The Pjestelagos

**The Pjestelagos** is a continent comprised entirely of islands, as well as the southernmost inhabited continent of Siira. Although an archipelago, the Pjestelagos is considered a continent, owing to the fact that there are uncountable amounts of islands, all are fairly large, and every inhabited island has tangible culture. The Pjestelagos houses 300 million members of a race, but originally had only about a million on a handful of islands. Mass colonization has led to the population skyrocketing. The most notable native human ethnicities of the Pjestelagos include, but are not limited to, the Pjestels, of whom the continent is named, the Sinons, the Rigali, the O'to'tamala, the Kilagos, the Fultarjes, and the Vvwrders. Native races to the islands include the Humans, the Fyltsjers, the Iguanarins, the Journeyfolk, and the Sandlings.

## Ancient History

The Pjestelagos formed approximately 3.4 billion years ago, shortly before the full breakup of the proposed Akobeleng Supercontinent. Greater Muzhuo, the nearest modern-day continent to the Pjestelagos, was also the closest during this period, and the primary staging ground for many modern-day Pjestelage human ethnicities.

### Human History

Approximately 300 millions years ago, humans began colonizing the islands, launching from South Greater Muzhuo onto the North Hook Islands, which originally had no races, allowing the new race to live in relative obscurity. When these islands themselves sprouted exploration and colonization parties, they began to encounter the other races of the archipelago. The iguanarins, the primary inhabitants of the Twelve Greats cluster, were the first race encountered. Although initially hostile to the new presence, the humans and iguanarins began working together when each saw the value in cooperation rather than antagonism. Likewise, when humans encountered the Journeyfolk next, the experience was largely positive, with each party respecting the other without much resistance from either species' group. Conversely, when humans encountered fyltsjers and sandlings, the experience for each party was overwhelmingly negative, resulting in sporadic warfare for thousands of years, but the relationships with the latter has largely been repaired, with only fyltsjers harboring great grievances for the humans.

### Iguanarin History

> *Main Article: Iguanarins#History*
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Iguanarins were one of the first races to evolve on the islands, being descended, as their names suggest, from an extinct subspecies of sea iguanas millions of years ago. Although descending from these more primitive creatures, the species' home island, Tyrhassvur, seemingly had the necessary ingredients to evolve the lizards into sapient creatures.

Iguanarins currently control the Twelve Greats cluster, a chain of twelve islands which iguanarins themselves colonized 350,000 years ago. Their original hostility with humanity caused minor naval conflicts to appear occasionally, but when the two reached a mutually beneficial agreement, hostilities ceased, and continue to not be a problem for native Pjestelages. The threat to their islands largely lied with the fyltsjer race, whose hostile expansionist culture clashed with iguanarinae military strategy of control of current territory at all costs, rather than expansion. This hostility exists to the modern day.

In modern times, iguanarins enjoy relative prosperity with humans and journeyfolk, as well as being comparatively common.

### Journeyfolk History

*Main Article: Journeyfolk#Ancient History*

Journeyfolks' origins are untraceable, being around for countless of millions of years. The species are large, decapod crustaceans similar to the northern king crabs. Their name comes from the giant migrations which they take during the summer months, crossing from the furthest islands in the East Pjestelage Islands to the East Hook Islands.

Despite their migratory patterns, Pjestelage humans did not encounter them in their early history, as the race adheres to a pacifistic approach, and preferred to hide from and avoid humans rather than make themselves known to the alien race. Although this approach succeeded, their eventual appearance to humanity occurred when the fyltsjers invaded their home island, Bilpherphul, forcing the Journeyfolk to request the aid of Iguanarins, and, circumstantially, humans.

In modern times, journeyfolk continue to be shy and avoidant, but have lost this caution with humans, instead preferring to work with them just as much as the iguanarins.

## Contemporary History

The Pjestelagos has several modern-day broad categories of islands, these being:

### Fully Habited

A fully habited island has several criteria which differentiate it from other islands, including:

* The population is consistent and permanent
* The island has necessary resources to support said population
* The government is fully realized and able to address threats to the population and governance
* The island has an economy which is stable and can support the population for an extended period of time.

Fully habited islands include:

* All of the North Hook Islands
	+ Solobiri
	+ Kihurt
	+ Nyagapor
	+ Kilakote
* Sawtiri Island, in the South Hook Islands
* All of the Twelve Greats
	+ Tyrhassvur
	+ Sulssra
	+ Uthysur
	+ Tyrhaal
	+ Haalosyr
	+ Haasasaaka
	+ Srrvyr
	+ Vorssra
	+ Kusursv
	+ Kori Suls
	+ Kori Tyr
	+ Tosakalasuv

### Unincorporated Habited

Unincorporated habited islands constitute islands which, although are habitated, either do not meet one or more of the prerequisites for fully habited status or are unincorporated into a major governmental power. The best examples of unincorporated habitated islands include:

* Pirate states
* Eastern Journey Islands

### Partially Habited

Partially habitated islands are most commonly colonization attempts by either powers in other continents or expeditions conducted by Pjestelagos natives. Their populations are usually impermanent and resources on these islands usually cannot support populations, either long-term populations or larger ones.

### Uninhabited

Uninhabited islands are uninhabited, most commonly due to the lack of consistent freshwater.

### Piracy in the Pjestelagos

> *Main Article: Golden Age of Piracy*
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In recent years, pirates have become a common occurrence in the Pjestelagos. Although pirates themselves have always been a scourge to Pjestelage populations, recent wars, such as the Second Nost-Ts'ilvkan War (*996 C-FE - present*), the Great Reisish-Kellish War (*990 - present*), and the Piquit Revolts (*900 - 912, 920 - 921, and 934 - 938*) further exacerbated the issue, as they left many seafaring mercenaries and cultures to be out of work, displaced, or unregulated, with these new people leaving for the Pjestelagos to interrupt the lucrative supply lines between the islands and other continents. With this large influx of pirates, government dependency of the Pjestelagos, and the large sums of money should the robberies be successful, piracy in the region has begun what many Havener historians have dubbed a "golden age" of piracy. Pirate states have popped up, with most being lawless havens for debauchery, but some evolving to be semi-honorable nations which have become legitimized.