Biomes

Biomes

Biomes are not always something seen being used in many settings but are of import here. Each Biome here has a complex food web that usually has two sides to it that operate interactively and create challenges when traveling. On one side are more common and typical plants and animals, while on the other are monsters and other things of a less “normative” nature, as well as both the small and large versions of all of them. In addition to that, different Biomes have different soil and weather types, and so can vary dramatically. Biomes do not inherently make sense on Wyrlde – an alpine environment might suddenly break out into a sylvan woodland, for example. This is usually a sign that there is a Spirit of the World present, who protects, engages, and maintains that biome.

From the perspective of a traveler, the chances of encountering things are often directly affected by the biomes that one passes through – as well as what one might encounter.

Biome Format

Wyrlde has a basic, simple format for biomes. It includes a brief description of the region and a simple D20 encounter table for typical random encounters.

Biome Type
Biome Description
	D20	Encounter	D20	Encounter
	1		11
	2		12
	3		13
	4		14
	5		15
	6		16
	7		17
	8		18
	9		19
	10		20

In addition, Wyrlde has a set structure for local maps that allow one to see the biomes and how they interact.

Frigid Areas

These are biomes found primarily in high Alpine or Arctic regions, where the mean average temperature is low enough for permafrost and year-round snow.

1BAlpine
Alpine biomes exist above the tree line on very tall mountains. They are usually iced over most if not all the year and are known to be the home of some formidable creatures. The mountains are an Alpine biome, and while the mountains here are not as high as some on earth, they are still tall, and still deadly, and still ice capped year-round.
	D20	Encounter	D20	Encounter
	1		11
	2		12
	3		13
	4		14
	5		15
	6		16
	7		17
	8		18
	9		19
	10		20

2BTundra
Tundra is a flat and cold grassland with low plants like grass and moss that only grow during the short summer. A thick layer of ice lies just below the shallow soil (permafrost) all year around, and trees cannot penetrate it to anchor their roots. Many birds visit the tundra in the summer to nest, but most escape the winter by migrating to warmer areas.
	D20	Encounter	D20	Encounter
	1		11
	2		12
	3		13
	4		14
	5		15
	6		16
	7		17
	8		18
	9		19
	10		20

3BTaiga
Taiga is made up of mainly conical-shaped evergreen trees with needle-like leaves. The taiga has long, cold winters.
	D20	Encounter	D20	Encounter
	1		11
	2		12
	3		13
	4		14
	5		15
	6		16
	7		17
	8		18
	9		19
	10		20

Sheltered Valleys

The biome is composed of places where the biome is markedly different from that around it, making it a complex one found in narrow canyons, narrow valleys, and earthen fissures. They are never large – the biggest might be a couple miles long and a half mile wide – and always protected from the weather in a way that makes them stand out from the region around them. Sheltered Valleys tend to have the most interesting starts, middles, and ends for adventures.

4BCanyon
Canyon biomes are found in narrow ravines, at the base and along the sides, able to withstand harsher weather of areas around them, but usually are drier ad often found in sandstone mountains near deserts. There are many canyons along what was once the Bitter Road, places where those on the Bleak Journey were able to find momentary rest, water, and edibles.
	D20	Encounter	D20	Encounter
	1		11
	2		12
	3		13
	4		14
	5		15
	6		16
	7		17
	8		18
	9		19
	10		20

5BGlen
A Glen is an open cavern or cave, a former sinkhole or similar place, where the ways and places of the earth have opened up and changed the biome from the surrounding area. They are often more humid, and frequently reveal things, being hidden places. Many Glens hold access to the Underdark and other areas beneath the surface.
	D20	Encounter	D20	Encounter
	1		11
	2		12
	3		13
	4		14
	5		15
	6		16
	7		17
	8		18
	9		19
	10		20

6BVale
A Vale is a small Valley, idyllic and protected from the elements, usually four seasons, but can have a milder climate even in otherwise harsh regions. The Colonies are located in hidden Vales. Also called a Dale or a Dell.
	D20	Encounter	D20	Encounter
	1		11
	2		12
	3		13
	4		14
	5		15
	6		16
	7		17
	8		18
	9		19
	10		20

Wooded Biomes

All forests are wooded biomes except those within a desert, even Taiga.

