Carcosa

Seal of the isle

Lesser seal of the isle

Carcosa, the Lost Isle, is a burgeoning demi-realm believed to be hidden within the Nullfoam that is the primary home to the Carcosan, or Dissian, people. Bedecked in impossible geometries and larger than would ever be possible for a single city in realspace, it’s theorized to be the culmination of interconnected nodes hidden away in the labyrinthine voidpaths, themselves the work of the mad followers of the first gods. Viewed in this way, it’s less a city and more a constellation of settlements woven amid the in-between of realities.

There are powers in the Lost Isle, certainly, though none entirely concrete. The Triad, once yet another criminal syndicate of a now-dead world, lives on as original framework for The Isle's Diabolic Congress - a loose parliamentary body that serves to reign in the interests of Carcosa's multitude of power figures - typically titled Diabol or Cambir with the exception of titles held by heads of minority communities and special offices such as the Dean of the College of Hermetic Esoterica. Notably, the Diabolic Congress exercises no direct authority over the general populace of Carcosa, solely those Diabols who are admitted into it.

## History

### Pre-Oksidan Crusader era

Having become "lost" twice, Carcosa's earliest known history was that of its original inhabitants, the Yith, before they were displaced by the Ekhanoi, also known as the Dark Elves, who were in turn conquered by the cosmic entity known as The King in Yellow, itself likely an avatar of Nyarlathotep. Of the Yith's presence on Carcosa, extremely little is known, their presence only evidenced by their tombs, occasional placenames, and rarely encountered artifacts. Similarly, little is known of the Ekhanoi prior to their subjugation by The King in Yellow, with there being no firm theories as to why they conquered the Yith or from whence they came prior to Carcosa.

Carcosa's well documented history begins with its invasion and conquest by the Oksidan Crusaders fleeing The Dragon in what would become the first year of the fourth era. Though ultimately successful, the early stages of the invasion were an abysmal failure - resulting in staggering losses for the Oksidan Crusaders before the suicide-assassination of the King in Yellow by Nanuq of Oksida precipitated the collapse of the Ekhanoi - King in Yellow forces and ultimately the crash of the Carcosan demiplane into that of Provenance. This began the Provenancial Interregnum, an interim period wherein various factions arose across the Isle without any formal organization or centralizing ideology, resulting in a disjointed anarchy reigning over The Isle for much of its time on Provenance.

### Provenance era

#### Early Provenance

Though there was a brief attempt by figures within the Oksidan Crusaders such as Nanuq of Oksida prior to her death and Harkad avStygia to assert Oksidan Syndicalism over Carcosa, the losses suffered by the Oksidan Crusaders, the sudden assimilation of the Ekhanoi, and the ambitions of Dissian figures such as Nanuq's daughter Cinna I saw to the effort's failure. The result was a disjointed amalgam of factions and methods of organization that saw The Isle blossom as a haven for criminal elements, dissidents, and oppressed minorities from elsewhere on Provenance.

#### Post Vaskr raids

Though individual figures either originally among the Carcosans or later joining them would show relevance in the early period of Carcosa's time on Provenance, the Isle as a whole was largely isolationist in the absence of a figure capable of directing and negotiating its efforts on the world stage. This began to change following the raids of the Vaskr in the fifth year of the fourth era. The spoils from retaliatory raids and emergency conditions in the Red Ward saw Cinna's Triad grow substantially in influence, eventually leading them to style themselves diabol, originally a Dissian title. Eventually, this would serve as the catalyst for the further emergence of the diabol class as power brokers and cantonal chiefs arose across the isle to contend with both internal and external threats. Under this loose framework, the Carcosans would go on to intertwine themselves both in global affairs such as the Hunts for The Vaskr, Razing of Rashida, global piracy, and hosting the World Market.

#### Late Provenance

Culminating in the Expulsion of The Litu and territorial losses in Upper Morioh; ongoing internal strife, driven by ideological, economic, and personal concerns between the diabols in Carcosa would see it decline in global influence on Provenance. Now self-styled as an archdiabol following their control of of Red, the Foreign Quarter, and Upper Port cantons, Cinna would utilize their power and influence to found the Lotus Society. Serving as Carcosa's first approximation of a united government, it allowed for the sufficient quelling of the diabols' conflicts such that it was possible for Carcosa to exit Provenance before the realm's collapse.

### Post-Provenance

#### The Second Exile

Cinna's efforts towards a more centralized Carcosa coincided with the deterioration of Provenance and the Carcosans' eventual abandonment of the realm in what became known as The Second Exile. Aimless and without a realm to call home, this period saw the decline of of old institutions such as the Cult of The Nine and The Ekhanoi Court, while the Lotus Society gradually transitioned itself as a *de facto* governing body into one that operated on a *de jure* basis under a variety of names including the Diabolic Congress, Carcosan Congressional Commonwealth, and Carcosan Synod. Cinna I avCinnaetti was eventually, perhaps inevitably, crowned under an infamously long set of styles and became the Empress of Carcosa towards the end of the fifth era's first decade. Arguably a betrayal of the Carcosan ideals of anarchism and absolute freedom, the centralization and authority may well have been pivotal in the survival of the Carcosans.

### The Abdication of Cinna I

Cinna would ultimately rule for 34 years before their eventual abdication to allow for Cinna II avCinnaetti to take the throne. The exact reasons for this are unclear, as they remained active in Carcosan politics well after their abdication, in particular continuing to control the Tzinnaed for decades. Some assert it had to due with increasing controversy surrounding their tolerance of a number of policies surrounding race relations or relationships with their consorts combined with a need to promote support for the institution of the crown. When asked themselves in 5E27, they would remark it was "[t]ime for Carcosa to be ruled by someone other than a warlord, at least for a while, and I miss my mother's company."

#### A New Carcosa

Carcosa, despite all its tribulations, continues now into its second century of stability, the longest any of its progenitors have maintained since the time of the Ashlands. With order maintained by a web of alliances in congress between the crown and various key figures across the webways, Cinna IV avCinnaetti has gained a reputation as a progressive, if still somewhat heavy handed leader. What comes next only time will tell.