year, but being highly elevated, temperatures are cool and
even frosty, being usually 10° C cooler than the lowlands.
Qatlak P’awu is approximately 6000m high, and the highest mountain
in Tiptum. (Is it really the highest, or is it just the
topographically most prominent one?)
Southern Tiptum / The Tropics
The tropical region encompassing the provinces (or states) of
Nusam and Wetey may be collectively referred to as Thoyot, which
is presumed to be a corruption of /they yot/, or “four rivers,”
referring to four major rivers that drain the region and exit to
the sea nearby each other. The entire region is warm year-round
and covered with forests. These include true tropical rainforests
in the lowlands along the coast and the river banks, sometimes
extending out into the water as swamps. Further inland they become
more savannah-like, before thickening again into cooler, misty
cloud forests toward the foothills of the mountains. The forests
finally thin out again into perverted shrubs as one reaches the
proper Muqali region.
The tropical grasslands are characterized by frequent lumpy
pampas-grass-like clumps and tussocks, and more occasionally
various heights of palms, grass-trees, and other odd and gangly
monocots, besides t horned acacia or mesquite trees.
Open up into woodland of spotty trees but thronging grass.
The Tulpaya (Muqali, “Great River”) is the longest and widest of
three major rivers in the southern half of Tiptum which drain into
the Yewek Sea, and one of two major rivers that originate in
Muqali and drain southwest through the forested lowlands into the
Yewek. (The other big river is the Cipcuya.) It is also, narrowly,
behind the Phitim river system as the longest river system in
Tiptum. The Tulpaya originates from a mountain spring in Northern
Muqali which feeds Taluk Niqtawu. It exits the lake and flows in a
broad arc southward and westward into the forested area and
reaches the sea at a mere one degree north of the equator. Its
biggest tributary is the Milk’it, which originates in the Huttha
region of southern Muqali and turns northwest to join the Tulpaya
near the foothills.
In the southeast corner of the tropics, there is a spur of land
which offers a harbor safe from destructive sea waves, allowing a
port to be built there, and evolve into a big city and a major
spot on the international sea shipping lanes.
Satellite Maps and Images
In space
Seen among the stars
The continents, labelled
The Continent of Atonya
The Continent of Atonya
The Continent of Tiptum
The Continent of Tiptum
The Little-Explored Southern Continent
The Southern Continent
Physical and Terrain Maps
Climate and Vegetation Maps
asas
Climate map
Natural Vegetation Map of Sopih---
Political Maps
Political Map of Tiptum
Cultural Maps
Linguistic Map of Tiptum
-------------------------
Obsolete Maps
This space is for some maps which are now deprecated because of
changes to the geography of the world.
Sopih, in psychedelic color
Sopih, in psychedelic color
Winter in the Northern Hemisphere
Winter in the Northern Hemisphere.
Old map of Aipura
An old map of Aipura
Reguándóy domum <http://ando.conlang.org/>
© 2005-2011 by Damátir Ando. Updated May 25, 2015.