The West Isles

Home of Tidal Traders’ Fleets

A seafarer’s paradise, the West Isles are a hub of trade and culture, much like Umbrim to the east. There are a number of different groups considered native to the Isles, each with varied traditions and local mythos, but they are all united by their way of life and common values of family and security. They regard outsiders with strained respect, but should one come with humility or seeking aid, few among the Isles would turn them away. Islefolk have a particular soft spot for their eastern neighbor, Austrum, due in large part to past trade alliances that remain strong to this day. Thus, they welcomed Austri refugees with open arms, letting them establish new settlements and eagerly trading goods.

Unlike Umbrim, the West Isles have remained relatively free of corruption from the Rift, and its land-dwelling denizens are largely human. Merga, Kerios’s seafolk, also are common among the Isles. The Merga are amicable to humans, as well as most other races, but hold a particular fondness for the peoples of the West Isles for their respect and honorable traditions regarding the sea. Shallows-dwelling Merga especially will trade with Islefolk, and many agree to help protect the smaller ports of the Isles in exchange for tools and food.

The Isles’ history is not incredibly clear, as each settlement has their own version of particular events. The common thread among most stories is that the Isles were populated in part by ancient fleets of adventurous folk from even farther west, whom had come seeking another land that was supposedly rich in resources. However, they had overshot, missing their mark due to storms and strange currents, instead landing on the other side of the globe. They found the Isles’ indigenous folk, who were willing to aid them, and ended up remaining there rather than attempting the journey home. Their cultures mixed and combined until some parts became indistinguishable from each other, and their respective specialties simply became ingrained in the new society. Islefolk speak a hodgepodge of Common, Elvish, Dwarven, and even some Draconic blending over a base of a language long lost, most often using Merga Sign to additionally convey meaning, supporting the rumors around their history.

Training

Education

Islefolk primarily focus their education on living off the land and sea, with even toddlers learning to swim and dive deep to gather seaweed like their siblings and parents. Parents are considered responsible for their child and their actions until adolescence. Individual trades and specialization are not given as much attention until one reaches that point. They place a high value on learning to balance their bounties between the ocean and the earth, and to always give back to the environment as much as you take. Thus, Islefolk have carefully maintained their local ecosystems and coaxed them into a sort of harmony.

Children are considered adolescent when they singlehandedly provide enough food— both land and sea based— to feed themself and two others, usually their parents. Over this meal, the child often is asked to explain a particular myth and its meaning to them. Some settlements also require the child to prepare and cook the food, others to simply gather the ingredients. However, the proof of self-sufficiency and the ability to also provide for others is what’s important. They are given a woven bracelet to signify their transition to semi-independence, as they are now responsible for their own actions, at the very least.

Adolescents begin to train in their chosen profession under the guidance of an experienced member of their settlement and alongside peers with similar interests. Their transition to adulthood is marked by a test, given by their mentor with approval from the teen’s parents and the settlement’s leader. These tests have ranged from creating immaculate handcrafted products— in imitation of Austri mastercraft— to voyages of survival, forcing the teen to create their own boat and live off their environment using the skills they’d honed. Once their test is over, should they have passed, they are given a beaded necklace to symbolize their place as an independent adult.

Combat

Combat in the West Isles combines both spiritual aspects— such as traditional imagery on armor and shields— and practical use of tools and techniques. Most armor combines lighter woods and woven fabric or reeds, and are dyed and decorated to be colorfully representative of their home. It is padded with layered hides, often worn over bare skin to prevent overheating. Shields are similarly made of painted wood and hides, circular and adorned with feathers and the occasional jewel to display status. Weapons are just as often mundane as they are deadly, with warriors using hefty wooden clubs and sticks, machetes, hunting knives, cutlasses, quarterstaves, and spears. Ranged weapons include short bows, blow darts (their proper construction remaining a mystery to many), and slingshots.

Duels are as ceremonial as they are combative, with each fighter holding themselves to rules set prior to the match. They serve as ways to settle conflict, entertainment, and a way to establish one’s dominance or honor among others. Outside of duels, Islefolk are fearsome guerrilla fighters, using both land and sea to their advantage. Isle ships are often small, easily maneuverable with both sail and oars, and the ability to hold many fighters at once in a small space. The largest ships keep oil and fire starters on board to throw upon other boats and set them ablaze. On land, Islefolk utilize poisoned traps, darts, and arrows to incapacitate opponents from afar before ambushing them. Islefolk will also use enchanted talismans and spells readily, as their spiritual leaders are trained in the use of elemental-based magics and will often lead their fighting forces.

Medicine

Islefolk have extensive expertise in magical healing through elemental magics, clerisy to a higher power, or simply using Nexus magic creatively to move things around and manipulate the body. Specifically, they utilize aquamancy in conjunction with druidic crafts, and some sanguimancy. Isle Healers specialize in poisons and magical toxins. Medicinal practices are highly spiritual, with traditional prayers and ceremony remaining particular to the region and the healer who is practicing. However, few healers tend to use any practical medicines beyond bandages, stitching up wounds, burning incense, and some herbal teas, preferring magical means.

