The Realms of the Drown

Etruska was once a great realm, the last true sanctuary for the creaturefolk that were native to Torthe. On this large island, they lived in a commonwealth, cities and tribes of nature living together, guarding their lands and thriving. They were allied to the elves of the Empire and the Republic, and even the aggressive Kharasaki were content to leave them, out of respect for their ancient history and knowledge.
The islands worshipped two Gods, the Sea Queen Nefferlasta, and the Moon Queen, Dieterra. They were both the patrons of the creaturefolk, each one split into three aspects, the mother, maiden and crone, and each one capricious or mischievous in their own ways. Even now, the creaturefolk worship both, although each race and tribe knows them in different words. The worship of both gods on these islands is very different to that elsewhere, except some small similarities such as the aspects of three.
Centuries after the fall of Calculix however, everything changed. A curse struck the island, and many of the creaturefolk became dumb, brute animals. Some turned to darkness to preserve their sentience, others scattered. Some say that the Queen of the Sea, the treacherous Nefferlasta, struck down the island in a fit of caprice. However, others say that the Queen saw the curse as infectious, and sought to protect the world from the thought-death. Whatever the truth, Etrusca was drowned in the waves and storms, magical and natural, leaving scattered, fragments of the realms of the creaturefolk, across many islands. There, in old ruins and swamps, on blasted desert islands or ice-bound mountain atolls, the remnants of this beautiful realm cling on to dear life, under constant threat from monsters, pirates and other invaders.
The realms now are called the Drown, or the Drowned Lands.

