Dardanthos (ˈdɑːrdənθos)
Dardanthos is one of the smallest and most unusual of the Kaphtor Islands. It is the center of a mystery that many have sought to decipher, but remains puzzling to this day.
Once, there was an island named Hyrie that, according to ancient maps, existed where Dardanthos is today. The maps show that Hyrie was extremely similar to Dardanthos, with many of the same geographical features. But Hyrie was rocked by a massive earthquake over four hundred years ago, and vanished into the depths of the ocean. Ships that sailed over the sunken island could sometimes see ruins through the water, and the few survivors of the earthquake made lives elsewhere.
Then, a few years ago, an Aethry flyer spotted land where none should be, at the same location where Hyrie once was. Word quickly spread of the island's return, and ships from all over the region came to see and visit the restored island.
What they found was puzzling. Rather than a ruined island returned from the ocean's depths, the island showed no sign of devastation at all. It was heavily populated, with villages and towns along the coast and in the interior. A few brave captains sailed into the harbor of the largest town, which the old maps called Idaia. They were greeted without fanfare - the inhabitants of the town seemed to find nothing odd about the ship's arrival. They quickly learned that, as far as the Dardanthos population was concerned, trade with the other islands was a commonplace affair that had never been interrupted.
The mystery deepened the further they investigated. Rather than a town of Idaia on an island of Hyrie, the inhabitants called their town Zante, and the island was Dardanthos. The captains were greeted by merchants and sailors who seemed to know them, but whom they had never met. It rapidly became apparant that the two populations had very different memories of the last four hundred years.
According to the Dardanthoi, the island had suffered several minor earthquakes over the centuries, but nothing approaching the cataclysm that struck Hylie. Instead, the island had been a minor but thriving part of the Kaphtor Islands, and had always been in contact with the rest of the archipelago. They recounted numerous interactions with the other islands, and could recognize and name many of the people who visited. Their stories contained numerous details that could be confirmed as true, but the encounters they spoke of could not be recalled by anyone who was not from the island. The Dardanthoi were no less baffled than the captains who visited them. To them, it seemed as though they had suddenly been forgotten, and the memory of their entire island replaced with a tale of lost Hyrie.
Investigations into the mystery have continued, and have drawn scholars from various places around the Great Ring. Several Kitsunejin from the Gwāsa have taken up permanent residence in Zante, and their letters home indicate they believe there may be a connection to the Silence, although they do not have strong evidence to support this hypothesis. Other powers have also shown interest in the mystery, although most have kept their investigations more covert than the Kitsunejin.
Notable Spirits
Dardanthos hosts the same kinds of spirits as the other Kaphtors. Nymphs can be found in the wild places, and the mountains have their own patron gods. The most significant of these is the god of Voyniós. He is depicted as a great stone tortoise, with a shell shaped like the mountain he embodies. Some claim that this is the true form of the island, and that it is slowly moving through the seas as he ponderously maneuvers across the ocean floor. He is honored more than worshipped, and the Dardanthoi believe that he could shake them all from his back if he was ever truly offended.
Geography
Dardanthos is about 25 miles long and 12 miles wide, shaped like a spearhead pointed towards the rising sun. The eastern half of the island is mountainous, and the southeastern coast consists mostly of steep cliffs. The western half is a fertile plain with long sandy beaches, interrupted with several isolated hills. The bay of Zante is enclosed between two long peninsulas on the southwestern coast. Minor uninhabited islands are found all around the coastline.
Ecosystem
The island is extremely fertile and covered in dense vegetation. Many of the species on the island were unknown before its emergence, such as the golden heron which can be found fishing along the coast. There is also the Dardanthoi horse, a black-haired breed with enormous strength and stamina that the Dardanthoi claim to have bred for hundreds of years.
Geographic Details
Location: Southeastern RegionLatitude: 36.71 degrees North
Longitude: 42.97 degrees East
Average Elevation: 269 ft
Highest Point: 2,457 ft (Voyniós)
Lowest Point: -10 ft
Area: 156.6 sq mi
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