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K'tumal
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The small cayes (pronounced keys) and the coral barrier reef are the main attraction of foreigners to K'tumal. The cayes are islands and mangroves that are located between the mainland and the barrier reef, on the barrier reef, and within the barrier reef perimeters. Although they are normally uninhabitable, they provide a superior habitat for birds and marine life.

The northern half of the mainland of K'tumal is a plain that was once the bed of a sea. The land is covered with a thin layer of soil that supports scrub vegetation and dense hardwood tropical forest. The coastal area is neither land nor sea, but a sodden, swampy transition between the two.

The central part of K'tumal consists of sandy soil that supports large savannas. Approximately thirty miles southwest of Hett, the land begins to rise dramatically into the enchanting Antubal area and the Lakchi Mountains. Abundant rainfall runs off the northwest from the highlands in a number of streams that flow into the Nali River.

The southern part of K'tumal consists of short rivers that rush through slopes combed with overhanging ledges and caves. The rivers, carrying sand, clay and silt, have enriched the coastal belt over the years, allowing K'tumal to develop significant agricultural products such as citrus and bananas. Southern K'tumal has a true tropical rain forest that is rich with ferns, palms, lianas, and tropical hardwoods.

The land teems with wildlife. Wild cats include the jaguar, puma, and ocelot. More benign mammals, such as marmosets, tapirs, peccary, deer, and a large variety of rodents and rabbits serve as prey for both the cats and the people who make the island their home, the naktul. A large number of turtles, lizards, snakes, and crocodiles, as well as frogs, toads, and salamanders enjoy the various habitats, wet and dry, on the islands. An astonishing variety of birds, including eagles, macaws, vultures, egrets, and storks live both on the island and in the cayes surrounding it. The sea is also home to manatees, dolphins, seals, and a large variety of fish and other sea creatures.

The proud naktul are perhaps the most remarkable denizens of K’tumal, however. Uncompromising and mercenary, their society is formed around a strict caste system, ruled by the Penak, who is head of both church and state. They are a slight, willowy people, with flat faces, golden skin, dark hair, and a multitude of tattoos, who favor clothes of bright red and yellow.
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