Akrotirian Isles

Akrotirian Isles
Capital	None
Ruler	None
Government	Local leaders
Demonym	Akrotiri
Adjective	Akrotiri
Languages	Chaskan; Common
Religions	Chaskan pantheon; animism; Monadism

The Akrotirian Isles (pronounced ack-row-TEER-ee-an) are a collection of islands in the southern Chaska Sea, widely considered to be part of the Western Coast. Strange psychic forces pervade the Isles, shaping the culture of those that live there in ways both transparent and subtle.

Geography, flora, and fauna

Geography

Off the southern coast of the Chaska Sea lie the Akrotirian Isles, an archipelago dominated by high mountain peaks. Many rock formations in the islands, and even entire mountains, jut from the ground in tilted, unnatural angles. Beneath the summits, and in the valleys between the mountains, lie the forests that cover much of the islands.

Similar to the rest of the southern coast of the Chaska, the climate of the region is quite stable. Summers are warm but not usually excessively hot, with cooler but not cold winters. The summer months are typically fairly dry, while the winter sometimes brings torrential rain. The taller mountain peaks maintain some snow cover year round.

The northernmost island in the archipelago, Peleset, collapsed into the ocean in Y9645^*.

Flora

In addition to oaks, cedars, and pines, giant agathis trees thrive in the forests of the Akrotirian Isles. These massive trees tower above their surroundings and grow for thousands of years. Highly prized by the inhabitants of the Isles, the bright white wood of the agathis trees is sometimes used for construction or art due to its beauty and strength, though only if the trees have fallen by natural means. Many flowers and fruits of the Isles are poisonous, requiring a trained eye to distinguish them from their similar-looking but safe relatives.

Lotus trees

In particularly isolated valleys, amongst groves of other trees, grow the intelligent lotus trees of the islands. These powerful, sentient plants feed off the hopes of those that fall under their spell, an effect aided by the potent hallucinations they can induce. Highly rare, each lotus tree grows secluded, separated by others similar to it by tens of miles. The Akrotiri have a complex relationship with these trees. Some lotus trees serve as wise guardians, gathering communities around them, while others seek to enthrall as many people as possible for their own benefit.

Fauna

Despite its relative proximity to the southern Chaskan coast, many of the creatures of the Akrotirian Isles are highly distinct. A huge variety of lizards inhabit the islands, including tuataras and shocker lizards. Mammals in the archipelago include those found elsewhere, as well as unusual ones like the solenodon. An uncountable number of species of snakes can be found in the Isles, from the most mundane to the highly magical, such as psyche serpents. Most of these snakes are venomous to some degree. The coasts are home to a number of animals, including multiple types of sea lions, dolphins, and drakes.

Depths

A large number of caves and tunnels lead from the surface of the Akrotirian Isles to the middle levels of the Depths below. These routes are frequently used as convenient paths to the surface by not only by the aberrations of the Depths but also by the denizens of small communities deep underground. Some of these tunnels eventually lead to the Spirit Apparatus, an ancient facility deep underground.

Psychic storms

See also: Reverberation

The inhabitants of the Akrotirian Isles keep a watchful eye on the horizon for the formation of major thunderstorms. While these usually pass with little more fanfare than they would elsewhere in the world, occasionally the storms serve to heighten the strength of the latent psychic forces of the island. When this does occur, those with a level of psychic attunement find it much easier to hear the spirits around them - though sometimes beneficial, the uncontrollability of this effect means it is usually highly unpleasant.

History

At some point in the distant past, the Akrotirian Isles were inhabited by a civilization that built a number of structures, some of which continue to be used today. In addition to the decayed surface structures, today largely scavenged for material, others lie underwater or underground. These include the mysterious long underwater walls that are conjectured to either follow ley lines or else be the remains of some ancient fortifications. Some speculate the Spirit Apparatus to have been the creation of this civilization as well.

Though the Akrotiri ports have historically been open to all, that has changed somewhat in the last few centuries. [[Tamkaranu] efforts to examine the possibility of colonization have not gone unnoticed - after a number of their ships were sabotaged or destroyed, the few Tamkaranu explorers that remain around the Isles are careful to avoid drawing attention to themselves.