Daily Life

Isle society is based heavily around communal living, meaning that trade is less based around currency and more around bartering. Thus, many foreign traders flock to the Isles simply to exchange currencies where they can, and diversify their supplies before moving to the next port. The sea provides the majority of the Isles’ economic opportunities, with many people being fishers, ship builders and crewfolk, or traders specializing in marine transport. Thus, similarly, their diet is based primarily around seafood, eating shellfish, mollusks, fish, and sea plants, many of which are smoked to be preserved for long voyages. Their diet also includes rice, which is grown on terraced farms, and fruits such as mango, papaya, and other tropical delicacies that can be harvested from the forest. Few livestock are kept except to provide dairy and help transport goods.

Government

Government in the Isles is closely tied to spiritual practices and familial structures; even if each individual group has its own system, all of them forego a separation between religion and state, a fact that agitates and confuses some foreigners— especially in the larger ports. In most settlements, especially smaller ones, there are weekly gatherings where the village feasts together, and brings together everyone to work through issues that affect them. Religious leaders, elders, and skilled, respected adults generally lead these meetings, but everyone in the town— even young children— are encouraged to participate and voice questions.

In larger towns and port cities, districts are created which each hold communal meetings at independently determined times. Oftentimes these districts each have their own spiritual center that will provide the space to host such gatherings, and their leaders are responsible for local issues. Issues that pertain to a larger scale are discussed together by district leaders, with at least one or two independent consultants— unassociated with any one district— present to provide less biased opinions. These meetings are not quite as open to the public, but it’s rare for any audience who wishes to witness them to be turned away.

Religion & Holidays

Islefolk base their worship primarily around Zek, aspects of balance, and primal forces such as the land and the sea. Many Islefolk credit Zek solely with the creation of the universe as they know it, and consider her the mother of humanity as a whole. These beliefs are shared across many religions, but among the West Isles there’s a special emphasis put upon this particular mythos. Snakes play a significant role in their myths, and often serve as symbols of wisdom, as they are a symbol of the Goddess of Balance. Snake motifs are common around temples and especially in carvings, and killing a snake is said to bring terrible consequences upon whomever dealt the killing blow.

Religious leaders in the Isles are known as dukun, a name that has its roots in long lost history. Their role as spiritualists are to serve as council to the Islefolk in their region, to provide guidance and training with regards to magic and magic-users, and to be healers or to train others in the healing arts. They also lead prayers, make sacrifices within their temples, and organize holiday festivals. Each dukun prioritizes different myths and events to base holidays around, but a few are common across the Isles:

Primal Days

The Primal Days are a week-long celebration of the different elements of the world and their virtues, occurring at midsummer. The days each celebrate a single element, following what the Islefolk call the Primal Cycle. The order goes Shadow, Air, Water, Earth, Fire, Light, and Magic, the same way in which Islefolk believe the elements of the world came into being. The Primal Days feature colorful costumes and parades as well as large, communal feasts, with themed food and drink each day. Performances and feats which feature the elements in question are also common, and at sundown a sacrifice of livestock, crafted goods, or gathered wealth is offered up to the aspects of those elements in exchange for luck and protection. Elder Islefolk recall that on occasion, these aspects would make physical appearances, much to the delight of the festival-goers.

Night of Balance

The Night of Balance is a holiday to honor Zek and the other Primal Gods. Prior to sundown, life and its wonders are celebrated as the dukun lead their people in prayer, dance, and the crafting of ceremonial offerings. Once the sun sets, each individual leaves their offering at a shrine to one of the primal gods, and once their prayer is said they take a vow of silence until the next sunrise in contrast to the verbose recital of prayer and scripture prior. Meditation is also encouraged, as a method to center and balance oneself as the Primal Gods bring balance to the cosmos. In order to communicate, most Islefolk will use Merga Sign. The blessings of the Primal Court are an oft coveted treasure, and this night gives every individual the opportunity to seek them.

Architecture

Isle architecture varies between the local groups, but most have common materials and structural techniques despite the differences in decoration. Due to heavy flooding, mudslides and avalanches, and tropical storms, most Isle buildings are raised structures. The stilts are often entire tree trunks cut to logs and set deep into the ground using clay, providing a foundation that doesn’t impede the natural flow of the water and land around them. The buildings atop them are made of lumber, with saddle-roofs that slope and curve steeply, extending slightly beyond the buildings’ walls.

The few buildings that are not stilted are generally temples, and they are set at higher elevations, with tall, elaborately carved stone foundations. They feature lots of sculpture work embedded into the structure of the buildings, with faded paint, intricate mosaics, and gilded reliefs. These artworks depict local legends and how they tie into the greater cosmic mythos, though few of these temples remain intact to the point of clarity.

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