"All Roads Lead to Zenithstrand"
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE SHADOW ISLES
CONTRIBUTORS: Katrina Maurer
THE SHADOW ISLES
Long ago, the Shadow Isles were a single large island, inhabited by the ancient Grey Elves. Little is known about their history in the area, only that their cities were all eventually abandoned for reasons unknown. Around a millennium and a half before the present day, after the Grey Elven society on the mainland dissolved and the various sub-races of elves slowly arose from the ruins of their culture, a group of High Elves made their way to the island and settled there. They took up reverence of the Gold Dragon Tezoth, whose territory has encompassed the area since time began, and called the island Dominion. Under the guidance of Tezoth’s knights, the Order of the Sun, they peacefully ruled the land in Tezoth’s name for the next two hundred years. They found no quarrel with the god-worshippers who also began to travel to the island and make their homes there (though of course the god-worshipers were heavily encouraged to turn away from the divine). The first stirrings of unrest came when a Shadow Elf girl was born on a black night. It is said that when she first opened her eyes, the moon appeared and shone through the darkness. The Shadow Elves slowly began to turn away from the light of the Sun Dragon and towards the girl they called the Moon Mother, worshipping her as a goddess in a land too long dominated by those following the words of Tezoth. The High Elves, the Order of the Sun, and others loyal to the Gold Dragon grew concerned by the cult growing around the Moon Mother, but were reluctant to begin a violent conflict without just cause. One night, however, the Knight Commander of the Order of the Sun had a vision that the moon would shatter the island, and the sun would never be seen again. That same night, the same prophecy was spoken by the Moon Mother, though in her vision the sun was at fault and the moon lost forever. The cataclysmic event that followed that day is known by many names: the Sundering, the Divide, the Reprisal, the Rupture, the Fracture, and others. Accounts differ as to which heavenly body overtook the other, but all agree that one of them did, and the earth beneath them fell apart. As it shook and split, an immensely powerful Wild Elven druid named Coa, whose grove encompassed an entire forest, sacrificed her life to hold the root network together. Her sacrifice preserved the central landmass and saved the lives of all within it. This island became known as Zenithstrand. To this day, the Wild Elven tribes of the forest protect it with a vengeance, believing that the former heart of Coa’s Grove still exists somewhere within its depths. To the northwest, where most of the Shadow Elves made their homes, volcanoes erupted as the land shattered. Instead of lava, however, they spewed forth dark mist, blanketing the newly formed isle of Nitrem, which the mist still covers to this very day. The Shadow Elves believe that the Moon Mother, who was never seen again, created the mist to shield them from the harmful rays of Tezoth’s sun. In the southeast, where most of Tezoth’s followers lived prior to the breaking of the land, remained the largest unbroken land mass of the former island of Dominion. The High Elves and others loyal to Tezoth who lived elsewhere before the Divide relocated to this isle. They still called it Dominion, as they saw no reason to change the name of their home. They continued their fervent reverence of the Sun Dragon, now in a land that was soon populated solely by his faithful, and so remained at odds with the Shadow Elves who continued to worship the Moon Mother. Despite the chilly relationship between Nitrem and Dominion, the Order of the Sun kept the peace among the rest of the islands for many centuries. Three hundred years ago, Ice Elves from the east began conducting massive raids on all of the settlements in the Shadow Isles, providing them with a common enemy for the first time. They united and drove out the invaders. However, the feeling of camaraderie was not to last, as Nitrem’s people became increasingly devout followers of the Moon Mother and steadily gained power as a nation over the next two hundred years, pushing for more influence among the rest of the Isles. Furthermore, the battle broke the ancient Order of the Sun. The three current Knightly Orders of Tezoth were founded by the Dragon Knight’s lieutenants, each an offshoot of the original Order. Hostilities between Dominion and Nitrem grew until they erupted into the Shadow-Sun War. The Shadow-Sun war was a large conflict between Nitrem and Dominion -- those who worshipped the Moon Mother pitted against the followers of Tezoth. The war was long and bloody; it lasted 89 years and only ended when a catastrophic final battle destroyed the bulk of both armies and their ships. No one really knows for sure what happened during that catastrophic final battle - those few who survived the conflict had no recollection of what had occurred. Three years later, the Coalition of the Shadow Isles was formed. The Empire of Berphaunt gifted the Coalition a Skein Gate, a gate to a powerful network of portals, to celebrate their unification and allow them to connect to the rest of the world without having to navigate the treacherous Ghost Sea surrounding the islands. After much deliberation, the Coalition decided that the Skein Gate would be placed on the apolitical island of Zenithstrand, and a new colony would be formed around it. Those who volunteered to form this new settlement set sail towards the Empire’s carrier ship in the spring of 2258. Unfortunately, their voyage did not go as planned….
