Anaros Island and the Thousand Rocks
The The Thousand Rocks is a single domain under the spiritual (if not political) leadership of an individual with the title of Eldest who dwells in an inaccessible temple high on Mount Yu’unar. A brave and stoic people, the Anari are known throughout the Xha’en Hegemony as skilled warriors who have developed a vibrant culture and society almost through will alone, transforming a resource-starved land into a strong nation with rich traditions.
History and People
The Anari are related to the Xha’en people. Physically, they are quite similar, though the Anari are somewhat shorter on average and red hair is not uncommon. Though the story of how they got to Anaros and the The Thousand Rocks is shrouded in legend, it is believed that they came seeking refuge from a pressing nomadic tribe, possibly the Hundaei — the Anari themselves date landfall from 1313 XC (about 11 I.R.). Most stories say that these Anari were refugees from a terrible war far to the east and that they arrived on the islands after fleeing from an army of demons led by evil gods and powerful sorcerers.
The leader of these refugees — once more, according to legend — was the demigoddess Ni Araha, a deity of justice and mercy who had taken a mortal husband, the warrior-king Yisya Thun. Ni Araha and Yisya Thun would lead their people as they colonized Anaros and spread across the The Thousand Rocks, and their children — all imbued with various semi-divine powers — would found all the important institutions that govern Anari society. The office of the Eldest, the various noble houses, the traditions of the Uarsinsi warriors, the collective society that shares its resources in times of trouble, the ascetic houses of monks where martial arts and divine magic are taught — all of these are said to have originated with Ni Araha and Yisya Thun’s children, whose descendants are believed to still dwell among the Anari today.
The Anari survived on the rocks for nearly a half-millennium, only barely acknowledged by the powerful Xha’ahan city-states to the east. Some trade and travel took place, but for the most part Anaros and the The Thousand Rocks were left to their own devices. All that changed in 1834 XC (532 I.R.) when the forces of the Jhohir Confederacy made landfall in the rocks, intending to sweep over the Anari and greatly expand their burgeoning empire.
The Anari, well-schooled in the ways of the warrior and aware of the threat that the confederacy represented, fought back with hit-and-run tactics, sapping the enemy’s manpower and supplies even as they retreated island by island. On occasion, the Anari called up the mightiest of their warriors, known as the Uarsinsi, and made a stand, inflicting further losses on the confederacy until at last, plagued by shortages, sickness, and terrible storms that smashed their vessels to kindling, the invaders gave up and returned home, greatly weakened and reduced in number. The defeat proved a death-blow to the confederacy, and within three years, the state utterly collapsed, its two member-cities now independent and hostile toward one another.
The Anari continued to enjoy their independence, and their defeat of the confederacy lent them an almost-mystical reputation. When the Xha’en Hegemony finally subdued the former members of the Jhohir Confederacy and forged a single state in 2700 XC (1398 I.R.), diplomats were immediately dispatched, and treaties signed, guaranteeing independence to the Anari. A new era of cooperation followed as the Anari helped found the Udanishanti Temple in the Tsendarkar Mountains and actually sent Uarsinsi warriors to aid in training and supervising Hegemony military formations.
In 3250 XC (1948 I.R.), the Anari faced a new threat: an invasion from the sea. Strange scaled creatures emerged from the surf along Anaros Island’s western shore, attacking villages and dragging victims into the sea. These were not the merfolk of Caerulea — far from it. A great surge in the population of sahuagin had driven the sea devils to attack the land for food, and after initial shock and confusion, the Anari fought back, going so far as to seek help from the Caerulean Kingdom, whose rulers eventually lent aid and helped defeat the invasion from the sea. The inhabitants of western Anaros Island still speak of this terrible struggle and remain on guard against another such attack.
Today, Anaros Island and the The Thousand Rocks persist as an independent state and neighbor of one of the most powerful empires in the world. A stream of trade flows between the Rocks and Xha’en Hegemony and to the Bream Islands to the north. The swordsmiths, Uarsinsi warriors, and monks of Anari maintain their fearsome and near-legendary reputation, while from the heights of Mount Yu’unar, the Eldest oversees a nation that needs little real oversight.
Religion
The islands’ native faith arrived with the refugees — as legend tells it, they were accompanied by the demigoddess Ni Araha and her husband, the mortal hero Yisya Thun. Ni Araha was the last survivor of her pantheon, which had been slaughtered and thrown down by an alliance of demons and evil gods. Over generations, new aspects of the faith emerged, and when Yisya Thun died, he and Araha ascended to the heavens, leaving their children and children’s children to watch over the people of the The Thousand Rocks.
With her fellow gods dead, Ni Araha urged the Anari to adopt a new faith that revered the divine spark that dwelled in all living things and natural objects. This faith is somewhat druidic in nature and many Anari priests and monks have access to druid spells. The only true “gods” that the Anari revere are Ni Araha and Yisya Thun, who watch over the lives of their followers but rarely intervene.
Trade and Commerce
For many centuries, the Anari managed on their own, growing their own food and crafting their own clothing, utensils, and vessels, then sharing equally during times of need. A small amount of trade existed between the The Thousand Rocks and the Xha’en states, but this situation changed abruptly after the Anari’s defeat of the Jhohir Confederacy. With their reputation as indomitable warriors firmly established, the other Xha’en cities agreed to leave the islands in peace, and when the Xha’en Hegemony was created, diplomatic relations were immediately established.
Since then, trade between the Thousand Islands, the Hegemony, and the Bream Islands has flourished. Anari weapons, ceramics, and fabrics are exchanged for foodstuffs, livestock, timber, and other vital materials in a mutually beneficial arrangement that helps to cement peace and good relations between the various nations.
