Skellige, commonly referred to as the Skellige Isles or the Isles of Skellige, is an archipelago and one of the Northern Kingdoms. The group of six islands is situated in the Great Sea, off the coast of Cintra and southwest of Cidaris and Verden. It's legendary, famous for the unrivaled corsairs and swift longships that sail many seas.
Overview
Its people are united under the King of the Skellige Isles, who's elected by the jarls of the seven major clans during traditional moots. In practice, however, the kings are from the same clan or at least related.
Even though their relations with most of the North were always tense, to say the least, they were longtime allies of Cintra, due to the marriage between Queen Calanthe and Eist Tuirseach of Skellige. After King Eist's death in the Battle of Marnadal, the Islanders concentrated their raids on the Nilfgaardian Empire in an act of revenge.
History
Prehuman ages
Before the first appearance of humans, the isles were apparently inhabited and dominated by elves who shared it with giants.
Formation of the Kingdom
Humans who came to settle the isles had first divided themselves into independent clans with jarls, clan chieftains, as sovereign rulers of their respective islands.
Thus were the petty jarldoms of Skellige, small in size, several times invaded by rising powers of the Continent throughout the years. Most menacing of such invaders being Cidaris whose kings made attempts at full insurrection, however, no one ever managed to conquer them. On the contrary, the threat of larger kingdoms and uncivilized barbarians from smaller islets further away caused Skelligers to unite. Skellige then became an elective monarchy, ruled by a king chosen from among the jarls.
Northern Wars
In 1263, during the First Northern War, Skellige received refugees fleeing the conflict in Cintra, after their capital was sacked.
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