Assets

There are no kingdoms or set lands in the Drowned Lands, some islands have several tribes and rulers, others have almost no inhabitants. Some islands do however have some form of unity, the tribes coming together to combat external threats. The islands and relevant details are listed below:
Kapal Arvant: Lizardfolk name: Kisiwa Baraza This is the island where once the capital of the commonwealth stood, great Arvantus where the council met and all the many realms of Etruska forged their shared goals and ambitions. Now, amongst its ruined stone and arcane secrets, the pirates of the Drown make their abode, with the statues to Queen Nefferlasta raised in homage to her power, each statue gazing upon the great Kapal Nefferlasta in the bay.
The pirates, led by their Great Captain, protect these islands against all enemies, and always seek to establish new presences on the various islands. In some, particularly on Kapal Arvant, the creaturefolk have been pacified, and are either servants or slaves to humankind on the island.
New Arvantus is the trading centre for the islands, and the largest settlement by far.
Kapal Joika: Lizardfolk name: Kisiwa Uzuri This is the daughter island, Joika for joy or beauty dependent on the language. It is a lush, verdant paradise where a temple of the Old Ways remains sacred, even against the depredations of the Drown’s pirates. Here, priests and druids of all the old commonwealth races worship and protect the Maiden Spirit. It is so close to New Arvantus, but the powerful and ancient magic here that brings a sense of utter peace and joy has meant it has remained safe and inviolate.
Kapal Ast: Lizardfolk name: Kisiwa Kivuli This is the crone island, Ast for bitter or dark. It is a cold, icy island that has become ever more inhospitable since the destruction of Etruska. Only on the northern limits of the island do any make their home, a small sect and tribe of lizardfolk that worship Death. Humans that step foot on this island wither and fade in a matter of days, and the wraiths and shadows that writhe in all other places on this island are all that remains of their souls. In some areas, they move in mockery of their old lives, in others they embrace their new world of death, and revel in their new freedom in the service of the Crone.
Kapal Kri: Lizardfolk name: Kisiwa Umama The mother island, Kri for care and comfort. It is a soft, welcoming island that brings a sense of contentment and love to all creaturefolk who walk upon it. It is sacred to all, yet it is the one island of the Three that does not defend itself against humans, and so the creaturefolk are all but driven out from this place. Only in caves deep in the mountain, do the shamans and druids of the Mother remain, keeping her flame alive for the rest of the islands.
Kapal Vort: Lizardfolk name: Kisiwa Mjusi Lizard Isle, this is where the lizardfolk tribes are strongest. Only in the southeast of the island have humans taken a foothold, and even there they hunker behind walls for fear of the powerful lizardfolk tribes that are ready to unite against any show of force. The jungles here are deep, dark and devilish, and the lizardfolk test their might against constant aggression. This island was once the realm of the lizardfolk, with all their tribes united within a shining city, but all knowledge of its location is lost to the centuries.
Kapal Mar: Lizardfolk name: Kisiwa Paka Here, the catfolk live amongst the dust and dirt of their realm. They are travellers, wanderers, but continue to find it hard to leave these blasted shores. For here, is their first and last realm on the planet, the place where the graceful art and might of the catfolk raised delicate spires to the skies, and where they watched the moon and stars, and plotted planetary alignments, and the sound of slumbering cats hummed amongst glass and silver. Though those spires are lost, the glass and silver still glitters amongst the sands, and the cats wander still, in great caravans, seeking the shining remnants of their former glory. At night, when the moon is highest and fullest, the cats of Mar raise their heads to the sky and sing their paean of loss to their queen Dieterra. In the dark of the new moon, they look away, keeping to a deep silence, for fear of drawing the ire of their hidden Queen, Nefferlasta. For those cats that cannot cope with this constant cycle of loss and recrimination, they travel from the single large trading town of Errat Last, seeking shelter in other realms. Some say they seek a void that cannot be filled, and spend the rest of their lives wandering.
Kapal Nefferlasta: Lizardfolk name: Kisiwa Malkia On this large atoll, stands the gigantic statute of the Sea Queen, looking over her domain and servants. On every island, there is at least one statue of Nefferlasta, and each statue’s eyes look towards Kapal Nefferlasta. It is whispered that there is a corresponding statue to Dieterra beneath every one dedicated to the Sea Queen, the night shadow of her cruel sister giving what little comfort to the islands that she can.
Kapal Vern: Lizardfolk name: Kisiwa Msaliti With the exception of Kapal Arvant, this is the island most populated by humans. Here, are more farmland rather than forest or logging. It is a heavily fortified island, to protect from raids from independent pirates or fleets from the Magas. In the south of the island, a tribe of lizardfolk has thrived, although they are judged with contempt by other lizardfolk because they have become pirates themselves to protect their kin on the island.
Kapal Te: Lizardfolk name: Kisiwa Chai Kapal Te is known for its sacred herbs and tea fields the likes of which cannot be found anywhere else in Torthe. The tea leaves here are a deep gold, and cannot be replanted anywhere except on the soil of Kapal Te. The tea brewed from these leaves has restorative powers, it is said, and is used by creaturefolk of all kinds in rituals of honour to their gods. Powerful shamans gather on this island in old ruins, and their powers have kept the pirates at bay, and the golden chai safe.
Kapal Sud: Lizardfolk name: Kisiwa Mavumbi Kapal Sud is an utterly obliterated land of dust, sand and constantly spewing lava and volcanic ash. The ruins of an old Commonwealth temple are found in the north of the island, but none ever return who set foot in those ruins.
Kapal Misk: Lizardfolk name: Kisiwa Mfupa Kapal Misk is slowly returning to a form of life. The volcano has become dormant, or extinct, and the land has a few patches that show recovery. But the main focus for travellers to this land, is the archeological interest. No, or few, creaturefolk can be found here, but visitors from universities across Torthe can be found in camps here, digging to find ancient relics or old secrets.
Kapal Poisha: Lizardfolk name: Kisiwa Shujaa Kapal Poisha is a training ground for warriors. Creaturefolk across the Drown at times will send their young to this island. It ranges from barren to lush but with plants that can kill you with ease. It is a terrible, dangerous island with a constantly flowing volcano in the centre. Only Warrior's Point in the south is habitable, and is the place where ships will sail either to hire incredibly dangerous brute warriors, or where hotheads or exiles will be left to fend for themselves.
Kapal Haskash: Lizardfolk name: Kisiwa Mchawi Kapal Haskash has largely fallen to human pirate lords, seeking these fertile rolling hills and vineyards for their own. Amongst the vineyards of this land however, strange magic and creatures sometimes strike, appearing from old ruins or hidden towns. For that reason, it is known as Witch Island.
Kapal Tak, Kapal Ne, Kapal Sorn, Kapal Charn, Kapal Karsk Lizardfolk name: Kisiwae Amekufa These five islands are almost impossible to step foot on. The sands are still blazing with whatever energies brought Etruska low. Volcanoes still erupt, ash clouds mean death within instants, and even the seas around these islands boil. Each island has its own name in common, but for lizardfolk, they are Kisiawe Amekufa, the islands of death.
Kapal Ios: Lizardfolk name: Kisiwa Ukungu Kapal Ios is a smaller island, but here, the creaturefolk are perhaps closest to the old ways of the Commonwealth, gathered in a unity unlike anything known for centuries. Alas, for those nearby, they seem to have taken a darker turn and they are as likely to raid and attack their cousin tribes on other islands, as their pirate foes. Whispers abound of a powerful force that they follow fanatically. Magical mists often rise up here, protecting the beaches from would-be raiders or people seeking retaliation.
Kapal Modras: Lizardfolk name: Kisiwa Vita Kapal Modras is almost a microcosm of the Drown, with almost every sort of environment and quarrel reflected. Tribes existing in deep jungles, pirates on the plains, and odd ruins and strange relics abounding. Lizardfolk name this the island of war, because here, the most dangerous creatures are humans and the darknesses they bring to creaturefolk.

Demography and Population

These are a range of islands with a range of populations. They are not densely populated, but given the various forms of creaturefolk found, the true scale of population is unknown. Hedgekin, for example, can live in much smaller sized places, in much higher numbers.
In general though, humans represent perhaps 30% of the population, with creaturefolk around 60%, and other races the remaining 10%.

Type

Geopolitical, Tribe

Alternative Names

The Drowned Lands, Nefferlasta's Judgement

Major Exports

Various exports leave the Drown through means nefarious and legal, including:

• Golden tea
• Coconut water and milk
• Lemons, limes and tropical fruit
• Teak and bamboo wood
• Cocoa and sugar
• Rare herbs and medicines
• Some gold and adamantine mining