The Koravi Islands sit like three emerald chunks on the shimmering blue waters of the Ankoyan Sea, east of the mainland of West Azuno. From a distance, they seem serene, with their dense jungles and glittering beaches shining under the tropical sun. But those who venture closer know that the Koravi Islands are anything but peaceful. These islands are the remnants of a forgotten kingdom, a place where the balance of nature and magic spun out of control in the aftermath of the Night without Stars.
Geography and Climate
The Koravi Islands consist of a loose group of three islands a fair distance off the eastern shore of West Azuno. While they share a tropical climate marked by humid air and occasional heavy rainfall, each island has unique traits that make them distinct yet equally treacherous.
Parronto. The largest and easternmost of the islands, Parronto is dominated by an inactive volcano whose jagged peak rises high above the dense jungle. Its volcanic origins have shaped the land, leaving behind rich but unstable soils and rocky cliffs. The western slopes are overgrown with thick tropical forests teeming with life—and danger. Towering trees form a dense canopy, and small streams carved from ancient lava flows cut shallow paths through the jungle. The air here is heavy, and the terrain makes travel slow and perilous. Strange noises echo across the island’s valleys, from the calls of unseen predators to the unsettling crackle of distant magical energy. Parronto was once the heart of the Koravi Kingdom, its capital city nestled at the volcano's base. Though now overgrown and crumbling, the ruins suggest a sprawling settlement with stone streets and a central plaza surrounded by imposing structures. Small villages once dotted the island, their remains now swallowed by the jungle.
Melna. The northern island, is less mountainous but no less hostile. Despite its dangers, Melna holds an eerie beauty, where nature and forgotten history intertwine. Its jungle is punctuated by ruins of ancient alchemical labs and farming terraces, now overrun by the relentless growth of the jungle. Vines creep over broken stone walls, and strange plants grow in the abandoned fields, some glowing faintly in the dark as if infused with residual magic. The terrain is uneven, riddled with sinkholes and boggy ground that swallows the unwary. These ruins, though few, are the haunting evidence of the kingdom's collapse, a reminder of its failure to control the forces it unleashed.
Srinti. The smallest and southernmost island, Srinti, is the most feared and shunned. Its terrain is rugged, with steep cliffs rising abruptly from the sea and a jungle so thick it appears impenetrable. On the waters around Srinti the air itself sometimes hums faintly, charged with magical energy, making even the bravest sailors avoid its shores. If that is not enough to keep people from exploring the island, the blue dragon that has been sighted in the skies around Srinti certainly will. It is believed that this dragon once served as a guardian of the kingdom, but now claims the island for itself. Tall tales speak of the dragon offering its protection for a price, though what that price entailed depends greatly on the individual telling you this story.
Kingdom of Koravi
The people of the Koravi Islands once thrived under the rule of a small but united kingdom, remembered now only in fragments of legend and faded records.
These people used magic to defend against invasion and internal threats. It is thought that wildlife and animals were transformed through magic or
Alchemy into guardians of unnatural might. A translation of an ancient text speaks of a rare substance said to come from the silk of a gigantic spider and a powder made from a luminescent moth. It is unclear if this was a poetic metaphor or a literal account. However, over time the creatures they had altered began to defy their makers, growing more monstrous with each passing year. Twisted beasts with too many eyes, limbs, or claws ravaged the settlements. By 6932, the kingdom was no more, its people killed or forced to flee across the sea.
The Empire’s Attempts
Decades later, the
Empire of the Jade Eye sought to uncover the Koravi Islands’ wealth, and potentially establish rule there. Several expeditions were sent to the islands, but none succeeded. Researchers and soldiers alike disappeared, their ships returning with only fragments of supplies and not many answers. Reports described aggressive wildlife that defied understanding, giant serpents with wings, predators that blended into their surroundings like shadows, and creatures that seemed to twist and change before the eyes of terrified explorers.
By decree, the Empire abandoned further attempts to explore the Koravi Islands. They declared them a "dead zone", warning all to avoid their shores. The islands remain untouched by modern civilization, their jungles thriving and wild, their beaches unmarked by human footprints. Yet they are not forgotten. Sailors passing through the Ankoyan Sea sometimes see flickers of strange light in the distance, or hear calls carried on the wind that sound too deliberate to be natural.
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