Thoughts on the Anathy Archipelago
by Andrew TheisenLooking at the Hollow World maps of Iciria, Shahjapur, and the World Map, gets me thinking- what kinds of societies (if any) exist in those regions of the HW?
Offhand, I'm going to guess that the big island to the west (HW directions) of Baraga, which plays host to Arana, is also occupied by Merry Pirate settlements, primarily. Quite likely some Makai settlements as well, and I'd guess there are numerous smaller islands to the north and south of that one that also have some of these people in/on them, including the Heldannic outpost of Stonehaven, said to be located Northwest (HW directions) of Makai. (Stonehaven covers roughly one 8 mile hex- PWAs list it as 55 sq. mi., and probably thus lay somewhere in the strait between the isle of Makai and the isle of Arana.)
Shahjapur, of course, is the big guy on the opposite side of the Merry Pirate seas, and is known to have trade contacts with the eastern nations- Colima, and likely the Merry Pirates. I think the Azca gazetteer mentions them as well, but I'd have to double check. Shajahpur's area of control seems to lessen the further east on the island/continent you go, so the far side is probably either very lightly populated, or populated by another nation (a different era of Sind?), or monsters or somesuch.
Then there's another really large island between the two, as well as numerous other islands. I'm tempted to say that archipelago looking series of islands in the central north of the map is somehow related to the Outer World Thanegioth cultures, and/or the OW Pearl Islands (perhaps Korotiku swooped up some pre-Thyatian/Alphatian Conquest Era Pearl Islanders and dropped them there?)
I'm wondering what else could/should be there. More pirates, naturally (I'm still torn about the whole "generic" pirate culture vs. many eras of pirate culture somehow interconnected). Offhand these are the ideas I'm thinking of:
1) The aforementioned Thanegioth and/or Pearl Islands cultures
2) Colonies of Sea People
3) Seafaring Oltec people/Oceanians? (We're told they were great seafaring explorers, but the only Oltecs we've got are landbound.) Taken from when the Night Dragons invaded.
4) Water Elves? (Another great seafaring race who, inexplicably to me, are confined solely to Minrothad in the OW. At least until I get around to doing something about that.)
5) Kara-Kara. (Speaking of which, anyone think they can/should be related to the Bogdashkan orcs? And where did the orcs get their seafaring skills, anyway?)
6) Yanifey? (Rescued from Alphatian Landfall times.)
Any other ideas?