The Thanegioth Archipelago
by James MishlerSince the fall of the Milenian
Empire over 1000 years ago, the Southern Continent has been little
more than a myth to the people of Brun; the only real trade to the
southern regions has been between Ochalea and the Pearl Islands via
the route hugging the coast of the Isle of Dawn; thus, except for
myth and legend, the Thanegioth Archipelago and Davania have been
little known. Modern exploration of the Sea of Dread and beyond
began in the late 600's, when the Kingdom of Ierendi and the
Minrothad Guilds began competing in earnest (until this time, the
Guilds had pretty much an exclusive on trade throughout the Sea of
Dread; new opportunities in Sind and the development of the
Ierendian Royal Navy helped fan the competition). The hold the
Guilds held on eastern trade was quite firm, but trade to the west
was another matter, and competition there was fierce (it is
believed by some that the destruction of the Sindhi "Navy" in
Jaibul in 726 AC was the combined effort of agents from Ierendi and
the Guilds, though there is little proof). The end result is that
trade to the west eventually became the domain of merchants from
Ierendi, and trade to the east remained in the hands of the Guilds.
The south, however, became a hotbed of competition, with the
discovery (through contacts in Sind, Tanakumba and Ochalea) of the
existence of advanced city states on the southern continent (long
though to be at best only a land of savages and monsters). In 735
AC, Donatello "The Black" Matrongle, last legitimate member of the
Matrongle line, disappeared on an expedition to Davania; many
others followed, until the trade between the north and south once
again became a steady trickle. In the process of exploration,
Guildsmen found a path between the Abyss (the deepest, nastiest
section of the Sea of Dread) and the Sargosso Sea (a section of
"dead sea" in which current keeps ships from leaving; north and
west of Ochalea, midday between that isle and Thyatis). Called the
Strait of Dread, passing along the route was very dangerous; one
false step and you'd be lost, possibly forever... one expedition
that found it's way back after trailing off the west of the Strait
returned with reports of a chain of islands, rich in ivory, gold
and gems, but riddled with strange monsters and savage natives
(this was in the 850's). While the use of the Strait stepped up
trade with the south on the part of the Guilds, it also opened up
possibilities for the Thyatians, as well. Emperor Gabronius IV "The
Conqueror" Tatriokanitas sponsored a number of expeditions to the
Southern Continent, as well as several small colonies. His
successor, Gabrionus V "The Erudite" did little to support these
colonies; support they received came from private interests.
Thincol I Torion, seeing potential in these lands, began an
official Imperial Colonisation Program in 988 AC. The Thanegioth
Archipelago, still mostly unexplored, became a point to gather
water and food; little exploration or settlement would be done,
especially on the easternmost isle, as the natives and monsters
were too powerful and the gains too little for the effort required
to conquer the isles...