When the island of Peleset sunk below the waves in Y9645^*, the survivors dispersed. Some resettled elsewhere in the Akrotirian Isles, while others banded together into the Peleset Union.

Demographics

Humans, tengu, and half-elves account for most of the population of the Akrotirian Isles. The communities of the islands are generally quite small. The largest by far is Arrapha, with roughly 18,000 inhabitants, though this is an outlier. Most of the rest of the largest towns are home to only a few thousand each.

Culture

Religion

Religion in the Akrotirian Isles is an interesting blend of traditions. The gods of the Chaskan pantheon are widely worshiped, particularly Usumu, Shai, and Socharin, yet they are not alone in the faith of the Akrotiri. Animistic practices are somewhat common, either in addition to or instead of the worship of deities. Akrotiri animism heavily emphasizes meditation and psychic communion, and therefore tends to be the purview of those who possess some degree of psychic abilities. Many psychics worship local mountains, lotus trees, or other powerful natural phenomena.

Most temples dedicated to deities in the Isles tend to be rather austere, as the Akrotiri generally believe far more in worship by deed. The Isles are also one of the few regions of the world to have a sizable population of Monadists, as they enjoy a level of acceptance in the archipelago that is hard to find elsewhere. One of the Monadist holy sites lies within the Isles, in a secluded grove north of Armuta.

Languages

Most Akrotiri speak Chaskan as a primary language, and the Isles are one of the few remaining regions of the world where this tongue can still be heard. Common and Elven are also widely used. Other regional languages, such as Telan and Dalbar, are spoken by a considerably smaller segment of the population.

Any items, magical or otherwise, that inhibit the use of telepathy are frowned upon by most Akrotiri. This means of communication is widely viewed as a more fundamental and almost sacred way to convey ideas, unrestricted by the limitations applied by space and sound, and therefore reserved for their religious leaders.

Society

A not insignificant number of Akrotiri embrace ascetic practices. By abstaining from pleasures they believe they can better attune themselves to the spirits and occult forces that surround them. While few go so far as to become hermits, living in remote parts of the mountainous islands, most simply practice self-denial in the course of their everyday lives.

Akrotiri communities are somewhat insular and many inhabitants of the islands are slow to trust those they do not know. Outsiders are sometimes expected to show some gesture of goodwill before being permitted free access to the towns of the archipelago, especially those that are more remote. In the large port cities of Arrapha and Tharros these expectations are lessened somewhat.

Magic

Practitioners of magic in the Akrotirian Isles disproportionately use psychic magic. Psychics, spiritualists, and occultists are particularly common. Other forms of magic widely used as well.

Spirit Apparatus

See also: Spirit Apparatus

The Spirit Apparatus is an site located in the Depths far under the Akrotirian Isles, accessible through an entrance near Arrapha. The ley lines in the Isles converge to a great degree at this point, something many Akrotiri believe to be connected to the Apparatus. The Apparatus is essentially a labyrinth of unusually shaped halls and rooms in which a large number of spirits seem to be contained. Most spirits seem to have complex routines they follow, though their motivations are poorly understood. At the core of the Apparatus lies the Perplex, a room hundreds of feet across containing intricate clockwork mechanisms, ticking away for an unknown purpose. The tunnels of the Apparatus run for miles and many explorers have gotten lost and trapped inside.

Government

As with the Western Coast more broadly, the communities of the Akrotirian Isles govern themselves through a collection of methods. Most use some sort of local council, but this is not universal - large cities like Arrapha tend be more autocratic. Akrotirian leaders tend to have some degree of psychic ability; whether those with these talents find themselves naturally attracted to such a role, or whether those they lead see them as desirable traits, is not always clear.

Economy

Akrotiri communities are generally self-sufficient, aided by their active trade with each other. Foreign merchants sometimes make port to trade for various items produced by the towns of the Isles as well. The venoms and poisons of the archipelago's flora and fauna are particularly sought after, both for medicinal and alchemical use as well as for nefarious means. Despite attempts to buy (or directly fell) the agathis trees, the islanders fiercely protect and defend their ancient forests, refusing to allow any to harvest them at scale.