Sarcrist
Homeland of the Oceonoi, and location of the First Bank of Sarcrist.
Geography
Sarcrist is a rocky island surrounded by an elaborate complex of reefs, some made of jagged rock and others of coral, that significantly limit the number of safe approaches to the island itself. Over time, the Oceonoi people created artificial reefs, through means both magical and mechanical, to further block passage. Now, all shipborne passage to Sarcrist is funneled through a single passage east of the island. With the permanent fog bank that surrounds the island, even the single passage available is too dangerous to navigate without the help of a native lanternship, and the island is therefore effectively immune to invasion.
Ecosystem
The temperate and reef-filled waters surrounding Sarcrist are home to a complex aquatic ecosystem, and is the main source of sustenance for the gnomes of the island. Angelsharks and eels are particularly plentiful, and are both major staples of the Oceonoi diet.
The few animals active on land in Sarcrist are still generally aquatic in nature: crabs, turtles, etc. A few kinds of birds that are comfortable nesting in the buildings and other structures on the island also ply the beaches and seas for food.
Localized Phenomena
There is a permanent fog bank surrounding Sarcrist that makes navigation a dangerous prospect. The fog bank is always present, in defiance of sunlight, wind and any other weather factors that would be expected to disperse it. It is generally believed to be magical in nature, but information about it is scarce.
Climate
The climate of Sarcrist is generally pleasant, with temperate seasons including pleasant summers and mild winters. The occasional storm comes in from the east, but generally, its location sandwiched between the two major islands of Göthemir shields it from the worst forms of weather, with most cyclones dissipating over North Göthemir long before reaching Sarcrist. At few points in history, on years with brutal winters followed by unusually rapid spring thaws, an iceberg or two has floated north into shipping lanes important to Sarcrist, but this is a rare event.
Natural Resources
The island itself is densely populated and nearly stripped of all natural resources. There is very little vegetation remaining aside from mosses and the odd bit of decorative landscaping. A small tin mine on the northwest corner of the island is nearing the end of its usefulness, but no other geological resources are known on the island. Explorers to stand to make extreme profit from bringing the attention of Sarcrist to any newly discovered sources of copper, tin or zinc.
The most important natural resources available to Sarcrist come from the surrounding waters, in the form of carefully managed fisheries and selectively harvested groves of kelp, aquatic succulents and red algae that serve as food staples on the island.
A few businesses have sprung up that make use of naturally evaporating tidepools to harvest sea salt for both local use and export. These same pools can often be a source of various kinds of edible mollusk.
History
Especially with the The Beautiful War and the The Golden Famines, the first thousand years after the Sundering brought massive changes to the way of life in Noctabia. The economy shifted from being mostly dependent on overland trade with the Adlonian peninsula to instead being dependent on river trade with Nehemen through the people of Orbarrow. After further disruption caused by The Primrose Crusade , a diaspora of gnomish people begin to make its way up the Rhi'vul River. While some of these gnomes settled along the banks of the river and in Orbarrow or Nehemen, many joined up with Torvari caravans that carried them west to the settlements that would one day become The Karthin Cities.
As gnomes living around the shores of Silt Bay got involved with maritime interests, mostly Göthemiri owned and operated shipping companies, many came to own their own ships and sought to further the interests of their people. Becoming aware of the island of Sarcrist, uninhabited due to its physically isolated location making it useless and uninteresting to the Göthemiri, it slowly became the homeland to a new gnomish people distinct from their Noctabian ancestors.
In 2098 AS, the First Bank of Sarcrist was founded by the Cladback family, led by Lidnit Cladback II using wealth gathered by his father. The bank made it self useful to major traders from Scytharia to Nehemen, and especially in the Karthin Cities, and rapidly grew in wealth and influence to essentially become the de facto government of Sarcrist. The head of the bank, known as the Accountant-General, is effectively a head of state for the island, and commands most of its sea power. The Accountant-General also has the ability to levy civilian ships from other companies in times of crisis, but this power has never been exercised, owing to the incredible stupidity required for a naval invasion of Sarcrist.
Tourism
Visitors to Sarcrist are almost universally there on economic business, but there are a few things to be seen that might be exciting to certain visitors.
Visitors to Sarcrist must first stop at Pax Oceanus, a giant floating fortress outside of the fog line, guarding the entrance to the reef-maze that protects the island, and held in place by epic magics. It serves as a customs point, with ships coming in subject to inspection and their business scrutinized by an inspector. If the inspector deems it safe for the ship to approach Sarcrist itself, it is assigned a lanternship which guides it through the reefs and past the natural breakwater into the harbor that allows access to the island itself. The fortress considered a marvel in its own right, in both engineering and magic, and its elaborate magical lighting system and the lights of the lanternships themselves are an awe-inspiring sight at night.
The city that dominates the island (also called Sarcrist) is also home to elaborate architecture, and boasts the most detailed clockwork features outside of Noctabia itself, with clocktowers being especially noteworthy to visitors.
Art museums do exist on the island, and bronze statuary is a particularly practiced artform on the island. One museum is dedicated to the works of Iglise Hedgehopper, a sculptor who focused on horror-themed works, specializing in nightmarish monsters in menacing poses. Three centuries later, her work still proves popular with adolescents across all cultures.
Type
Island
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