Sandbox / Character Development Thread Archipelago

Archipelago

Locations

Pax Island

Big Kahuna

Anyone who walks into the Big Kahuna bar knows exactly what they're getting into. A somewhat goofy logo is mounted over the entrance, framed by two large tiki statues. The statues are detailed enough to make one wonder if they were made for the restaurant or reappropriated from some of the ruins. It is tall for a bar, about three stories. There are several outdoor areas in case the weather is good, including a balcony on the second floor; the railings are made of a rich, red wood. The roof is thatched and hangs over the walls, giving a little bit of shade.

The inside is more of the same. Much of the walls are lined with bamboo; this makes the construction seem flimsy, but in actuality, it is sturdy enough to withstand intense rainstorms, the occasional earthquake, bar fights, and name lawsuits from Quentin Tarantino. The tables and chairs are framed with more bamboo, and the seats of the chairs are designed to look like mats of woven grass. Although there are two stories, the ground floor is much larger than the second floor, which is not much more than a walkway around the edges. Colored lights hang all around the walls and ceiling, mostly in shades of red, blue, and purple, broken up here and there by various Polynesian, Indonesian, and Hawaiian artifacts of debatable accuracy. Tiki torches are dotted around the edges, wafting a small amount of smoke all over the room and giving it a woody, slightly heady smell.

However, the smoke is not intense enough to drown out the aroma of the food drifting from the kitchens. The menu seems to have been made by someone who thought that, as alcohol is formed from fermented wheat, it counts as a grain, and is bound and determined to give you more than a full day's serving of grains. Even moreso than other bars, the selection of drinks is staggering, ranging from the mundane to the exotic, in all sorts of different mixtures. Flair bartending is the name of the game here; watching some of the drinks get made is half the enjoyment of them. The food is much of what you'd expect: lots of meat and barbeque, particularly burgers, a local favorite. Most patrons agree that they really are tasty burgers. However, a surprising range of fruit is also in abundance, a good chunk of it grown nearby. They offer a wide range of serving options to appeal to most customers, one way or another.

Royal Hotel

The oh-so-creatively named Royal Hotel seems to have taken the saying "a man's home is his castle" a little too literally. Built almost entirely out of the finest white marble, the four-story, somewhat imposing structure definitely bears resemblance to a castle, especially considering that the corners are built in the style of classical Greek pillars. The lobby definitely keeps up the appearance, to the point that it looks more like a throne room what with the long red carpet stretched out before the check-in desk and paintings of kings and queens from all over covering the walls. A pair of meticulously carved stairs leads up to the second floor on both sides of the desk.

The first floor is also home to a fine dining room hiring only the best cooks, a gym that looks much more like a medieval armory, and an elaborate ballroom. The second floor and up have fourteen rooms apiece, all with two king-sized beds, a complete bathroom, and a private balcony with quite the view.

Given its opulence, it's surprisingly inexpensive, although it's still much more costly than the neighboring Aurora Motel.

Al's Casino & Bar

A run-down, low-budget, somewhat depressing place for bitter labourers to drink their troubles away with cheap booze and then sink their remaining money into a few slot machines of questionable functionality. What limited food is served is notoriously bad, but the drink is strong, cheap and the bartender rarely asks questions. The establishment relies almost entirely on money brought in from the low-wage workers employed by Pax Island's classier businesses.

A very out-of-place red door is easily spotted at the back of the building, though it doesn't seem to lead outside...

Aurora Motel

The neon, multicolored lighting on the sign boasting its acquisition of color television makes the Aurora Motel hard to miss, even for bleary-eyed patrons stumbling out of Al's from across the street. The complex itself is U-shaped and mostly yellow with brick-red accents. The lobby, located in a tiny building between the arms of the U, is just large enough to suggest that at one time, it probably wasn't as sparse as it is now. Its wood-paneled walls are adorned only with tobacco stainage and a wall of hooks for Yale-lock room keys behind the one-person counter. The laminate tile floor has long since lost its shine to the involuntary emptying of too many potential lodgers' stomachs.

