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Tropical Islands
Quote from Shevrock on October 19, 2016, 2:49 pmHello everybody. I've never really posted here before, so i'm not entirely sure about the etiquette of how to ask my question, but i need some help. I've done a ton of research into historical Polynesia, Hawaii, and New Zealand (I know New Zealand isn't tropical but it was part of the Polynesian diaspora so to speak) but i know nothing about what it feels like to be on an island. I can bullshit all day long about how you can always smell the sea or hear the ocean, as it's pre-industrial in my fic, or how the sun is always beating down, the air is damp and sticky, ect ect, but i need more than that. I need things only people who have been on an island would know, or just something you guys know about islands that can help me out.
Help me Obi-wan Kenobi, you're my only hope.
Hello everybody. I've never really posted here before, so i'm not entirely sure about the etiquette of how to ask my question, but i need some help. I've done a ton of research into historical Polynesia, Hawaii, and New Zealand (I know New Zealand isn't tropical but it was part of the Polynesian diaspora so to speak) but i know nothing about what it feels like to be on an island. I can bullshit all day long about how you can always smell the sea or hear the ocean, as it's pre-industrial in my fic, or how the sun is always beating down, the air is damp and sticky, ect ect, but i need more than that. I need things only people who have been on an island would know, or just something you guys know about islands that can help me out.
Help me Obi-wan Kenobi, you're my only hope.
Quote from ellenscult on October 20, 2016, 6:30 amI know the UK (England/Scotland/Wales, Northern Ireland) are very different from the islands you're looking at, but in my experience of living in England and Northern Ireland, mostly what I notice about living on an island are the weather and transport. The weather is extremely changeable, more so in Northern Ireland than in England (much smaller island, on the edge of the Atlantic), but doesn't hit the extremes of hot or cold - the weather coming in off the ocean keeps it cooler in the heat and warmer in the depths of winter. It's always some variety of damp - either humid and sticky that makes it harder to do anything or a cold damp that gets into your bones. Transport - there's always a disconnect - getting to places always involves more difficult travel, so visiting friends or family or going anywhere outside the immediate area requires getting on a plane or a boat. Since your islands are pre-industrial, that'd be much smaller boats! Getting anything (food, clothing, materials - everything from metal to wood to stone to ceramics, etc) that's not local is more difficult or costly because it requires transport in, usually by boat. There's a culture of self-reliance. It's easier to only pay attention to what's going on in your immediate neighbourhood, since it's self-contained. Outsiders can be both necessary and a source of suspicion.
I know this isn't quite what you're after, but I hope it helps!
I know the UK (England/Scotland/Wales, Northern Ireland) are very different from the islands you're looking at, but in my experience of living in England and Northern Ireland, mostly what I notice about living on an island are the weather and transport. The weather is extremely changeable, more so in Northern Ireland than in England (much smaller island, on the edge of the Atlantic), but doesn't hit the extremes of hot or cold - the weather coming in off the ocean keeps it cooler in the heat and warmer in the depths of winter. It's always some variety of damp - either humid and sticky that makes it harder to do anything or a cold damp that gets into your bones. Transport - there's always a disconnect - getting to places always involves more difficult travel, so visiting friends or family or going anywhere outside the immediate area requires getting on a plane or a boat. Since your islands are pre-industrial, that'd be much smaller boats! Getting anything (food, clothing, materials - everything from metal to wood to stone to ceramics, etc) that's not local is more difficult or costly because it requires transport in, usually by boat. There's a culture of self-reliance. It's easier to only pay attention to what's going on in your immediate neighbourhood, since it's self-contained. Outsiders can be both necessary and a source of suspicion.
I know this isn't quite what you're after, but I hope it helps!
Quote from Nimue of the North on October 20, 2016, 8:18 amI havent't been to any tropical islands, yet (*sighs*) but following along the line of thought of ellenscult I've spent many of my holidays on the small islands along the German coast. Those are really small communities, normally one village per island. Nowadays there's of course a great influx of tourists during the summer, but otherwise and in earlier centuries the communities are very small, tight-knit and self-contained. Bringing in anything that can't be harvested/made on the island is always a big effort and expensive.
