Liberty Chain
This chain of islands was settled mainly by Taevaran and Arushi expatriates. During the wars, these islands saw their share of conflict as the southern nations fought for control of them. Today, the islands that make up this chain vary in loyalty to their colonizers, from steadfast patriotism to declared independence.
The namesake island of this chain fought to break away from tyranny while Taevara was distracted by one of its many wars. The port city of Kaba on the island of Liberty is popular with privateers, smugglers, or anyone looking to keep out of the gaze of Taevara. This is no lawless pirate isle like Skull Island, though. Liberty is a burgeoning democracy, with its citizens electing a Liberty Council once every five years. The elected council officials then choose one of their number to be the Council Speaker, who is the public figurehead to announce decrees and the like. This island is full of Taevaran spies and operatives, and it is only a matter of time before Taevara attempts an assassination and coup.
Aru, the second largest island in the chain, is a loyal Arushi colony, but strongly allied with Liberty. The mountainous island is full of coffee plantations run by wealthy Arushians and the poor colonists under their thumb. As the island becomes more settled, a clear picture of wealth and class disparity is developing. The rich live in luxury, content to be served by their indentured servants or free citizens of the island who struggle to make ends meet comfortably. Many wealthy tourists also come to the picturesque island to take in the unspoiled nature, which has given rise to a trend of bandits lying in wait along known tourism paths.
In the low mountains of Aru’s northwest region, a colony of dwarven outcasts has dug in. They’re still in the early phases of establishing a basic tunnel network around a giant cavern they’ve chosen as the starting space of their new city.
Ethri is where Arushi spent the last decade or so dumping “criminals:” more undesirable rebels and beggars, not hardened criminals. Ethri is the opposite of Aru, in that they are very anti-crown. It is still a colony of Arushi in name, but a series of overbearing governors have met untimely deaths, and the current one is doing a good job keeping a very light touch on the island. Ironically, Ethri is now a place where some of the most wanted rebels from Arushi escape to, where once they would have been exiled here against their will.
Ethri’s economy thrives thanks to their discovery and cultivation of an indigenous plant species that, when properly processed, can be smoked in a pipe, boiled in tea, or included in culinary recipes to induce a euphoric high. This plant, called the jaja bush, is gaining notoriety across Vodari, and sees heavy use in certain locations. Many pirate crews come to the island to harvest their own hauls of jaja, but so far no one has replicated the processing secrets.
Nanti is a forgotten, rocky colony of Zavros. When the coffers of the parent nation were drained by years of war, Nanti was abandoned due to its low agricultural potential, lack of suitable timber, and no mines. They just weren’t seeing enough of a return on their investment in a time when Zavros urgently needed more income. Now, Nanti’s sparse population is largely made up of those on the fringes of society looking to carve out some peace and quiet, away from any semblance of government.
The aptly-named island of Prosperi has bountiful timber and veins of gold and silver. For this reason, it was the most fought-over island during the Liberty Wars, held at different times by Morndirn, Arushi, and Taevara. It is currently held by Taevara under martial law and governed by the navy, although their grasp is tenuous.
Tempest earned its name when a group of Xolenian explorers washed up on its shore in a storm. The scientifically-minded castaways lost almost everything, but used their knowledge to survive. Today, Tempest is Xolen’s only colony in the Liberty Chain, primarily a mining and logging colony. Unlike the other islands in the Liberty Chain, most of Tempest has been cleared of jungle, pushing the remaining deadly predators’ hunting territory into the encroaching settlements. Xolen is secretly building up forces in a few of the more hidden mining and lumber camps, in preparation of invading nearby Prosperi to wrest it out of Taevara’s hands.
Founded by the Order of the Sun, Tero is a commune full of priests and acolytes dedicated to Tero. They are self-sufficient, but export exquisite books. They were left alone during the wars, and the island even served as a meeting place for peace treaty talks between Arushi and Taevara at the end of the Liberty Wars.
Demography and Population
36,000 (50% humans, 25% dwarves, 10% halflings, 5% gnomes, 5% elves, 5% other)
Type
Geopolitical, Colony
Capital
Ruling Organization
Government System
Democracy, Representative
Major Exports
Meat, produce, grain, coffee, timber, ore
Location
Neighboring Nations
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