The Ourraclaire Isles
Fifty leagues west of Iskandar, on the border of Vrynn lies a pair of lightning-struck isles whose Elven name, Ourraclaire, can be roughly translated as 'Storm's Cauldron.' The isles are believed to have been formed by a falling meteor cast off during the Cataclysm, when the heaven-dragon descended to the earth and struck the Starwell. The metal-infused rock of Ourraclaire's shores, cliffs, and mountains draws forth many lightning strikes from the open air during intense tempests, and hurricanes; Thus the inhabitants of the isle rightly fear the crash of thunder in the sky. The Ourraclaire Isles are considered by many Iskardians to be a sacred site, where the celestial beings of Elysium can hear the prayers of mortals. This is because during the conquering of the Dawn Realm, when the forces of calamity struck a fatal blow to Lord Ellemix, upon these rocks his body was brought by Sir Mithrandur, and raised again to life with a bolt of lightning. This was the first true resurrection magic to be cast in the world of Orr, and many historians believe it placed a curse upon Mithrandur's house.
Due to its secluded nature from the greater realm of Iskandar, the Ourraclaire Isles possess some customs which are unique to the islanders, and which many foreigners from the mainland find strange, or occult. The most performative, and dangerous is the Dirigien Ritual. A tradition in which a young child is annointed with holy oils, blessed by clerics of the Endless and thrown off the high cliffs at the edge of Coralheart while the congregation prays for its return. This not a sacrifical ritual intended for the young person to be sent to their deaths, but towards the faith of the Endless. Whichever Endless catches the child, and returns it to the rocks shall speak through the child. Their actions, and their deeds in the world, are considered to be guided by that deity. Sometimes these individuals are referred to as heralds, and very often they are raised to embody the beliefs of the Endless that chose them on that fated day. There have only been a handful of usuccessful Dirigien Rituals, and those events have weighed heavily on the hearts of those who participated for it is believed that if the ritual fails, it is because the faith of the congregation was not strong enough to call the powers of the Endless from their sanctums. The ritual is considered by many of the Iskar Astartes to be barbaric, and some fear the Endless hear no prayers, and that it is simply a mercy for the soul of the child that they catch them amid the fall.
Koasara
The small, coastal town of Koasara primarly subsists off its deep sea fishing, blueshell oyster farms, and the export of pearls. It is a tight-knit community, despite its diverse background of races, and possesses many of its own cultural keystones unfamiliar in the wider realm of Iskandar. The town has primarily been kept orderly by the Mithrandur, and Torrithien houses of the Iskar Astartes, whom use the isles as a place of refuge, and respite for the weary, and lost souls of the realm. Koasara is the site of a large orphanage called Ocean's Drift, built by house Mithrandur, and a temple of clerical, and sacred studies called the Coralheart built by house Torrithien. Coralheart is one of the most prestigious institutions of sacred studies in the world of Orr. Here there are vast libraries of texts, and scrolls which contain all that is known of the Endless; Their legends, their artifacts, and their champions. This collection is only possible due to Coralheart's collective of pilgrims called the Wayfarers whose duty it is to travel the world in search of sacred sites, stories, and to minister the faith of the Endless in the world. The Wayfarers often teach aspiring clerics, and when they have reached a place where their duties are sorely needed, or that calls to them and their faith, they become what is known as an 'anchored' cleric of the order (or anchorite).
Coastal Rituals
Storm by Michal Kvá
Siren Hunts
The Ourraclaire Isles are not far from the banks of the greater continent, but they are deadly waters to tread none the less for the shoals of the island are the lair of many sirens whose legendary songs have grasped the heart of seafarers for centuries. These beautiful, scaled Mer of the ocean depths seek only to drown, and feast on mortal flesh, unlike their Merrow cousins of the fresh waterways. While they can at times be reasoned, and bargained with, it is only under the guise of eventually adding a new skull to their collection. For this reason, periodic hunts for this creatures are sent out with tridents, nets, and spears in order to cull their population, and warn them from the coasts where the oyster farmers, and fisherman spend much of their days. Even under the watchful gaze of the Iskar Astartes, however, there are still several deaths from this monsters each year.
The streams, and rain water that rush from the shores, back into the Sea of Mithris from the constant storms form large, branching estuaries from which the denizens of the Ourraclaire Isles harvest their realm-renowned blueshell oysters. These pearled muscles are considered an Iskardian delecacy, and are often served to diplomats and persons of interest visiting the Dawn Realm. Some enjoy these oysters with a drop of lemon, but true aficionados prefer a dragonpepper sauce.
Type
Island
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