Verflucht Isles

The inner rim of KesselGeography

The Verflucht Isles (“*The Cursed Islands*”) are a volcanic archipelago in the northern seas that bears host to many monstrously foul flora and fauna. The main chain of islands consists of the largest island, Kessel, as well as three smaller islands, The Loffeli Siblings. Other outcroppings exist but are scarcely large enough to be of note, many of these unnamed islands likely hide secrets buried beneath.

 *The Verflucht Ring*

The Ring are the islands that form the outside ring of the archipelago. The ring consists of Kessel and the Loffeli. The violent eruption of a massive ancient volcano caving in has given way for smaller volcanic outcroppings in the remains of it’s collapsed caldera. The Ring consists of the standing caldera located on Kessel, and the sunken potion, which consists of The Loffeli Siblings and other smaller islands.

*Kessel*

Kessel hosts the volcanic source of the island chain, the Atemflouch, an active volcano with a constant spew of ash and lava. The island is formed mainly by the remains of a much larger volcano, named Toter, by the locals. Kessel rests in the center of the caldera formed by Toter’s eruption. Kessel’s current height reaches 5,975 feet. A constant release of hot ash and toxic gases from Kessel’s summit has led to some exotic and ferocious beasts calling this rough terrain home.

The jungle foliage grows high on the outside slopes of the caldera, richly fed by the ash, however inside the caldera the Kessel’s pyroclastic flow prevents anything but the scarce foot tall shrubbery. Inside the caldera is where the Islands get their names, the curse-born dragons, the True Linnorm, exist without equal inside the caldera.

*The Loffeli Siblings*

The Loffeli Siblings are the three major islands that lay in the sunken portion of the Ring. While only a fraction of the size of Kessel, these islands are sizable enough that they’ve become the home of the people who dare to live in the area. The siblings in order of size are Brother Kelle, Sister Riss, and Sister Silber.

History

Structure

Captain’s Round Table: Representative Democracy with voting power based on the number of active crew you have.

The Fleets

The political, military, and economical powerhouses of the Verflucht Isles. Akin to guilds, but far more fluid. You belong to whichever fleet your captain belongs to, which is subject to their whims. Some enlist with specific captains, others with fleets. To protect sailors from being used to vote against their own interest, a sailor may enlist with a fleet that aligns with their ideals, and pledge their vote to the Fleet instead of the Captain. In this instance, sailors are usually assigned to ships with Captains of their Fleet, but exceptions do occur.

*The Mothers: TN* All-female enforcers, formed in response to violence against women by drunken pirates. The Mothers mostly abstain from votes, but they did push forward laws regarding the protection of the women of Loffeli Harbor from abuse.

*Blackflags: NE* The oldest fleet, steeped in traditions, those who have an insatiable lust for gold will find themselves at home here. If you’ve an interest in criminal activities, then chances are you can find someone among the Blackflags unscrupulous enough to join with you.

*Cayden’s: CG* One of the only fleets to possess a moral compass, those who find themselves attracted to the life of piracy, but not of wanton killing, raping, and slaving will sign up with Cayden’s Raiders, a fleet that steal from rich merchants and oppressive militaries and give to the poor... and to courtesans. Cayden’s Raiders primarily adhere to the beliefs of Cayden Cailean, and as a result much merriment can be found aboard a Cayden’s ship. The morality of the Cayden’s fleet can often put them at odds with the other fleets, particularly the Bleeders who view their goodness as weakness.

*Bleeders: CE* A fleet of ravagers who lust for bloodshed, the attitude of “Take what you want, kill anyone you like” drives this fleet at constant odds with Cayden’s men, as well as The Mothers, who keep constant vigil while Bleeders are in port to stave off excessive troublemaking.

*Independents:* Independent Captains get votes the same as fleets do, but often their voices can be overshadowed. Most independents find the savagery of the Bleeders too excessive, and the Cayden’s too preachy. Though most would prefer some preaching about goodness with ale, women, and song to being ordered to kill the men and enslave the women and children. Still others who may find themselves idealistically drawn toward one of the fleets will remain independent, if for nothing more than to have complete control over who they hire on.

Culture

The population of Verflucht Isles hosts a large native population of Vanara, as well as humans, dwarves, orcs, goblins, and various other races that have come to the island as crews aboard ships.

The main cuisines of the isles include the many exotic fruits found among the local flora, as well as stews, soups, and other meals that can be prepared easily onboard ships in cooking pots. Due to the hardy nature of the local fauna, it’s rare for them to find their ways into dishes, those that can be reliably hunted are at best boiled down into soups or stews, those that would provide adequate cuts of meat are prized because they are particularly deadly. Even still the most deadly predators of the islands will claim victims even after death if their meat is prepared incorrectly. As such most meats come from off the islands, usually stolen from merchant vessels.

The local Vanara have two origins, and were in the middle of a cultural war when the first pirates arrived and pushed both sides to a stalemate. The Baum long for peace, and take residence in the canopies of the lower jungles, the Baum were the first to make contact with the pirate outsiders and were able to secure their help in fighting back the Vulk. In exchange the pirates were allowed to build their settlement within Baum territory. The Vulks are apocalypse seekers who splintered off from the Baums and hunted them for centuries before being pushed back to their home in the Caldera. The Vulks and Baums follow the same religion, though take different approaches to it’s practice.

## Religion

Fluchweg, the Way of Curses. The religion of the native population. The Vanara of the Verflucht isles have long understood the accursed nature of their home, and their religion outlines the basics of it’s stewardship. The split between the Vulks and Baums comes from an interpretation of this outline’s tenants.

1. We must tend to the soul of the accursed one whose bones we walk and flesh we stalk with offerings of our flesh, to fail is to bring the wrath of ash and ruin.
2. To tame the beasts of the land is to bring ash and ruin.
3. We are cursed by birth, and so must bear the curse, when your sibling dies for you, you must eat their curse.

Ash and Ruin. The rebirth of the accursed one, who brings death to all who sleep upon his bones. The Baum take it as their solemn duty to prevent this rebirth, where the heretical Vulk see it as their duty to bring it about. To the Baum bearing your curse is surviving the harsh life of the islands, and eating your sibling's curse is taking up their responsibilities to their family and tribe, and eating of their body to consume their curse and cleanse their soul. To the Vulk, the curse is vaunted,and they believe that eating anothers curse is so important that it’s worth hunting others for, Vulk often bear tattoos with their acquired curses numbered on them.

Offerings are made by waxing moonlight, for the Baum, this means the flesh of the dead brought to one of the beasts of the Caldera. For the Vulk, this is feeding another to the beasts alive.

The largest divergence comes in the second tennent, the taming of beasts. As the Vulk wish to bring about ash and ruin, they see it as a sacred task to tame the ferocious beasts, it is by no means an easy task, and few ever manage it, but only those that have ever become leaders. To the Baum it is obscene to see the wild beasts broken.