The Anari themselves have a surprisingly flexible economy that combines a fairly robust trade and barter system with a collective process that takes effect in times of difficulty. Poor crops, bad weather, natural disasters … these events cause misery throughout the islands, and when they do occur, it is considered incumbent upon those with more to share with those who have less. Once the crisis passes, society returns to its normal practices, with commerce going back to its usual pace.
Loyalties and Diplomacy
The The Thousand Rocks is not officially allied to any state but it maintains peaceful relations with the Castorhagi of the Bream Islands and the Xha’en Hegemony. This is not to say that the Anari are unwilling to aid their neighbors in time of crisis — far from it. Anari weapons equip many Xha’en warriors, and Anari Uarsinsi warriors help train fighters in the Udanishanti Temple high in the Tsendarkar Mountains. The Anari are friendly toward the folk of the Gtsang Prefecture and the dwarves of Ankhura as well.
Government
The Anari practice a rather unusual form of government, with the nation under the spiritual leadership of the Eldest, who dwells in an isolated temple high on Mount Yu’unar (or Mount Harthnow as the Castorhagi call it). Those with news or requests must usually come personally before the Eldest, which can be accomplished only by negotiating the perilous route to the temple up sheer mountain slopes above sickening heights. The Eldest also commands a group of flying messengers who ride great snowy owls, but such measures are employed only in times of emergency or when speed is of the essence.
The rationale behind this unusual system is that only those with truly significant issues will approach the Eldest. Other matters are dealt with by local governors who are appointed either by the Eldest or by a local council of nobles. These individuals are generally expected to consider the welfare of their communities and see to it that no one goes hungry or is otherwise neglected. They must also maintain bands of Uarsinsi warriors and other military forces sufficient to defend their districts in times of crisis. Governors who fail in these duties may find themselves removed from office, investigated, or even arrested.
The method of selecting a new Eldest is unknown to those outside of the Anari. Some statements by locals seem to suggest that the Eldest is in fact either immortal or fantastically long-lived, which seems absurd.
Military
As there has not been a major military crisis in the The Thousand Rocks for many, many years, it would not be surprising if the military were to be in decline, as it is in the Xha’en Hegemony. This is not the case, however, and the long-standing tradition of martial excellence among the Anari is as strong today as it was a millennium ago.
The islands’ regular defenders are a skilled class of professional swordsmen who also serve to keep the peace, enforce governors’ decrees, track down criminals, and aid in civil projects. The sense of duty that is instilled in each warrior means that even these seemingly menial tasks are considered to be honorable chores and are done without complaint. Among these are those trained in the highest of martial arts, the noble warriors known as the Uarsinsi.
In times of crisis, local militias are raised with able-bodied civilians armed, armored, and trained by their governors. For the most part, these times of crisis consist of natural disasters such as floods, tidal waves, and earthquakes, so as with the warriors, the army of the Anari exists primarily for civil purposes. Should the region come under attack however, the Anari army is fully capable of defending the islands against invasion.
Major Threats
As of today, no major outside powers threaten the The Thousand Rocks. The Anari’s reputation as invincible warriors has served them well and held the Xha’en Hegemony at bay for generations and kept the Castorhagi of the Bream Islands from investigating the region too closely. Sahuagin raids occasionally threaten Anaros Island from the seaward side, but local garrisons are assigned to deal specifically with such attacks, and they try to respond quickly.
Wilderness and Adventure
The The Thousand Rocks that dot the Sheltered Sea are well named. Some are simply single bare spurs of rock projecting above the waves, sometimes supporting a single small dwelling. Others are larger, with villages and even a small amount of arable land. Among the rocks, the real wilderness lies underwater, where pearl divers seek riches and various sunken wrecks contain valuable cargo. The wildlife of the area can be hostile and includes sharks and octopi of enormous size as well as whales and other larger species that are dangerous simply due to their size.
Much of Anaros Island remains rugged, unsettled wilderness, and it is known that wild animals and hostile creatures such as ogres, goblins, and hags make their home there. Many stories are told about the island prior to human settlement, and some of these involve incidents during the Age of Dragons. One epic cycle claims that Anaros Island was once connected to the mainland, and that battles between two great alliances of dragons shattered the land and created the Sheltered Sea and the scattered islands of the The Thousand Rocks. Remnants of the battle are believed to be found throughout the region, and one legend even suggests that the grand palace of an ancient gold dragon is somehow hidden on Anaros Island itself. There, it is said, the great being slumbers amid untold riches.
<6>Kotomi Forge
Popular legend holds that Anari weapons are supernaturally sharp and imbued with amazing qualities, able to cut through almost any other material, and in the hands of a skilled Uarsinsi warrior, all but invincible. This legend is carefully encouraged and maintained by Anari swordsmiths, who have made mountains of gold from the Hegemony and others willing to pay for the weapons. In reality, the islands’ iron is of such poor quality that it must be worked with quantities of charcoal over a very long period to be made suitable for weapon production. While the resulting steel is indeed of high quality, it is not magical, nor is it especially superior to many other forms of steel. Nevertheless, the Anari swordsmith’s art requires surpassing skill and talent, for the blades produced are both beautiful and functional. Several elite Hegemony units are equipped with Anari weapons, and the sword of an Uarsinsi warrior must be of the most flawless manufacture.
Kotomi Forge is probably the most famous swordsmithy in Anari and is located near the great city of Ui’aharti. Here, master sword-makers have practiced their trade for centuries, producing amazing weapons of all kinds. Each year, the Eldest himself requests the manufacture of a new sword, which is delivered to Aliyashinsah Temple via owl-rider and placed in a specially-designed display hall. None of the Eldest’s swords has ever been used in battle.
Geography
Anaros Island and the Thousand Rocks
Controlled Territories
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