As far as the relationship between the people and the land goes, I think there's an enormous familiarity because you can literally walk the coastline in less than a day and that's the whole area you're dealing with, unless you do get on a boat. At the same time these islands are very prone to change in face of the elements. Water and wind constantly erode the ground and sand on one side and pile it up again on the other. Because those islands are close to the main land in relatively shallow water, the water level changes by several meters with the tides. There are some mini-islands with just one or a handful of farms on them where till this day the mailman comes on foot during low tide because the whole area falls dry. Being caught out by the returning water is very dangerous because of the strong currents.
Over all I think the sea is very ambiguous for people living on islands like these. They often live off it in one way or the other, but it's also a big danger during floodings and storms.
Personality wise I've met people who really embrace the small community and are glad they don't have to deal with the world at large on a regular basis. Others feel cut off and almost claustrophobic and do everything they can to leave.
I havent't been to any tropical islands, yet (*sighs*) but following along the line of thought of ellenscult I've spent many of my holidays on the small islands along the German coast. Those are really small communities, normally one village per island. Nowadays there's of course a great influx of tourists during the summer, but otherwise and in earlier centuries the communities are very small, tight-knit and self-contained. Bringing in anything that can't be harvested/made on the island is always a big effort and expensive.
As far as the relationship between the people and the land goes, I think there's an enormous familiarity because you can literally walk the coastline in less than a day and that's the whole area you're dealing with, unless you do get on a boat. At the same time these islands are very prone to change in face of the elements. Water and wind constantly erode the ground and sand on one side and pile it up again on the other. Because those islands are close to the main land in relatively shallow water, the water level changes by several meters with the tides. There are some mini-islands with just one or a handful of farms on them where till this day the mailman comes on foot during low tide because the whole area falls dry. Being caught out by the returning water is very dangerous because of the strong currents.
Over all I think the sea is very ambiguous for people living on islands like these. They often live off it in one way or the other, but it's also a big danger during floodings and storms.
Personality wise I've met people who really embrace the small community and are glad they don't have to deal with the world at large on a regular basis. Others feel cut off and almost claustrophobic and do everything they can to leave.
Quote from cathiev1234 on October 20, 2016, 1:05 pmThe only time I visit any islands, it is via a cruise ship. However, when we visited Grand Turk, which has one small village on the island, the tour included talks about life on the island. The old prison was turned into a museum, so is a big part of the tour, since on a tiny island of few people, there was still crime. Currently, law breakers would be sent by boat for trial, but historically, most islands handled punishment locally. The thing I really noticed was the abandoned system that they used to use to convert salt water to drinkable water. I think there are pictures and facts about how they used to convert the water. Until technology and travel allowed, they could not import the fresh water they needed, and could not count on regular rain showers. Another thing I definitely remember is that the day the boat arrives to deliver fresh supplies, the store is extremely busy. People rush to get the fresh meat, produce and household goods before they run out, even in today's age of frequent travel, so I can only imagine what it would be like on docking day 100+ years ago. Finally, wildlife on the island will be important to your citizens. Type of fish, turtles and birds will differ by type and location of course, but other kinds might be brought with people. Grand Turk has a wild horse herd, while Bermuda is full of feral cats. I don't know if any of this is helpful, but thought I would share my experiences.
The only time I visit any islands, it is via a cruise ship. However, when we visited Grand Turk, which has one small village on the island, the tour included talks about life on the island. The old prison was turned into a museum, so is a big part of the tour, since on a tiny island of few people, there was still crime. Currently, law breakers would be sent by boat for trial, but historically, most islands handled punishment locally. The thing I really noticed was the abandoned system that they used to use to convert salt water to drinkable water. I think there are pictures and facts about how they used to convert the water. Until technology and travel allowed, they could not import the fresh water they needed, and could not count on regular rain showers. Another thing I definitely remember is that the day the boat arrives to deliver fresh supplies, the store is extremely busy. People rush to get the fresh meat, produce and household goods before they run out, even in today's age of frequent travel, so I can only imagine what it would be like on docking day 100+ years ago. Finally, wildlife on the island will be important to your citizens. Type of fish, turtles and birds will differ by type and location of course, but other kinds might be brought with people. Grand Turk has a wild horse herd, while Bermuda is full of feral cats. I don't know if any of this is helpful, but thought I would share my experiences.
Quote from Shevrock on October 20, 2016, 5:12 pmThank you guys, this is really helpful. my island is a little bigger, it takes 5 days to cross on foot, but it is still reliant on outside sources for metal and some other supplies. Knowing how close knit the community is really helps. i was keeping it small, but i might make it a little smaller and separate the communities. Also, knowing about how the water makes the weather change on a regular basis is REALLY helpful.
