Shield Island
Shield island is the furthest west island in the The Shattered Continent, just off of the western edge of the Shattered Sea. Due to It's position on the far side of the dangerous Shattered Sea, it was the last of the major landmasses to be colonized by humans due to the hazards of The Shattered Sea. Its most notable geographic feature is the massive mountain chain known as the Shield Mountains.
History
Its distance from the center of the Shattered Continent has always left shield island on the periphery of any major empires. This relative isolation has lead to it tending to be settled by those who have fallen from favor or are otherwise seeking distance from the ruling powers of their times.
Before The Cataclysm
Presumably due to its distance from the center of their empire, few serpentfolk temples or cities seem to have been built on this island. There is one minor city on the eastern side, thoroughly looted and explored already, and the dwarves claim that the ruins of a larger city exists on the western side, but are reluctant to allow any outsiders through to explore it.
After The Cataclysm
Shield Island was the last of the major landmasses of the Shattered Continent to be explored and settled by humans, and even today is only minimally developed, although some of the people in Waylon's Landing want to change that. The people who have settled on the island are independant folks, reluctant to submit to the authority of any new power or aspiring nation.
Geography
Shield Island is a large island to the west of the Shattered Sea, with the imposing Shield Mountains forming a near impassable barrier across the center of the island from the north-west to the south-east, and extending for many miles into the ocean on either side. Shield Island is divided into two distinct areas, eastern and western, along with the Shield Mountains.
Eastern Shield Island
The eastern side of Shield Island is the only portion which has been colonized by humans. There are a number of settlements, with Waylon's Landing being the largest and most important, positioned right at the end of The Channel, the only easily navigable passage throught The Shattered Sea. The climate of this region varies, from tropical beaches and salt marshes closer to the Shattered Sea to temperate forests in the hilly region which seperates the coast from the grassy savannah that runs all the way to the feet of the Shield Mountains.
The Shield Mountains
The Shield Mountains are a massive mountain chain running north-east to south-west, cutting Shield island in half and extending for hundreds of miles out into the ocean at each end. The Shield Mountain Dwarves call the mountains home, and control the only easily traversable path through them.
Western Shield Island
The western side of shield islands is in many ways a land forgotten by time. The magical backlash from The Cataclysm was stopped in it's tracks at the shield mountains, leaving the land untouched and the reptilian species residing there alive and un-vanished. Little is known of these mysterious lands, as the Shield mountains are a near impenetrable barrier and the dwarves guard access to them zealously.
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