Island Kings

The Island Kings are a dwarven people who live on Emperor's Island in southern Vaothan. These dwarves long ago left behind their traditional homes in the highlands for a seafaring lifestyle on the tropical coasts, though they remain inextricably tied to the island by their great reverence for their mountain-dwelling ancestors.

History

Emperor's Island has been the home of the Island Kings for as long as they can remember. Though in the modern day their largest communities are found in the tropical regions of the east, ancient half-subterranean ruins dot the highlands, said to have been built by their earliest ancestors. Despite being under the nominal control of the Sangiran Empire from roughly Y6240^* to Y9612^*, then under Vaothan since, the Island Kings have remained functionally independent, governing themselves according to their ancient traditions.

The Island Kings claim lineage from a great emperor from whom their island takes its name. This semi-mythical dwarf whose name has been lost to history is said to have been the first and only figure to bring the Island Kings together into a unified nation, albeit one that broke apart soon after his death.

Location

Nearly all Island Kings live on Emperor's Island or one of the surrounding smaller isles, particularly along the coasts of the eastern half. Their traditions keep them bound to the island, and though some occasionally travel farther afield, nearly all return. There are, however, at least a handful of Island King settlements away from Emperor's Island. At least one village can be found on the Serpent, and the nearby coasts of Vaothan and Kea Racha have several small towns primarily inhabited by Island Kings.

Culture

Religion

While the Island Kings at least passingly worship the gods of the Dwarven pantheon, their main religious devotion lies with their ancestors. The old ruins and tombs of the highlands are holy places to them, sites where they leave offerings and pray to the spirits of the ancient dwarves. Some clans have specific ancient burial sites that they claim to be their own ancestors, but most clans instead consider all the ruins to be shared in common between them. Short pilgrimages from the coastal lowlands to the mountains are relatively common events. Many Island Kings make the trip twice or more yearly, each time spending several days making the trek then at least another seven communing with the spirits of their predecessors. Calm meditation is the primary method of veneration, either privately or in a group. The Island Kings do not place significant importance on religious leaders, though they do consider their many monarchs to be protectors of their spiritual places, responsible for ensuring they are maintained and guarded.

Even as the Island Kings left many of their ancestral ways behind when they relocated to the coasts long ago, they continue to maintain some of traditions of their predecessors out of respect. Forging and metal-working, for example, are not particularly important skills to the Island Kings, and are therefore not widely learned - most of the material used to craft their tools, equipment, and art comes from the sea rather than from the earth. They acknowledge the importance of such mastery to their ancestors, however, as is clear from the number and quality of the ornate metal decorations and items left in their tombs, and therefore keep the practices alive for use in religious ritual. As a rite of passage young dwarves are taken to the archaic mountaintop forges, where they are taught to create the same style of rings that their ancestors were buried with many thousands of years ago. Even if this is the only familiarity these dwarves gain with smithing, and for most it is their only experience with the trade, it is enough to forge a closer connection with their forebears.

Society

Though Island King culture is heavily maritime, the dwarves are inextricably connected to Emperor's Island by the social and religious importance they place on the ancient structures of the highlands. Despite how much their culture revolves around the sea, and how adept the dwarves are with life on the waves, they cannot leave their homeland for long, as to do so would be to neglect their regular rituals and pilgrimages and therefore neglect their ancestors.

The Island Kings have maintained their functional independence for millennia even as others have laid claim to Emperor's Island. Even after the Sangiran Empire took control around the year Y6240^*, the dwarves simply ignored the Sangiran bureaucrats and their decrees. After attempts at bringing the dwarves under their control with force did not succeed, the empire eventually settled on leaving the Island Kings alone as long as they paid a nominal tribute, which the dwarves dutifully yet resentfully did for the next three thousand years. When the Sangiran Empire collapsed and Vaothan declared its independence in Y9612^*, the dwarves simply stopped these tithes. Vaothan has been too embroiled in other troubles since its new-found independence to pay too much attention to Emperor's Island, and aside from the occasional visit of Vaothanite emissaries to the larger coastal cities, to the dwarves their new outside rulers may as well not exist.