7BWoodland
This is the kind of forest where there are four relatively distinct seasons. Many of the trees shed their leaves in the fall and become inactive through the frigid winter
	D20	Encounter	D20	Encounter
	1		11
	2		12
	3		13
	4		14
	5		15
	6		16
	7		17
	8		18
	9		19
	10		20

8BRainforest
A temperate rainforest is where it stays warm all year. The vast numbers of trees keep their leaves year-round. Many of these forests get so much rain that there isn’t even much of a dry season – more like a rainy season and a rainier season.
	D20	Encounter	D20	Encounter
	1		11
	2		12
	3		13
	4		14
	5		15
	6		16
	7		17
	8		18
	9		19
	10		20

9BJungle
This is your thick, wet, dense, green and bug filled, muddy and noisy and smelly tropical rainforest. They are found mostly on Islandia, but also around the southern, more tropical areas of the Seven Seas.
	D20	Encounter	D20	Encounter
	1		11
	2		12
	3		13
	4		14
	5		15
	6		16
	7		17
	8		18
	9		19
	10		20

10BSylvan
Sylvan biomes are commonly deciduous and temperate forests, sometimes with mixed types, two tier canopies (as opposed to a Rainforest’s three or four). Nearly all Bamboo forests are Sylvan. Beech and Birch trees are the most common.
	D20	Encounter	D20	Encounter
	1		11
	2		12
	3		13
	4		14
	5		15
	6		16
	7		17
	8		18
	9		19
	10		20

Grasslands

Sometimes called plains or prairie, grasslands are almost entirely short to tall grasses with no or few scattered clumps of trees. This land type gets just enough rain to help grasses, flowers, and herbs grow, but stays dry enough that fires are frequent, and trees cannot easily survive across the whole region due to lower levels of rain.

11BMeadow
Meadows are marked by a high concentration of edible plants and flowers, often ringed by trees or separated from other, nearby grasslands. Meadows have shorter grasses, rarely getting above two feet in height, and are favorite pastures.
	D20	Encounter	D20	Encounter
	1		11
	2		12
	3		13
	4		14
	5		15
	6		16
	7		17
	8		18
	9		19
	10		20

12BPlain
Plains are temperate low grasslands. They very rarely have trees and are sometimes described as oceans of grass. They can be windy, and are subject to regular, predictable seasons of alternating wet and dry. Plains have grasses that grow as tall as four feet.
	D20	Encounter	D20	Encounter
	1		11
	2		12
	3		13
	4		14
	5		15
	6		16
	7		17
	8		18
	9		19
	10		20

13BPrairie
Prairies are temperate low grasslands typically found in valleys. They occasionally have trees, mostly on the edges or near water sources. They can be windy, and are subject to regular, predictable seasons of alternating wet and dry. Prairies have grasses that grow as tall as seven feet and can have seemingly entire worlds that are unseen from elsewhere within one.
	D20	Encounter	D20	Encounter
	1		11
	2		12
	3		13
	4		14
	5		15
	6		16
	7		17
	8		18
	9		19
	10		20

14BSavanna
These tree-studded grasslands receive enough seasonal rainfall so that trees can grow in open groups or singly throughout. The animals living here have long legs for escaping predators and usually are seen in herds. A combination of fire and grazing animals are important for maintaining the savanna. Savanna are tropical Biome grasslands. Savanna grasslands typically have grasses that grow to about four feet in height during the wet season but die down during the dry season to almost nothing.
	D20	Encounter	D20	Encounter
	1		11
	2		12
	3		13
	4		14
	5		15
	6		16
	7		17
	8		18
	9		19
	10		20

Shrubland/Scrubland

Scrublands are drier than Grasslands, and decidedly anything but flat. They are hilly terrain, only occasionally reaching as high as 4,000 feet, mostly running between 2,000 and 3,000 feet, with valleys and dips and narrow or wide canyons, but a notable absence of hard and sheer faces. Scrublands are more rounded and gentle appearing.

