Campaign ideas for the Pearl Islands
by Simone NeriLike most of the peripheral territories of the Thyatian Empire, this huge archipelago was seriously underdeveloped in DotE, and never saw much efforts from fans to spice it up.
- the Pearl Islands could be instrumental for Thyatis for at least two reasons: first, they are the Empire's nearest territory to the Davanian coast (except for the Hinterlands, of course), which is going to make them a staging area for exploration and trade toward Cestia, as well as one of the main slave baskets of the Empire (plenty of cheap slaves, I suppose, taken without middlemen (like the Ostlanders), and with scarce competition from the Alphatians (who, besides, have a lot of slave population of their own, and can also supply from Skothar); second, these islands are quite near Alphatian territories, so they should be both guarded and defended, and used as staging area for Thyatian sea-based attacks on the Alatians and Bellissaria.
- at first glance, the Pearl Islands appear covered by huge forests, which could surely make them one of the two shipbuilding centers of the empire (the other being the Shadow Coast on the IoD); however, production of precious or simple wood, let alone shipbuilding, do not feature among the archipelago's main industries neither in DotE nor in the PWAs. Maybe the wood found in Pearl Islands is not very valuable (which is unusual, given its tropical nature; but still... ).
- Ne'er-do-well pirates could represent a threat to Nuar, but since Ne'er-do-well alliance to Alphatia is uncertain at best, and since it only seem to be a kingdom in name only, I suppose Ne'er-do-well pirates could have a better time raiding Bellissarian, Alatian, or Thothian coasts (whose realms are left by Alphatia to fend off pirates by themselves) rather than face the military-minded Thyatians in the Pearl Islands' waters. Fending off pirates from Ne'er-do-well, Minaea or even Caerdwicca, Minrothad, or Ierendi could be a local activities carried out by honourable Nuari warriors devoted to the protection of village communities. Remember that the Nuari consider stealing a way to diminish oneself (hence robbing and raiding may also be frowned upon) - so I suppose there are few Nuari pirates, and those who are are exiles or outcasts (in Nuar, you don't build an honourable career or excellence as a corsair with a letter of marque from the emperor - go to Terentias or Caerdwicca if you like that sort of activities).
Obviously there could be pirate coves on the coasts of Nuar, and especially on the minor (not mapped) islets and atolls of the archipelago, but I suppose the pirates' main activity would be directed toward Alphatian shipping and coasts. Also, Caerdwiccan corsairs could also play a role here. All in all, I see Aegos, Aeria, Gaity (which should be well-defended since it's a leisure paradise for the idle rich, but for the same reason it's going to represent a rich bounty for pirates), and Bellissaria especially hard-pressed due to the presence of pirates from Caerdwicca and Ne'er-do-well. If you throw in also the presence of Minaean pirates along the southern Bellissarian coast, this could help explain why the whole southern seas area has rarely been the staging area for maritime conflicts between the two empires, which usually have concentrated on the Isle of Dawn.
- The Pearl Islands host the main follower base for Korotiku. According to Marco's Codex Immortalis, other popular Immortals here are Valerias, and Ixion, while Masauwu, Nyx, and Crakkak are the local "dark deities". Plots by deceitful followers and cultists of Masauwu could try to infiltrate the islands' government, turn communities and single politicians one against another, seed mischief and betrayal. Crakkak's cultists could instead be behind a shark infestation, or a shark-kin invasion (which might even push the archduke to ask the help the merrows from waters around Nuar). In a WotI perspective, the Ring of Fire (including Ixion and Valerias) vs Fellowship of the Star (including Korotiku) coul become a central theme of a campaign set or passing by the Pearl Island - and the decision of the archduke to declare independence from Thyatis in AC 1008 (IIRC) could well be the consequence of Ixion and Valerias taking the upper hand in Nuar.
