Emperor's Island

Emperor's Island is a large island located where the Kilche Sea meets the Mhasmuth Ocean. Though the island is just south of mainland Vaothan and is usually considered a part of that nation, the Island King dwarves consider it their homeland and have maintained their functional independence for millennia.

Geography

The island is broadly tropical, with dense tropical forests covering most of the eastern half of Emperor's Island. The uplands to the west are considerably drier for most of the year, though the larger storms that make landfall on the coasts inevitably bring rain to the highlands as well. The plateaus of the the interior uplands rise in elevation significantly - some of their highest points provide excellent views over the eastern forests. The cliffs and other rock formations that account for much of the northern and western coastlines are considerably rougher than the gentle beaches of the south and east. Outside of the few major cities, Emperor's Island remains quite wild.

The largest river on Emperor's Island is the Makatur River, which begins in the highlands before languidly flowing north and east into the bay that separates the island from the mainland. Other smaller waterways can be found as well, though they typically only have names to those that live nearby.

Inhabitants and history

Emperor's Island is home to the Island King dwarves, who have lived there for as long as they can remember. Though in the modern day their largest communities are found primarily 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. Small non-dwarven settlements have been periodically established along the coast of the island but these usually do not last long before their inhabitants either depart or are absorbed into dwarven society.

Despite popular belief, Emperor's Island is not named for the ruler of the Sangiran Empire. Rather, the titular emperor is a semi-mythical dwarf whose name has been lost to history. This dwarf 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.