The Private Isles

When first settled, The Isles seemed a haven in the middle of an endless ocean. It was said due to its biomes, valleys, and resources, it could offer any busybody with peace, quiet, privacy, and most importantly, uncapped independence.

The Isles O’ Privacy are made up of hundreds of small islands surrounding one, long, continental island. Many tribes grew into parallel cultures, then cities, and now states. For the most part, colonial expansion seemed unnecessary. But that is now changing.

As the population increases, agriculture and trade follows in tow. But City State governments have been slow to keep up with these ever-inflating needs. Theft is a growing problem on sea and land, and those who commit such crimes, despite moral ambiguity, are hunted by the government-funded militants. Hence the name: Privateers.

It is said the views were once wonderful, but in the last few centuries the mountains have been gutted, the forests cleared, and the glaciers melted. There are few serious efforts at conservation, nor funding to do so. Though patches of wilderness still remain, the final frontier seems to rest among the endless Seventh Sea.

The Private Isles have four acknowledged geographical and administrative regions—The West, The South, The East, The North—each with, what can be considered, two “superpower” city states.

The Seventh Sea

There are six established seas around The Private Isles.

• Blimey Sea

• Golfo de Latido

• Nouveauean Bay

• Zurkish Coasts

• Bjordlandic Sea

• Tai O’ Melai

The endless ocean that surrounds it all is known as the infamous Seventh. There are few sailors that dare explore this infinite foggy blue—giant waves, rogue rocks, and dwindling resources all make for stories without an ending; even the finest ships never return. The rare sum who managed to come to their senses and “flip her ‘round”, decided so at just the right time; these daring seafarers wash up starving and with a smaller crew than whence they set out, warning of the madness that found them in the wet empty void. Of course there are the occasional island discoveries, but nothing to justify fully funded expeditions or colonization. The Seventh Sea is a barrier of sorts that keeps the Old World old.

The Public Domain

So it's said: Get a good ship, follow the Westward Winds, and in six month’s time, you’ll see Her. With this, a love for exploration is growing. But it took many a millennia before myth became truth…

The Voyages

First Voyage

Davy Jones, aboard the Flying Dutchman, heard voices and insisted on following them beyond the great blue. Nobody supported this voyage and wrote him off as a mad man. He never returned, but many legends and folktales did.

Second Voyage

Charlotte The Disparate was married into royalty, but her heart lied at sea. She was able to secure partial funding to explore beyond the west coast for new fishing spots, as the Nouveau rivers and lakes drew less and less each year. Unfortunately she never returned. It was officially declared The Private Isles are the only major landmasses in The World. But then…

Third Voyage

Several hundred years later, a message in a bottle arrived on the shore of the Pirate Bay with the signature of Charlotte herself. It was passed around, stolen, studied by scholars. Some wrote it off as a hoax but the news had already spread: there’s a New World out there. Empira West immediately fully funded a fleet to explore the Seventh Sea, despite governments still condemning it. It worked. These Empirates, intercepted by The Pirate Bay, were the first to return.

Mad Dash

And now, everyone wants a piece of the pie. Pirates, Empirates, Privateers, and lone daring sailors; it’s a Mad Dash to what all describe as freedom and opportunity. Ships are being robbed in record numbers, and U-Ship is considering adding The Public Domain as a stop. Unfortunately the Seventh Sea is restless, and many are setting off on adventure without a plan, finding only their demise.

But tales of the Public Domain mostly inspire hope;
Hope that there’s a world The Almighty Dollar doesn’t reach;
Hope that there are places and ideas that are never owned, and never will be;
Hope that there are wonderful people and creatures that will inspire us and help change our way of life. Everyone has a personal dream tied up in the Public Domain, and some even despise the idea of it entirely, for it challenges their comfortable life on The Isles.

Nevertheless, what can be found out there will, in fact, change everything.

The West

The industrialized cities of The West are responsible for both the biggest gains and the biggest setbacks of recent years. The West is largely motivated by economic trade, headquartering the massive trading company Empira East/West. The ever-worshiped financial profit has created a huge class divide and an alarming loss of nature. They are also often criticized for making up the smallest amount of land, yet creating the largest amount of Isle policy. Nevertheless, the technological advancements here are unparalleled, and, in the right hands, could truly change society for the better. In The West you’ll find large harbors, temperate forests, and cliffed coasts.

