The Ruinous Isles
The cluster of islands in the Eastern Sea which formed the landmass previously known as the Taarian Archipelago. A thousand years ago a great disaster swept the islands resulting in the fall of The Abariate of Taar, the society which occupied them. The exact nature of The Grey Plague which caused the disatrous end of the Taarian civilisation is lost to history, but it is sufficiently feared even today that few visit the ruins there, and even fewer are permitted to return home - if they return at all - for fear of whatever may still linger there.
Geography
According to the few ancient maps which exsist, the islands are mostly flat but stony in nature, making them unfit for farming. The few exceptions are the northern most islands - which are supposedly mountainous and craggy, with some volcanic activity - and some of those closest to the coast of Nerevarn, which posess limited amounts of arable crop soil.
There are no rivers, and few streams, making many of the islands unfit for permanent habitiation even before the Disaster. Cities and towns tended to cluster around the limited fresh water sources.
Ecosystem
The Ruinous Isles are, according to those few who have sailed close enough to view them, almost devoid of life. No humanoids have been seen on the coast in living memory, including that of several elderly elven seafarers from the Temple of Paraveil who recall sailing the seas around the Isle almost over 700 years ago. There have been several unconfirmed dragon sightings, but none claim to have witnessed a lair or any signs of permanent draconic habitation, and it is likley that these sightings were merely passing visits. Even the sea life is wary of the coastal waters, with the crews of fishing vessels sailing from Kaor swearing that is is not worth the sailors wages to fish amongst the isles, as the catches are always few and low quality.
It is clear that beast and bird life do still exist on the island, as they have been seen on the beaches or in the air occasionally by passing ships, but to what extent, and of what kinds, we can only guess. Before the Disaster, the islands were home to a similar variety of creatures as the eastern coast of Nerevarn, except for those which inhabit The Great Forest, since the Isles posess no similar dense woodland. There were also said to be many horses, mules, livestock for food production and the like, and pet creatures such as housecats, on the isles at the time of the disaster, and it is likely their descendants still persist in some wild form.
The plantlife on the island seems to be of a mundane nature, with no ill effects from the Disaster as far as can be observed from a safe distance, although it has not grown dense and overrun the land - what land we can observe - as it would in Nerevarn, were it to be abandoned as the isles have been. This is ascribed to the lower quality of the soil, some of which is barely sufficient to support scrub grasses or other shallow-rooted plants.
Alternative Name(s)
Taarian Archepelago (Ancient maps only), Taar
Type
Archipelago
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Related Traditions
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