The Isle of Zamby

The isle of Zamby was the very first landmark created in the world. Some say the gods wanted a playground to start with before defining the rest of the world. This is why things are so strange and unique on that isle. It is a large isolated island that has no contact with the rest of the world as they are technologically limited and have only basic boating capabilities. It is mostly peaceful land where the populace is focusing mainly on agriculture and fishing.

Geography

Zamby is a roughly egg shaped large island spreading across xxxKm² (X, Y). it is located south-east of the Main Land. It spreads across a single temperate climate zone and has all four seasons. it is characterized by a very large forest in the south and a mountain range roughly oriented with the North - South axis that splits the island in it's middle, making contacts between eastern and western populations very sparse. It has odd geography where it quickly transitions from plains to mountains. It also has a mountain ring with multiple sparse dormant volcanoes in the south-west of the island.

It makes the island very fertile for agriculture and allows the population to strive. It is also very prone to natural and unnatural catastrophes, so the overall population is stable.

The Map of Zamby was created by sages and is very accurate. The Historian records also has a Legacy Map of Zamby in it's archives.

When I started DMing, I needed someplace to host my adventures. Although I had laid out the borders of the main land spreading across dozens of sheets of paper, I needed somewhere smaller to start and "beta-test" my world. I mapped out a 'small island' spreading across five sheets of paper.

— CowWarrior

Anthropology

Due to the geographical nature of the location and basic technology severely limiting travel, it makes the isolated population naturally xenophobic and generally untrusting. Mostly humans reside in the west, Elves and other races in the East. The wild forest is said to be very dangerous and not many people adventure within its borders. There are reports of tribal wild elves living there with very limited technology.

Mythology

As written in The Clash of the Half-Gods, it is believed this island is the location of the very birth of Assëässe. For millennia, the gods had a beef between each other that could no longer wait, and decided to to resolve in an arena. Therefore they made the island into existence. Divine weapon strikes rippled the surface of the island, causing mountain ranges to appear. For years they grappled and wrestled in a quasi stalemate, causing the circular mountain range to be formed. Both deities dropped from exhaustion and fell into torpor, absorbed by the land. Their being, matter and energy dissipated into the ground forming the rest of the world shaped as softer echoes of what transpired.

It is believed one of the entities originally entered Zamby from the demi-plane of dread, and the other from somewhere in the upper planes. Both portals never fully closed, forming a strong bond with those planar locations. Unbridled and unchecked, those links and energies formed tethers slowly growing towards other planes and other worlds.

Chronology

Timekeeping is especially important to the populace of Zamby as they dread the days where the isle gives birth to the dead. They needed a very accurate way to keep track of time. Although vastly uneducated, the populace relies on a few savants in towns and villages to tell them when is the next invasion of the dead.

I originally inspired myself from the Hobbit Calendar from Tolkien, but wanted to have the months symmetric from year to year, hence I added the extra "Zombie fest" days.

— CowWarrior

History

• The world was created and populated
• The inhabitants reached the mid to late medieval technological level
• Sages and inventors fled the island and it's supernatural catastrophes in seafaring boats bringing with them the technological know-how.
• The dwarves went into seclusion and closed the mountain pass
• The technological fell and stabilized at an early medieval stage
• A curse was bestowed on the dwarves
• Golden age of adventuring dawned with the Quest for Orbs and Keys
• During the The Undead Hunt, there was a schism amongst the party which lead to The Rise of the Dark Spire and
• The magic fabric of the world was altered impacting the Petrified Condition
• A Star fell on Sol leading to The Great Sickness area.

Type

Island