Visus Island

Awldor    Geography      Quassus Continent      Occulus Sea      Visus Island

Visus is the island that finds itself at the center of everything and it doesn't want to be. I'm not talking about Centrum, the island itself.

— Artur Neha, Traveler

The central eye of the continent, Visus Island lies at the center of the Occulus Sea. Visus shares its location with two smaller islands called Magna Soror to the west and Parva Soror to the east. Visus is the location of the Free City of Centrum. It's central location in the sea has made the island a focal point of trade activity which led to the establishment of a permanent and prosperous settlement. While the city has grown over the years, much of the island remains a mystery even to those who have lived their entire lives within the city. Its great wood and extensive caverns are old and contain things that are as yet known. It is oft suspected that Centrum shares the island with a more secretive and illusive people called The Hidden.

Visus Island

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A central trading point and the location of the Free City of Centrum.

Free City of Centrum

A large merchant city that occupies the western shore of Visus, and it is the center of the vast web of trading lanes in the Occulus Sea. The city continues to grow as its importance and subsequent influence in the affairs of the continent grows. It is called a "Free-City" because it purchased its independence from the Principality of Avistar in 1191AGC.
The city is the capital of the Free City-State of Centrum, which owns several other settlements.

This place was surely an important location for the ancients as well, so we should be finding more of their remnants. I wonder why so little of their works remain? Perhaps the island was hit harder by the collapse than other places.

— Phidi Strideheart, Traveler

Ancient Ruins

The Ancient Order have not left much of a mark on this island. In fact, recovered ancient documents concerning this landscape indicate that Visus looked quite different then compared to its current day appearance. Therefore, there are hardly anything of the Ancients to be found on the island in the past or in the present. Some suspect that some vestige of the Ancients exists in the underground caves, but nothing has been recovered.

Geography

It can be difficult to make a landing on Visus Island. Most of the shoreline of the island is defined by tall white cliffs. At the base of the cliffs are white sands that one can walk on only during low tide.

Tenebris Caves

Embedded into the white cliffs are several caves that act as entrances to the underground cave network, the Tenebris Caves that permeates the interior of the island. These entrances vary in size from holes too small for a mouse to massive openings a boat could sail into. There are many instances of inexperienced sailors beaching their boats within these caves. While there have been efforts to map the Tenebris Caves over the years, particularly by mining or dungeon delving expeditions, there's still a lot that remains unknown.
These unexplored passages are believed to house unsavory creatures of various sorts, and some tell tales of an entire town residing deep within the Tenebris Caves whose inhabitants engage in nightly thefts and kidnappings. The people of Centrum call this town Cariosus. Only the inhabitants of this rumored town know what they call it. A few hunting parties were formed to find Cariosus, and destroy it if necessary, but the town remains undiscovered. Some return frustrated at not finding anything resembling a town, and others return terrified by some horror they stumbled upon. There are at least two such expeditions that did not return at all.

Viridi Woods

The Viridi Woods covers the surface of the island not occupied by Centrum. A permanent fog exists deep within these woods, and those who venture into are usually never seen again. The animals that live within fog, the ravens in particular, are more aggressive than those found elsewhere. Even the trees are said to have attacked an adventurer from time to time. The aggression exhibited by the Viridi is believed to be increasing proportionately to Centrum's growth.

I would've loved to have seen the view from up there, but I guess some things aren't meant to be. I could go anyway, but then I risk never returning and there is so much more I want to see.

— Artur Neha, Traveler

Vetiti Petram

(formerly Magna Petram)
Poking out of the woods and mist is a rocky mound that is the island's closest approximation to a mountain. In Centrum's early days, when the mound was called the Magna Petram, many would travel to the summit of this mound to view the surrounding woodland and sea. Festivals of various sorts were held there during that same time period. Then the mist arrived and few have attempted to travel to the Magna Petram since. None can reach it now. The Director's Council have given it a new official name, Vetiti Petram, in recognition of its newfound reputation as an unreachable landmark.

