The Bloodmoon Islands

"The Bloodmoon Islands. Where the material and the immaterial meet. Where under bloody red skies and sometimes crystal clear nights, one can enjoy themselves in the breathtaking solitude and just be themselves. Where at times, one can see the beautiful Northern Dawn arise from her slumber. It is truly a breathtaking place and one where the weather may be cold, but the inhabitants warmer than a soft fur blanket on a cold winters night"
An excerpt from a travel guide, describing the Bloodmoon islands

The Bloodmoon Coasts by Joey Jazz

The Bloodmoon Islands are a group of large subpolar islands off the eastern coast of Inaria , lying off the Bay of Tenebria. These Islands are home to a unique group of vampires, werewolves and humans who speak a dialect of the Tenebrian language which while mutually intelligible contain many differences too, including many loanwords from the Arval Valley. and surrounding regions.
The Bloodmoon Islands are unique not only for their people but also for the wildly different and beautiful landscapes but for their beautiful skies and also the unique flora and fauna that are here. Most notably, it is called the gateway to other worlds due to its strange connection with another realm which elladians as a whole know little about. This has sparked a rather fervent mood for research and thus, one of the main attractions of the islands are the giant laboratories and research institutes spread around there. These laboratories conduct research which are seemingly impossible to do so for the world of Elladia, research into a realm that defies the very laws of reality and contain entities that were not imaginable in the wildest dreams of Elladians
The Islands are also a hub for shipbuilding and tourism, with the natives being master shipwrights. Many have compared the inhabitants of the Bloodmoon islands and Storvallia and have debated as to who are better shipwrights. However, it should be noted that both the Storvallians and Bloodmoon Islanders have their merits and demerits, as well as the fact that their ships are built for vastly different climates ( The Storvallians ships being made to withstand the rough waves and seas of the Western part of Erinia whilst the Bloodmoon Islanders ships being made to withstand the cold and brutal winters of the Boreal Region as well as breaking through the sea ice during winters.
As for the tourism part, the islands are simply breathtakingly beautiful. The near constant red skies, which are the namesake of the islands, draw a large number of tourists every year and most if not all leave satisfied, due to the personal warmth of the Bloodmoon islanders and the heavenly beauty of the islands. Large Mountain Valleys, great icy desert plateaus, beautiful marshes, giant bays and harbours, and not to mention the stars and beautiful weather phenomena are just some of the amazing things this archipelago offers. As said by a famous traveler, "To truly get a view of what the rarest and most beautiful things on Elladia looks like, one has to go to the Bloodmoon Islands"
However, this boon is fading away. As of late, the Bloodmoon Islands have been bearing the brunt of some mysterious and sinister events. Not only have there been reports of mutated beasts and strange demonic looking creatures razing farmsteads and small villages. Whilst the Imperial Legions have taken care of them for now, the reports continue to become grimmer day by day and it has been taking a toll on the morale of the soldiers and inhabitants.
Yet worse is about to come. Some of the scientists who have been researching about the realm that this archipelago have gone insane. Some have committed suicide, others have deliberately tried to kill their subordinates and companions whilst others have tried writing down warnings in a gibberish tongue. However, one thing is clear.
Something bad is about to happen. Something that will change the fate of Elladia for all eternity. The Imperium must band together with the entirety of Elladia and fight as one against the monsters that come from this nightmarish realm.
For it will be the Bloodmoon Islands that will be hit the very first. And when the Invaders arrive, they will spare none

Geography

"What can i say, its simply beautiful. To know that i am connected to this beautiful land by blood is honestly a thing i"m truly thankful for to the gods"
Queen Inarra Keras, on a visit to the Bloodmoon Islands

The Moon Rises by Annewipf

The Bloodmoon Islands are incredibly diverse for their geography, containing everything from snowy mountain peaks and valleys to giant magical swamps to giant volcanic calderas. These Landscapes are often fascinating and contain a wide amount of knowledge that attracts scientists from all around the Imperium to study them. These landscapes also contain many species endemic to the bloodmoon islands, and some of them are even mutated heavily by the different sorts of radiation emitted by the strange crystals, creating a rich environment for scientists to study

