A moderate-sized island southwest of the Tarkhon Strait, part of Nektuna's territory. Home to the Pyrisi, a hardy, independent folk who want nothing more than to be left alone, and the cursed ruins of Fort Tenze.
Geography
Pyris is the largest island in the western passage, roughly forty miles long and twenty wide. The terrain is hilly, with rocky coastlines giving way to modest farmland in the interior. A spine of low hills runs north-south through the island's center.
The climate is Mediterranean—milder than the mainland, with reliable rainfall and good growing conditions. The soil is decent for olives, grapes, and grain.
The Pyrisi
The island's population descends from centuries of interbreeding between humans and dwarves—a mixing that occurred long before anyone thought to record it. The result is a people who are stocky, hardy, and stubborn.
The Pyrisi are primarily farmers and fishers. They grow olives and grapes, catch fish, and want to be left alone. They pay their taxes to Tarkhetan, send their young to serve in the navy, and otherwise try not to attract attention.
They have little interest in mainland politics. When Tarkhetan's intrigues spill over, the Pyrisi wait for it to pass. When asked their opinion on the succession, they shrug. When pressed about the Neferati legacy, they change the subject.
It looks like ignorance, but it is survival. The Pyrisi have learned that attracting attention rarely ends well for islanders.
Settlements
Pyris Town is the largest settlement, located on the northern coast. Perhaps 3,000 people live here—merchants, craftsmen, and the administrators who handle the island's relationship with Tarkhetan. The town has a modest harbor, a small market, and a temple to the Evertorch (rarely attended).
Several villages dot the interior and southern coast, home to farming families who've worked the same land for generations. These communities are insular, intermarried, and suspicious of outsiders—including visitors from Pyris Town.
Fort Tenze
On the island's eastern coast stand the ruins of Fort Tenze, once a vital fortress guarding the western approaches to the strait.
Fort Tenze has been abandoned for three centuries, ever since the Severance—the civil war that ended Neferati rule. The garrison sided with the losing faction. When the victors came to take the fortress, something went wrong. The place burned with unnatural fire and has been cursed ever since.
Three attempts to rebuild have failed. Workers suffer accidents, disappearances, madness. The Pyrisi avoid the ruins. They tell stories to keep children away. Even smugglers don't stay long.
Whatever happened at Fort Tenze, the fire hasn't quite gone out.
Strategic Position
Pyris guards a secondary chokepoint—not as critical as the Needle, but significant. Ships hugging the western coast to avoid Tarkhetan's tariffs must pass within range of... well, where Fort Tenze's walls used to be.
The fortress's absence creates a gap in Tarkhon's defenses. Smugglers exploit it. The crown knows but hasn't successfully addressed the problem.
Relationship with Tarkhetan
Pyris is technically part of Nektuna, governed from Tarkhetan. In practice, the island largely governs itself. A minor noble holds the title of Governor of Pyris, usually someone being quietly exiled from court politics, and the Pyrisi ignore them as much as possible.
The island pays taxes, provides sailors, and hosts the cursed ruins of a fortress nobody wants to rebuild. In exchange, Tarkhetan mostly leaves them alone.
It's not a bad arrangement. The Pyrisi have survived worse.