Thank you guys, this is really helpful. my island is a little bigger, it takes 5 days to cross on foot, but it is still reliant on outside sources for metal and some other supplies. Knowing how close knit the community is really helps. i was keeping it small, but i might make it a little smaller and separate the communities. Also, knowing about how the water makes the weather change on a regular basis is REALLY helpful.
Quote from liekinloimu on October 21, 2016, 7:26 amThe southest islands I have been on are Madeira and the Canary Islands, both in winter time. But like everybody above, I can tell you that no matter the island, the air is always damp. In the south its hot and damp, which means that if you're not used to it, you're sweating like crazy. In the north it's cold and damp, which means it's bloody cold if you're used to it, and bloody fucking cold if you're not.
Islands tend to be more or less windy, and the norther you go, the more unpredictable the weather comes. If the island has a mountain, it's totally possible that one side of the island is pretty dry, whereas the other side is lushly green. The amount of rain depends where the island is situated. Madeira is maybe an hour (?) north of Canary Islands by the plane, and Canary Islands tend to have more sunny days, whereas if you go to vacation on Madeira, you better have a raincoat or umbrella with you.
By the way, since the human's olfactory sense gets saturated pretty quickly, you only can smell the sea if you come from inland to the coast. If you actually live by the sea, you rarely actually smell it.
The southest islands I have been on are Madeira and the Canary Islands, both in winter time. But like everybody above, I can tell you that no matter the island, the air is always damp. In the south its hot and damp, which means that if you're not used to it, you're sweating like crazy. In the north it's cold and damp, which means it's bloody cold if you're used to it, and bloody fucking cold if you're not.
Islands tend to be more or less windy, and the norther you go, the more unpredictable the weather comes. If the island has a mountain, it's totally possible that one side of the island is pretty dry, whereas the other side is lushly green. The amount of rain depends where the island is situated. Madeira is maybe an hour (?) north of Canary Islands by the plane, and Canary Islands tend to have more sunny days, whereas if you go to vacation on Madeira, you better have a raincoat or umbrella with you.
By the way, since the human's olfactory sense gets saturated pretty quickly, you only can smell the sea if you come from inland to the coast. If you actually live by the sea, you rarely actually smell it.
Quote from Shevrock on October 21, 2016, 7:11 pmthank you! that is really helpful. My characters are doing some traveling on the island, so the weather is going to change a bit it seems. *Rubs hands evily*
thank you! that is really helpful. My characters are doing some traveling on the island, so the weather is going to change a bit it seems. *Rubs hands evily*
Quote from Edronhia on October 22, 2016, 4:51 am
I thought of a few things for you that have a lot of impact on people living on tropical islands particularly if the population is pre-industrial.
Weather: A lot of islands in the tropics essentially experience only 2 seasons per year. Wet (warmer months) & dry (cooler months). The closer to the equator the island is means less variation between the seasonal temperatures. The number of daylight hours is also more even. A major factor in comfort level is the amount of humidity that occurs in the wet season. Even if the temperature only rises a few degrees, if the humidity goes up then it's sticky and copiously sweat inducing. Most of the tropics experience monsoonal weather (some more and some less) where the prevailing winds change direction which can have a big impact on routines in tribal life as well as vegetation growth and animal life/migrations. During the wet season the mornings may be lovely clear blue skies but it's so humid that doing anything energetic has you sweating buckets until the torrential rains come in the afternoons, refreshing and cooling everything down. Island life during the wet season is generally active from the pre-dawn hours through to mid-morning, then slows down with less energy expended through the hottest part of the day as the humidity rises through to after the rains come, and then becomes physically active again during the evening/night after the rains stop. During the dry (cooler) months it's usually a much more productive, active time as you can work and travel throughout the whole day with less discomfort.
Terrain: What your island is made of will make a huge impact. Is it volcanic, rocky, sandy. Does it have mountains, ravines, wet rainforests, drier broadleaf forests, grasslands, shrublands, savannas. It's not unusual for larger islands to have a mixture especially if there's mountains that shelter one side from the other.
Water: Where do the locals get their water from? A lot of tropical islands have springs that supply fresh water however if there is a rainforest then you'll probably have creeks as well.
