Sinking Isle

Shrouded in legend and dread, the Sinking Isle has haunted the waters near the Isles of the Sea Barons since time immemorial.

---

The earliest Oeridian fishers spoke of it in hushed tones; the Flan had myths of its rise and fall; even the seafaring elves of Lendore Isle possess tales older still. Long before the rise of modern civilization—before even the Elvenfolk—other, more ancient peoples walked the Flanaess. The Sinking Isle is a relic of those forgotten times, a grim monument to civilizations lost beneath the waves.

The waters surrounding Asperd Isle, northernmost of the Sea Barons’ holdings, are prone to sudden and violent tremors. Some say one such catastrophe long ago dragged an island city into the abyss. Others believe that the Isle moves of its own will, shifting between the sea floor and the surface as if bound to an unfathomable cycle. Mariners claim its arrival is foreshadowed by tremors, bubbling waters, and foul-smelling gas rising from the depths. It is said that the Isle emerges most often in storms or thick fog, when even the most seasoned captains refuse to navigate the strait between Asperd Isle and the open Solnor Ocean.

A Malevolent Presence Beneath the Waves

The Sinking Isle rarely grants warning of its return, nor does it always reveal itself fully. Sometimes, only jagged spires breach the surface, waiting like the teeth of some primeval beast to ensnare unsuspecting vessels. Sailors whisper that the Isle—or the willful forces that guide it—hungers for ships and souls. Many speak of strange shadows in calm waters, of dark breakers where none should be, and of companions who vanish without a trace after boasting of glimpsing the forbidden ruins. Few claim to have landed on the Isle, and those who do speak only in hushed tones, for it is said that those who reveal its secrets disappear on stormy nights, never to be seen again.

Atirr Aedorich’s Obsession

In 155 CY, a young nobleman named Atirr Aedorich, scion of a proud Great Kingdom lineage, set sail for the renowned University of Rel Astra. His journey was abruptly interrupted when his ship was caught in a squall and ripped open upon the hidden spires of the Sinking Isle. While the crew battled to save their vessel, the young noble stared in wonder at the eerie, phosphorescent ruins looming above the waters, sketching their contours in frantic fascination. A towering wave lifted the ship clear, allowing them to escape—but Atirr vowed to return and unlock the island’s secrets.

Years later, now the Herzog of North Province, Atirr made good on his oath. Delving into ancient Suloise tomes and calling upon the arcane knowledge of Rel Astra, he claimed to have uncovered a means to predict—or perhaps command—the rise and fall of the Isle. With this knowledge, he launched a grand expedition to its eldritch ruins, documenting strange and wondrous artifacts: stained glass of unearthly hues, twisted ornaments of gold and lead, and, most notably, a tome sealed within a lead casket, later rumored to be a Book of Vile Darkness. All were delivered to Rauxes, presented to the Overking, though Atirr hoped to study them in his twilight years.

A Lost Legacy

Fate, however, would not allow it. Two years later, Atirr and his entire fleet vanished in a tempest off the North Province coast, a storm so fierce that even his arcane prowess could not stay its wrath. With him perished his knowledge of the Isle’s cycles, and in the chaos of the Turmoil Between Crowns, his discoveries were lost. Some believe that the sealed tome remains hidden in the vaults of Rauxes, clutched in the hands of a dying dynasty. Others whisper that the Isle itself called its stolen secrets back to the depths.

To this day, the Sinking Isle remains a place of mystery and terror. Some claim to glimpse its upper towers in the twilight mist; others speak of the strange chill that pervades the waters around it. Fishermen say the area teems with unnatural abundance, yet their nets are often snagged on unseen things below. Most, however, are content to leave the Isle and its cursed secrets to whatever dark forces now hold dominion over its drowned ruins.