THE ISLANDS
The islands of the Shadow Isles are surrounded by the Ghost Sea, named so for its constant deathly calm. The surface waters of the sea are always still, though a current flows beneath them - a current that leads, invariably, towards Zenithstrand. Despite the sea’s seemingly peaceful appearance, ships disappear with relative frequency, never to be seen again… except for the rare occasions when their shattered hulls and crew are found on the shores of Zenithstrand. Some swear to have seen a fleet of ships on the horizon while at sea, though they can never catch up to this fleet, or identify who the ships may belong to. Most people dismiss these tales as being flights of fancy, but are unable to explain the survivors that occasionally wash up with no memories of the fates of their ships.
ZENITHSTRAND
The wild elven inhabitants of the central island of Zenithstrand believe that their home was held together during the Sundering by the vast grove of a powerful druid named Coa, who sacrificed her life to save the forest and those who lived in it. To this day, most of their tribes still revere the forest, which they call the Overgrowth, as sacred. They believe all its trees to be connected, and that Coa’s grove still exists in the forest’s depths, though none know where. They protect the forest with a vengeance, and to date there have been two massacres resulting from outsiders attempting to harvest lumber from the Overgrowth. They care little for politics, and their seat on the Coalition Council is held by an Ajaunti from Acasă. Though Zenithstrand is inhabited almost entirely by wild elves, a small number of wood fae and fauns also live in the forest known to the rest of the Shadow Isles as the Reclamation Zone, which covers the northern two thirds of the island. The lower, unforested area is largely uninhabited, aside from temporary Acasăn trading camps and a dwarven outpost. Numerous attempts at colonization have failed in the past, the most notable being a camp of Einher that disappeared without a trace a few short years ago. The survivors - those who were out on patrol and returned to find the camp abandoned - moved to Bileostrav, using it as an outpost to repel Ice Elf attacks, and are eager to return to Zenithstrand and search for their lost companions.
ACASĂ
Though the smallest of the main six islands, both in size and population, Acasă is the trading hub of the Shadow Isles. Though the Ajaunti are a race known for their penchant for travel, the Ajaunti of Acasă haven’t left the Shadow Isles in centuries. They believe that they have been cursed and swear that ever since the Sundering, any of their blood who attempt to leave the islands in favour of a land not touched by the Ghost Sea have been dragged to a watery grave by the spirits of their ancestors, who were drowned when the sea rushed in and shattered the islands apart. The island is also home to a large pride of isolationist Savar’Aving, and a small number of Hobling merchants. Because of its small size, instead of having a seat of its own on the Coalition council, Acasă is included with Zenithstrand because of its physical proximity. However, the Wild Elves are so disinterested in politics that an Acasăn Ajaunti has held Zenithstrand’s seat since the Coalition was formed. No longer able to travel the world as the Ajaunti have historically done, those in the Shadow Isles refashioned themselves into merchants. Most trade in the Coalition goes through Acasă, and the Ajaunti are quite well off as a result. Located so close to the southern tip of Zenithstrand that they are joined by a narrow rope bridge, all ships sailing the Ghost Sea pass by the small island, making it a naturally occurring trade route - the still waters of the Ghost Sea have currents nonetheless, all of which oddly flow towards the central island. This curious phenomenon has led to a common saying among the Ajaunti: All roads lead to Zenithstrand.
DOMINION
The home of Tezoth, the Gold Dragon of the Sun, is populated solely by his followers. As his tenets focus primarily around justice and honour, with a healthy dose of compassion and an appreciation for the glory of the sun’s light, Dominion is a land of almost universally law-abiding citizens, and the arts flourish. Dominion is the second-most populous island in the Shadow Isles, the majority of its inhabitants being High Elves and humans. There are also smaller but significant numbers of Dwarves (most of whom reside deep in the mountains), Fire Elves (a nomadic people that roam the island together in a Grand Bazaar), and Gold Draconians, who, as Tezoth’s children, are granted more respect and power than all but those who have gained his personal Favour: Dragon Knights. Most of Dominion’s people work as miners, foresters, or scholars, and the island exports a great deal of lumber, weapons, armour, and spellbooks to the other islands. Though Tezoth himself is the undisputed ruler of the island, few but the Gold Draconians ever speak to him personally. The day to day work of running Dominion is done by a small council of representatives of the island’s seven noble families. His three Knightly Orders serve primarily as peacekeepers and protectors for Dominion and the rest of the Shadow Isles: They ensure that the recent peace treaty is not breached, uphold the laws of the land, and defend vulnerable populations from Undead and other monstrosities. Interestingly, one of the Knightly Orders actually seeks to recruit those with darkness in their hearts, ranging from simple criminals to former Wytches and even Darkweavers, to turn them against the enemy. Guided by the motto “Convert or Burn,” the Knights of the Shattered Sun seek redemption for their past wrongs by upholding Tezoth’s laws at all costs.