Animal life: Depending on the environment, tropical islands can have a lot of biodiversity which again impacts local lifestyle and not to mention the whole range of debilitating tropical diseases out there which are often carried by insects.
If your island is made from rich volcanic soil then you'll probably have a lot of variety in all of the above.
Hope all of this helps.
I thought of a few things for you that have a lot of impact on people living on tropical islands particularly if the population is pre-industrial.
Weather: A lot of islands in the tropics essentially experience only 2 seasons per year. Wet (warmer months) & dry (cooler months). The closer to the equator the island is means less variation between the seasonal temperatures. The number of daylight hours is also more even. A major factor in comfort level is the amount of humidity that occurs in the wet season. Even if the temperature only rises a few degrees, if the humidity goes up then it's sticky and copiously sweat inducing. Most of the tropics experience monsoonal weather (some more and some less) where the prevailing winds change direction which can have a big impact on routines in tribal life as well as vegetation growth and animal life/migrations. During the wet season the mornings may be lovely clear blue skies but it's so humid that doing anything energetic has you sweating buckets until the torrential rains come in the afternoons, refreshing and cooling everything down. Island life during the wet season is generally active from the pre-dawn hours through to mid-morning, then slows down with less energy expended through the hottest part of the day as the humidity rises through to after the rains come, and then becomes physically active again during the evening/night after the rains stop. During the dry (cooler) months it's usually a much more productive, active time as you can work and travel throughout the whole day with less discomfort.
Terrain: What your island is made of will make a huge impact. Is it volcanic, rocky, sandy. Does it have mountains, ravines, wet rainforests, drier broadleaf forests, grasslands, shrublands, savannas. It's not unusual for larger islands to have a mixture especially if there's mountains that shelter one side from the other.
Water: Where do the locals get their water from? A lot of tropical islands have springs that supply fresh water however if there is a rainforest then you'll probably have creeks as well.
Animal life: Depending on the environment, tropical islands can have a lot of biodiversity which again impacts local lifestyle and not to mention the whole range of debilitating tropical diseases out there which are often carried by insects.
If your island is made from rich volcanic soil then you'll probably have a lot of variety in all of the above.
Hope all of this helps.
Quote from GaoAnTian on October 23, 2016, 10:37 amI live on/in Taiwan and have visited numerous islands of Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, Borneo, South Korea, iceland as well the British Isles and Vanuatu.
I would say weather is a major concern. Depending on location earthquakes,tsunamis, volcanoes and typhoons/hurricanes/cyclones are a major focus during half of the year. Heavy rains, mudslides and rockslides are also a common preoccupation (Taiwan is very mountainous and there is basically wet and hot and wet and cold).
What really struck me on Vanuatu was the sameness of the food. Taiwan is much bigger and more developed but Even with modern transportation I felt like Vanuatu had a limited food supply. Lots and lots of papaya and sweet potatoes but oh I desperately wanted a wider selection of vegetables. The markets and supermarkets sold lots of seafood and tropical fruit but variety was lacking. I would imagine this would have been even more of an issue in previous centuries. This was also my impression in Iceland. Lots of seafood and mutton. You could buy more variety but extremely expensive.
Finally, genetics can often be an issue on smaller islands. Small population means a certain amount of inbreeding. Many islands have unusual genetic quirks among the population such as high rates of albino-ism in Taiwan and blond haired Melanesians.
Dusk and dawn. This has more to do with how close to theequator one is, but getting dark at 5.45pm in so yet and 6.45pm in summer, instead of having long late light summer evenings as in central Europe or much of USA and Canada can be really disconcerting. And dawn and dusk are both really quick, often from light to dark or opposite in 25 minutes.
I live on/in Taiwan and have visited numerous islands of Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, Borneo, South Korea, iceland as well the British Isles and Vanuatu.
I would say weather is a major concern. Depending on location earthquakes,tsunamis, volcanoes and typhoons/hurricanes/cyclones are a major focus during half of the year. Heavy rains, mudslides and rockslides are also a common preoccupation (Taiwan is very mountainous and there is basically wet and hot and wet and cold).
What really struck me on Vanuatu was the sameness of the food. Taiwan is much bigger and more developed but Even with modern transportation I felt like Vanuatu had a limited food supply. Lots and lots of papaya and sweet potatoes but oh I desperately wanted a wider selection of vegetables. The markets and supermarkets sold lots of seafood and tropical fruit but variety was lacking. I would imagine this would have been even more of an issue in previous centuries. This was also my impression in Iceland. Lots of seafood and mutton. You could buy more variety but extremely expensive.
