Locations > The Thousand Isles

Nation - Ryon: The current local ruling power in the Thousand Isles. Once a minuscule, powerless community of mountain-dwellers from the largest isle of the central archipelago. They were oppressed for centuries by the Apekin who used them as slaves, before the arrival of the Dragonkin and the consequent conflict between them and the apes allowed them the opportunity to rise up. The great golden age of Ryonese humans resulted in revolutions in art, poetry, warfare and sciences. Perhaps exotically compared to other humans, the Ryonese worship the water goddess of fortune and luck as their primary deity.

The city of Ryon itself is a bustling metropolis that stretches from its harbors to its mountainous hinterlands, with rocky roads twisting and winding up its hills and around its innumerable red gates, lantern-lit pagodas, temples and markets. On paper, it is ruled by a dynasty of emperor-priests said to be able to speak to the goddess herself at will, though in practice, many warlords hold sway in different provinces of the island outside the gates of its city, only ever recognizing the emperors when on temporary visit to pray or trade.

Region - Amber Mountains: Deep inland, far from the safety of the cities of Ryon, the extremely steep maze of heavily forested mountains is usually avoided by travelers. The Amber Mountains cut the great capital island in half, with the civilized side protected by rainforests, and the other side being a dry and arid steppe plateau. This area is home to both pious hermetic monks and ruthless bandit lords alike, both reveling in the isolation it allows. A network of temples, ancient fortresses and castles extend as deep into the ground as they rise into the sky. Four of the thirteen clans of Ryon have their bases here.

Region - Jade Forests: The relatively temperate rainforest on the civilized side of the Amber Mountains is home to varieties of exotic wildlife not even dreamt of by the western races. Its thick, lush hills are home to all sorts of mythical trickster spirits that toy with outsiders at best and outright prey on them in many cases. The beautiful lakes of the region are maintained by fortune clerics who pray to the goddess. Six of the thirteen clans of Ryon have their bases here, with stone forts erected in glades deep in the oppressive forest.

Region - Ruby Steppe: On the other side of the Amber Mountains from the capital city of Ryon, a vast high-altitude plateau stretches all the way to the sea, which is sparsely inhabited and mostly populated by shrubs and ungulates. Hidden in the valleys between the hills of the Ruby Steppe, usually near one of the rivers of the area, three of the thirteen clans of Ryon have their bases here. Domestication of wild horses is extremely popular, as crossing the steppe on foot is largely unreasonable for anyone but the most dedicated pilgrims.

Region - The Great Southern Archipelago: Though smaller than the capital island of the thalassocratic empire of Ryon, an innumerable amount of islands and atolls dot the seas. The islands range from lush tropical rainforests contained only by the waters that surround them to massive volcano islands sparsely inhabited by natives, and everything in between. Though the Ryonese navy watches over these islands jealously, the sheer number of adventurers, traders and pirates trying to plunder island forts, find treasure, bag sea monsters and make contact with natives is too large for any centralized power to stop.