Perryn Island
Perryn Island is the name of a very large island in the Southwest part of the world as well as the name of a region. The island is over 4,000 miles long by 750 miles at its widest part. The Perryn Island region encompasses an area of over 6,000,000 square miles, much of it water. Fourteen communities make up the bulk of the region, with unknown numbers of small, isolated settlements scattered throughout Perryn Island itself.
The smaller islands that surround Perryn Island are quite civilized and generally devoid of monsters and other dangerous denizens, due mostly in part because the small area of the islands has allowed the civilized peoples to eradicate those creatures. Perryn Island, itself, is a completely different story. The kingdoms that occupy Perryn Island have somewhat tamed the wilds, but these communities are generally overly large in land area and are only truly safe where well-fortified settlements exist and areas that are well patrolled. The lands between the cities are usually safe, but it is not uncommon for large groups of various monsters to be found within one of these kingdoms. The lands between the kingdoms are truly wild and quite dangerous to travel.
Within various kingdoms roads are fairly common, with a good number of them being paved. Between kingdoms roads are virtually non-existent. Overland travel by wagon is impossible unless one plans on carving their own road as they go and mule-train is the most common form of overland travel through the wilds. This is, of course, a relative term as the dangers of overland travel make it too dangerous for all but the most heavily armed expeditions. The one exception is between the kingdoms of Green Stone and Th'krash, which maintains a paved and well-guarded road across the widest part of the island. Throughout various parts of Perryn Island there can still be seen fragments of the ancient roads of the Sarai that once traversed the area 10,000 years ago. Those flag stones are much sought after by the extremely wealthy. Obviously, sea travel is the primary method of travel in the region and around Perryn Island itself.
Perryn Island is a land of vast forests of elm trees with some select giant species reaching heights of over 1,000 feet. Throughout the island are many groves of wild pear trees, and nearly every civilized area cultivates vast groves of pear trees. Pears are known only to grow on Perryn Island itself. Plants that are transplanted to other areas are small and scraggly and produce small, bitter fruits. Outside of the various kingdoms fields and clearings are somewhat rare. Within the various kingdoms, though, much land has been stripped clear and turned over to agriculture. Perry, a hard cider derived from pears, is an extremely common local drink and popular export.
Aside from pears, the trees of Perryn Island are much sought after in the creation of ships and an extremely rare but highly potent mushroom used in magical research grows wild in some parts of the island. Many wizards brave the dangers of the wilderness or hire experienced adventuring groups to seek out these extremely valuable mushrooms. Outside of Perryn Island a few rarities ensure steady trade throughout the area. Far to the South, in the Crescent League, are located some of the few gold deposits on the Southern half of the world, as well as one of the largest concentrations of nearly pure iron. The Duchy of Steas mines vast quantities of coal from beneath their rocky shores and the Ridge Communities are a proving ground for sailors who often move on to ply the waters of the various trade routes of the world.
Kingdoms of the Perryn Island Region
The Black Lands: The one true blight in the region is The Black Lands, an area of heavily wooded islands, cold seas, dangerous shoals, numerous castles, and large numbers of pirates. They rule with impunity throughout this region and are the home of truly hearty buccaneers who prey on deep sea travel. Many an army has been swallowed by the Black Lands and many a navy has found itself on the bottom of the sea.
The Crescent League: This league of aligned towns is situated on an archipelago and is the Southern-most kingom in the region. They are a community primarily made up of fishermen, merchants, and dwarves who hail from a vast underground kingdom beneath the islands.
Draknar: A tiny kingdom that exists solely because it is along a trade route. Despite their small size they have an extremely skilled navy and are more than capable of defending themselves against marauders.
Duchy of Steas: A militant kingdom that exists as a jumping off point to travellers heading out to sea. They are also one of the prime sources of coal in the region and have a large number of gnomes amongst their population.
Falia: A trading community of human monks and priests. They produce iron rations and preserved foods for sailors. Many travellers say that the iron rations produced by the Falian monks actually taste like food.
Green Stone: A dwarf and elf kingdom that trades heavily in wood and stone products. For the most part the two species get along, but feuds between individuals, families, and sometimes even businesses can be long and bloody. The trade route south to Th'krash is a well-guarded and well-maintained.