A Strange Moving Isle

Many who visit Centrum learn about the strange moving isle. The appearance of this moving isle is that of a collection of black rocks with a solitary tree sprouting from the middle. Inspection of the island by fisherman and the Centrum Navy have failed to uncover how this isle moves. Current gossip claims that it could be an ancient dragon turtle of some kind, maybe even a young one. Inspections of the isle could not confirm this theory. No head, tail, or any other visible appendage is visible. The people of Centrum call this strange isle "Erraticus."

Basically, they are the island's night lights.

— Sail Flick, Sailor

Lux Corals

While many small to large rocks and isles can be seen during the day, during the night these rocks are illuminated by the Lux Corals. The Lux Corals are several reefs that surround Visus and that aid ships approaching the isle with the glow of their flora and fauna. Investigation into these corals have revealed that they come alive with sea life during the night, more so than during the day. This reversed cycle compared to land life on the islands is a curious development may be yet another remnant effect of The Great Collapse. Perhaps the fish here stood a better chance at surviving at night than they were during the day?
Whatever the reason for the high nighttime activity, the effect has grown more pronounced as Centrum's fishing business grows. Less fish during the day as more are harvested. This has led to the Fishing Guild to consider engaging in nightly fishing to increase their yield, though this effort is discouraged by the increased dangers of traveling the Occulus Sea at night. They say that certain horrors awake under the waves during the night, and that they hunt for the ship that strays too far from help. This has not discouraged some from trying to fish at night anyway, and those that do have returned with fish not obtained at any other time of day, increasing the motivation for the guilds to begin operating at night as well as the day. As talk about this change grows, so do the concerns of several citizens who are concerned for the well being of the corals, the sight of which they enjoy at night.

Natural Resources

The island can nourish and sustain a few crops, necessitating the need for Centrum to import a large portion of the dietary needs of its inhabitants. Needs that have grown increasingly sophisticated as the city's wealth grows.

Within the Tenebris Caves are bountiful veins of useful minerals and metals. These have played a critical role in establishing Centrum as an important trading partner to the continent in its early days. Presently, the easily reachable veins of resources are approaching depletion. While more resources can be found deeper within the caves, the danger is greater there as well. That is in addition to the growing danger of the caves as a whole. It may not be unrelated to the increasing hostility from the Viridi Woods, lending credence to the idea that the island has grown to hate having civilization thriving on its own shores.

All artwork is by starfarertheta unless otherwise stated.

Alternative Name(s)

Centrum Island

Type

Island

Location under

Occulus Sea

Included Locations

• Free City of Centrum
• Tenebris Caves
• Viridi Woods

Owning Organization

Free City-State of Centrum

Few seem to remember Visus' sisters.

— Uze, Fisherman

Sister Islands of Visus

Parva Soror

Centrum produces some of its food on this eastern island but like Visus itself it does not support a wide variety of crops. The island is surrounded by several cliffs with the exception of its northern side, which is now partly occupied by the town of Qakum.

Magnum Soror

The western island to Visus is largely uninhabited. It is fairly desolate compared to Visus and Parva, and it is difficult to land on due to the cliffs that surround the entirety of the island. It is the tallest of the three islands in terms of elevation.

Common Flora

• Poplar
• Oaks
• Cypress
• Ferns
• Wood Sage
• Allium
• Corals
• Seaweed
• Visus Moss

Common Fauna

• Deer
• Elk
• Salmon
• Tuna
• Swordfish
• Crabs
• Stingrays
• Manta Rays

Typical Weather

Mostly pleasant with warm temperatures and strong breezes. There is the occasional storm as is common with all large bodies of water. Sometimes, a magic storm will travel through the area. There are also confirmed magic deadzones in a few places, most are small in size.

Typical Magic Fields

(ranked according to occurrence)

• Aero
• Igni
• Poison
• Freezing
• Aqua

Consult Magic Fields for more information.

Note(s) from the Archivists:

Visus is located in the Occulus Sea, so shouldn't we call it the "EYE-land?" - Archivist Theta
No. - Archivist Taenya