The Bloody Skies

"Of all the things i have seen in the Bloodmoon Islands, the one that will most stick to me are the beautiful blood red skies. I know not what causes them but as they say "ignorance is bliss" and i agree with them for once"
Queen Inarra, talking about the namesake of the Bloodmoon Islands

The Bloodmoon Skies by Masahiro Sawada

The Most striking feature of the bloodmoon islands are the bloody red skies, which are the namesake of the archipelago. Contrary to what most popular media would show, the skies of the islands are not always covered in a blood red colour, but it is true for most of the times. The skies often show more than one moon of Elladia, though that does depend on the Lunar cycles and there can be as many as all the elladian moons to only one.
There have been several theories as to why the sky is blood red for the most part around the Bloodmoon Islands. The most accepted theory is that there is a sort of atmospheric anomaly around certain areas near the poles of Elladia which causes the sky to turn red. Whilst plausible, there has been fierce debate due to some mysterious anomalies that have been observed there but overall, this one remains the most accepted theory amongst both academic and normal circles.

The Rocky Cliffs

"Diving from the Cliffs is sure as hell gonna be scary at first but once you"ve gotten used to it, its the thrill of your life"
Late Emperor Axel Christiansen, talking about diving from the cliffs of The Bloodmoon Islands

The Rocky Cliffs by Kvacm

The Coasts of the Islands are often battered by rough waves, which has caused the rocks to erode and make beautiful cliffs. These cliffs can get gigantic, often being hundreds of metres in height. They are a beautiful sight to see, standing like gigantic towers amongst the waves of the icy seas around the archipelago.
The cliffs also hold much defensive value, for they can be used to conceal siege weaponry and pick off attacking ships from their vantage point. This was used to great effect by the rebels during the bloodmoon rebellion to pick off the Imperiums ships when they were sent to recapture the islands.
More recently however, the cliffs have been gaining much tourist value. Diving from the higher cliffs can be incredibly dangerous and thus, people only go to dive from the lower ones, even then requiring adequate protection and training so that they don"t end up dead.

The Sentry Stones

The Sentry Stones by Luca Trentin

"The Stones that i saw hovering about last night are just wild. Only a few days ago, all of them were dormant and now they have begun patrolling the islands once again. Moreover, it seems that they are trying to pass onto me some sort of warning about some kind of sinister threat thats returning. I will have to return all of this info into the lab and analyse it. This could lead to something big"
Field Researcher Johan, writing in his journal about the Sentry Stones

One of the most intriguing mysteries about the bloodmoon islands are mysterious stones scattered around the place. These stones have been dubbed Sentry stones due to them being positioned in such a way as to be a sentry, such as in strategic locations and such. More recently however, some of these stones have been founding hovering above the ground and patrolling the islands at times.
There have been theories regarding these stones. Some say that they were a defensive mechanism built by an ancient civilization to guard something special and important. Others say that the stones are living entities by themselves. The former theory holds more credibility though, owing to the fact that the stones patrol in a relatively predictable area and usually don"t deviate from it. It has caught the attention of many scientists and they are keen to know where these stones lead them to.

Ancient Bays and Harbours

"Lookit that beautiful port!" Ain"t she a lovely sight to behold?"
"Yes Captain but she is currently full of ice. Shouldn"t we call an icebreaker?"
"Ice what? My Girl Bessie is gonna break through all of these ice floes in no time!"
A famous conversation between the captain of a ship and his first officer, who had warnt him not to dock in the harbour despite there being sea ice. The captain proceeded with his ideas anyway and as a result, had his ship heavily damaged and had to pay for the repairs from his own pockets after much protest from the crew when he asked them to share the burden"

