The Empire of Hands

The Emperor presides over the Wildweald Court of Sovereign Island with the Exquisite Seneschal, cartographers, alchemists and other sufficiently souled Pentecost Apes.

It is well known that the Empire is actively planning a Great Exodus from the archipelago where they currently reside. The manner of their escape is still unknown, but their inability to manipulate magic or innovate in design suggests either a fleet of vessels or one enormous vessel.

In this society, souls lend one both civilization and power. Those without (or with few) souls are considered nothing more than animals, to be exploited, hunted or cast away as is necessary. In truth this is very close to the reality of things: soulless apes are little more than wild animals, animals who will do almost anything to obtain a soul. Thus it holds that social standing, and station in life, is determined by the quantity and quality of the souls one possesses. Souled apes who possess five or more souls may petition for entry to Sovereign Island and Wildweald Court.

Situated in a lush and exotic archipelago, the Empire of Hands is nestled deep in the jungles of the four islands therein. These islands are home to the Pentecost Apes.   Sovereign Island is the island of the Emperor and his palace known as "Wildweald Court". The palace itself is a sprawling wooden behemoth that covers most of the island and is interwoven with the jungle thereon. With no official port, this island is always surrounded by a sea of canoes filled with apes that seek entrance. Within the court, ropes and vines hanging from the vaulted ceilings offer speedy transit for those who live there. The outer portions of the palace are almost a city, with merchant stalls and markets permanently pitched to provide convenient access to souls. The palace is also where newly souled monkeys come to be accepted to the court. The minimum requirement for entry is five souls, though the... selection... process often follows a more arbitrary trajectory. A more secretive and restricted wing of the palace is dedicated to experimentation involving souls. To soulless apes, any soul is acceptable. To those within the Court, however, great attention and effort is placed in finding the right souls. These efforts are lead by the Imperial Alchemist. Duels are also common, with the loser forfeiting a soul or being shaved. Since status is everything, such punishment is considered a great humiliation. The cartographers of the Empire also reside in the palace, organizing the effort to attract visitors to the island as well as chart out the path of the Great Exodus.   The Exquisite Seneschal coordinates the Great Exodus and, while the Emperor sleeps and feasts, handles the administrative matters of the chaotic Wildweald Court from the Silent Gallery within the Palace. It is here that the plans for the Great Exodus are discussed, agreed upon, dissolved, and formed again.   The Ash Isthmus, meanwhile, is unclaimed and uninhabited despite being one of the four central islands of the Empire. Its black beaches give way to glowing trees and flowery jungle much like the other islands, but has uniquely natural paths running through it where vegetation does not seem to grow at all. At its heart lies a dormant volcano, barely peaking out above the foliage. For some reason, the apes completely avoid this island. The little history that is known of these creatures suggests that this island may have been the birthplace of their species. Perhaps, in an effort to evolve, they have chosen to abandon this island as proof of their advancement, or perhaps it's just what they felt like doing one day.   Fountainhead Island, home to the Tomb of the First Emperor, is filled with a thick forest containing variably ancient ruins. Though it is said the First Emperor was buried with all one hundred of his souls, not even the least souled ape would dare attempt to break into the tomb. Not because of the social ramifications, though. This healthy respect is likely due to the numerous and devious traps and puzzles that bar the way. Notably this island is the one most visited by foreign captains, mostly for the promises of wealth lying buried in the appropriately named Treasure Valley.   Hearthsake Island makes up the fourth and final island of the archipelago, and boasts the only permanent non-ape population in the Empire. The unlucky captains and crew ashore in the Empire when the embargo was enacted soon found themselves as trapped as the apes, and in considerable danger as the anger of the primates turned towards the species destroying their economy. Forced to retreat to this island, these hapless folk were forced to resort to cannibalism to survive. Now established as a colony of sorts, they mount small hunting raids on the other islands. Without a proper military the apes have been unable to dislodge their persistent neighbors, so both sides have settled into a comfortable rhythm of raiding one another and then forgetting the other exists.

Currently under a perpetual trade embargo, known as the "Blumenbach Quarantine", imposed by Fallen London and her allies. The Empire of Hands does have dealings with the Iron Empire, but the more civilized and wary nations of the Neath tend to avoid the archipelago altogether. The embargo has devastated the once bustling trade port of the Empire and, more importantly, caused the supply of incoming souls to dry up. In an effort to combat this the Empire has taken to spreading tales of treasure buried in the archipelago of the Empire in hopes of attracting visitors. A head cartographer presides over these efforts in the Wildweald Court, and is quick to assure any who ask of the veracity of these rumors. If word were to get out otherwise the efforts would be undone, he explains, and that would be unacceptable.   Exports from the Empire are few, as there is no other economy than that of souls. The archipelago is rich in berries and fruit, to be fair, but the Penties tend to ignore these until they get hungry. This does mean there is bountiful foraging available for those that would brave the jungles or the chance that some of those succulent berries are, in fact, quite poisonous.   Port Stanton is the main port of the Empire, replete with docks and a shipyard despite no real vessel ever making port. Visitors are force to anchor in deeper waters and row in. Imitation, it seems, does lend itself to the construction of ports.