The Antymnes



The Antymnes are a collection of islands to the southwest of mainland Temiran, separated from the continent by a narrow body of water known as the Antymnean Channel. The Antymnes' position upon the ocean makes the region a center of commerce, with prosperous port cities built upon its shores. Further inland, smaller villages and rural communities dot the mountains and valleys.

The largest island is called Brantyn, and most of the population of the islands lives on Brantyn. To the south of Brantyn lies the second largest island, Deyr, which is roughly 60% the size of Brantyn. Between the two islands is a shallow stretch of sea called Antyn Mor. It contains the Isle of Wick and many of the several hundred smaller isles of the archipelago. Many other islands are scattered throughout the seas surrounding the largest isles, with a large number found in the Antymnean Channel to the north.

Etymology
The name "Antymnes" is based on the names used by the locals for the place. In particular, it's based upon "Y'Tymnu," the Temnic name for the isles. Antymnes itself is based on a misinterpretation of the name by Crotani scholars, not realizing that the word Tymnu was already plural.

Geography
The islands are located at the convergence of several tectonic plates, resulting in a fairly rocky, mountainous landscape. Given their location in the midst of the Orreic Ocean, the coasts of the islands have been battered and eroded over thousands of years. Their location near the farther end of the Habitable Zone has seen the isles subject to numerous glaciations in their history. There are many inhabited isles in the group, with the isles of Brantyn and  Deyr being the largest. Brantyn is to the east, and has a land area of 305,000 km2. Deyr is to the west, with a total land area of 119,000 km2. The remaining largest islands are the isles of the Daraes, as well as those of  Wick,  Skara, and  Ynys Mon, and  Ynys Rhi.

The isles tend to be fairly low-lying overall, with mountainous regions more common on the isle of Brantyn, and the northwestern part of Deyr. Northern Brantyn contains much of the highlands and mountains in the region, with the easten and southern ends of the largest isles being the most low-lying regions. Only a few mountain peaks in the region reach above 1000 meters. There are many large bays in and amongst the isles, with only a few large freshwater lakes located inland, typically in mountainous regions. The largest lakes in the isles are Lac Clegyr, Lac Lin, and Lach Gobhan in Brantyn, as well as Lough Rath and Lough Bogdu in Deyr. The longest river in the isles is the Agoduro River at 455 km in Deyr. The longest river on the isle of Brantyn is the Denved River at 355 km.

The isles also contain numerous sinkholes and caves, with substantial subterranean regions settled by the island's inhabitants. Many of the caverns are flooded in the lowland areas, but in the more mountainous regions of the isles, dry and stable underground caves are found frequently.

Climate
The climate of the isles is mostly mild, with abundant rainfall and a lack of real temperature extremes. The currents from the southern Orreic bring with them warm air and much rain, helping to keep the isles temperate, even during the darker part of the year. During the darker part of the year, the northernmost part of the isles is very dimly lit, due to the latitude of the isles. Only the Isle of Skara is ever entirely cast in darkness during the winter.

Flora and Fauna
The mild climate and varied soils of the isles has given rise to a broad variety of plant life. The composition of species is similar to the nearby mainland of Temiran, but with slimmer numbers of distinct species. The prehistoric Antymnes were covered largely with forests and swampland. Clearing of forests and drying of swamps began in roughly 5000 BC, accelerating in the Age of Iron. Despite this, much of the isles forests remain intact due to the small size of the surface-dwelling population, and the later industrial development. The most industrialised part of the isles is in the Hacian League in southeastern Brantyn. The most common trees in southern Brantyn are oak, elm, ash, and beech, which give way to more hardy pines and birches in northern Brantyn. All these same trees are found in abundance throughout Deyr. Farmlands host a variety of flowering plants and grasses. Wild grasses, ferns, and more sturdy flowering plants can be found in the marshes and mountain slopes.

The isles are also home to several large animals, such as wolves, bears, and elks. A variety of small mammals, such as rabbits, foxes, badgers, hares, stoats, and opossums are very common throughout the isles. Beavers and otters can be found in rivers, and seals are abundant along the coasts. There are hundreds of bird species to be found in the islands, with wrens, robins, sparrows, and finches being the most numerous. Fish are abundant, as one might expect, with perch, pike, salmon and trout being the most common river fish. Catfish can also be found frequently in the rivers of Deyr. Sea fish include cod, pollock, and bass, with crabs, mussels, and oysters also found along the coast.

The isles are also home to a few species of snake, notably the adder and the grass snake, as well as a number of small reptiles and amphibians. The largest reptilian species to be found in the isles is the Black Crocodile, which can be found congregating in the area of Lough Bogdu, and in the Wound in Brantyn.

Domestic animals include numerous varieties of cattle and sheep, as well as the Antymnean wolfhound, Hacian shepherd, Sheepalo, Prendag, and the Big Beetle. The latter two species are more commonly found below ground in the numerous subterranean regions of the isles, as well as in the mountains and highlands.

The Islands of the Antymnes
The Antymnes are comprised of some hundreds of islands.

Brantyn
Brantyn is the largest and most populous of the islands of the Antymnes.

Deyr
Deyr is the second largest of the Antymnean Islands.