- Since the Pearl Islanders are so proud of their heritage and freedom is so much relevant for their way lf life, I suppose there could be plenty of factions and movements advocating a lot of different ideas. One faction could promote freedom from the islands and secretly plot with the Alphatian Empire to overturn Thyatian control over the archipelago; another could oppose slavery as such, and be allied with similarly-minded groups in Ochalea; another one could be favorable to the Thyatian Empire, but try to make the Nuari more relevant in the overall administration and bureaucracy of the empire; still another could advocate a return of the Nuari to their ancestral way of life (maybe helped by local druids?) as the only choice to achieve full freedom, and see imperial influence and intermarriage with foreign ethnicities as a threat to Nuari culture (especially, the presence of lighter-skinned Nuari with Thyatian blood in their veins could be the concrete sign of a weakening of Nuari identity).
- Besides pearls, coral, and fruits are the main products of these islands. Maybe varieties of coral, pearl, or fruits found or growing near volcanoes or lava deposits (especially if they happen to be gates to elemental planes) could have acquired magical properties and magic-users from Alphatia and Thyatis may develop some interests in them.
- Regarding the Pearl Islands' culture, one might suppose that after 1000 years of being part of the Thyatian Empire the local Nuari culture has fully blended with the Thyatian one, especially since the islanders seem to have come to like their membership in the Thyatian Empire as equals (more or less) with Thyatians and Ochaleans. However, DotE says that there are not large urban settlements here, only villages, which may led to think that most islanders, at least those living in rural areas, have kept their traditional lifestyle. Features like cosmopolitan trade towns, coliseums, rural villas, seaside observation towers, forts for imperial legions and fleets, should then be mostly the work of Thyatians and those Nuari who have intermarried with them during the centuries (a minority, likely). Foreign immigration, and political activity should be then commonly found in the islands mostly in the towns. Maybe the Thyatian culture has only influenced the way of life of the townfolk and of the upper classes; the rural population (or at least a part of it) sticks to traditional way of life, simple agricolture, fishing, and even hunter-gathering tribal life. Some towns and surrounding environs, namely Seagirt and some few others, seem like any other town in the empire - a mix of people from different lands, trade, lot of languages, traditions and products from foreign places, elections for local magistrates or the Senate, plantation agricolture based on slave work - while rural communities keep their lifestyle as traditional as much as they live far from the town centers. This partial penetration of Thyatian culture in the countryside could explain lack of great infrastructures outside towns, like aqueducts and paved roads, which are common in the rest of the empire.
- On the political side, the islands are ruled by an archduke. It's not clear if present (1000 AC) archduke Nurokidu belongs to the same lineage of the first Nuari king (the one killed by Zendrolion in AC 1, and with whose son Valentia made the agreement which kept the Pearl Islands within the empire), since he is said to belong to a "long line of Nuari leaders" (DotE, Book I, page 80). This seems unlikely, if possible, since 1000 years for a single dynasty are quite a lot; moreover, was the Nuari kingship hereditary before the Thyatian conquest or was the king elected by (and among) the most important tribal chiefs? As ruler of a grand duchy, Nurokidu may subdivide his realm into smaller "baronies" and grant baronial status. What does this mean in the Pearl Islands is to be seen. I suppose that traditional land ownership is not fully accepted in a village/tribe-based, somewhat egualitarian society like the Nuari one; likely the norm is that local leaders are selected out of their qualities, not out of their wealth or heritage. So many village rule themselves autonomously, coexisting with a class of large landowners (both Nuari and Thyatian, or halfblood). To some of the latter the archduke may have granted the title of "baron"; they would support themselves with the revenues of their lands but also rule on Nurokidu's account even larger swaths of the islands as "governors" or "prefects" or the like, in Thyatian fashion. Probably such "governors" have a hard time make villages and tribes living in the wilderness pay their taxes, which may led to tensions and sometimes conflicts.
- Since the Nuari are described as a culture of "scholarly warriors", I suppose some martial art style may be native to these islands (using weapons or not). Maybe they're like the "samurai of Thyatis" if you understand what I mean, that is a culture striving to reach perfection in everything the individual does. This would make them great and honorable heroes and warriors (they also hate laziness and liars, as per DotE), even if lacking in organization and malicious cunning. In the Thyatian legions, they could make for great rangers, explorers, and marines (even for amphibious attacks) - while they should lack a tradition of horsemanship, giving the absence of horses from the islands (again per DotE).
That's all. Just a few ideas popping out of my mind. :mrgreen: