Medraut Islands (Med-raught)
"Forsaken lands, the cowardice of a forsaken prince. There is no honor there, no glory there, no wisdom to be gained there. The only thing that exists on those islands is death." --Afallonian Decree "Impossible lands, a paltry burp in the masterpiece of our mountains. There is no success there, no fortune there, no bounty to be gained there. The only thing that exists on those islands is death." --Agarthan Decree.A string of mountainous beach islands, mostly uninhabited save for wildlife. it is a contested area between Afallon and Agartha, with Afallon being the ones to officially name it, claiming that it is the final home of Prince Medraut, traitorous heir to the mysterious King of Eld millennia ago. Agartha, meanwhile, claims it as a piece of the Mother Dragons' bounty, the belongings of their gods. But, after centuries of debate, and major losses to out-of-season storms, they've discovered that the islands are too dangerous for their potential benefits and allowed them to remain unsullied. Of course, that is only part of the truth. The reality is that those islands are inhabited. They are inhabited by a group of humble yet powerful mortals, each blessed with a Bronze Tongue, all serving and/or worshipping their King and protector, the mighty Zafeíri the Bronze Tongued! An ancient Blue Dragon, who inherited the charge of the island from his mother, drove off either nation from the islands and continues to do so, for he will not give up his homeland for anything, especially not any petty mortals who think and wish of nothing but spoils.
Geography
The geography of the Medraut Islands is full of high, rounded mountains leading down to sandy beaches. The formerly active volcanos that formed the islands have been long since dormant, with the ocean water and sands cooling them down considerably, even in the calderas. What does exist, however, are the interconnected tunnels between the islands that are full of subterranean life, and various other treasures. Some of them go deep enough to touch into the Underdark beneath Afallon, although they don't seem to reach the one underneath Agartha just yet. More wonder might exist, however. The King is still exploring, after all.
Ecosystem
The surface of the island is a mountainous and beachy environment, with plenty of sea life enjoying the coral growths between the islands, and lizards and various birds of prey enjoying the tall mountains and its secluded, porous caves. Beneath the surface, plenty of subterranean animals and bugs can be found thriving on the various mushrooms and other fungal growths enriched by the minerals in the lava rock.
The secretive people living on the island mostly feed off of fish and fruits of the island trees, and the occasional bird or mountain goat when it becomes available to them.
Of course, no predator is larger than the Ancient Blue Dragon who rules over the Medraut Islands. While one might assume that such a creature would feed on just about everything on the islands, he's attained a state that does not require him to eat at all and instead subsists off of the environmental mana. That doesn't mean he's immune to cravings, however, and many larger creatures know to steer clear of his larger caves for that reason.
Ecosystem Cycles
The Medraut Islands do not suffer the same seasonal shifts as the rest of Afallon, being mostly kept temperate by the openness of the sea and the minor environmental control Zafeíri has over the island via the leylines. However, in the spring season, they do get more rain than throughout the rest of the year, with flooding and tumultuous seas being a risk.
Localized Phenomena
When Zafeíri needs to keep particularly nosy travelers out, he summons strange dark storms with ronze-colored lightning to keep them away from the lands. This lightning not only is powerful, carrying the threat of a dragon's breath with every strike, but it can also move through the connected volcanic tunnels beneath the islands, sprouting from the old calderas, replacing torrents of magma and fire with pure lightning. Those who have seen this phenomenon have called them the Trees of Destruction, for the sprawling pillars they form.
Climate
The Islands stay rather temperate, with the exception of seasonal rain. They also get a good amount of sun and cloud cover in equal measure, for Zafeíri enjoys his shade and sunbathing the same.
Fauna & Flora
Aside from the animals mentioned earlier, the Medraut Islands also have many unique kinds of plants on their territory. Not only does the water form colorful and radiant Coral from both the volcanic minerals but also Zafeíri's own lightning carrying energy where it would not ordinarily travel. This combination of strange elements also increases the growth of various reeds and flowering plants all over the beaches and mountains, along with uniquely tall and round trees that bear fruit and are good for construction.