Bay of Silmador by Karoly Mihalec

The Bloodmoon Islands contain some beautiful natural harbours that offer sanctuary to many ships, especially research and military ships bound for the polar continent of Ultima Borealis. Indeed, most ships that are made for the harsh conditions of the Boreal Ocean are built here in the bloodmoon islands, and they start their journey to the poles from there on. The largest port and harbour in the Bloodmoon Islands is located in the Bay of Silmador, on the western side of Silmador Island. Here, the Imperiums Northern Fleet has its permanent base and patrols the icy waters, guarding them for the greater good of mankind

The Snowy Valleys

"Be it the peaks of the Snowy Mountain Valleys in winter or their lushness during the summer and spring, the valleys are a must see for anyone who loves beautiful landscapes."
An excerpt from a travel guide about the valleys in the bloodmoon islands

The Snowy Valleys by Ardoric Art

On the isle of Silmador and a few other surrounding islands, there are large mountain chains which oftentimes have deep valleys. These valleys are an incredibly beautiful sight to behold, with their lushness in summer amidst the backdroup of snow covered mountains. In the Winter, the moon can shine for hours on these snow covered valleys, which has also earnt them the moniker of "Boreal Moon Valleys"
An interesting aspect of these valleys are their unique wildlife. Most of the creatures here, like the great Horned Owl and the giant river walrus are found only in the bloodmoon islands. Many of these creatures seem to be somewhat especially active during the full moon phases of the various moons of Elladia, which suggests a link between them and the moon cycle.
Some of the valleys have large rivers rushing through them, creating an environment that is suitable for somewhat large scale habitation even in such a desolate place. These rivers freeze in the winter however, which necessitates water gathering for homes and generating power before the rivers freeze, as no one wants to go out in such chilly temperatures to bring water back.

The Swamplands

"Out of all places, we find swamps in the bloodmoon islands. The most dreaded places on Elladia"
"But Captain, at least there aren"t any creepy crawlies here. Or at least, not any that i can think of. Moreover, the weather is quite cool. Won"t you agree?"
Yes but it is a swamp nontheless. And only the gods know what sort of creatures they hide. If i have learnt one thing during my service fighting against trolls in the imperiums swamplands, its that you always have to keep your eyes open in all directions when in a swamp. No one can be sure what these places hide"
A conversation between a Captain and a normal soldier, regarding swamps

The Bloodmoon Swamps by Moose23

The Bloodmoon Islands also contains many swamps and marshes, unusual for a place so close to the poles. These wet lowlands form due to the deposition of water from the glaciers, which melts and mixes with the soil that is in these places, forming a unique variety of swamp that is quite different from ones in tropical and equatorial regions, such as them being snowy in the winter and what not
The Swamps are usually the most biodiverse region on the islands, besides the forests. Here, one can find many endemic species of animals, such as the Bloodmoon Crawler with its red crystalline spikes or the tentacled humanoid beast known as the Red Eyed Devourer. One has to be careful whilst in these swamps though, as they often contain many small and poisonous creatures that can easily evade ones eyes, and give a slow and painful death

The Boreal Forests

"The Forests are a perfect place to spend a few days in for someone who truly loves both solitude and greenery as well as colours in general. Due to their bioluminescent flora and fauna, the forests are often enriched with many beautiful colors"
An excerpt from a travel guide to the Bloodmoon Islands

The Lunar Forest by Nele Diel

There exists many large forests in the Bloodmoon Islands. These forests are the perfect retreat for a nature lover and are a beautiful sight to behold. What makes them even more beautiful however are their diversity in wildlife and flora, as well as the beautiful bioluminiscent features they have. Normally, bioluminiscent creatures are only found in the depths of Elladias oceans and seas but the Bloodmoon Islands are a rare example of a place where it can be found on land too.

