A saltwater swamp kingdom sprawling across a broken archipelago southwest of Kyagos, where the Alekroin have ruled as apex predators for millennia. The landscape is a maze of tidal channels, mangrove thickets, and flooded grasslands—terrain that would swallow armies but yields its secrets to those who evolved within it. Outsiders call it inhospitable. The Alekroin call it home.
Shykasas occupies roughly 400 miles of coastline and island chains between the Sea of Sighs to the north and the open waters to the south. The climate runs hot and humid year-round, with monsoon seasons that raise water levels by several feet and transform the interior into a vast shallow lake. During dry months, the waters recede to expose mudflats teeming with shellfish, waterfowl, and the unfortunate.
The Alekroin do not participate in the Shacklands slave trade. They have no interest in it. Their isolation is not political neutrality—it is the simple indifference of apex predators toward the squabbling of prey. Gorath's slavers give Shykasas waters a wide berth. The few who didn't learned why.
Settlements
Sornas — A fishing village on the western islands, known for its shell-divers who harvest rare specimens from deeper waters. The village supplies Vila Bonsa with most of its decorative shells and pearls.
Bixesarri — A town on the outer archipelago where the few foreign traders permitted in Shykasas conduct their business. Alekroin rarely enter the trading posts themselves; intermediaries handle the actual exchanges.
Erez — A southern settlement near the mouth of Soso Mari, functioning as an informal coastwatch. The Alekroin stationed here track all vessel movements in the surrounding waters.
Ansalonga — A town at the edge of Turiik Forest, serving as a staging ground for hunting expeditions. Young Alekroin from across Shykasas travel here to prove themselves.
Molleres — An eastern settlement near the border with Lyoki Ingi Ingi. Relations with the Mudzwiti goblins of the jungle are neither friendly nor hostile—both peoples respect territorial boundaries and leave each other alone.
Arinsal — A central town in the archipelago's interior, notable for its extensive aquaculture pools where the Alekroin cultivate shellfish and certain medicinal plants.