Okongo

Okongo is a region of Mascotia, and is located in the direction that is generally accepted as 'south'.

Summary
The Okongo region is mostly savannah, desert, and mudhole, although there is rainforest where it borders Hoatzin. Giant ungulates graze while being stalked by carnivores. Acacias and Baobabs rise up from the ground, housing many chiropterans and insects. It's a neat place for a vacation or safari. Okongo is one of the best places for a terrestrial Mascotian to live, much like Sparklebrook and Hoatzin.
 * Modern Name - Okongo
 * Archaic Name - Okanguk
 * Biomes - Savannah, Desert, Scrubland, Volcano, Rocky Canyon, Rapids, Temperate Grassland, Temperate Forest, Tropical Rainforest
 * Neighboring Regions - Hoatzin, Sparklebrook, Minn, Central Mascotia, Prismia
 * Official Element - Fire
 * Guardian Sprite - Okaa-Kango
 * Population Density - Somewhat High
 * Tectonic Activity - Very High

The river system is quite different, however. It's insane. Areas that aren't home to roaring rapids and raging aquatic carnivores are just stagnant mud puddles deprived of oxygen. Only the brave and insane aquatic Mascotians can thrive here. The great Okongo River is home to some of the strangest and weirdest life anywhere. Things must adapt to survive here, and they adapt at a surprisingly fast rate.

The area also the second highest concentration of portals to other galaxies, just behind Hoatzin. These portals often lead to dreary, lifeless sectors, or hazardous asteroid belts, raging pulsars, and even black holes. The skies of Okongo are the most dangerous to traverse, due to frequent meteor showers. This is why they built the Spaceport in Hoatzin.

The nights are cool as the wind blows through the grassy plains. Deserts that scorch by day reach frigid temperatures by night. The moon shines over Okongo's many crater lakes, and the land seems to fall silent. Lava flows and shooting stars light up the night just enough to make it visible. Despite the apparent stillness, this is when most of the life of Okongo comes out to play - especially the predators. It doesn't matter how high on the food chain you were in the next region over - you will almost always have some sort of predator here.

Many tribes wage big, bloody wars with each other over the grassland. Thanks to this, carrion is never in short supply. Do beware that lakes and ponds here have a tendency to dry up randomly. In order to fully appreciate (and survive) Okongo's unpredictability, it is recommended that one take up a nomadic way of life. This is also necessary to avoid the raging wildfires. Oh, did we forget to mention those? Our bad.

Notable Locations

 * Sweltering Savannah - Hope your safari Jeep has air-conditioning. There is no shade or water in sight. You can find the fossils of many creatures trying to excavate fossils here. Also, there are great gem deposits here. You can find the fossils of the creatures that tried to mine the gems as well.
 * Kavongo Cliffs - Home of Tucca Falls, the tallest waterfall in all of Mascotia, not including the one in Hoatzin that just falls off the map into the abyss.
 * Golden Valley - Named after the way the savannah glows golden when the sunrise hits the misty air. One of the luckier places in Okongo, it has plenty of water. Many rapids flow into here.
 * Bufo Pond - Home to the great toad, king Bufo. This stagnant mud pit thrives with life... mostly just flies, frogs, and tadpoles. But the area is packed with 'em! The natives can range from kindly and helpful, to psychotic and violent. Bufo Pond has the least elbow room of anywhere in Mascotia
 * Kaango Rapids - Don't even get near these. So many rocks and whirlpools... you'll be shredded apart like an unwanted factory farm rooster. To make matters worse, the hippos and crocodilians here are more homicidal than the average hippo or crocidilian
 * Scaldron Desert - A charming place to burn to death or die of thirst. If that's not your thing, then fine.
 * Bylla-Bon - A neat area that turns green with the rainy season. Many platypuses, tazzies, wallaboomers, diprotodons, megalania, salt crocs, and emus live here.
 * Trial Trail - The water here isn't a suicidal drop-off to death. But the current is still pretty tough, and extremely unpredictable. Cheap taxes though, that's nice.
 * Zeeland Jungle - This large expanse of jungle contains many small ponds and lots of fauna. It is also a great camping spot. Many mascotians that make their way here usually don't come out, though. It might be small on the outside, but holy cow it's gigantic on the inside! Home to various wildlife and some of the strangest species. The Kaango River runs straight through this area.
 * Scaldron - Way too much lava here. And not that stuff in movies that only hurts you when you touch it. No sir, this is real lava. Your face would melt just getting near the stuff. And you're going to have a hard time avoiding it. Located in the middle of Scaldron Desert, this has definitely got to be the worst place for a crash-landing.
 * Kaptain K's Space Academy - Home of the K-force. You can find it in the Zeeland Jungle to the east. Many heroes arise from here, but there is also a band of evil ratites living in the nearby savannah as well..
 * Goanna Pit - If you take a right on Kaango Rapids near Bylla-Bon, you will go down a small stream then fall down a waterfall. You will then land in Goanna Pit. It looks like a normal lake at first but it doesn't have shallow waters, just a drop. Every kind of Monitor Lizard you can think of lives in or on the edges of Goanna Pit.
 * Daenaeliah - Daenaeliah is an alien trading post turned Shanty-town. You can find various bits of alien technology here. But be careful, there are also theives lurking around.
 * Brine Pits - The Brine Pits are a series of salty, stagnant pools full of brine flies and brine shrimp. However, some mascots live here, and find the place lovely.
 * Tar Creek - Bubbling, boiling tar pits are dotted around this area in large numbers. The remains of animal carcasses from all over surround the tar, stuck forever in the thick black goo. This is one of the most dangerous parts of Okongo, only venture here if you can hover over the land. Or if you've got a few screws missing.
 * Oregna Plains - Stretching over most of mainland Okongo, these plains are really where the toughest of the tough live. Everything from lions and hyenas to sabre-tooth cats and giant terror birds rule this land, and trust me, you do NOT want to be out here at night. Every year, mass migrations take place as countless species of megafauna cross the gruelling plains. If you're a thrill-seeking naturalist, this is the place for you, with only the best battles to the death. Seriously though, who wouldn't want to see a face off between a terror bird and a lion?

