Thall Islands
The Thall Islands are a large archipelago of more than 2,000 islands covering some 215,000 square miles. The archipelago is located 1,200 miles to the east of the coast of northern Imesse. It is made up of 36 large (greater than 150 square miles) islands, and thousands of smaller islands. These islands form a rough circle when mapped, spanning more than one million three hundred thousand square miles.
The total population of the archipelago is unknown, but it is estimated to be more than three million. The largest island, called Thallmar by its inhabitants, has a population of more than 750,000 alone. The population is mostly Human (probably more than 85%), but there are Halflings, Gnomes and Elves that have arrived here from the west with the rare trading vessel that come from there. There are no known communities of Dwarves here, as they are famous for not traveling overseas gladly.
The name of the archipelago, Thall, is the name given to the region by its inhabitants. The language most of them use is very similar to both ancient Fangorian and Old Colian, and it is speculated to be where the two populations originated from. "Thall" in Colian means far, and it has a very similar meaning in the islands. The islands are, indeed, quite far from everywhere else.
There are some intelligent species found here that are not known elsewhere. The Shee are a small humanoid people standing no more than 18" tall. They are capable of speech, complicated mechanical and repair work, and will sometimes interact with Humans, but are not seen in groups large than two or three (and then very rarely). The Zoey are large canine creatures, usually weighing more than 800 lbs and standing as high as 6' at the shoulders. Zoey have very large heads, huge mouths and broad chests. Their four feet are wide and flat with long black claws. Zoey are capable of a remarkable range of speech, and many have shown the capacity to speak several Human languages easily. Most are a golden-blonde to pale gray in color, with a soft coat on their bellies and flanks and a stiff, bristly mane and back.
Geography
A massive group of large islands located 1,200 miles from the coast of Imesse. Most of the islands in the archipelago are mountainous, and the highest peak on the island is 11,000 feet above the surface of the sea.
Ecosystem
Once past the rocky, often wind-swept shores of the islands, the land turns green. Hundreds of shades of green, from deep forest greens to pale, bright yellow greens, nearly every shade of green is there to be seen. Frequent rains, moderate temperatures and mild winters make all the large islands lush, green oases in a desert of salt water.
Climate
Temperate, kept warm by the ocean currents that bring warm southern water northwards even in the coldest of winters. Snow only ever accumulates at the highest elevations during most winters. Warm, humid summers with much rain, cold damp winters that only occassionally dip below freezing.
Fauna & Flora
The isolation of the islands has provided for a very unique selection of animals and birds for the region. Some species were brought to the islands with the arrival of Humans some thousands of years ago, but most native species are thought to be unique to the archipelago. Most notable among these are the Entelodon, the Zoey and the Shee.
The same is true of the flora. There are many trees, grasses and shrubs that are the same (or very similar) to those on the mainland, but there are many rare and/or unique types known only to these islands.
Natural Resources
As the islands cover such a vast area of land, most natural resources can be found somewhere. Some islands are rich in iron while others provide copper, gold or silver. Coal can be found, as can tin, sulphur, and a dark, smelly tar-like substance oozes out of the ground on several islands that burns quite hot, given just a bit of refining.
The seas around the islands abound with life and bounty. Fish of every description (and many never described before), seals, walrus, whales, kracken, megalodon, and giant sea otters are just a few of the things that the local inhabitant have harvested over the generations.
Alternative Name(s)
Emerald Isles (Imesse), Ile Verte (Aria), Esmerade Insuli (Gnomish)
Type
Archipelago
Location under
Included Locations
Related Ethnicities
