Barutara Islands (ba.ɾu.ˈta.ɾa ˈaɪ.ləndz)
"I place no trust in the Karajans of Barutara. They are pirates and profiteers, and lack commitment to the struggle."
The Barutara Islands are an archipelago in the northwestern part of the Kanluranan island group in the Southwestern Region. The islands are quite small, with the largest being Nusa at just under 200 square miles. While the Karajans of this group are members of the Persatuan Phaṇin, they have never been as involved in the war with Rangdayan as their larger neighbors to the southeast. Her monsters rarely rampage among these small islands, and there are no large enclaves of Utkrośa on their mountains. Dozens of tiny Karajans are located here, each claiming their own bit of land and sovereignty, and they are fiercely protective of their independence. The Karajans of Barutara were vehemently opposed to the Persatuan Phaṇin becoming a protectorate of the Tagápulo Empire, and ever since they lost the vote there have been rumblings of the islands leaving the confederation altogether. This sign of disloyalty to the Persatuan Phaṇin has led to the Tirta Baya reviving rumors of Rangdayan cults in the outlying islands, and the Godslayers have spoken openly of a need to purge the population of those who would support and worship the Queen of Monsters. They have also drawn attention to the Barutara's reputation of harboring pirates, and threatened to use their influence with the Empire to clean up the ports of the archipelago.
Points of Interest
Most travelers through the are will visit the city of Teluk Waja, on the island of Nusa. It's name translates as "Iron Bay", for Nusa once had the most productive iron mines in the Southwestern Region. While the iron mines are no longer active, the city itself is a thriving port for ships passing through the Southwestern Region. It is the seat of Karajan Rajalaut, one of the many small kingdoms of the region, and the loudest in their support for splitting with the Persatuan Phaṇin.
Another major landmark is the Menara Senjakala, or "Dusk Lighthouse". It is located on the small island of Sangsang, the westernmost point in Kanluranan. It is a part of the Ring of Light, and has a lone keeper - the ancient True Mage called Rahayu Mēgantara, the Storm-Child. While few people ever visit the lighthouse, almost every ship passing will see it.
Geography
There are about sixty islands in the archipelago, which extends about 335 miles from east to west. The islands are small and mountainous, and volcanic in origin. The largest island in the group is Nusa, at just under 200 square miles, and the average island in the group is around seventy square miles. When plotted on a map, the islands resemble a submerged mountain range, with only the upper slopes above the water.
Geographic Details
Location: Southwestern RegionLatitude: 22.07 degrees North
Longitude: 35.59 degrees West
Average Elevation: 295 ft
Highest Point: 4,632.54 ft
Lowest Point: 0 ft
Area: 3,920.83 sq mi
Related Articles
This article was originally written for Spooktober 2024. You can find all of my Spooktober Articles at Spooktober Central.
This article was originally written for Spooktober 2023. You can find all of my Spooktober Articles at Spooktober Central.
I bet the politics between the Karajans are very complicated, even leaving out the politics of the outside world.
Explore Etrea | March of 31 Tales
They very much are. They are only united by a common enemy, and even then they are constantly jockeying for power internally. The Tirta Baya formed partially because some people wanted to get the politics out of their religious vendetta and focus on the importance of deicide.