Otter island (fictional)
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Otter Island is the setting of a story series of the same name begun by cartoonist and novelist Oren Otter. This is not to be confused with the actual Otter Island, located in Wisconsin.
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Location
While the actual location of Otter Island is a mystery to most humans, it is believed to be located in the mid-Pacific, somewhere northwest of Hawaii.
Origins and history
In the distant past, Oberon, the emperor of the faeries took it into his head to explore the many different plains of reality. While it was within his power to transport himself to the various dimensions, he instead instructed his engineers to construct a magical system of interdimensional gates. In time, the faeries were able to place gates on nearly a billion worlds, including one on what is now known as otter island.
Oberon arrived in this world, saw nothing of interest, and continued on his way.
As the years went by, magic from the portal seeped out into the environment, infusing the island with eldrich energy. This attracted the attention of magic users from around the world, who came from far and near to study the magical island and the gate thereon. This had the effect of leaving the rest of the world nearly devoid of magic and concentrating said magic on the island.
Once the mages of this world discovered how to control the interdimensional gate, an expedition was mounted into a high-magic realm, on which the entire population of the island went. None of them were ever heard from again.
Centuries later, the island, infused with even more magic, gained consciousness. It sought out other life forms to keep it company, but its only visitors were nageels, an unsavory sort of were-eel which had also been created by magic seeping from the gateway. The island did not like the nageels and banished them to live in the sea. It then remained alone until the day a half-drowned river otter found his way ashore.
The island cared for the otter, nursed him back to health, and grew to like him immensely. Feeling that it wanted to know more otters, it sent out a telepathic invitation to all otters everywhere.
Inhabitants
Otter Island is now populated almost exclusively by otters. There are fourteen ordinary species, including Amazonian giants (River wolves), Kalans (Sea otters), Water Kings (Maxwell's otters) and so forth. There are also a number of extradimensional and mythical species, including shape-changing kushtaka, flying star otters, plush cookiesnitchers, tiny microlonts, cartoon otters, and even a vaporeon or two.
Nearly all of the otters who live on the island have some small amount of human blood. This can be attributed to the large number of kushtaka (were-otters) on the island, but also to ancestors who were born as humans but at some point were magically transformed.
But not all of the citizens of the island are otters. Other sentient species to settle there include aquatic moles, sugar-glider-like kendru and a variety of elves.
Ambient magic
Much to the delight of its inhabitants, Otter Island has a number of magical features.
The most obvious is that all creratures living thereon receive a boost to their intelligence. Amphibians become like reptiles. Reptiles become like rodents. Rodents become as smart as dogs, and dogs like apes. Otters, who are already incredibly intelligent, possessing complex language, tool-using skills and a curious, inquisitive nature, have become rather like humans in their thinking.
The second greatest advantage of the island's ambient magic is that it gives its citizens the ability to understand any spoken language. Thus, any otter, regardless of his land of origin, can understand and communicate with any other. They can also communicate with humans, or any other creature capable of advanced verbal language.
Culture and politics
Otter Island is divided into ten villages and surrounding districts. Each village is semi-autonomous, being self-governing in most respects.
There is little need for law, as otters are less materialistic than humans and much more friendly. However, if an otter causes trouble for others, he is first left to his family to deal with. If that does not work, he is dealt with by the village authorities. If this is not effective, then and only then is he taken before the king.
The governing body of Otter Island consists of the king and queen and a council of village mayors. The mayors each govern their own territory while the king and queen concentrate their efforts on trade, defense and special celebrations.
The standing military of Otter Island is the coastal patrol, a ten-person force consisting of the best warrior from each of the ten villages. In wartime, however, all citizens who are able to fight are expected to do so.
The commercial face of Otter Island can only be called communist. Each citizen is expected to contribute to society based on ability and desire. Whatever work they do is considered payment in full for any goods or services received. Thus, all goods and services are free. While this would not work in a human society, the less materialistic and more social nature of otters makes it a workable arrangement.
Homes are generally simple affairs, either a burrow, cabin or covered platform containing a bed, a toilet, a larder, a few chairs or cushions, and a place to store toys.
Otters celebrate at every given opportunity, and have adopted many human holidays into their calendars, including Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, New Year's, Halloween, St. Patrick's Day, Valentine's Day, Fasching, Cinco De Mayo, Guy Fawkes Day, Waitangi Day, Oktoberfest, Vernal Equinoxe and many others.
Sports also play a very large part in otter life. The most popular sports on the island are rope-ball, waterball, triathalon (running, swimming and sliding) and Marco-Polo.
Allies and enemies
Allies of Otter Island include: Rat City, an extradimensional city populated by evolved rodents. Insectivore City, an extradimensional realm of intelligent anteaters. Cafe, a living, shape-shifting restaurant who communicates by exchange of physical substance. The Alliance of Elves, a confederation of many different species of elves from across the multiverse. Monaurs, or Vinecrawlers, legless one-eared animals who inhabit a microscopic universe.
Enemies include: The Astruchin, bizarre starfish-like aliens who have no concept of compassion. Nexicul, an evil tree-spirit who seeks to control all life in the multiverse. Kendru, a race who tend to consider otters as vermin.
The most prominent enemy, however, are the nageel. These are shape-shifters, able to change from human to eel and back at will, but normally assuming the shape of a large eel with arms. The nageel were created by the same ambient magic which gave Otter Island its sentience, and are determined to take the island for themselves, whether the island likes it or not. They are cruel, sadistic creatures, and hate the otters with a passion. However, since otters are naturally equipped to kill eels, the nageel have not had much success in direct confrontation. Instead, they live offshore and harass the otters with their periodic raids.
Physical features
Since developing its love for otters, Otter Island has begun to look a great deal like an otter itself. It is crescent-shaped, with a head-like formation at the east end. Here exists a sizeable lake. To the south, near the fish farms, are hot springs. To the west of the hot springs is Mt. Sploosh, a cavernous mountain with a spring in the center. This makes the entire mountain into an enormous indoor-outdoor water park. Mt. Sploosh is also the source of all fresh water on the island. Immediately next to Mt. Sploosh is lookour rock, a stone outcropping which overlooks the shallow lagoon. To the south and west are broad plains on which may be found farms, orchards, and an enormous outdoor marketplace. The plains are divided by a fjord which separates the "torso" region of the island from the "tail". Traveling northwest, one encounters marshes, followed by forested hills, and finally a strip of frozen tiaga which is kept frigid by subterranean ice caves. To the west of the main island is a long sandbar, on which the interdimensional gate is located.
Additional resources
More detailed information, including art, stories, audio files and scientific facts about otters can be found at the Otter Island homepage (http://pandora.xepher.net/otterisland).