The eastern coast is inhabited in several places by Kelevantian outposts. The jungle's savage inhabitants are kept out with heavily defended wooden palisades, and security is a major concern. The outposts serve as trading posts with the more civilized tribes, as well as a launching point for further explorations. Kelevantia maintains one battle group on patrol in the Jassiol area for support of any of the outposts. Unfortunately, all the precautions Kelevantia has made do not insure invulnerability. Several outposts have been sacked over the years, three burned to the ground, and two have disappeared without a trace. With Kelevantia's attention turned toward Ossavia for the past few years, the Jassiol colonies were not protected or governed over as well as they should have been.
The Jassiol river and its tributaries spread throughout the jungles. Many navigable rivers are patrolled and kept safe. Further up most rivers, the brush grows much thicker, and the savages fight against any unwelcome intrusion. Many are the exploration teams which have never returned.
The interest in the Jassiol region might be insignificant, but gem-rich caverns have been reported in the hills near the jungle's center. Many of the tribes use uncut gemstones as a trade exchange with the Kelevantians, so there is some substance to these reports. The Jassiol jungles also host several species of plant life which are extremely valuable for magical research and components in spellcasting and magecraft. Most of the plant life and many varieties of animal life grow at a faster rate than normal, thus preventing any clearing of the jungle areas for long.
Barderits: unusually violent, downright hostile to colonists from Kelevantia and Nelistan. They worship a being called Atzian, and are cannibals. As part of the initiation into manhood, Barderits drink blood from slain enemies under a special ritual which turns their hair blood-red. They believe that it strikes fear into the hearts of their enemies, and in many cases it works. They capture tribesmen from other tribes to appease their horrible patron's blood-hunger. They have found that the Kelevantian colonists make far easier targets.
Neaulets: generally slightly lighter-skinned and haired than the other tribes, probably due to interbreeding with earlier waves of colonists (which failed in their attempts to tame the jungle). One of the tribes that works with the colonists. They have adopted some of the Kelevantian ways, and worship some members of the Greek pantheon, using slightly different names (probably as a result of earlier expeditions). They make hide armor out of alligator skins
Osterits: good hunters, some members practice cannibalism. They have a number of witch-doctors, more than most other tribes. The tribe is not particularly numerous. Usually dress entirely in animal skins
Triteniocs: most primitive tribe known. Very prone to violence, they raid other tribes frequently for possessions and food. Their knowledge of jungle lore is better than most tribes. They smear certain plants on their skin from a young age, which lightens the skin and begins to turn it green (to improve their camoflage). The plants also have a mild narcotic and hallucinogenic effect, and incites the warriors to greater violence.
Varthraucs: a tribe of savages that are obviously not human. The average Varthrauc is a little under four feet tall, very shaggy, and bearded. They are unusually broad as well (in fact they look a lot like dwarves, to those who know what dwarves are). Xenophobic, but not particularly violent. They are very good at setting traps for animals, and live in the northern areas of the jungles. They are afraid of the ocean though.
Kelevantians: Kelevantia has established several colonies along the coasts of the Jassiol region. Many of these are simple forts, acting as bases for explorers and missionaries. Some of the tribes cooperate with the Kelevantians. There are also some settlers who seek the hidden wealth in gems
Kadai - a native village along the coast, which was taken over by a Kelevantian mining company, in order to mine gems from the nearby hills. The savages there were not very hostile, and somewhat curious.
Oppressive Barons: When Kelevantia was founded, several nobles were exiled, and other minor nobles that are not happy with the current political situations, granting serfs more rights (serfs were so much easier to control when you could oppress them a little). An exiled baron with enough wealth to keep a strong presence, and keep away from Kelevantian priest's eyes, has started to oppress the local savages. With the savages firmly oppressed, a gemstone exploitation operation could become very profitable.
Struggle for Survival: A lot of the colonies have had problems just staying around. Some of the savages are not particularly friendly (particularly the cannibals), and losing a whole fort is not unheard of. A lot of times, the savages are considered too dangerous, which is why a lot of expeditions fail. The colonies have only gotten fairly well established in a few key areas. Players could help a struggling colony to survive, or try to tame a chunk of land for themselves.