The Volcanic Lands

'We have everything. From large forests to giant volcanoes that you could have supposedly found only in the Firestorm Isles, we have all the landscapes you want to see. Except for maybe a hot desert i guess"
The Governor of the Bloodmoon Islands, welcoming a bunch of tourists after they disembarked from a ship

The Mountains of Fire by Adam Paquette

The Northwestern Islands of the Archipelago are wildly different than the rest. Whereas one would find lush greenery or ice and magical landscapes on the other islands. These islands largely consist of gigantic volcanoes and desolate volcanic highlands covered with nothing but ash and volcanic soot. Many deadly creatures roam these islands such as fire scorpions and the dreaded magma worm, and as such, travel to these islands are heavily controlled and only take place when security measures are absolute
The Islands contain many mineral resources, which in turn contribute a rather large amount to the economy of the archipelago. Most of all however, they have a wonderful resource known as Vulcanite. It may look like any other piece of glowing volcanic rock at first sight but deeper within, it is a unique source of energy. It can be used to heat up homes and generate power, and despite it being finite, there is expected to be large amounts of it hidden underneath the deeper reaches of the volcanoes and volcanic caves
A unique use of vulcanite by the bloodmoon islanders has been documented by Imperial researchers. Some of their ships have been seen using this resource as a method of both propulsion and power generation. The ships that run on Vulcanite can travel at least four times as fast as the same ships of their size that are not powered by Vulcanite and if they deploy their sails as well, they can make a journey to Lordaran Island in just 2 weeks whereas normal ships would take around 6 weeks to get there. Due to the difficulty of extracting this resource, the amount of ships that run on Vulcanite are limited but the Imperium makes good use of them as messenger vessels connecting far flung regions as well as using them for quick amphibous landings

Valley of Waterfalls

"You have to watch out for those waterfalls. As majestic as they are, you can"t afford to fall down one of them. Its best to just watch them from afar"
A travel guide talking to a group of tourists about a waterfall

The Boreal Waterfalls by GeorgeLovesyArt

Across Silmador Island, one can find large rivers rushing through the valleys. Sometimes, these rivers fall off large cliffs and create beautiful waterfalls that are a majestic site to behold. Every year, these waterfalls drag numerous tourists to the island who want to catch a glimpse of the raging, steaming mass of water as well as the animals that lurk in them

The Boreal Lights

"The Islands aren"t the only place where you can see the northern lights but i would be damned if they were not the best ones for viewing them. The clear night skies are just beautiful to behold the northern lights in"
Attributed to Casper Christiansen, younger brother of current emperor Hans Christian Danielsen

The Boreal Lights by Kvacm

During winter, when it gets dark for months at a stretch, the Bloodmoon islands sometimes offer beautiful views of the northern lights. Whilst they can be seen all over the mainland, the bloodmoon islands are a favored location to view them due to their exceptionally clear skies. On a cold winters night, many people gather at certain places like vantage points and mountaintops to get a better view of these beautiful lights dancing across the night sky, which forever after leave a positive impression of hope and victory on them

Fauna & Flora

Great Horned Owl by Ardoric Art

"Don"t just stand there! Shoot that damned owl!"
A hunter yelling to his comrade after seeing a horned owl

The Bloodmoon Islands are known for their huge numbers of endemic species of flora and fauna. Many of them seem to have a connection to the bloodmoon effect with many, particularly aquatic and amphibian species mating when the bloodmoon is out and increasing their activities. This has led to curiosity amongst scientists and they theorise that in a way, the radiation from the bloodmoon effect may be affecting the biology of these species
Some of the creatures that can be found in these areas are :

1. The Great Horned Owl- A giant avian creature that rivals humans in size, this endemic creature is a majestic sight to behold for the islands inhabitants. Their horns make good arrowheads, but due to a law on the conservation of endemic species across the Imperium, hunting them is a criminal offense. Though peaceful in general, they will not hesitate to attack if they are provoked or if their young are harmed in any way


