Geography
The Western Isles occupy the waters between Clueanda to the north and Rimihuica to the south, marking the edge of the known world to the west. At its heart lies the Shattered Sea—a chaotic archipelago of hundreds of tiny islands, atolls, and shoals that makes navigation treacherous. The region serves as a buffer zone between the great continental powers, home to independent states, pirate havens, and mysterious island cultures.
Surrounding Waters
- Stratlan Sea: The deep, empty ocean to the far west—the true edge of the known world
- Iron Sea: Northern waters, between the islands and Clueanda
- Sea of Merchants: Eastern waters separating the islands from the Tarkhon Empire
- Sea of Sharks: Southern waters below the central archipelago
Member Islands and States
The Western Isles encompass twenty-eight named territories across the Shattered Sea. In the north, the Cliffs of Syquindonos form a dramatic coastal edge; Kettle Bay and Phyndarr Sound provide sheltered anchorage along the inner coast. The Foggy Isles, perpetually shrouded in unnatural mist maintained by the Veilkeepers, offer sanctuary to those who need to disappear from the world.
The central Shattered Sea is anchored by Knova, one of the region's more established polities. South of Knova, the White Oracle—a seer said to speak with the gods of time—draws supplicants from across the isles. The Bynü Island Tribes hold the western central waters. The Pelican Isles are home to the isolationist Ansari gnomes, who ride pelicans and shoot arrows at any approaching ship. The Whisper Isles were permanently silenced by the Pity Knights after they destroyed the lich-corrupted city of Thergon; the islands now harbor undead ruins and the remnants of famous coral jewelry. The Mumbling Isles and Siren Islands—sheer-cliffed islands inhabited by sirens who know gaelic melodies—add further peril to the northern waters.
Eastward, Sheîr borders the Sea of Merchants, and the Dolphin Islands are sacred to the triton people, who forbid all ships during the annual dolphin breeding season. The Dragon's Teeth, an impassable field of obsidian spires guarded by the sea monster Qorgath and her brood, anchor the far northwest. The Drifting Isles shift position by season, navigable only with a Swordsmen pilot. To the south, the Ember Isles glow with volcanic heat, and the Islands of Gold draw treasure hunters despite the colossal stone seafloor creatures that prey on shipping. Tollgate, a fortified city-state at the mouth of Phyndarr Sound, has collected tolls on all north-south shipping through the strait for three centuries.