15BChaparral
The chaparral is also called scrub forest. The annual rainfall in this biome ranges from 25.6–29.5 in and most of the rain falls in the winter. Summers are very dry, and many chaparral plants are dormant during the summertime. The chaparral vegetation is dominated by shrubs and is adapted to periodic fires, with some plants producing seeds that germinate only after a hot fire. The ashes left behind after a fire are rich in nutrients like nitrogen and fertilize the soil, promoting plant regrowth. Fire is a natural part of the maintenance of this biome.
	D20	Encounter	D20	Encounter
	1		11
	2		12
	3		13
	4		14
	5		15
	6		16
	7		17
	8		18
	9		19
	10		20

16BSteppe
Steppes are cool, hilly, rugged, and covered by shrubs and scrub. Steppe vegetation is dominated by shrubs and is adapted to periodic fires, with some plants producing seeds that germinate only after a hot fire. The ashes left behind after a fire are rich in nutrients like nitrogen and fertilize the soil, promoting plant regrowth. Fire is a natural part of the maintenance of this biome. Steppes will have small clusters of trees in thickets – young growth, densely packed. Grasses and shrubs are generally very diverse, but most are over four feet in height.
	D20	Encounter	D20	Encounter
	1		11
	2		12
	3		13
	4		14
	5		15
	6		16
	7		17
	8		18
	9		19
	10		20

17BVeldt
Veldts are warm, hilly, rugged, and covered by shrubs and scrub. Moor vegetation is dominated by shrubs and is adapted to periodic fires, with some plants producing seeds that germinate only after a hot fire. The ashes left behind after a fire are rich in nutrients like nitrogen and fertilize the soil, promoting plant regrowth. Fire is a natural part of the maintenance of this biome. Grasses and shrubs grow three to five feet high here.
	D20	Encounter	D20	Encounter
	1		11
	2		12
	3		13
	4		14
	5		15
	6		16
	7		17
	8		18
	9		19
	10		20

18BMoor
A Moor is a high, mountain shrubland, cool, subject to snow, and usually possessing unique grasses and herbs, plants, and animals. The grasses and shrubs on a heath grow to about three feet high.
	D20	Encounter	D20	Encounter
	1		11
	2		12
	3		13
	4		14
	5		15
	6		16
	7		17
	8		18
	9		19
	10		20

Deserts

Deserts make up the hottest biome but can also get cold temperatures in winter. Such temperature swings make this an extreme environment, where many animals must burrow underground to find more stable temperatures to survive. Plants and animals here must be able to withstand prolonged periods without water.

Barrens

A barren is a desert area that is dry, perhaps somewhat rocky, does not often get much rain but still supports plant life in scattered areas and has plenty of life that struggles. And finds a way. Barrens are feared because they are also known to have places where quicksand exists, massive moist sinkholes fed by underground streams and made up of silt that often seems dry on the surface and is merely thick sludge below.

Sand Sea

This biome is primarily identified by sand. Sand everywhere. Sand in everything. Sand, sand, sand. Dorado has the largest known sand sea. Of note is that the Sand Sea of Dorado is often traversed by Sandships, which are typically driven by magic as if the sand itself were water. Sandships are built along the same lines as sea ships – the finer sand of the Doradan Sand Sea enables far less friction.

Desert

This biome is typically covered by large amounts of crushed stone, and are sometimes called a Stone Desert or rocky desert. Much of the long Bitter Road is simple desert interrupted by spots of barrens and sand.

Oasis

A biome found exclusively within deserts, around a source of freshwater. They will be surrounded by assorted Palm trees and fig trees, and have a low growing, inch high at best groundcover that is thick and somewhat rubbery.

Riparian Areas

Riparian biomes surround freshwater rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, and other related areas. They are the Waterways, and this applies to locations where there is no human settlement around it.

Riparian

This is a freshwater biome around streams, rivers, and watering holes that possess tall banks of loose stone and rock over firmer root and dense soil. Essentially the sides of a river about to about half a mile.