Kjolin: A Sarai kingdom that hearkens back to the glory days of before the Divine Uprising. Gladiatorial games are the prime activity on the island, and those games are funded by tariffs and fees from merchants travelling through. The Kjolites also trade heavily in slaves, but most of these slaves they gather elsewhere, though the Black Lands provide more than their fair share of fodder for the arena. The Kjolite blood-red galleys and dromonds are a common sight throughout this part of the world.
Principality of the Righteous: A militantly religious kingdom that is more than a bit xenophobic. Over 99% of the population is human and those few non-humans are specialists in different fields. Non-human visitors are often treated with mistrust or downright scorn. Many visitors joke that those who are not in the military are only there to support the military. This is not far from the truth. Fortunately for their neighbors this military might is directed at securing the kingdom against monsters. One race that is not tolerated in the Principality are those of orcish descent.
Th'krash: A "porcine" community with the bulk of the population being half-orc/half-humans. The kingdom is a major destination to merchants and vistors travelling to and from the kingdoms of the Dread Sea. They are also the jumping off point of a well-secured overland trail that connects to Green Stone and spans Perryn Island.
The Ridge Communities: These communities exist primarily as havens for merchants plying the waters of the Dread Sea. They also produce some resources of their own. The waters around the Ridge Communities are extremely rough and many ships are lost travelling through the area. Those crews that survive and thrive here are much sought after by many kingdoms of Icengale.
Tir Audel: A kingdom devoted primarily to ship builders and the training of marines. Their close proximity to the Black Lands ensures that their marines are some of the best in the regions. Their ships are much prized by navies and merchants alike.
Tucker's Folly: Named after and by the famed explorer-wizard of the same name, this city was an attempt by Tucker to create a true neutral city where many different species could come and live in peace and harmony. Unfortunately for Tucker the only species that readily took this concept to heart were gnomes. The island is primarily comprised of gnomes with humans making up the bulk of the non-gnome inhabitants.
Tucker's Paradise: This independent city-state is named after a rune mark that was left by Tucker far in the past and was discovered by the earliest inhabitants. The city is an odd mix of wealthy merchants and nobles and some of the poorest dregs of society. Trade is the main source of income for the city, though the city itself is self-sufficient. The militia of Tucker's Paradise has an extremely high morale and they take their training very seriously, more serious than most standing militaries.
Well Head: A community that exists primarily as a place for ships to restock their water barrels. The kingdom also produces some of the finest perry in the region.
Points of Interest
Tucker's Hole: While plying these waters over a thousand years ago Tucker accidentally dropped a small artifact over the side of his ship. The artifact quickly struck to the bottom of the sea and kept going, dragging the sea floor down thousands of feet. The name and powers of this artifact have been lost over the years, but some say that it is still there, at the bottom of the sea. Given the ensuing violence caused by the dropping of this artifact many experts believe that if the artifact is removed that the sea floor will rise up again and that the ensuing tidal waves will cause much destruction. This has not stopped many intrepid adventurers from trying to recover it. Not surprisingly none have succeeded. What is surprising is that some have actually made it back.
The Great Tunnel: Seeking to avoid the dangers of crossing the Dread Sea a veritable army of dwarf engineers descended upon the cities of Th'krash, Last Chance, Portmore, and Ironcrest and carved a single tunnel that traversed the 2,100 miles between Th'krash and Ironcrest. The project took 157 years to complete and was a marvel to behold, with rooms carved out every 24 miles. The tunnel was wide enough for 4 fully loaded pack mules. Only one caravan ever made the complete journey, and that was because soon after the tunnel was completed it started to flood. A few miles of the tunnel near the four entry points are still above water but the rest of the tunnel is completely flooded. Over the years a small number of wizards or highly successful adventurers have attempted to make the journey underwater, but only one ever made it through a single section. He never came out of the next section and no others ever survived. The tunnel was originally carved without access to any other sections of the Dark Regions, but some experts suspect that the tunnel was compromised by some monstrous denizens.
The Black Wall: About 50 miles Northeast of Tucker's Paradise, along the north shore of the island, the shore rises up in sheer cliffs averaging 500 feet tall. These cliffs, which are comprised of a somewhat fragile black marble, stretch for over 1,500 miles, terminating near the city of Well Head. Forever lashed by relentless waves the bottom of the cliff offers only a couple of places where it is safe for small boats to approach the cliffs, but there is nothing of interest at these points. On cloudless nights the cliffs glow with an eerie reflection of moon light that can be seen from miles away. Flocks of harpies and solitary sirines dot the wall, hoping to lure sailors to their deaths, making the wall a dangerous natural obstacle.