Corsair Isles

Geography

The Corsair Isles are an archipelago of 5 larger islands, and several lesser islands. The Isles can be found in the Great Sea, lying due south of the main body of the Empire. It can be anywhere from 8 days to a month trying to sail to the Isles, for strange storms often blow through this part of the Sea, making naviagtion to the isles very difficult. For this reason, the culture of the Isles has traditionally been quite different from the mainland, and the two peoples for a long time did not know of each other.
The Corsair isles are largely populated by a Tiefling folk that call themselves Freemen, and their home the Free Islands of the Free. But the Empire calls them Corsairs, for reasons described in the history below.

Ecosystem

The Isles are volcanic in origin, though the vulcanic activity ceased eons ago. On the largest of the islands, Skaa-Nak i'Dos, there have been ominous earthquakes of late. This has led some to wonder if the Great Mountain isn't awakening...
The islands each have their own mountain at its center. South of these mountains, the climate is more arid as the mountains shields that half from most of the rainfall. Herders breed sheep for trade there, and pigs for food. North of the mountain on each isle the climate is more wet, and there great rainforests grow. Lumber is harvested there, but the people are careful to preserve the forests and not claim too much, for they know their independence is maintained only by the strength of their Fleets. The ships must always have wood, today and always.

Localized Phenomena

The massive storms that regularly tear through the Great South Sea never actually impact the Isles of the Free. Though small pieces of a storm might occasionally split off to douse the Isles in rainfall such rains are never accompanied the fierce winds blowing off the coast.
None know why this is. Some Imperials have said that the Skaa natives made an unholy bargain with The Lord of Storms, and it for this reason both that the storms never directly hit the Isles and also why the natives are all Tiefling. But that may be simple Imperial prejudice at work.

Climate

The isles are tropical in nature for the most part. Even on the (comparibly) drier southern sides, the isles remain warm

History

Discovered by the Kaellic Empire during the reign of Scion Bendast II, the isles were originally populated by a a group of Tieflings who in their own language called themselves the Skaa. The Skaa culture was tribal in nature and somewhat primitive compared to the Imperial explorers that came over to the islands. The Empire being what it was, it did not take long before peaceful exploration was followed up by violent conquest. Most of the Isles fell quickly before the Imperial onslaught.
Though the Skaa were thought to be primitives, this was not entirely so. Their shamans had great power, and their menfolk were fierce and unyielding in combat. It is unlikely that the imperials would've been able to conquor the isles as quickly as they did had it not been for the tremdous amount of in-fighting amongst the native Skaa tribes of the islands. Indeed, the Skaa were ever more willing to fight amongst themselves than stand up against the foreigner who came amongst them. Over the course of only 5 years the isles of the Skaa fell, one by one. Finally only Skaa-Nak i'Dos, the largest of the isles stood alone, and having united its tribes together, now finally was able to repel Imperial invaders.
Over the next 70 years an uneasy peace descended on the isles. Open rebellion amongst the Skaa was suppressed throughout the isles either by the Imperial Vizier of the Isles, or on Skaa-Nak iDos, by the Warchief Akbar. Under Imperial rule, the Skaa learned much from their new masters, even adopting the Common Tongue of the Empire as their primary language throughout the isles. And the Skaa no longer even called themselves Skaa, but simply called themselves the Islefolk after the manner of the Imperials who dwelt among them. Some of the Islefolk migrated to the mainland, and set up smaller settlements there, and are now more or less sundered from their Isle kin. But in one thing at least they remain Skaa: many of them are slavers and slave dealers, even as the Skaa were once amongst themselves before the coming of the Empire. And the Empire never tried to suppress this, choosing instead to profit by the evil trade.
And the Empire thought that it had pacified its new southern frontier. But the peace was a lie, for Akbar sent many agents around the other isles and stirred much resentment against the Vizier and the Empire. And Akbar bided his time, acquiring ships of Imperial design, and Imperial weapons, and training his people for the war to come.
And in the 70th Year of the Conquest, Akbar suddenly came forth with a large armada, and they were well armed, and the agents Akbar spread throughout the isles now led a ground-swell of rebellion, and the Vizier was overthrown and hanged. The Imperial forces were destroyed in in only a few months, but her influence on the Isles lived on. For the people of the isles soon became as fractious as ever, and Akbar was obliged to sail his fleet against the other islands to impose his will upon them.
But his opponents were unwilling to lose the freedoms they had so dearly bought. They laid a cunning trap for Akbar, and he sailed into it, not realizing his predicament until it was too late. And so the Warchief died, fighting from the main deck of his command ship. But the great Fleet now broke up, and different ships came to home themselves on different isles, and the old tribes arose once more, but changed. For now they were structured around their Ships, and they called themselves the Freemen, and their Isles they call the Free Isles of the Free. And they range over the Sea, and raid coastal settlements, seeking to gain the wealth of the Empire and enslave its people.
And so the Empire calls them Corsairs, and battle has never yet ceased between the Empire and the Corsairs as the two powers struggle for mastery of the Great South Sea.

Alternative Name(s)

Free Islands of the Free

Type

Archipelago