NITREM
Nitrem, the third-largest island in the Shadow Isles, is populated almost entirely by Shadow Elves: the only Dark Elves in the world who unashamedly live above ground, sheltered from the sun by thick mists and volcanic clouds, and easily distinguished from their subterranean brethren by the fact that most of them have white hair. Shadow Elves are a passionate and proud people that see themselves as champions of all god-worshippers in the Shadow Isles, a result of their centuries of conflict with Dominion and its followers of Tezoth. They hate the sun with a passion, as do all Dark Elves, but are unique in that they also have great distaste for fire, seeing it as an aspect of the sun. Both are seen as symbols of evil. Though most of its inhabitants are Shadow Elves, there are a small number of Goblins and other races who make their home on Nitrem; however, the Goblins are used as slave labour in the production of alchemy, and all but the Shadow Elves are distinctly second-class citizens. Unable to vote for Nitrem’s leaders, they’re treated with distaste by the dominant race. Worship of the Moon Mother is integral to their society, with different rituals to be performed at various points in the lunar cycle, and balance is seen as having importance above all else. These rituals usually involve self-mutilation, taking hallucinogens, or both.
SORDESTEAD
Sordestead has the highest population of all the Shadow Isles, and virtually every single resident is a refugee. Whether Gargylen who escaped from the Conclave of Berphaunt, those who fled the Shadow-Sun War at its start, Wood Fae who escaped from Melinda as it was overtaken by the Brood, or refugees from any other conflict, all are welcome. The isle is ruled by a Gargylen loved by all, known by her title of First Citizen. Though universally poor, to the point where few have permanent housing, the citizens of Sordestead work hard to provide for one another, and all its people have equal status. The First Citizen wears the same scratchy wool as her people. However, the densely populated city is divided roughly into quarters based on the arrival of waves of refugees, with the Core’s buildings constructed of metal and stone, mid-quarter homes built of wood, and the most recent arrivals living in tents and shacks. Though without any real naval presence beyond fishing boats, Sordestead is very well-defended against the potential of an invasion by sea, with an artificial reef that will wreck any boat that doesn’t know how to navigate it. All people are trained in basic weapon usage by the Stonewalls, the security forces of the First Citizen, whose duties are whatever is required to improve living conditions for Sordestead’s people. Its population has been burning through their natural resources at an alarming rate, and the once heavily forested island is now barren near the city. This resulted in some of its people venturing to Zenithstrand’s shores and attempting to harvest some of its forest for its wood, but their axes had scarcely bit into the first tree when multiple tribes descended upon them, as a single united force, and slaughtered every one of the loggers. Sordestead has little trade with the other islands because it has very little to offer, beyond the occasional excess of iron ore from its mines, as its people refuse to produce anything else before the basic necessities required to feed, clothe, and house its numerous citizens.
BILEOSTRAV
Bileostrav, simply put, is a cesspool of violence and moral decay. Its main industries are slavery, prostitution, piracy, and brewing; the only laws that exist are those that can be enforced by brute force; and its monarchs are elected by way of fist fights. (Unsurprisingly, most of the rulers have thus been orcs.) Bileostrav began as a pirate’s cove home chiefly to orcs, who are still the island’s most populous race, and slowly developed into something resembling an actual society; though calling it that in more refined circles will raise a great deal of eyebrows. People of all races make their homes on Bileostrav, with some of the more significant portions being Ajaunti and Einher, and culture clashes are frequent (and bloody). Bileostravian society is not complete anarchy, however. Almost all of its citizens are members of crews and thus answer to their captains, who have complete control over their crewmen. These captains all answer to the current King, whose authority is genuinely respected - only the strongest on the island have even a hope of gaining the title, and strength is considered the only thing that truly matters. The person with perhaps the most power in Bileostrav, however, is known as the Record. The Record has memorized the entire history of Bileostrav and everything worthy of note that everyone there has ever done, hugely important due to the vast majority of the island being illiterate. Harming the Record, if a successor has not yet been declared suitable to replace them if necessary, is considered to be the worst crime a person could commit.