2. Silmadorian Shrew- A subterranean creature found mainly on Silmador Island, these beasts have incredibly sharp and strong claws with which they burrow underground. They usually eat other subterranean creatures such as insects and such but often cannibalize on their own and sometimes humans if they have little food supply availiable. In combat, these shrews are deadly and can kill beasts many times larger than themselves with their nimble speed and sharp claws


3. Spineback- A member of the draconic family, these draconids are known for their incredible speed as well as the ability to shoot spikes from their body. They are incredibly friendly to humans however, and there have been ongoing efforts to tame these creatures as a supplement to gryphons. Curiously enough, they do not have the magical potency as their higher cousins and are fairly biological and conforming to the laws of nature, unlike their larger brethren who break them on a regular basis


4. Boreal Leviathans- The Boreal Leviathans are a group of giant sea creatures, ranging from the size of a normal great white shark to more than five times the size of a blue whale. Some of their larger specimens are often mistaken for small islands due to their rocky and incredibly hard hide. These creatures often eat schools of fish and sea mammals such as whales and walruses as well as octopuses. Whilst not as agressive as the Silmadorian shrew, care must be taken when one enters into their territory, which sometimes include the bays of the bloodmoon islands and a single mistake could potentially lead to serious damage to ones ship or even sink it

Natural Resources

"Fresh from the bowels of the earth come the little vulcanite stones! They may be small but pack quite the punch when it comes to pushing ships around!"
A common joke about the use of vulcanite as a propellant

Vulcanite Deposits by JJpeabody

Whilst the Northeastern part of the Bloodmoon islands are rich in minerals and heavy metals, there is one resource which makes them a truly valuable site for mining. Vulcanite, as it is called is a unique form of volcanic rock sometimes containing a special metal called vulcanium which can resist immense temperatures. However, the rock itself melts at lower temperatures than that. Vulcanite has been traditionally used by the bloodmoon islanders to power and heat homes as well as act as a propellant for ships, which they gathered from pure, unmixed deposits of the element
With the arrival of new technology however, the yield of vulcanite has increased considerably. The Imperium now maintains a small fleet of ships that run on Vulcanite, which is able to propel a ship to extremely quick speeds. The Imperium plans to use these ships as courier vessels linking faraway parts of the Imperium to the heartland and also as quick transport ships that allow the ferrying of a number of troops quickly for an amphibious invasion. Whilst there still isn"t as much vulcanite production in the imperium to equip a large number of ships with this technology, it is slowly increasing and the Imperium is keen to utilize these vessels as efficiently as they can
Besides heavy metals, vulcanite and the usual magical crystals, there are a wide range of agricultural resources this region has. The climate in the southern and southeastern parts makes its easy to grow a wide range of crops which would be generally impossible to grow in similar latitudes due to the absence of warm easterlies there.

Tourism

[quote]"After the Shipbuilding industry, tourism is what fuels our earnings. Theres a reason why so many people are attracted to this island after all, and it does bring us plenty of bounties"
Attributed to the current governor of the bloodmoon islands/quote]

Mossy Cliffs by Christian Gerth

Tourism is a large part of the economy of the bloodmoon islands and many thousands of tourists often flock here annually. The Tourists come from all over the imperium, though it has been noted that a majority of the tourists are from warmer or more tropical areas of the Imperium, looking to get a bit of the cold weather and beautiful northern landscape. Accomodation for the tourists usually happens in a series of designate tourist settlements which are designed specially for the tourists. These tourist villages and settlements are often a melting pot of different cultures, and the tourists are definitely happy at the sight of good accomodation ahead of their journey.
Besides, the warm and friendly attitude of the bloodmoon islanders leaves a positive mark on them and this has rather evolved into a stereotype across the entire Imperium as to how the bloodmoon islanders are all friendly and nice

