Oroma Islands

The **Oroma Islands** directly north of the Lost Isle are a nearly uninhabited chain of volcanic islands. They are the home of a fierce race of magmatic dragons that guard the island's most precious booty - a species of large blue banana that thrives on the island's rich volcanic soil. The banana is extremely poisonous and thus of great interest to the Drow which often organise expeditions to the islands to bring back the fruit, though most are unsuccessful. All attempts so far to grow the banana on foreign shores have miserably failed.

## History

The existence of this volcanic archipelago has been known by the people of Azan long before the formation of the Empire. The descriptions of these islands have remained largely unchanged; the fertile soil, clodus of ash, erupting volcanoes and the ever present magma dragons are few of many of its characteristics.

Many attempts have been made to build settlements on the coast of the islands (mostly by the Drow, the Azaneese and the people of Azhar Nar) but these attempts have failed all the same. The magma dragons have proven ferocious and unrelenting in attacking and ultimately wiping out these settlements. When the elves and the humans persisted, the giant dragon known as Sarrunis (meaning "Red Dread" in the archaic Azaneese tongue) made sure nothing was left of them but ash and bones.

However, by the time of the destruction of the majority of the settlements (whose exact timeline is unknown, but we can conclude it happened around the formation of the Azan Empire) the useful properties of the endemic blue banana had already been known throughout the West, leading to many expeditions with the goal of its retrieval.

These treacherous expeditions (hailing mostly from Moreelse and the Drow lands) are still going on to this day, although most end up in tragedy, with few ever claiming their so sought out riches. Sometimes, prisoners will be sent out to the Oroma islands as punishment, being left there to be eaten or burned alive by the dragons. This practice is common in Arangea, as the Alchemists and Pyromancers of the city are said to think of Sarrunis as a divine creature, and those prisoners being seen as sacrifice towards the large dragon.

There have also been rare occurences of pirates, smugglers and fugitives building their lairs in one of the many large coves dotted around the archipelago, although most were soon abandoned.

As the centuries have passed, sightings of Sarrunis have been ever so rare, with some thinking the dragon might be dormant, or even dead. Some scholars argue that the volcanic power of these islands is fueled by this dragon, and his (supposed) death is also the reason there are fewer ash storms hailing from the Oroma islands altogether.

## Geography

There are more than fourty islands in the archipelago, although only the largest three are inhabited, the rest being barren rocks where flowing lava covers the majority of their surface.

The Oroma Islands are known for their rich, volcanic soil, high cliffs, black and pink sand beaches, thick jungles and large waterfalls. A number of rare plants grow there, but none as rare as the coveted blue banana. Tribes of spear wielding trolls, colourful parrots, red wolves, spotted deer, wild boars, monkeys and large apes can also be found on these islands, often falling prey to the magma dragons.

Even from the deepest parts of the jungle one can spot the numerous volcanoes that cover much of the islands' landscape. Some erupt once every few decades, sending large clouds of smoke in the atmosphere and creating ashstorms that disperse after travelling around southwestern Giantstep. These eruptions and the subsequent ash storms have led the creatures living in the archipelago to develop certain features that distinguish them from their cousins on the mainland. Others volcanoes have a constant flow of lava all year long, and have turned the small islands they stand on into barren, scorching rocks.

Martyr is the fourth largest Oroman island, standing in the middle of the archipelago. There, one can find the tallest volcano in these islands, said to be the home of Sarrunis, the legendary dragon.

Scorching hot lava flows from the volcano's crater and has made the rest of the island completely devoid of plant or animal life. According to some morbid rumours, the smaller magma dragons often take the bones of their slain victims to Sarrunis, creating a huge pile of skulls on Martyr, leading it to be dubbed the "Isle of Skulls". It's fair to say that all rumours regarding this place are uncertain at best, as it's hard to imagine anyone sailing past this island and living to tell the tale.

## The Magma Dragons

The magma dragons, also simply known as "Drakes", are similar to the dragons of old in all but size. Whereas the dragons that used to roam the world in ancient times could reach the size of a castle, these drakes are at most as large as a horse. Still, their abillity to breathe fire, their sharp claws and fangs, as well as their hardened scales make them a formidable opponent for even the most seasoned warriors. It's no wonder then how no communities were able to develop in these islands, as a flock of them would be almost impossible to deal with.

The magma dragons constantly patrol the islands they call home, although they are very rarely seen outside the reaches of the archipelago. Some scholars speculate that this is because they are magically drawn to the power of the volcanoes, or even Sarrunis herself. They predate on the various animals living in the jungles, with deer being their favourite meal. Trolls and primates are more easily able to avoid their attacks, as they often retreat deep in caves in order to survive. Drakes are also known to dive at great depths when endangered by other dragons, or even in order to hunt large fish.

### Sarrunis

Sarrunis is the largest of these dragons, and calling it a drake would be insulting to its splendor. According to a survivor of a group which was attacked by this beast, it is the size of a small mountain, has large spikes protrudring from its back and its flame is hot enough to consume a small army. Whether or not this witness is correct, scholars from Hithlone have come to the conclusion that Sarrunis is one of the very few dragons that have existed in this world long before any humans, elves or any other race. If this claim holds any truth to it, then this would make Sarrunis only one of two such dragons (or three, as some argue the existence of the dragon residing in the Hogmen isles) to still exist.

Scholars generally support the notion that the magma dragons are the offspring of Sarrunis, althogu those from Azan believe that Sarrunis is the offspring of the gods, alongside the other dragons that have existed since the dawn of ages. Some would even go as far as to theorize that Sarrunis represents the living heart of volcanoes, and that the mood and state of the dragon is directly reflected on the volcanic activity of the islands. No matter the truth on Sarrunis' supposed divinity or actual age, it's possible that this dragon's mere existence (combined with the Oroma Islands' close proximity with Azan) were one of the factors that gave birth to the early Azaneese's reverence of dragons and eventually their faith.

## The Blue Banana

The endemic to the Oroma Islands blue banana is the most sought out ingredient in the archipelago. Although inedible (thanks to it being extremely poisonous) to everyone but the local trolls and primates, its unique properties have made it extremely valuable to alchemists around the world. Its juice is often used to create deadly concoctions and poisons, and as such one of these fruits can be as valuable as a diamond in places such as Arangea, the Nasr Satrapies and especially the Drow lands.

This is not only because of the demand for such a prized item, but also because of their limited supply, as few mercenaries and merchants undertake the difficult task of retrieving this treasured plant. Not only that, but all attempts of cultivating the blue banana tree outside of the Oroma Islands have failed, since it seemingly only thrives under the rich volcanic soil that the archipelago provides.