Islands of Spelora

The Islands of Spelora are an archipelago in the Soual Ocean, south of the mainland's southern coast and the far south of the continent of Canaan. They are the southernmost known territories on any available map of the region. The archipelago consists of four major islands of varying size and character — ranging from desolate and barren in the north to forested in the south and touristic in the west — along with several smaller islets scattered between them. None of the islands are claimed by any of the three major nations of Canaan, and no governing authority extends to the archipelago, which operates in a largely unaffiliated condition.

The islands are most notable in Canaanese consciousness for their role as a base for pirate activity — the eastern island in particular serves as a hub for the maritime criminal activity that extends northward toward the southern coast of Canaan and the sea routes around the Destitute Lands.

Geography

The archipelago

The Islands of Spelora form a clustered group in the Soual Ocean, with the four major islands arranged in a rough configuration that gives each a distinct character. Mountainous terrain is visible on the larger islands, with small but prominent peaks. Several smaller islets are scattered between and around the main four.

The islands lie far enough south to be exposed to the colder conditions of the southern ocean, which produces a meaningful climatic difference between the northern and southern islands.

The four major islands

The northern island is the most barren and desolate of the group. Dry, sparsely vegetated, and largely featureless compared to the other islands. No named settlement has been documented on the northern island. It appears inhospitable in the same way the Northern Expanse is inhospitable — not dramatically dangerous, but offering little to draw or sustain permanent population.

The eastern island is the hub of pirate activity in the region. Lisallai is the named settlement here, serving as a base for the maritime criminal operations that extend northward into southern Canaanese waters. The eastern island's pirate economy connects it to the southeastern coast of the mainland, the Destitute Lands, and the sea routes of the Soual Ocean.

The southern island is characterised by cold pine forests, a consequence of its more southerly position and exposure to the colder ocean currents coming from the south. The forested character makes it the most ecologically distinct of the four islands.

The western island is the safest and most frequented by visitors of the four — the island where individuals who visit the archipelago by choice (rather than necessity or concealment) are most likely to base themselves. Salvajes is the named settlement here. The western island's position in the archipelago and its relative safety make it the primary point of entry for legitimate travel to the Islands of Spelora.

Settlements

Salvajes is located on the western island, the most accessible and hospitable of the four main islands. It serves as the primary settlement for those visiting the archipelago through ordinary channels.

Lisallai is located on the eastern island, closely associated with pirate activity in the region and serving as a base for maritime operations that extend northward toward the Canaanese mainland.

Climate

The Islands of Spelora experience a climate influenced by the Soual Ocean and their far-southern latitude. The western islands have mild to cool temperatures depending on season, with regular rainfall and a maritime character. The southern island is cooler than the western, with the pine forest reflecting its more exposed and cold-influenced position.

Temperatures in degrees; nighttime temperatures are 8–10 degrees cooler. Drisks-lit nights are 2–6 degrees warmer.

Political status

The Islands of Spelora are unaffiliated with any of the three major Canaanese nations. The distance from the mainland — combined with the relative poverty of the northern and southern islands and the active pirate presence on the eastern island — has made no nation's territorial ambition extend to the archipelago, at least as of 588 NA. The islands operate outside the social contract of continental Canaanese society. Speloran crews nonetheless fly a common flag of the islands at sea — less a mark of allegiance to any government than a declaration that they answer to none.

See also

• Canaan
• Soual Ocean
• Destitute Lands
• Veurim Empire