It’s two biggest cities are Gelndala and Nouveau.

Gelndala
The Biggest Stick
Top Export: Machinery

Nouveau
The Progressive Heartbeat
Top Export: Water

The East

Known for their rich, spiritual history, the city states of The East appreciate nature far more than their axial counterparts. But there’s no stopping The Almighty Dollar; recent governments have caved to the deforestation requests of Empira East, to much dismay of citizens. But no protest can beat the demand for jobs, which Empira East so vehemently provides. That said, there are many villages and island towns that have managed to avoid the growing industrial complex. Only time will tell how long such isolation can last. In the East you will find thick rainforests, jagged mountains, and long islet chains of tropical atolls.

It’s two biggest cities are Dhao and Ka’lili

Dhao
The River Haven
Top Export: Wood

Ka’lili
The Everbright Paradise
Top Export: Metals

The North

A strange melting pot of anti-religion and worship of Mother Nature, the cities of The North are known for their cold weather and isolation. Though the incredibly-sized Vistov has seen the onset of rapid industrialization, the near-mythical Bjordland is one of the last bastions of wilderness. The island is home to a different type of pirate: the Viking. Vistrov has many times tried to claim the Bjordland island only to, time and time again, fail miserably.

It’s two biggest cities are Bjorðland and Vistrov.

Bjorðland
The Last Bastion
Top Export: Fish

Vistrov
The Everlasting Land
Top Export: Wool

The South

The warm and sunny cities of The South were the first to be settled on The Private Isles, and the first to expand and explore The Public Domain as of late. These cities are often rich in local culture and trade, and given lax governmental standards, see a more open freedom-of-expression. As the wealth gap increases, this, of course, is changing. Religion has played a long and vital role in The South, and is again merging with its governance. In The South you will find golden beaches, scorched deserts, dense metropolises, and the infamous Pirate Bay.

It’s two biggest cities are La Salena and Zurkan

La Salena
The Lively Island
Top Export: Fruit

Zurkan
The Sun-Kissed Getaway
Top Export: Spices

The Pirate Bay

The Royal Atoll

Far off the coast of La Salenas is an island once purposely left off maps for fear of discovery; where the executives of Empira go to celebrate and the City State Dukes retreat to feast; where the rich get richer and the rivers flow with silver (figuratively). This of course is the Royal Atoll, a tax free getaway that remained a secret for decades. Rumors were starting to spread, as hauling and building materials can only stay out of sight for so long, and it all came crashing down in a plume of smoke.

Also being a stockpile for weaponry, a diverse group of workers had been hauling a vessel to and fro for weeks, taking notice of this disturbing seclusion. Though they were under an NDA (which, side note, are signed in blood) one Bjordlandic carpenter, Sven Sandström, was fed up with the riches he saw and hatched a devious plan; the workers would increase the order and shipment of blackpowder barrels until, one-by-one, the stockpile was unfathomably large. Up on the hillside, once the workers had quietly left their shackles and vessels in the middle of the night, a single shot from a Long Rifle would set off an explosion, leaving the atoll claimed by the workers, now known as Sven’s Sveven.

What they didn’t predict… was a volcanic eruption occurring at the same time.

No Bueno Volcano

The No Bueno Volcano, the highest peak of the Royal Atoll, was named to keep commoners away, but it ended up a flare for the opposite. The combined explosion was heard all the way to the mainland, leaving a visible smokestack for weeks. Most of Sven’s Seven survived, and in the coming weeks they would face an onslaught of Privateers and Empirates coming to reclaim the island. Miraculously, the Svenven resisted time and time again (typical Bjordlander), leaving the Royal Atoll fully absorbed by Pirates. It’s unknown if Sven himself is still alive, but eventually Empira cut their losses, the war slowed, word got out, and a new era began.

The Pirate Bay

With the Royal Atoll totaled, the island would become known as The Pirate Bay. The barrel explosion left millions of coins scattered in the shallow water creating The Doubloon Lagoon—no doubt sought after by many curious folk from the mainland. Reaching legendary status, traveling to The Pirate Bay and its refuge, of course, became officially illegal in a unanimous vote from the IIC in 1715. This only increased public curiosity, as U-Ship reported record numbers of lost vessels.

The Pirate Bay has become a haven for scoundrels, and their first stop to freedom on the way to the greatest discovery in all of history… The Public Domain.