This is a place left disillusioned from too many raving, destructive drunks and careless drifters that will probably never be seen again. The rooms are more of the same- 1970s wood paneling, overscrubbed laminate, and few decorations, all in a room engulfed by a single queen-sized bed. The attached bathrooms only have room for a shower, toilet, and sink; no bathtub. Despite this, the entire establishment is kept clean, fastidiously so. The sheets are changed between every guest, the bathrooms are scrubbed top to bottom, and it lives up to its promise of a color television in all twelve rooms, each numbered 1-6 on the ground floor and 11-16 on the second. Encased in plastic wood grain that could probably withstand a nuclear strike, but color television nonetheless. What actually makes its way to the grainy CRTs- and how -is another matter entirely.

Volcano Casino

A rather opulent and excessive building towers above most of the small town it is placed in, the Volcano Casino. It has various island and volcano-themed decorations outside, including a small realistic-looking volcano that occasionally erupts magma-colored ooze. The staff greets all as they enter, to find a magnificent interior, superbly decorated and ornately designed, with the constant sounds of cheers and slot-machine ringing. The inside boasts multiple restaurants, all-you-can eat buffets, and more games of chance than should possibly fit inside.

Its maze-like interior seems somehow to always be crowded with gamblers of all persuasions and species, despite the relative exterior vacancy and isolation. An expert observer may notice that in fact, many of the patrons entering and leaving the Casino through its great revolving doors in the front are not traveling outside at all, but to universes and dimensions unknown.

Ruins

These odd ruins are located deep within the jungle of Pax Island, a good distance away from the town. Given the sheer desolation of the place, even the natives tend to stay away despite the fact that they're protected by the same force that guards the rest of the island. However, lost travelers always seem to find their way here. Their architecture, in utter defiance of the rest of the setting, seems to be a bizarre mix between medieval Gothic and classical Greek. Even more strangely, all of the buildings are eerily intact, although most of them are covered in moss and suchlike.

Besides the fact that they seem to be built around the library at the very center, what sort of settlement they once were is not clear. No one seems to know who built them, when they were first built, or why they were built. Even more ponderous is the question of what happened to the original inhabitants; the state of most of the buildings seems to suggest that the island's protective force was here when they were, which rules out hostile invasion.

Library

At the very center of the ruins is a large building that at first glance could be mistaken for a Greek temple. Circular in shape with a large domed roof, it appears to be made mostly of volcanic glass and has numerous pillars lining it that hold the roof up. However, all of the pillars barring the two that mark the entrance appear to be built into the walls rather than being built separate. For whatever reason, the signs of age that mark the rest of the ruins are absent.

Upon walking in, it becomes obvious that this is no place of worship, but rather a library. Once again, there's a clash in architecture - the floors and walls are covered in hardwood that definitely came from somewhere other than the island, with the floor boards arranged in rings around the center. The ceiling, on the other hand, has an abstract design that vaguely resembles a cloudy summer sky. A chandelier in decidedly Gothic style hangs from the very middle, at such a height that one wonders how it was put up there in the first place. The shelves are made of the same sort of wood that covers the walls and floor. They are arranged in such a manner that they resemble the spokes of a wheel when viewed from above.

The whole place is disturbingly well kept for a building that's supposedly very old. Even the books are in good condition, although the language they're written in does not use the Latin alphabet and as such is mostly illegible to all but the most hardened linguists.

Tour Area

Near the edge of town are a couple of tour booths, next to a few moderately-overgrown dirt roads out of town, one heading around the island, and the other heading up into the jungle.

Steve's Jeep Rental and Guided Tours

This booth is really more of a run-down shanty shack, mostly constructed of wood and metal siding, proudly displaying its name on a worn-out, rusty sign. A few older jeeps can be seen outside, mostly with inflated tires, but modern amenities like air conditioning, windshields, and seatbelts are likely to be in short supply. The proprietor, Steve, does have one pretty-functional jeep he uses for tours, and the prices marked in the front of the shop are all but rock-bottom. He is currently out, taking Noriko and Mizuki on a sightseeing tour of the Jungle, but will be back (hopefully) soon.

Pax Island Tours

This tour agency is quite the opposite, and operates a perfectly spotless stand. Inside the small building, a sharp-looking attendant is always standing ready to answer any questions or book tours, at any time of night or day. This inhuman dedication and unflinching pose may be a clue to their true nature, but you'd have to ask to find out for sure. Outside the stand, a small paved parking lot can be seen, with a couple small helicopters, a few modern-looking all-terrain vehicles, and a few brand-new jeeps, all without even so much as a speck of dust or a single scratch. A sign points down a short paved walkway, at the end of which is a modern-looking private dock, where a couple glass-bottomed boats and a small submarine are docked. Surprisingly affordable, given the extreme quality, even if it is a bit sterile, but still quite expensive - especially the helicopter and submarine tours.

