Urusahm

**Urusahm**, officially the Republic of Greater Urusahm (*Pledhwas a Eghrud Urusahm)*, was an island nation located in the Central Sea and at the geographic heart of Palowan-inhabited Owlia. Urusahm consisted of the large horseshoe-shaped island of Urusahm itself, along with several smaller islands and islets, containing some of the oldest Palowan settlements. Its population consisted of a thorough mix of Palowan and Sesmikan peoples from across the Palowan-speaking world. Unlike the neighbouring island nation of Nemosa, Urusahm had a more turbulent history, reflecting its position as a crossroads of the Central Sea.

In the 9th century, Urusahm became a state of the Palowan Union alongside Eisarna, Nemosa and Suomia.

## History

Apart from transient visits by seafarers throughout the centuries - including Ngoi peoples - the archipelago appears to have been uninhabited at the dawn of recorded history. The oldest known settlement in the area was a Grey Brotherhood mission on **Pasemas**, the northernmost island, hilly but otherwise fertile and heavily-forested; its name meaning ‘hidden blessing’, referring to the difficulty early Palowan seafarers had in reaching the island through the frequent blockade of icebergs which separated it from the Swombhoudn region of the mainland.

The Grey Brotherhood were known to be living on Pasemas from at least the early 7th century, and the island was vital to the early Grey Brotherhood for its trade in warm winter wool. The hardy native sheep were never fully domesticated, and semi-feral herds roamed the island for many centuries - being the main source of wool for the Palowan world.

The larger island of **Urusahm** was originally known by different names such as ‘dangerous island’ and ‘place of death’; feared by the Palowan as a place filled with monsters and all manner of dangerous creatures, where only the bravest warrior-monks would dare to venture. The modern name Urusahm simply means ‘wide shores’, referring to the low-lying, sweeping sandy shorelines that surround much of the island. Urusahm was not permanently settled until the later half of the 7th century, and for decades the settlers remain confined to the north-west of the island at the community of Pensuneumi or ‘sandy inlet’, where they developed a unique style of semi-buried housing, insulated against harsh seaborne winds.

By this time the Grey Brotherhood was in decline and never settled a significant presence on Urusahm. Instead the Iron Brotherhood arrived towards the end of the 7th century, initially setting up a small forge-lodge, before expanding with the building of a larger, fortified fortress-monastery, built over the edge of the chasm that separates the forested eastern half of the island from the western settlements. This was in response to raids by Sea Peoples which began at this time, some of the raiders fleeing from the forces of Eisarna and East Owlia. With the protection now offered by the Iron Brotherhood, farming expanded across the west of the island, though occasional raids continued.

As trade with Eisarna began to increase, Sesmikan peoples arrived in the area towards the end of the 7th century, seeking employment as farm workers and herders. Sesmikans initially settled on Pasemas, as the wool trade was especially important for Eisarna. A mixed Palowan-Sesmikan population then spread to Urusahm and the other islands in the following decades.

Beginning in the 680s, Eisarna attempted to expand its influence in the area and even proposed annexing Urusahm. This was rejected by the locals who ultimately banded together to assert their nationhood, guided by the example of Nemosa in the north. However, negotiations were complex, as Urusahm and its surrounding islands now had a diverse population and a set of competing local governments. Eventually a power-sharing agreement was reached in which each of the minor islands was guaranteed a seat in a communal *Pledhwas* or Senate, along with a seat reserved for the Iron Brotherhood.

After a few false-starts, the Republic came into being in 711 CE. The decades after were not trouble-free, as bitter disputes over rights to land and water have at times paralysed the Pledhwas. Descendents of Sea Peoples also continued to stalk the islands, with a daring attack in 732 CE that struck the Iron Brotherhood monastery and ambushed a party of travellers from far-away Caeshe, causing several injuries. Development was slow for these reasons.

Eisarna recognised the Republic of Urusahm, but remained an economic giant in comparison, and still wielded extensive influence. A portion of locals looked favourably towards the idea of unification with Eisarna, while others - backed by Nemosa - tried to push for the idea of a high-level federation of Palowan states.

## Other Minor Islands

**Paus** or ‘Little Sandy’ was a tiny islet to the north-east of Urusahm that was barely above sea level. Although uninhabited, it historically served as a visual waypoint on the route to Nemosa in the north.

**Domosla** (a name derived from the word for ‘house’) was a tiny island located to the south-west of Urusahm, historically acting as a stopping point for boats going to and from Landing, and as a place for fishing and kelp harvesting. The island experienced a boom period in the late 7th century. Houses covered most of the island, giving it one of the highest rankings for population density. Flooding was a high risk to the inhabitants, however.

The *Plowotra Enslos* or ‘Shipwreck Islands’ lay to the south of Urusahm. As the name suggests, the sandbanks around these islands posed a hazard to larger ships; there were countless shipwrecks dating back to before recorded history. Treasure-hunters from across Owlia scoured these islands over the centuries. The islands were uninhabited, and marked the southern boundary of the Urusahm domain, beyond which lay the islands claimed by Eisarna.