Native Flora and Fauna
There are many grasses, cacti, desert shrubs, acacias, thorn trees, and baobabs in most of Okongo. Golden wattle, eucalyptus, blackwood, gum, and sausage trees can be found more to the southeast. The forested areas are home to much more species of fern and vine. Many delicious roots and tubers also grow beneath the ground such as Yums and Bloatatos.

The fauna changes depending on where you go, and you will begin to see very complex food webs.

Year-Round Wildlife:

Zneeha Equinoceros, Glowstreak Butterfly, Skinmuncher Fly, Crud Beetle, Cuddly Loris, Rusty Thylacaleo, Striped Diprotodon, Boomer Emu, Striped Wallaboom, Cliff Wallaboom, Forest Wallaboom, Chikka, Nukkel, Screaming Forest Boar, Redtail Monitor, Night Megalania, Pyro Monitor, Salt Croc, Runner Croc, Okongo Crocodile, Mugger Ostrich, Dire Rhea, Horned Hare, Snowflake Jackalope, Thundering Kasai-Rex, Grumbling Plodder, Ashy Emela-Ntouka, Bald Mammoth, Pygmy Mammoth, Jackhammer Bird, Needlepoint Finch, Chraak, Puker Toad, Gobbler Toad, Waterjug Frog, Honeypot Toad, Acid Ant, Piranha Ant, Flamethrower Termite, Baffeint, Urph, Kezzal, Brown Klymph, Slender Klymph, Graymane Lion, Runner Margay, Greater Smilodon, Lesser Smilodon, Scimitar Bear, Wrestler Procoptodon, Boxer-Mitt Kangaroo, Racing Mamba, Vine Mamba, Neurotoxic Cobra, Hazmat Adder, Sand Asp, Banzai Wasp, Slasher Cassowary, Pyro Aardvark, Predatory Magmascale Pangolin, Grazer Hippo, Shanktooth Hippo, Scarback Tigerfish, Burrower Catfish, Strolling Catfish, Loitering Catfish, Deadly Crysalis-Worm, Giant Killer Giant Plated Lizard, Giant Giant Killer Giant Plated Lizard, Bronzeface Uakari, Levitating Spittle Bug, Alkaline Spittle Bug, Freshwater Pipefish, Kaango Pipefish, Saline Pipefish, Moth Agama, Howling Pupfish, Crazy Four Eyed Fish, Dudeman's Lacewing, Desert Gargoyle, Peaceful Killer, Spryte Frog, Spinning Piefish, Colossal Vinegaroon, Okongo Tailless Whip Scorpion, Awesome Tailless Whip Scorpion, Rad Tailless Whip Scorpion (AKA "Outdated Tailless Whip Scorpion"), Horned Perch, Electric Perch, Diseasechucker, Overweight Diprotodon, Common Sniper Fish, Wailing Sniper Fish, Irongum Lungfish, Brownscale Ropefish, Death-Stare Giraffe, Tesla-Horn Rhino, Riverbed Rhino, Firegum Wyvern, Blackclaw Dragon, Chaser Baboon, Howler Baboon, Towering Ape, Pooflinger Ape, Bomber Toad, Spotted Cougar, Dewskin Beetle, Fuzzy Tarantula, Acid-Spray Scorpion, Magmajabber Scorpion, Sandshark, Crabla, Prehensile Batla, Pfreet, Sandstomper, Shambling Sandslayer, Clubber Sandbear, Cyris Serpent, Daggertail Serpent, Shake Snake, Burly Toad, Mudslop Frog, Dune Sea Monkey, Brine Fly, Brine Shrimp

Geology
Okongo was apparently extremely volcanic all over at some point, because basalt, granite, and obsidian is everywhere.

Precious blood diamonds, named for their striking red color, are mined here. There's also many varieties of opal and onyx.

Notable Residents

 * Axel
 * Advavi
 * Creek
 * Croc
 * Elsie
 * Fire Worm
 * Kaptain K
 * King Tigron
 * Kopo
 * Lieutenant Dragotron
 * Lieutenant Crag
 * Lothario
 * Mathew
 * Munky
 * Niki
 * Prince Blakfier
 * Ropen
 * Sensei