Other Islands

(Defunct) Azatha's Fortress of DOOOOOM! (previously known as Uncharted Island during Cogbeard's Quest)

Currently non-existent, although it used to be: Azatha's fortress, where she has invited any other villains, evil overlords, or even just minion applicants to visit and/or join her in her attempt to rule the multiverse. Located in a (slightly) unstable region of reality, and still has a few oddities and anomalies around, despite CC and Azatha's best efforts to stabilize it. Most visitors will likely enter through the interdimensional door at the front of the throne room. See the Map here!◊ Azatha is currently allied with Consolidated Conversion (CC), and the Uncountable Empire, so one may see a few of their members hanging out as well. Previously known as the Uncharted Island. Cogbeard & Co. looted the interdimensional cruiseliner, Quantum Princess, which wrecked along the island shores, not knowing that Azatha had already taken up residence. After defeating the pirates, she converted the island, with the help of CC, into its current form.

(Defunct) Nulbarak Island

Close enough to Pax Island to prevent lethal injuries, this island used to serve as a pirate hideout, and still has a certain number of dangers. Plus a few bottles of liquor that Al would like back.

Castle Boreas

The base of operations of scientists Vinicio Acquati and Lillian Cline or a rather convincing copy of certain areas of it, placed on a bluff overlooking a vast, seemingly endless snow-covered evergreen forest. The interior of the castle is decorated in a mainly French baroque style. Though lacking in a true nonviolence field, it tries to make up for it with a veritable army of Nigh-Invulnerable (though still fallibly human) servants poised to defend against any threat, whether to another guest, their master's property, or even the very existence of its tiny pocket dimension, or simply serve hors d'oeuvres and refill the coffee. Is something of a Spiritual Successor to Character Castle. Maps are here and here, and a description of the castle itself (as well as how to get to it) is here.