Even through all these thousands of years of at least nominal rule from abroad, the Island Kings have maintained their traditional methods of leadership. The dwarves are ruled by innumerable hereditary monarchs of their own, each of whom may lead many cities or simply a small clan. Rather than control territory, Island King monarchs rule people; as a result, it is not unusual to have multiple monarchs and their own great longhouses in a single settlement. Any political maneuvering amongst the kings and queens takes place through arranging marriages to their allies and rivals, rather than through conflict. In general, the monarchies exist in cooperative relationships with each other, even if they may have differing interests and aims at times.

Island King monarchs serve both civic and religious roles. Not only do they provide direction and guidance to their subjects, but they are also crucial in the various rituals of the Island Kings. The responsibility for the maintenance and protection of both the ancient highland ruins and the Stones That Built Paradise falls to the monarchs, and for most rulers such efforts absorb the majority of their time and energy.

Architecture

The vast majority of Island King communities are located along the southern and eastern coasts of Emperor's Island. Small settlements can be found inland, both in the tropical forests and in the highlands, but they are little more than outposts for travelers heading to and from the ancient sites, places for them to rest for a time while on their journey. For their homes the dwarves build semi-permanent stilt longhouses, large enough to contain living and storage space for entire extended families. These structures are raised off the ground to better withstand storm surges, especially important during the monsoon season, though area underneath the floor is sometimes penned in and used to house animals.

Food and cuisine

Island King cuisine revolves around seafood. Fish, seaweed, and mollusks are important parts of their diet, supplemented by rice and taro grown in the coastal areas of Emperor's Island. The dwarves set up many fish traps in shallow waters, though they are also expert spear-fishers. In some parts of the coast communities have established oyster farms to make harvesting the creatures much easier.

Art

Traditionally Island King dwarves decorate their bodies and faces with scrimshaw bone piercings, mostly sourced from aquatic creatures. These bones are typically etched with designs that indicate clan and family affiliations, though many are also purely ornamental in nature.

Ships

Most Island King ships are relatively simple designs built out of wood and bundled reeds, designed for short-range fishing trips or journeys to nearby coastal communities. Though these vessels are quite sturdy and well-made, they are not intended for long-distance voyages out at sea. Most are too small to carry enough provisions for such trips, and those used for fishing often lack sails, relying instead on oars for propulsion. Still, there are a handful of these ships large enough to make such journeys, mostly used for the occasional trading visit to Koamun, Langkha, and Kintaka.

The Island Kings also make use of a unique kind of ship known as stonekeels, pumice-hulled vessels used primarily for ceremonial purposes.

Magic

Island King mages are overwhelmingly druids. Most have animal companions that can be found in their tropical forests or the nearby waters, especially tropical birds, sharks, or turtles. Some prefer to keep the island's giant tortoises as animal companions - while not quick or particularly good in a fight, the great resilience of these creatures is considered to be valuable and admirable.

Equipment

Island King armor is quite distinctive, fashioned out of heavy plates of sea turtle shell. Intact shells are used as much as possible to keep a high level of strength, but smaller pieces may be cut and used in parts of the armor where flexibility is needed. Pauldrons especially are always made of intact shells. Island King clans often have specific shell patterns that they use as clan motifs, and guards within these clans go to great length to find turtles with these patterns to make into their shoulder pieces. Shields are likewise made of the same material. This equipment is uncommonly seen, however, as it is mostly only worn by those guarding ancient tombs or by those defending the coastal settlements when threats arise. Its level of protection is of little value in the day to day life of the Island Kings, where relative nimbleness on or in the water is of more importance.

The characteristic weapon of the Island Kings is a unique style of multi-pronged spear made of bone points affixed to a wooden haft. Lengths of rope are commonly tied to the end to allow them to be thrown and easily retrieved. Most are tridents, but some have more points than the typical three. Each prong has an additional curved, backwards-facing hook as well. These spears are intended to serve multiple purposes. They are capable weapons if the need arises, but are primarily used as by the Island Kings as fishing spears. The spears can also capably function as boarding hooks.

Trade

While Island King communities frequently trade goods with each other, their mercantile relations with the broader world are limited. They have found a receptive market in Kea Racha for the pearls harvested by dwarven divers, as well as for their turtle shell armor and shields, but trips to sell these goods are not frequent.