The Nelanther Isles
The Nelanther Isles is a chain of hundreds of islands of varying sizes just west of Tethyr and Amn on the Sword Coast. The islands were named for the first Calishite explorer to sail and chart the waters around the islands early in the Third Age of Calimshan. Today, the shoals and islets are more commonly called the Pirate Isles, since they have harbored corsairs and cutthroats for many centuries. The Isles in current times are ruled by a loose confederacy of pirate admiralty who call themselves the Sea Princes.
Among the hundreds of islands, only the largest of the islands are named. Only a few of those names are known to the mainlanders, but the pirate captains know them as well as an Amnian moneychanger knows his coins. One of the reasons that the bulk of the pirates of the Nelanther have never been captured is the multitude of hiding places among the islands. Mainland maps show the major and many minor islands, but fail to note shoals, currents, small exposed or submerged islets, and other hazards among the inner Nelanther. Any pirate captain worth his salt knows four different routes to his base by memory, and at least two of them direct pursuers to their deaths; no captain ever maps these routes, and any long-used base and the knowledge of its routes might be passed down from one captain to another over time.
Type
Geopolitical, Kingdom
Alternative Names
The Pirate Isles
Training Level
Semi-professional
Veterancy Level
Veteran
Government System
Anarchy
Power Structure
Autonomous area
Economic System
Barter system
Major Exports
Slaves, stolen and salvaged goods of all types
Major Imports
Anything natives can steal, loot or salvage
Controlled Territories
Comments