The Aberrant Archipelago

Located to the near south-east of Yddian, the Aberrant archipelago is the largest collection of islands on Az, from the smallest of islets to some of the largest landmasses on the planet that are not continents.   The reason this array of islands has garnered the desrciptor of Aberrant is down to the tectonic activity and currents that avail the region. Due to lying on a criss-cross of various plate boundaries, many islands in the Aberrant Archipelago house active volcanoes and commonly experience fierce earthquakes. The seismic acticity accentuates the danger of already unpredictable seas and winds, prompting cyclones and tsunamis to appear at a rate higher anywhere else in the world. All these factors make the Aberrant Archipelago and its surrounding waters the most dangerous place to navigate by ship, even with the aid of expert magicians versed in manipulating currents.  

Major Islands

  If one were to sail to the Aberrant Archipelago from nearby Yddian, the first lands to be sighted would be the Heron Steps, a group of four tropical islands that house a wide array of endemic bird species, including many types of wading birds like herons, from which their name is derived. These islands are sparsely inhabited and controlled by humans that are a part of the Hembela Kingdom, the civilisation tied to the country of Kargenay. Embassies of nations throughout Az are based here, since the Heron Steps are probably the safest places in the Aberrant Archipelago.   Speaking of, Kargenay is largest of all the landmasses in the Aberrant Archipelago, home to the Hembela, a kingdom of people whose heritage has deep roots in the maritime kingdom of Har that existed on the coast of Yddian thousands of years ago. Kargenay contains the grandest mountain range in the archipelago, called the Forge-way for the northern volcanoes that constantly belch out smoke and lava.   Nearby to Kargenay are the famed Three Favours, wealthiest islands in the archipelago. Each of the Favours is ruled over by seperate merchant kingdoms, and each specialises in the export and production of a particular commodity. The three islands are as follows; the Golden Favour, where precious metals and gems are smelted into jewelry to be sold throughout the world, the Savory Favour, which exports the most sought after spices and culinary delights, which leaves the Woven Favour, a country whose economy is based upon the production of fabrics for use in clothing, artistry and shipe building. All three countries are quite powerful, but are prone to infighting at the slightest provocation, which keeps the Three Favours in check. In the rare instance where they do cooperate, the Three Favours can hold the entire Aberrant Archipelago in a strangle hold, preventing any of the other major powers from accessing trade should they upset the lords of favour.   South of the Three Favours is the network of islands that fall under the domain of Vyaparik-samrajy, a relatively new power to have risen in the archipelago. Formed by a people displaced from Tolu three thousand years ago, this kingdom was swift in estabilishing itself, using a combination of aggressive military annexation and cunning diplomacy to secure a respectable foothold in the turbulent waters of the archipelago. Vyaparik-samrajy as a collective unit is composed of tiny island chains and one central haven from which the kingdom is governed. This central powerbase is Garaja, a long, thin island with many harbors, where trade is ever-flowing.   Directly west to vyaparik-samrajy is Sapamina, the land of snakes. Densely coated in jungle on the northern side of the island while a sheer wall of mountains rise to the south, Sapamina is the third largest island in the Aberrant Archipelago, yet is largely uncharted due to a number of factors. The primary reason is the island's masters, a group of humans who kill all outsiders who set foot on their territory. Not like the other small independent countries and tribes in the archipelago, the sapanids are exceptionally competent in the field of mass warfare, able to adapt and change strategies mid-battle in order to minimize their own losses. Behind this cohesive military structure are the high priests of the sapanid faith, gifted mages trained from birth to do three things; ensure the rites of their faith are carried out, lead the warriors as commanders, and protect their people with all their strength. These duties manifest as the sapanid priests going out of their way to safegaurd the island against invasion,   Zemet may be the biggest place in the archipelago, at least by sheer width of the landmass. The island that contains the largest spectrum of ecosystems compared to its neighbours, Zemet has long been sought after by people of the archipelago for its strategic position and diverse resources. A fact that makes Zemet the most contested region of the Aberrant Archipelago in the current times, with the major powers of the archipelago and the native people of the island locked in a bitter struggle to claim it.   The Savage Sprawl is another chain of islands, the outer rim of the archipelago's south-west. Owing its title to the brutal weather conditions and the even fiercer native inhabitants, the major kingdoms of the Aberrant Archipelago rarely turn their attention here.   The Islands of Rhamoth are the last major locales of the Aberrant Archipelago, home to the two sister kingdoms of the Njambari and Sthuteli. These two islands, much like the Hembela, were once united under a single royal lineage that was descended from the ancient Yddian kingdom of Har, but were split in two a milenia ago when a schism between two successors for the throne boiled into a full-scale civil war.  

Minor Islands

  Besides the major territories of the Aberrant Archipelago, there are several smaller islands and locations which stand out among the thousands of isles found therein. The Old Circlet is chief among them, a mostly uninhabited island west of Kargenay. Despite the lack of a consolidated human prescence, The Old Circlet is the subject of many scholastic expeditions as a result its defining feature: a ring of mountains, perfectly arranged in a ring across the landmass. Such geological structures are unlikely to have been created via natural processes, so the prevailing theory postulates that a society of great geomancers must have once thrived here, prompting research into the shadowy civilisation. Due to the nature of the mountain ring, very little rainfall can infiltrate the interior of the island, creating a small desert environment that is unique against all other lands in the archipelago.   Fragrant Jea, a pleasant land of perfumes and incense, where one can rest free from the worries of the world..... if they can pay the price. Presided over by an enclave of sorceresses, Jea serves as an idelic heaven for the wealthiest people of Az, with palaces and cities constructed solely to accomodate tourists that wish to visit and enjoy themselves. Spas,   The Pygmy Stars are an unassuming ensemble of tropical islands, the northernmost of the Aberrant Archipelago. Named the Pygmy Stars for two reasons, the first is due to the proximity to the Moon-glow Reefs, a system of coral reefs that exists between the Islands of Rhamoth and the Pygmy Stars, such coral being renowned for its especially bright bio-luminescence. The second reason is for the native population of humans, who are likely the first population of people to have settled the archipelago and are distinguished by their small heights - rarely growing past five feet tall. These "pygmies" are scorned by the expansionist powers of the archipelago for their size, and their islands are often targeted as a result. However, the Pygmy Stars have remained unconquered by outside forces for centuries, thanks to the aid the natives have recieved from the Typhoon Giants, with which the people share a deep history.   Forsaken Vidhava is the southernmost island of the archipelago, lying hundreds of kilometres south of the nearest landmass. Despite falling under the rule of Vyaprik-samrajy, Forsaken Vidhava is uninhabited, with all previous attempts at settlement building having failed. Hence the island is thought to be cursed, suffering from some of the worst storms in the world and is also the only island in the Aberrant Archipelago that sees semi-regular frost build-up in the Winter, an alien concept to the northern peoples of an otherwise wholly tropical archipelago.