Characters

Active Troper Characters

• Sam (Blackfire667) : A strange man with strange powers. Wears a cheap tux with long coattails, along with a fancy top-hat. Walks around with a (purely decorative) cane that's black with a white tip at the end and a comically obese, golden penguin at top. (Intro/Description 1, More recent description)
• Vinicio Acquati (Crystal Glacia): Eccentric scientist, co-founder of Northwind Magicology, and owner of Castle Boreas, a small facsimile of which is explorable by troper characters. He isolated himself from the rest of the world with the exceptions of his wife and staff a couple centuries prior, and has been spending that time learning to use his Reality Warping powers within his pocket-universe 'nest'. (Description)
• The Atonari Servants of Castle Boreas (Crystal Glacia): A veritable army of smartly dressed servants, instantly recognizable by their strange appearances and extremely powerful magic. (General physical description; additional details here)
  • Iris of Halstant: A proud, cynical woman old enough to have served the first kings, long before Aetherionian mankind developed writing. She has returned to Vinicio Acquati for this excursion as his old friend and head of defense once more. (Description)
  • Henri of Boreas: The mild-mannered sempster of Castle Boreas and husband of Regina, the castle tailor. Despite Iris's efforts to break him out of being a servant, he's still rather servile, even timid. His name is French, and is pronounced 'ahn-ree'. (Description)
  • Cecille of Boreas: A cheerful Jack of All Trades who hasn't been working long enough to not consider her goal of learning as much as she can a joke. (Description)
  • Doctor Lazzaro Suoyval of Notus: An exceedingly old retired Atonari known for his work in the field of nanoengineering, as well as his vibrant, playful nature and Odd Friendship with Iris. Likes video games. (Description)
• Lillian Cline (Crystal Glacia): Vince's longtime wife, a passionate faean pathologist who claims to have finally put her bloody, vengeful past behind her. (Description)
• Nathan Maroon (Masterofchaos): A twenty-five year old man who's traveling with his neighbor Thomas and his adopted father George. He seems to be a bit annoyed with his father's constant researching of the other visitors of the island. (Description)
• George Maroon (Masterofchaos): Nathan's adopted father. A Scottish scientist who, at first, decided to take his neighbor and oldest son to the Archipelago for a vacation, but now wants to learn more about the people who are arriving. (Description)
• Thomas Riverson (Masterofchaos): George and Nathan's neighbor. He, too, is a scientist and is a father of two. He hates traveling the sea because he gets sea sick easily. (Description)
• Adam Maroon (Masterofchaos): Nathan's baby brother. Somehow ended up on the island by unexplained, magical means. (Description)
• Jackson Ruth (Masterofchaos): Adam's friend. Like Adam, somehow ended up on island for reasons unknown. (Description)
• Nick Riverson (Masterofchaos): Jackson and Adam's best friend. After his friends vanished, he spent the entire night looking for them. Just when he was about to lose hope, he ended up on the island in the exact same way his friends did. (Description)
• Howell Brooksley (Ryuhza): A strange young teenager, with scaly red skin, a pointed demon or dragon-like tail, and a head that may vaguely resemble a snake's. He is stranded on the Archipelago with his sister, Iris. He often likes to do or say strange things just to view people's reactions, and rarely shows his outward emotions by accident. Can come off as a bit thoughtless or uncaring, but his actions almost always have some form of reasoning behind them. ^{click for more info} IllustrationIntrouctory Post/Outfit DescriptionDescription of Head
• Iris Brooksley(Ryuhza): A young woman in her early twenties, stranded on the Archipelago with her peculiar brother, Howell. Can be a bit temperamental or overbearing, often both at the same time, but her actions usually have good intentions. ^{click for more info}  Illustration, Introductory Post/Description
• Joseph T. Weller (Ryuhza): A formerly-human lizard (and/or salamander, though this is not distinctly known to him)-like young man, who was transported unexpectedly and inexplicably to the island. Plagued by fear and self doubt, Joseph struggles to understand the purpose of the events he is surrounded by. Despite this, he tries to be friendly and useful when he can be, or at the very least, out of the way. ^{click for more info}  Illustration 1, Illustration 2, Illustration 3 Introductory Post/Description
• Mud Manfred Malinconico (Ryuhza): An odd looking, odd talking man with the elaborate look of a showman about him. Posed as an employee of Pax Island's Royal Hotel, when in actually he had temporarily changed the real employee into a moth, for little perceived reason beyond his own personal amusement. Often talks in circles to get people to agree with whatever he's got planned, however loose that agreement is. ^{click for more info} Illustration◊Introductory Post/Description
• Seilaan Ren (Snowy Foxes): A nineteen-year-old noblewoman. She's not that talkative, but fairly observant and a bit of a workaholic. Description
• Wilhelm Ritter (Snowy Foxes): Seilaan's assistant and boyfriend. He's not at all comfortable in social situations and has a constant need to fidget and to avoid eye contact. Description
• Rachel Pahlke (Yomegami): A teenaged P-virus infected who is not quite at peace with herself.
• Saya (Yomegami): A strange girl who constantly has an odd, haunting melody playing around her. (Description)

