Paupola

Geography

The Islands of Paupola lie a few hundread miles off the eastern coast of Elora. The islands are tropical, except for the northern most island of Alou which is qasi-tropical. Paupola is characterized by steep mountains, dense rainforests and an otherwise abundence of greenery. The Ilkara Volcano is one of the largest active volcanos on Wenua and its eruption in 910 CA caused the "Grey Spring", promping explorers Fae Sparra and Kaeyra Marx, among other Aiken scientists and adventurers.

Localized Phenomena

Along with the great Ilkara Volcano, the Paupolan Islands boast a number of smaller but still impressive Volcanos. Because of frequent volcanic eruptions, The air is often filled with Volcanic ash. To adapt to this most species of flora in the region have adapted mechanisms to receive energy or other useful benefits from this ash, instead of sunlight. Additionally, fauna in the region eat that eat these highly adapted plants can coat their organs in these "Volcanic Plastoids" to gain similar immunities to the potentially toxic components of Volcanic Ash. One side effect of these Volcanic Plastoids is that they turn cells, in particular skin cells, translucent, creating the many translucent animals the region is known for.

History

Mythological Origins

The Paupola Islands were first inhabited by the gods Pa'a and Pa'e (Volanor and Ela'muldier in Eloran Common). Unlike the rest of Wenuan land, which was created by the Cosmic Song, Paupola's inhabitants (Terrakocra) believe that Paupola was created by Pa'a and Pa'e themselves. The myth goes that Pa'a the god of rock and soil and Pa'e the goddess of lava and magma both awoke one day in the ocean and climbed on top of one another until they created the first Island of Paupola. Then in a great Volcanic eruption, the island of Paupola split off into many. There were no humanoid inhabitants of Paupola until after the First Shadow War in which many Tauto from various nations fled Elora in search of new lands.

Dawn Age

The Paupola island never received any conquerors, or fully united into the kingdom. However, the Kingdom of Ildawla'o which cast its domain over the largest island of Pa'e as well as the islands of Mubwa, Alope, and Endwa'me, sought to conquer its neighbors with ultimately little success. After Idra Múlo the King of Ildawla'o failed to defeat a collection of much weaker Terrakocra tribes in 1622 DA, his people revolted and instituted a policy of non-aggression that exists to this day. The Ildawla'o lost the islands of Alope and Mubwa during the revolution but still reign sovereign over Pa'e and Endwa'me.

Crescent Age

Paupola became famous in Western Elora for its philosophy and magical prowess. Made popular by Luinden Tiess's novels on Ima'na Philosophy and by the renowned power of the Children of Thought, Paupola, a once remote Archipelago was known throughout Elora. Tourists, scientists, mages, and clerics alike took pilgrimages to the islands after the death of Luinden Tiess.
With new cultural ties to Western Elora came economic ones as well. Reports from early travels who had gone to Paupola told of a land filled with precious and rare gems, formed by the islands' many volcanos. Merchants and guilds from Western Elora took notice, but also from Tautoan nations in the south, most notably the Kingdoms of Onduwe and Aliao. As Western and Tauto merchants crossed paths with one another they began trading amongst themselves and before long a triangle trade (yikes) formed. This new era of trade across the whole of Elora led to unprecedented prosperity among the nations sparking what is referred to as the Great Age.
The collapse of the great age had many contributing factors but chief among them was unrest among the Paupolans. As the Paupolans had no unified kingdom, wealth from trade was distributed horribly unequally among tribes, with only Idwalda'o able to compete with the stiff negotiation and tariffs of the Eloran powers. Additionally, a conservative movement swept across the islands at the height of the Great Age in the 350's that rejected the newfound wealth and muddying of traditional society, leading to further unrest in the highly globalized economy. Lastly, the Saphire Roads--protected roads, funded by Eloran kingdoms spanning the width of the Twilight Marsh--had begun to crumble under the inevitable burden of evil in the marsh. With the Saphire Roads becoming more dangerous, Western merchants from nations on the border of the Twilight Marsh could no longer trade so easily with the Tauto merchants.

Alternative Name(s)

Eastern Islands

Type

Archipelago

Location under

Eastern Elora