Life in the Bloodmoon Islands

Life in the Bloodmoon Islands is much different than it used to be in the Pre Rebellion Eras. The Archipelago has improved significantly in human and social development ever since the bloodmoon rebellion. It is now a near utopia just like most other places in the Imperium which are far away from the battlefields. The Inhabitants generally have a high per capita income and enjoy great working conditions, thanks to generous social welfare policies taken by the government. Most people nowadays work in either the shipbuilding or tourism sector, with a large minority being employed for mining and atmospheric as well as astronomical research. Due to the setting up of research facilities here, there have been many oppurtunities for education too as the Imperium was keen to recruit more scientists for aiding in their research programs. This has brought a rather signficant reputation boost for the natives. Where they were touted as being drunkards and oddballs in the past, they are now praised as great keepers of knowledge who study the most mysterious and eldritch of realms, the great dark beyond and the void.
Life on the islands depends a lot on the type of geography. For instance the people living in the Northeastern islands, which are very volcanically active always wear safety gear at work whilst the ones living on the main island of Silmador are relatively safe owing to them being sheltered by large mountain valleys. Nevertheless, the islanders lead a relaxed life and are happy that their conditions are better now
A Bloodmoon Islanders daily routine will vary with his profession too. For people in the shipbuilding industry, work often starts early in the morning and they spend much of their time in the docks and by the sea, which is often a pretty scary experience for hydrophobes. Their day is pretty boring for the most part, with them just working on the ships for hours and what not but this has begun to be addressed in recent times with the addition of work rotations. Many shipbuilding industry employees often know much about ships and details that a normal citizen wouldn"t know, which helps if they want to become an engineer or start their own shipbuilding business. Despite the somewhat monotonous nature of shipbuilding, the employees are still happy that they can make enough money to survive and lead a comfortable lifestyle, and many often work here part time due to the immense amount of skills it takes to get into the research and science industry
For Research Scientists and others employed in scientific backgrounds, life is much more pleasant, though their work environment is also much more challenging. Their work begins fairly late compared to the ones involved in the shipbuilding industry. Most of them are employed in sectors that focus on atmospheric and space as well as void research. Their work carries potentially dangerous consequences as no one knows what lies in the various realms being researched by the scientists and there have been many incidents where scientists have been seriously injured or even killed due to malfunctioning machinery

Sanguine Arts

Every Year, there is a festival held all across the Blooodmoon Islands. This festival allows people from the rest of the Imperium to see beautiful displays of art and other pieces of culture of the Bloodmoon Islanders. The most intriguing of these however are the Sanguine Arts. These are a wide range of arts involving blood and range from sculpting things from blood as well as doing stunning displays of blood manipulation such as creating clones of oneself with blood and sometimes even turning oneself into a puddle of blood. Whilst all vampires can manipulate blood to a certain extent, the bloodmoon islanders are masters at it and some of the stronger vampires can control blood down to the very cellular and molecular level

Giant Spikes

Whilst roaming around the Island, one can find giant spikes jutting out of the ground that frequently attract lightning. The landscapes around such features are also heavily changed and the local flora and fauna sport numerous mutations not seen anywhere else amongst their populace. These Giant Spikes, a light red in colour and coruscating with energy of the same colour are indeed objects of intrigue. Many theories have been floated to explain their nature, such as them being power generators to being gateways to another world. However, the truth may stay silent for a while more as scientists still haven"t found any leads to what they are, where do they come from and many other ifs, whats and whens.

A Hub of Research

The Bloodmoon Islands are also known to be a research hub, containing many laboratories with equipment seldom seen anywhere in Elladia, let alone in the Imperium. These laboratories conduct research on a diverse range of subjects but the majority do so on space and astronomy as well as research on a mysterious realm known as the void. The research undertaken here is incredibly dangerous at times, as the void has proved to be an unstable place but thanks to safety standards, accidents have been on the decline mostly. The Research stations and institutes provide a huge source of skilled employment for the archipelagos inhabitants, and they are often proud to hear about their discoveries gaining fame

Type

Archipelago

Location under

Inaria

Owning Organization

The Sanguine Imperium

Related Tradition (Primary)

• Geyser Baths

Inhabiting Species

• Magma Wolves