Natural Resources
There are natural resources abound within the Islands. Not to mention the variety of products one could get from the animals and unique plants of the islands, the land of the islands themselves carries mineral-rich stones, formations, deep gem and ore-laden caves, as well as a convenient staging area for trade and travel. Not that any are allowed to stay on the islands for too long a period of time, safe for a select few.
History
Time of Eld
Legend has it that in the Eld times, before the Era system was even a thought, there was a mighty civilization in Afallon and its surrounding area that built great halls of knowledge, directly from the gods. One such repository of knowledge was the islands to the south of Afallon, close to the nation of the stout folk and their mountains, Agartha. When the kingdom began to crumble, its prince fled to the islands. It was there that he came face to face with a terrifying dragon, whose scales were as blue as the sea and crackled with the energy of the heavens, yet licked its lips with a tongue that shimmered like melted bronze. The prince pleaded with the matriarch, younglings flanking her to protect their mother, to use the power of the islands to secure the kingdom's knowledge for the right time in the future. The matriarch merely asked when the Prince would give in return, to which he presented wealth in an immeasurable amount, as well as his own life. Taking both with pride, the matriarch obliged, and the temples and libraries on the islands sank beneath the sands and tucked away between volcanic tunnels. Her horde was taken deeper in by her children, and the prince never left those Islands, but his true fate is unknown.Fear of Dragons
Thus it would be silent for many years. In the Drachenschrek Era, many millennia afterward, while other Dragons rampaged and pillaged, the Bronze Tongues remained largely stationary, finding their peace on the island more valuable. This lasted until a flock of Bronze Dragons attacked them, seeking justice for the dragon that was slain and devoured by the ancestor of the Bronze Tongued Dragons. With conflict unavoidable, the Blue and Bronze locked claws in the skies of the Islands, which spilled out into Afallon and Agartha. The humans, already on edge and making strides in dragon hunting, took the opportunity and shot down Bronze and Blue dragons alike in the chaos, claiming the prizes of their bodies equally. By the time the majority of dragons had fled Edda overall, had gone into hiding, or were dead, only one Bronze Tongue still lived on the Islands, and it was he who took charge of its protection. Roughly 1000 years later, the Wild Magic Wall sealed Edda within what is now its present borders, and all nations went wild themselves, as they scrambled to find, claim, and understand any piece of land that they could. Unfortunately, this brought both Afallon and Agartha's eyes to the islands that lay between them.Zafeíri Rising
Starting around 812 PE, diplomats from both sides would begin periodic debates and meetings over ownership of the islands. Afallon argued the supposed history of the islands and their connection to it proved that they were the rightful owners of the islands, while Agartha claimed that since their nation descended from the Mother Dragons, then crazy monsters or not, the dragon's presence meant that they should own the islands. Really, either side wanted the resources both material and educational for themselves. The dragon that would one day grow to be Zafeíri was not yet attuned enough with the energy of the land or grown enough to truly scare them away, not after he had seen the terror of the dragon-slaying weapons they had forged. But, he did have enough skill to hide the mortal followers of the Bronze Tongue Clan, and enough magical power to create massive storms around the islands. During this initial debate, no solution could be found, and so both sides agreed to try after more research and preparation had been done, really just not wanting to spend excess time and resources that could be better spent elsewhere. This cycle would continue about once or twice every generation, with the nations gaining interest, squabbling over it with threats, offers, and arguments, losing attention, and giving up. The time would eventually come when that would all change, however. In 489 EE, another contingent of politicians had made their way to the central island, and once again they were bickering up a storm. Then, they found themselves in an actual storm, one so blustering and drenching that they had to seek shelter inside the central islands mountain. It was there that a mysterious guide found them, greeted them with a polite bow, and gestured them deeper inside. Once they had made it into the center, they realized they were led into the central caldera of the mountain, where the sky had parted and a blue sky was all that hung overhead. And beneath that blue sky, was a dragon, whose scales shined like the deepest Sapphire, and whose tongue flicked the air like a Bronze whip. He greeted them, at first, and said that he would hear their claims to the island. But he didn't actually care. This was the land of his family, the land they were given by its rightful owner in ancient times. This was his land, and these petty mortals would not take it from him. He let them go on long enough for their petty squabbling to turn against each other before he silenced them with a single roar."I see you, hungry erudite also-ran, and your thirst for any scrap of limerick in which to whet your tongue. I see you, little man with a big pick, wishing to desecrate new earth in your search for gold and glory. I have rested and let your mortal foolishness play its course, but I go tired of your squabbling. You no longer argue paltry platitudes with each other. You now speak to the true king of these Isles. You speak to Zafeíri, the Bronze Tongued! The rightful king and master of this Island and all like it, and I find you both painfully, mortally wanting."