Spring

This is a freshwater biome around springs and watering holes that possess shallow pools and serve as watering holes. Some will include hot springs, which are waters heated by some internal force within the earth and have minerals and often surprising abilities.

Lakeshore

This is a freshwater biome around lakes, ponds, and similar larger bodies of freshwater that possess tall banks of soil and stone.

Wetlands

Wetlands are fairly rare on Avilon, but where they are it is a broad and large area covering several square miles.

Marsh

A marsh is a freshwater wetland, usually heavily wooded, with rain frequent and river drainage often. Marshes are found in cooler areas, with water that is sluggish, brackish, and usually 5 to 12 feet deep.

Swamp

A swamp biome is a saltwater marsh or bog that has Mangrove trees in a kind of forest structure. It will have many other kinds of trees and will slowly shift as it moves inland from saltwater to fresh, but always have a water depth of three to five feet. Swamp biomes are typically humid and warm.

Bog

A Bog is a wetland that is full of peat moss and similar mosses, often compacting down into tight layers that are then flooded around and part of water, with little oxygen and few fish, but a great deal of other wildlife. Bogs can often run as deep as thirty feet and spread out around things. Bogs are also home to several vines sorts and other plants and are a favorite haunt of mushrooms and plant critters.

Underground Spaces

The underground biomes are of a kind all their own. Note that Agarthan areas are formally considered to be part of the Underdark, and one should always tread carefully lest you stumble across one or more of the many traps, surprises, and tricks they have for those who dare follow into their warrens.

Cavern

This biome exists in a natural space underground, typically dry.

Sea Cave

Sea caves are found among the littoral region and are formed by the sea.

Wet Cave

Wet caves are very moist, naturally formed spaces.

Agarthan

This Biome exists in a semi-natural space underground, often occupied by Imps and damn fool adventurers. The Agarthan biomes are also the means by which Goblins and others are able to conduct raids and attacks, using them to smuggle their ill-gotten gains out and to the civilized lands.

Oceanic

The Oceanic Biomes are for the large bodies of saltwater – the oceans, seas, and similar locations.

Littoral

The shoreline of the seas, within sight of land, no deeper than 660 feet. This is generally warmer water than much, and where much of the common sea life is found.

Pelagic

Shallow waters (down to one quarter mile, or 1300 feet). Schools of fish and the occasional predator mark this region.

Bathylgic

The zone between 1300 and 3200 feet in the open ocean. There are strange creatures, massive in size, that dwell in this region, but they even fear those who rise from the deep water, where sunlight never reaches, which is below this.

Benthic

Pretty much as you guessed – deep water. Depths over 3200 feet. There is not much natural light here. Note that Wyrlde’s oceans as they are known only run about 6000 feet deep at the deepest parts around Avilon. According to some brave explorers from the Sea realms, there are large undersea sheltered Valleys scattered about the ocean’s depths, and strange creatures dwell there. Overall, Wyrlde’s oceans are shallow compared to those of some Incarnates’ origin worlds.

Marine

This open water biome includes the major oceans beyond the Littoral zone (outside sight of land). Marine water has elevated levels of salt, so animals and plants living here have adaptations that help them get rid of salt or take on water. This is a surface version of Pelagic in many ways and is where much of the sea’s bounty can be found.

Island

This biome is for oceanic islands.

Mortal Croft

Mortal croft biomes are those created by us – people.

Settled

This Biome is wherever settlement by people is ongoing.

Reclaimed

This Biome is wherever a settlement has been abandoned.

Croplands

This Biome is irrigated agricultural land.

Rangelands

This biome is herding land that sees frequent, persistent, ongoing use in agricultural herding.

Forested

This biome is a human maintained, wooded area, not too unlike a park.

Ruined

This biome exists where the land has been ruined by some great cataclysm. On Wyrlde, these are rarely devoid of life – instead, the life there tends to be hungry, alien, and inevitably deadly. The Wastes are an example of a Ruined biome. However, some biomes whose Spirits have been slain or otherwise been lost may become ruined as well.

Dungeon

This biome exists in manmade space underground. There are more than a few known ones, but most adventurers will avoid even them – they are rife and well known to be heavily trapped and designed to kill.