Inactive Troper Characters

• Coprea (Aqueos) An Angel and servant of the goddess. Couldn't accrue any more vacation time, and was forced on this trip.
• Sven (Aqueos) : Human mercenary turned hired bodyguard. Not terribly restrained in behavior.
• Kestega/Alex (Baffle Blend): An avian alien. "Kestega" is his true name, "Alex" was bestowed as a nickname by Veronica Apple.
• Aya Sufa (Blueeyedrat): A dark-haired, pale-skinned woman in her early 20s. Views this "vacation" as an unnecessary distraction.
• Jubal Yew (Blueeyedrat): A dark-skinned man in his mid-to-late 20s, looking for a quiet vacation. Magic-adept, and a talented violinist.
• Al (Blackfire667) : A very tall, burly and sullen man with dark hair and a big, thick beard. Of Norwegian descent, but has long since lost his accent. Owns Al's Casino & Bar.
• Tamara (Blackfire667) : Looks 16, is actually 14. A Caucasian teenage girl with black hair tied back in a ponytail. Carries a katana on her back.
• Raphael Cline (Crystal Glacia): A brilliant doctor and healer. May be at least slightly insane. (Intro/Description)
• Adrian Kunstler (Crystal Glacia): Marla's father (who doesn't know she's still around); he went from a nobleman to a perpetually penniless (and mediocre) thief/hunter/merchant/vagrant. Speaks rarely and is an expert in physical combat, enough so that he can go toe-to-toe with most mages. (Description)
• Marla Kunstler (Crystal Glacia): A ghostly young woman stuck in a blood-covered ballgown who lives at Kyros's temple. Spends most of her time building contraptions and researching mechanics. (Description)
• Kyros (Crystal Glacia): A middle-aged priest and amateur magophysicist. He's looking for a woman named Marla. (Intro/Description)
• Adrian Ramses (Darkblood Carnagefang): A half-human wearing a large long coat.
• Regina (Darkblood Carnagefang): A 'Gore Demon' who's looking to have good time on Pax.
• Virgil Maro (Darkblood Carnagefang): A human with a robotic arm and a red mass at his shoulder that surrounds the arm.
• Elisif (Gault): A mercenary found patrolling Nulbarak Island.
• Rikael (Gault): A curious and enthusiastic kasaur student of economics.
• Andre (Killer Clowns)
• Veronica Apple: (Killer Clowns): Julia O'Malley's snarky and curious girlfriend.
• Beth (Killer Clowns): Iamatelle's quiet and efficient right-hand woman. (Description)
• Gilroy Byrnes (Killer Clowns): Moishe's right hand man. A native of Pax Island. (Description)
• Queen Iamatelle (Killer Clowns): A cunning and ambitious young queen, new to the throne of Adycia. (Description)
• Moishe Neuman (Killer Clowns): The casino's manager, a man of stronger beliefs and morals than you'd expect from his occupation. A native of Pax Island. (Description)
• Julia O'Malley (Killer Clowns): A blue-haired college student, adoptive daughter of a small-town family, biological daughter of the God King Amu.
• Esa ul'Netho (Killer Clowns): Layi's wife. An innkeeper, master cook, and village elder who often worries about Layi's taste for dangerous adventures. (Description)
• Layi ul'Netho (Killer Clowns): Esa's wife. An aged but still strong hunter looking for challenge and glory, much to Esa's chagrin. (Description)
• Sonuera ul'Netho (Killer Clowns): Adoptive daughter of Layi and Esa. More reserved then her mothers, she's just hoping to enjoy a peaceful vacation. (Description)
• Aseyu ul'Valmoth (Killer Clowns): A beautiful and shamelessly promiscuous courtesan and warrior, looking for adventure and attractive partners (of any gender or species). (Description)
• The Song: An ascended AI with difficulty communicating and a tendency to obliterate *dissonant notes* at the slightest provocation. (Description)
• A stranger (Killer Clowns)
• Irilemi vashon'Suela (Killer Clowns): A professional revolutionary and master Mage Killer with a harsh temper.
• Benor (Majormarks): Travelling companion of Tirisi's. Tired of bravado, and rapidly becoming a grumpy old man. Lacks his right arm.
• Tirisi Tilvur (Majormarks): A tall, ashen skinned elf with vampiric tendencies. Generally unflappable. Carries a well made longsword with him at all times; clad, most of the time, in lime-green plate.
• Max Murphy (maxwellelvis): A recent arrival to the island, a cyborg with a television replacing his head. Bio here
• Claire (M8e): Medium sized Mackerel tabby Cyborg cat. One of the CC's that was to sent to explore other dimension. ^note She might look somewhat like this◊
• Duckie (M8e): A young, tall and slender man. Looks to be of east asian descent except for his unusually pale skin. Claims his name is Duckie. (Description)
• Reed (M8e): The ships Wetware or Helmsoctopus, Claire and Duckie view him as the ships captain.
• Samuel al-Faddil (Night): A combat mage belonging to a very technologically advanced civilization...but on vacation. May or may not be ready to deliver fire at a moment's notice. (Description)
• Krajn (nrjxll): A female qrtxian (reptilian greys, pronounced "kwur-tex-ian"). Information to be added as it comes out in the thread.