Final Warning
He gave them one day to get off of the island and never to return, or else the storms would increase ten-fold, and they'd be his to hunt. At first, it would seem that they obliged, returning back to their homelands. That is, until a week passed, and both sides returned with a full armada behind them. Disappointed, but not surprised, Zafeíri fulfilled his promise. A torrential thunderstorm, the likes of which had not been seen for hundreds of years, rocketed around all of the islands under his command, churning the sea and burning the air. Yet still the ships came, and yet still did the mortals try and face him. Clearly, they had grown stronger since the time of his mother, and extra measures needed to be made. The first, and only, ships that made it to the shore felt happiness for but a moment, as they realized something crucial. The calderas of the volcanos were large, but they were only large enough to fit an Adult dragon, so while it would be a tough battle, it was one they considered possible. As wingbeats were heard louder than thunder, and a shadow draped over the entirety of the island, blanketing them in darkness even as lightning flashed, they made a terrible realization. Zafeíri had shrunk himself to fit within the caldera. Unleashing a mighty torrent of lightning down into the central volcano, the calderas of each island were punched through, as glimmering bronze towers of lightning and death burst from each one, their ends dancing along the underside of the massive clouds that had been formed by Zafeíri's command. This display was all the evidence that either side needed, and they were more than happy to flee from the islands, the storm having claimed enough ships already. On that day, it was officially decreed by either side that no one was allowed to go to those islands ever again. While many still try, they all fail for one reason or another. Rather than any mortal nation, those islands are ruled by a true King, and one who will not share his bounty so easily.Tourism
No one is allowed on the Medraut Islands, as decreed by both Afallon and Agartha. Despite this, people frequently try to visit the island for various purposes. For the miners of Agartha, tales of volcanic tunnels full to bursting with untapped ores and gemstones are a powerful call. For the people of Afallon, legends speak of ancient temples and libraries on the island, sealed away by a traitorous prince. To find them would be to find knowledge buried for millennia and an immense boost in status and wisdom.
But Zafeíri, the Bronze Tongued cares not for their struggles. Are the tunnels truly full of ores? If so, they are part of his horde. Are there truly buried temples and libraries? You better hope not, because he exceptionally likes old stories. Only one group of people is allowed to live on the islands, and that's the Bronze Tongued Clan, a civilization of worshipers and descendants of the original Bronze Tongue Dragons that once flew in large numbers above the Islands and both nations that seek to claim them.
For those who push their luck anyways, one of two things happens. Either the storms that surround the islands push you away, potentially to your death, or you make it to the shore and get forced off by either the Bronze Tonued Clan or Zafeíri himself. Which, admittedly, can also end in your death.
So, once more, no one is allowed on the Medraut Islands, as decreed by Afallon, Agartha, and Zafeíri the Bronze Tongued.
Alternative Name(s)
The Kingdom of Zafeíri.
Type
Island
Owner/Ruler
Contested By
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