Wednesday, November 26, 2014

The Legend of Serpent Isle...

...and the Royal Treasure of Tirask
Thirty or forty miles east of Stillwater Reach, off the coasts of Alsberg and Mercia and at the northern edge of Oran Bay, lies an island of mystery and legend - the Serpent Isle.
Serpent Isle

Serpent Isle is a rocky and forbidding island, roughly 30 miles north to south and 20 miles east to west. It is a windswept and inhospitable place, separated from the mainland by rough seas and dangerous currents. The island is covered with rugged hills and forests, and has very little farmable land. There are no particularly good natural harbors either. It is famous for the things that have given it it's name - multitudes of snakes, including numerous poisonous varieties and giant snakes of all types.

Despite the dangers associated with the island, it is visited with some frequency by adventurers and northern youths seeking to prove their manhood. It is a mark of courage (discouraged by their elders) for an Alsberg or Mercian youth to simply spend a night on the island. Some never return.

The primary lure that brings people to the island is the legends of great treasure hidden here. It is said that in the Elder days, there was a settlement of old Tirask on the island, and that when things became desperate at the climax of the Elder Wars, the royal family fled to this island shortly before they were overwhelmed by the forces of darkness. Legends have it that the most valuable parts of the royal treasure would have been brought here, and hidden, prior to their final downfall. Treasure of a magnitude to make any man a king. As the North has been reclaimed, many have come to the island to see what they can find.

Adventurers tell tales of caves, caverns and miles of tunnels (both natural and manmade) criss-crossing the island. The rugged hills in the center of the island are said to be honeycombed with such passages. These tales bring a steady influx of new adventurers to the island.

As for the royal treasure of old Tirask, if any have found any of it, they aren't saying.

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