• Violet Fenrir (Snowy Foxes): A lost noblewoman who embraces her sometimes grating capriciousness in an attempt to make everyone around her smile. It doesn't always work, but as they say, if at first you don't succeed, try, try, try, try....
• Dr. Friedrich Ritter (Snowy Foxes): Probably one of the most easily irritated doctors in existence, but to his credit, he's not that mean of a guy, and to be fair, he's been spending a lot of time with Violet lately.
• Amalie Alpha Axiom (Sonzai): Emperess of the Uncountable Empire, and lead mathemagician (allegedly). Allied with Azatha, but mostly here just to teach the Song a lesson. Intro/Description
• Azatha ຸহಱᑞځשᎲᇆ ऩᓎፃ௦۔્ጲᖈခᙗ: (Sonzai): An eldritch girl claiming to be the daughter of ЎۏЍሌݣᔀ, deity of πࡁӯڊকᔽᗡ, bringer of ᒏШಓख़ᒅ, master of ༢Ᏹప thousand හഘ and keeper of the ᘖՙቧጒنಗЌʣҒ֧ɵወ (whatever the heck that's supposed to mean), and apparently ruling her own island fortress in this Archipelago. Intro/Description(And Here)
• Bernhard Beta (Sonzai): A mathemagician from the Uncountable Empire, apparently allied with Azatha. Intro/Description
• Captain Cogbeard (Sonzai): One of the fiercest pirates to ever sail the seven dimensions, captain of The Swashcoupler◊, raider of the Virgo Supercluster, challenger of the Diamond Order, and bedeviler of the Interdimensional Patrol. He's here captaining a sub-setting quest to loot the interdimensional cruiseliner Quantum Princess, which is shipwrecked on the Uncharted Island in this Archipelago. Intro/Description
• Cort Gamma 031-B (Sonzai): Highly-advanced and sentient industrial robot, serves as the engineer on The Swashcoupler. Intro/Description
• Cyana (Sonzai): A patterned-energy lifeform most effectively described as living light. She is fun-loving, curious, and always up for new experiences. Intro/Description, Second Intro, and the Third
• Emma Epsilon (Sonzai): A mathemagician from the Uncountable Empire, apparently also allied with Azatha. Intro/Description
• Georgina Gamma (Sonzai): Another mathemagician from the Uncountable Empire, tenuously allied with Azatha. Intro/Description (And Here).
• Hisami Minamoto (Sonzai): Mysterious Japanese girl, apparently friends with Kina, Takuya, Yuuta, and Kazue, but otherwise her true nature is hidden (at the moment.) Intro/Description
• Jarla (Sonzai): A security officer from the Fomalhaut mining operation, has camped out in the Quantum Princess for thirteen days, trying to figure out a plan to take down Azatha. Intro/Description. (Currently deceased.)
• Kazue Hidaka (Sonzai): High school slacker student from Kina's school, and part-time werewolf. Intro/Description
• Kevin (Sonzai): A video-game adventurer (literally). He has been sent here to continue his training, hopefully to qualify for main character status in a virtual-reality game world in his home universe. Intro/Description
• Kina Kowano (Sonzai): A half-ghost Japanese high school student, who was marooned inside when the Quantum Princess crashed. Intro/Description (And Here)
• Mizuki (Sonzai): A Mathemagical Girl who is here on vacation from her training. Well, at least that's what she thinks. Intro/Description
• Steve (Sonzai): Titular owner and proprietor of Steve's Jeep Rental and Guided Tours. Offers sightseeing tours around Pax Island, usually free of random adventures. (Inactive unless someone wants to take a tour.)
• Takuya Matsumoto (Sonzai): Self-described mad scientist (in training), even if he is actually a Japanese high school student from a neighboring school to Kina's. (Normal human besides his gadgets.) Intro/Description
• Tani Antara (Sonzai): Cybernetic woman, and Cogbeard's first officer on The Swashcoupler. Intro/Description
• Yuuta Komatsu (Sonzai): Sidekick and assistant to Takuya, is also a Japanese student from the same high school. (Normal human as well.) Intro/Description
• Noriko Akiyama (Yomegami): A seemingly ordinary seventeen-year old girl who works as a miko as an afterschool job.
• Selena Rogers (Yomegami): A P-virus Infected who isn't bothered by her condition all that much.
• Kaguya Koizumi (Yomegami): A human-raised Satori princess on a journey to return home. Has a habit of compulsively reading the mind of anyone she meets. (Description)
• Hayate Tsukino (Yomegami): A 500-year old kitsune, advisor to the king and queen of youkai, and Kaguya's travelling companion. Normally in the form of an ordinary red fox. (Description)

Guidelines

Guidelines

• Pax Island is under a strange and powerful force — something beyond mere magic — that ensures attempts at violence fail. Punches miss, guns jam, spells fail, et cetera. The other islands, however, are not similarly protected, and may hold serious risks. Plan appropriately.
• Before taking your characters out to a new island, be sure to bring others along. (You have to convince both the characters in-universe and writers out-of-universe your idea will be enjoyable, naturally.) And make sure everyone's on the same page about what the sub-story will be about. Even if the characters are unsuspecting of whatever is planned for them, no writer likes their characters being dropped.