Cypropa

## Summary

An island east-northeast of Ilbidor which is a trading outpost of the Alteelian Trade Corporation.

## History

Cypropa came into being when a giant turtle rose from the depths of the sea in the Age of Miscellaneous Shenanigans and the halflings of the island rose with it. As ages passed the halflings prospered and the turtle turned to stone.

Up until the expansion of the Iysgarth Empire the island was not governed in a centralised fashion. The groups of native halflings on the island lived in mostly cooperative fashion and practised minimal subsistence farming and devoted great deal of time to leasure, ceremony and storytelling. Since the island came under the control of the Iysgarthians this is what many halflings have hoped to recapture.

In the vaccuum of power left by the fall of the empire the island fell under the control of the Trifecta, and later the ATC. Initially the ATC took little interest in the island until it was discovered that the Anks Mountains in the middle of the island had large deposits of rich copper ore. This was approximately 20 years before present.

Incidentally, the island is known to be the last known refuge of Orm the Red, a former member of the Prismatic Pirates, whom was being hunted by the Iysgarthians in the late days of the Empire.

## Present day

The island is currently under the strict control of the ATC and in particular senior officer Captain Horden Erenford. Her and her counsel made up of Panros Falcone (head of ethics and spiritual affairs), Wandathana Estinae (commander of the guard) and Marfire Black (steward of work and discipline) run the ATC operations on the island.

The main ATC interest on the island is the copper mines which are made possible by the exploitation of the native halfling population. Officially this is a work relief scheme to aid the destitute halflings, but the reality is that the strict controls that the local branch of the ATC have imposed on the island makes it very difficult for the halflings to make ends meet through alternative means. The B-initiative of the ATC on the island is the megafarm to the north of the island which was established by Hordon and is her pet project.

The halfling natives on the island are numerous and outnumber the ATC employees many-to-one. The halflings are kept in check in the towns by the vastly better armed ATC guard force and in the more remote places by roaming bands of sheriffs. The ATC guard force are largely mongrelfolk and most speak little common by either choice or ignorance. Most of the guard force are in it for the money and do not care either way for the halflings or the ATC.

Some of the halflings, known as *the fighters*, wish to bring about the expulsion of the ATC from the island. These are ragtag groups spread around the island but with a major presence in the Rocksend Township. In Rocksend some of the more well known fighters are Finneon the Merry and Breni Shepherd.

The island remains quite wild and has a significant trickster population of sprites and other minor fey creatures as well as some solitary trolls.

## Locations

* Branxom - The administrative capital of Cypropa sits at the entrance of Copper Bay and has the islands only major port. From here the ATC is able to control all imports and exports to the island.
* Rocksend - A forward ATC settlement which sits at the foot of the Anks mountains. This town is the place of residence for the ATC employees working in the mines, and a recruiting hub for halfling labour. The town officially overseen by Marfire Black.
* Rocksend Township - Informal but large settlement close to Rocksend. The central area is known as the "central plaza" and is the site of halfling cultural activities for the settlement. This is one of the most active area of *the fighters*.