Finally, genetics can often be an issue on smaller islands. Small population means a certain amount of inbreeding. Many islands have unusual genetic quirks among the population such as high rates of albino-ism in Taiwan and blond haired Melanesians.
Dusk and dawn. This has more to do with how close to theequator one is, but getting dark at 5.45pm in so yet and 6.45pm in summer, instead of having long late light summer evenings as in central Europe or much of USA and Canada can be really disconcerting. And dawn and dusk are both really quick, often from light to dark or opposite in 25 minutes.
Quote from Shevrock on October 23, 2016, 3:54 pmThank you guys, girls?, so much. I actually had to go back and change a few things based on all this info.
Thank you guys, girls?, so much. I actually had to go back and change a few things based on all this info.
Quote from Arlinya on October 30, 2016, 5:46 pmThe environment will depend a lot on where your islands are in the tropics. To frame my bias: I grew up in Hawaii and we sit right above the tropic line, hells and gone from anyone else. While some of what are considered the Hawaiian island chain geographically go all the way up towards Japan, the main islands stand by their lonesome in the middle of the sea.
We have a fairly steady weather pattern. November through March is our "rainy season". The rest of the year is our "normal" and better known as hurricane season. Hurricane season really does range from April through November and in modern times we have a much better grasp of how many have threatened the islands every year. Our rainy season can get cold by tropical standards as we do occasionally drop into the lower or mid- 60s Fahrenheit when it rains for three straight days. The hotter months are actually NOT the height of summer but from August through October. November can be pretty bad too. On those days, no one wants to move as the air really does feel thicker and heavier with all the moisture in the air. You sweat a lot but it never helps because the air is so sticky. It also gets hard to breath sometimes with the volcanic fog in the air.
Things to keep in mind based on the above and other factors: how far are your islands not just from each other, but everywhere else? Hawaii really is isolated and it affected everything from food diversity to travel. You said that it was still reliant on outside sources for metal and pre-industrial so I'm not sure how that figures in but even traveling between the islands can take days in good weather. Pre-industrial Hawaii didn't really have metal as they had no way to get it out of the ground. Wood and stone were their main tools as obsidian - while readily available due to the volcanoes - was considered sacred to Pele and pissing off a volcano goddess is just asking for a really bad death.
How do you see hurricanes affecting life on your island? Do the characters expect them yearly, consider them divine disfavor, know they come but have no way to predict them?
Do your islands have an active volcano? How long has it been active? It is sporadic? Kilauea has been constantly active for over 30 years now and it has affected the health of many locals - asthma, allergies, and breathing problems are all much worse on the Big Island and we suffer on the other islands when the winds come from the south and bring it up.
The biggest thing to keep in mind is community. It doesn't matter how big or small each individual community is, there's always someone who knows someone who knows you in the other communities. I have met people who, upon hearing my name, have a best friend's cousin's aunty who knows my brother. It is literally impossible for there to be absolutely no connection with someone unless you are brand new to the islands. And even then, someone will know your boss, your neighbor, or your doctor. Or all three. And families tend to live together for several generations even in modern-day. And the close-knit community does mean that everyone your parents' age gets addressed as Aunty and Uncle.
We are constantly concerned about water - how to get it, where to store it, how to use it, etc. We are constantly reminded to conserve water through the summer. In Hawaii, the main source of water today is the water table that takes 10-20 years to replenish. For your needs, the main source of water would have been streams and ponds and waterfalls in pre-industrial islands. It's probably one of the reasons the Hawaiians divided lands into large wedges from mountain to sea to try and account for water access. But then you have to bring in social structures as well. Is this a tribal community where there's a royal family that chooses how land is divided? What are the social rules for interactions between different classes of people? People were actually KILLED for being caught in the shadow of an ali'i.
In short, I could probably go on for ages but these were the things that first came to mind. Hope it helps.
The environment will depend a lot on where your islands are in the tropics. To frame my bias: I grew up in Hawaii and we sit right above the tropic line, hells and gone from anyone else. While some of what are considered the Hawaiian island chain geographically go all the way up towards Japan, the main islands stand by their lonesome in the middle of the sea.
