DARKTIMES: The Vymar Delta
It has been suggested that the islanders who inhabit the Vymar Delta are a fortunate race. It is true that the geography of the area did aid their development. Close to the sea, the broad, slow-moving Vymar River divides into four channels. Here, the build-up of sediment over many millennia has created a number of islands, large and small. Most of this area is protected from the winds and waves of the Western Ocean by the Gulf of Spirits, meaning that the delta is rarely flooded. Over time, the islands became connected — by canal, bridge or boat — and trade and development flourished.
Though the delta is only thirty miles across at its widest, more than twenty-thousand people reside there. The largest island, Efell, is the site of Yosirr, the capital city. The inhabitants refer to themselves simply as the islanders and nobody is entirely sure how long they have occupied this region. Further inland, there are statues that suggest settlement on the shore long before the delta was fully formed.
The region is also fortunate in terms of natural resources. As well as plentiful bounty from the sea such as fish, eel, octopus and the valuable nirwhale, the islanders operate huge salt pans. The salt produced here is of such good quality that it fetches a fine price and is transported as far as The Three Fjords. Additionally, the fertile soils of the inner delta are ideal for reeds, seagrass and several cereal crops.
The islanders are fully aware of their fortune and give thanks to Zya, Goddess of Creation. Every household maintains a shrine to Zya and must daily offer a votive of some kind; even something as small as a seed, a crab leg or a tiny fish is sufficient. The most important structure within the islands is Zya’s Circle, a sacred site made from the bones of leviathans that occasionally wash ashore. The islanders divide the year into five seasons and all five start — and culminate — with a ceremony at the circle. This is presided over by ten holy women, Zya’s earthly representatives in the delta. At least one person from every occupied island is required to attend and these currently number just over two hundred. The smallest are inhabited by only a few but this religious uniformity is the glue that holds the realm together.
Although they occasionally venture inland, the islanders generally keep themselves to themselves. Most fishing vessels do not venture beyond the Gulf of Spirits. Their history is littered with bold explorers who embarked on voyages of discovery only to leave the gulf and never be heard of again. One explorer’s ship washed ashore fully forty years after his departure. A journal was found inside a metal box. Much of the writing was illegible but there was mention of sea sprites, giant whirlpools and patches of floating weed thick enough to walk on. The last entry suggested that his ship encountered a giant creature that first plucked men from the deck before dragging the vessel below the waves.
It is not only the sea — and the leviathans — that they have to fear. For much of their history, the comparatively prosperous islands have faced raids from the aggressive raiders of the Coast of Bones. However, partly due to the rise of the stone plague, the Kylings are seen less and less. Taking advantage of this, the islanders have reinforced their defences, establishing a military outpost on Low Island, which marks the divide between their territory and the Coast of Bones.
The outpost is manned by men and women of the Regent’s Army. Every able-bodied adult between the ages of eighteen and thirty-five must spend one season of every year fulfilling their duties. This usually involves patrolling the beaches, islands or waterways. As well as the larger vessels, islanders are masters of the swift-boat, a low rectangular craft powered by a long oar that doubles as a punting stick in shallow waters. In decades past, duty with the Regent’s Army was greatly feared because the soldiers often faced the ruthless raiders from the Coast of Bones. There are few islands that were not affected at one time or another but these resilient folk always endured. Fighting with the trident as their distinctive weapon, the Regent’s Army also employs round shields bearing the royal emblem and the blue cap that marks them out from civilians. The Regent’s Army is based at Reedhill Keep in Yosirr, only a stone’s throw from the Regent’s Palace.
Though constructed mainly of driftwood, the palace has endured the elements for two centuries and currently provides a home to King Pelopas, descendant of Prince Edron. In private, the king admits to her courtiers that he would like to improve relations with their bitter rivals in the Silver Mountains. A knowledgeable and peaceful king, he has tried to secure Vymar’s future through alliance-building and peace treaties. The most significant of these guaranteed the border area shared with the Low Places. Having apologised for the invasion four centuries earlier, he has now formed a trade agreement with the chiefs of Cray’s Hollow. Dried fish and salt will go east; valuable herbs and medicines will go west. Aided by his two daughters, Pelopas’ next goal is to find a lasting peace with the leaders to his south in Hornburg. The reduced level of hostilities represents an opportunity to make a lasting settlement with the Coast of Bones. If that is achieved, Pelopas believes that an agreement with King Tarikal IV to the north could be his crowning achievement.
He is not sure what to make of developments in the distant Darklands. Realistically, it is too far away to cause his realm too much trouble but what affects the Low Places and the Silver Mountains may eventually affect the delta. He would prefer not to lose any soldiers to such a bloodthirsty pursuit. Then again, he knows that some warriors will wish to represent him and his realm — and he is not inclined to stop them.
