Isle of Swords

The Isle of Swords and its subsidiary islands occupy an area approximately 240 miles across and 140 miles top to bottom at its widest points. It is located approximately 250 miles off the coast of mainland West Eirinn, with the Sea of Mercy to the south and east of the island, the Vishal Ocean to the west, and to the north, the Bail Sea. The majority of the island is a combination of rocky hills and outcrops interspersed with foul-smelling peat bogs and unnatural swampland. Twisted fragments of metallic ore jut upward like sword blades, and strange, cable-like structures also litter the landscape, likely remnants of the Floating City that exploded above the Island. Additionally, the entire Isle is covered in a near-permanent blanket of fog that thickens and thins at random, bringing with it diseases and rot.

The most notable feature of the island is the Range of Black Blades, a mountain range that runs for approximately 180 miles in a curve from Sanctuary Point at the north-eastern end of the island to Mason's Lodge in the east-south-east part of the island. The tallest peaks reach 29,040ft, and are believed to have been created during the Ruin of the Floating Cities at the end of the 3rd Age.

The area of the seas to the north and west of the island, up to about forty miles from the short, are known as The Waterbound Graveyard. Many ships have run aground and the bones of large marine creatures that became beached can be seen within the shallow waters here.

The Isle of Swords is characterised as a Necrotic Ecosystem, featuring a combination of fetid, foul wetland and rocky, dry, desert-like ecosystems. While the frequent rains sustain the rot and mire of the swamplands, little water remains at surface level in the rocky parts of the island. The island's only river, the Black River, is heavily polluted with necromantic energies and harbours only Necrotic species.

The most famous phenomenon of the Isle of Swords is the constant layer of fog that blankets the country right out to several miles from shore. It is known as The Folly's Haze, and breathing in the fog through an uncovered nose or mouth often leads to disease or infections. In high enough concentrations, the fog acts as a poison, killing the creature or creatures and raising them as Undead.

The general climate of the Isle of Swords is temperate with no dry season. Summers tend to be warmer, but the constant layer of necrotic fog makes the air feel cooler when it thickens. Skies are frequently cloudy and rain is common, though it is not unknown for there to be rare heatwaves which give the island a muggy, heavy feel.

Few animals live on the isle other than livestock, and those that do are generally corrupted by the Necromantic energies that saturate the island. These creatures are often twisted, violent versions of their usual species, and have a tendency to breed quickly due to being constantly hunted by Undead. Livestock are kept in walled pastures close to settlements, which are frequently attacked by hungry Undead and thus heavily guarded.

Undead creatures are common across the island, with Corpse Eaters being the most numerous. Shades, Ghosts, Phantoms and many varieties of Zombies are frequently seen from the walls of settlements, and there have also been tales of Wraiths, Revenants, and even Darklights haunting the lands.

Likewise, uncultivated plants outside of settlements are often corrupted and dangerous. However, some medicinal herbs thrive in the conditions brought about by the Folly, and brave herbologists will head out of settlements to cultivate them.

The Isle of Swords is rich in stone and mineral deposits, and until the Folly of Blackguard held a large number of gemstone and metal mines. However, the majority of these mines were lost when the necromantic plagues ran rampant, and most are inaccessible due to being overrun with Undead. Only the small settlement of Mason's Lodge maintains a constant mining operation, bringing up predominantly Tourmaline, Beryl and Apatite stones, as well as graphite and marble. The operation is small, but manages to survive due to exports.

The Isle of Swords was previously a much larger island, stretching almost 300 miles east to west and 250 miles north to south, and was known as the Isle of Senmuri (Glitterdeep). It was famous for its abundant gemstone, mineral and metal mines, and exported a large number of these throughout the Age of Arcana.

During the Ruin of the Floating Cities, the Floating City Tallassine split in two above the island, with half exploding in midair and the other crashing onto the Isle of Senmuri. The resulting Arcane Overload and subsequent explosion destroyed much of the island, sinking parts of it beneath the waves and creating what is now known as The Waterbound Graveyard.

During the Age of Chaos, the remains of the Isle were a haven for monsters and magical beasts, and it wasn't until the Age of Darkness that settlement attempts were made in earnest. The Island was renamed "The Isle of Swords" due to the jutting metallic structures littered across the landscape, and it became a haven for mining ore and gemstones once more.

However, a little over 420 years ago, an overexuberant Pact-Keeper unleashed a devastating necromantic plague upon the island, leaving it desolate and dangerous. The island's current state is the result of that plague.