Southeastern Region
The Southeastern region of the Great Ring contains several island groups, including the Kaphtor Islands, the Telmun Islands, and Saba. This region is loosely inspired by islands of the Mediterranean, the Aegean, and the Persian Gulf, along with islands from the Odyssey and the Adventures of Sinbad. Adventures set in the Southeastern Region are intended to evoke the mood of those stories, with fabulous adventures in strange locales. This article is intended to help players and GMs who are planning to set a game in this region of the world.
Races & Cultures
There are three playable races native to the Southeastern region - Humans, Aethry, Kikipua. There are several Human cultures present, one culture of Kikipua, and one culture of Aethry.
- Kaphtori: The Kaphtori are a Human culture found in the Kaphtor Islands, and are inspired by Greece.
- Kaphtori Aethry: The Kaphtori Aethry are an Aethry culture, closely related to the Kaphtori culture. It is found on the island of Nisi, and they are also inspired by Greece.
- Naga: The Naga are a Kikipua culture found primarily on the island of Saba, and they are inspired by multiple cultures including Babylonian and Hindu.
- Tigzirin: The Tigzirin are the native people of the island of Dzarbah.
- Telmun: The Telmun people are a Human culture found in the Telmun Islands. They are inspired by the Dilmun civilization.
Languages
There are many languages spoken within the world, but only some of them are common in the Southeastern region. Here are the languages players may encounter here:
- Dzarba, spoken by the Tigzirin people. This language is almost never taught to outsiders, and many Tigzirin would consider it offensive for an outsider to speak it.
- Kaphtorikós, spoken by the Kaphtori and the Kaphtori Aethry.
- Nagari, spoken by the Naga. It is also the common language of Saba for both humans and Kikipua.
- Telmunite, spoken by the Telmuns.
Merchants and sailors are also likely to know the Common Tongue, especially the Galuglossa dialect.
Geography
The Southeastern Region contains several island groups. The largest island in the region is Saba, which has several smaller islands clustered nearby and are considered part of the Sabaen Archipelago. The other major island groups are:
- The Biluzik Archipelago
- The Kaphtor Islands
- The Rasrathnii Islands
- The Telmun Islands
Besides these groups, there are some independent islands, such as Dzarbah and Chinet. Along the border of the Middlesea are several islands that are known for their unique properties, many inhabited by strange and fantastic creatures.
Many of the islands are intentionally left undescribed to serve as 'blank spaces' on the map where players and GMs can invent their own stories and details. When making your character, I would suggest looking through the list of cultures above, and then reading about the regions where that culture lives.
In the coordinates system of the Great Ring, the Southeastern region encompasses the region south of the 40th degree north, and east of the 25th degree east.
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