We have a fairly steady weather pattern. November through March is our "rainy season". The rest of the year is our "normal" and better known as hurricane season. Hurricane season really does range from April through November and in modern times we have a much better grasp of how many have threatened the islands every year. Our rainy season can get cold by tropical standards as we do occasionally drop into the lower or mid- 60s Fahrenheit when it rains for three straight days. The hotter months are actually NOT the height of summer but from August through October. November can be pretty bad too. On those days, no one wants to move as the air really does feel thicker and heavier with all the moisture in the air. You sweat a lot but it never helps because the air is so sticky. It also gets hard to breath sometimes with the volcanic fog in the air.
Things to keep in mind based on the above and other factors: how far are your islands not just from each other, but everywhere else? Hawaii really is isolated and it affected everything from food diversity to travel. You said that it was still reliant on outside sources for metal and pre-industrial so I'm not sure how that figures in but even traveling between the islands can take days in good weather. Pre-industrial Hawaii didn't really have metal as they had no way to get it out of the ground. Wood and stone were their main tools as obsidian - while readily available due to the volcanoes - was considered sacred to Pele and pissing off a volcano goddess is just asking for a really bad death.
How do you see hurricanes affecting life on your island? Do the characters expect them yearly, consider them divine disfavor, know they come but have no way to predict them?
Do your islands have an active volcano? How long has it been active? It is sporadic? Kilauea has been constantly active for over 30 years now and it has affected the health of many locals - asthma, allergies, and breathing problems are all much worse on the Big Island and we suffer on the other islands when the winds come from the south and bring it up.
The biggest thing to keep in mind is community. It doesn't matter how big or small each individual community is, there's always someone who knows someone who knows you in the other communities. I have met people who, upon hearing my name, have a best friend's cousin's aunty who knows my brother. It is literally impossible for there to be absolutely no connection with someone unless you are brand new to the islands. And even then, someone will know your boss, your neighbor, or your doctor. Or all three. And families tend to live together for several generations even in modern-day. And the close-knit community does mean that everyone your parents' age gets addressed as Aunty and Uncle.
We are constantly concerned about water - how to get it, where to store it, how to use it, etc. We are constantly reminded to conserve water through the summer. In Hawaii, the main source of water today is the water table that takes 10-20 years to replenish. For your needs, the main source of water would have been streams and ponds and waterfalls in pre-industrial islands. It's probably one of the reasons the Hawaiians divided lands into large wedges from mountain to sea to try and account for water access. But then you have to bring in social structures as well. Is this a tribal community where there's a royal family that chooses how land is divided? What are the social rules for interactions between different classes of people? People were actually KILLED for being caught in the shadow of an ali'i.
In short, I could probably go on for ages but these were the things that first came to mind. Hope it helps.
Quote from Shevrock on November 1, 2016, 6:45 pmThank you for all that info. I'm trying to keep my island as close to Hawaii and islands like it as possible, at least the main island i start on. Food diversity consists mostly of birds, some large and flightless, and boar along with fruits and a few grown vegetables. There is one chief who presides over the island who works in concert with multiple shamans throughout the island. So each village has one head shaman and a few shaman in training. the religion is a mix of shinto, gods in everything, and polytheism. The three islands were previously one super continent but they drifted away over time due to advanced tectonic activity, which is greek to them. They figured the gods were at war, chose a patron deity, and are more or less in a blood feud.
I have no idea how i'm going to handle hurricanes, maybe shamans can predict them?, but i will have to deal with it. It's just getting out of the rainy season and starting to heat up, so i can have some fun and soak my characters for comedic effect. sorry, i'm rambling. thanks for the info.
Thank you for all that info. I'm trying to keep my island as close to Hawaii and islands like it as possible, at least the main island i start on. Food diversity consists mostly of birds, some large and flightless, and boar along with fruits and a few grown vegetables. There is one chief who presides over the island who works in concert with multiple shamans throughout the island. So each village has one head shaman and a few shaman in training. the religion is a mix of shinto, gods in everything, and polytheism. The three islands were previously one super continent but they drifted away over time due to advanced tectonic activity, which is greek to them. They figured the gods were at war, chose a patron deity, and are more or less in a blood feud.
I have no idea how i'm going to handle hurricanes, maybe shamans can predict them?, but i will have to deal with it. It's just getting out of the rainy season and starting to heat up, so i can have some fun and soak my characters for comedic effect. sorry, i'm rambling. thanks for the info.