Tamerynd

The largest of the Pirate Isles, the Island of Tamerynd has long been a seething haven of pirates, outlaws and the worst of Creation's scum. At the conclusion of the Third Age of Man, Tamerynd was hit particularly hard by the Crimson Plague and the dwindling populace fought for control of the coastal waters near the island and the rapidly-dwindling food supply. Since the dawn of the Fourth Age of Man, the Island has slowly been repopulated by exiles and outlaws from all three continents, but it is also being 'rediscovered' by nations seeking to gain profit or build empire on the "unclaimed" Pirate Isles, using the fertile shores of Tamerynd as their base. Unfortunately, orcs settled on the heavily-forested western shore of the Island during the Dark Times and rumors persist that they are building a pirate navy of their own.

Tamerynd Island

Tamerynd Island

Geographic Info

Continent: Duria

Location: Central Betshaban Ocean, south of the Pirate Sea and southwest of the Sea of Marosh.

Government

Government Type: Anarchistic Confederation (Warcaptains, Captains, First Mates)

Ruler: Ostensibly, the Warcaptains, though Tamerynd has no real ruler

Arms: Multiple variations of the Jolly Roger, unique to each ship or pirate fleet

Coinage: None minted

Capital: Deepbirth (pop 34,500)

Alliances: Stormward Isle, the Island of Harshwind, Marosh

Hostilities: The maritime merchants of the Maroshan & Pirates' Seas; naval forces of the Kingdom of Koramia, the Freecity of Neptaris, the Kingdom of Narbonne, the Syndicracy of Aescalapea, the Kingdom of Eeridia and the burgeoning navy of the Kingdom of Nadera.

Society

Population: ~750,000 (60% human, 30% orc, 5% orc, 5% other)

Languages: Aebasan, Koramian, Neptaran, Tamerish, Zetian

Important Persons: Regas Dall, retired Warcaptain; Theodorus the Black, Warcaptain of the Carnifex; Bonny Billy Blood, Captain of the Lucinde Mae

Religious Info

Pantheon: Imperial

Patron: None

Geography

The island of Tamerynd is dominated by a central plateau that rises from a series of peaks that become taller and more jagged towards the center of the island. Many of these mountains are volcanic, spewing lava dangerous fumes into the region before going silent, only for another nearby mountain to erupt unexpectedly. The hills and lowlands around these mountains tend to be fairly rocky and make for poor agriculture, though there are some small agricultural and fishing communities along the shore to generate enough food to support the population of the few larger ports that rim the island. The dense Orqneal Wood dominates the western shore, where several significant shipyards lay during the Third Age of Man, before the region was conquered by a wandering orcish tribe from Vor Midal.

A notable feature offshore of Tamerynd is the Bosom of Betshaba, an area of ocean just southwest of Tamerynd with no significant currents and poor winds, leading to doldrums that sometimes entrap the unwary, leaving ships drifting for weeks or even months as their crew slowly starve to death.

History

For as long as history records, the Island of Tamerynd has been a haven for pirates, low-lifes, and outlaws. Any vice can be found in the island's many coastal cities for those outsiders brave or foolish enough to search for them. Anyone is accepted on the island, as long as they can survive. There is no real guard or army that can be fielded, few courts, and no substantial law. The Island is "ruled" by a group of seventeen Warcaptains, ship captains who have been successful in their raids and are the wealthiest pirates in all the land. They have composed a body of rules (they are too loosely formed to be termed actual "laws") called the Compact, which regulates the activities of the pirates of the Island on land.

During the Dark Times, the Crimson Plague swept through the island like a reaping tide. What civilization there was collapsed in disease, anarchy and blood; crews died at anchor or fled in madness, bringing the Plague with them to other lands. Those who remained tore each other apart for control of the ruined harbors. The only major figure to survive that period was the half-elven Warcaptain Regas Dall. It was also during this time that an orcish tribe who would be known as the Gravewake tribe broke off from the Horde as it tore through the Divian Peninsula and colonized the abandoned shipyards and verdant forests of the western shores of the island.

By the dawn of the Fourth Age of Man, all contact with Tamerynd Island had ceased and rumors of what had happened there during the Dark Times were rampant. But the Great Gyre continues to flow and pull the detritus of civilization to Tamerynd. Deepberth was re-founded on the grave of the old city and blood conflict after bloody conflict resulted in a semi-stable group of Warcaptains again rising among the pirates and thugs who came to the island. By 2092 NC, the Warcaptains were again meeting in Deepberth and composed a new Compact to manage their interactions.

The city of Deepberth, where the Warcaptains meet once every six years to debate and re-write the Compact, is a wild and vast city of murder, deceit, and intrigue, one in which an individual can become destitute, wealthy, and dead all in the same night. It has no ruler, though it has sometimes had a mayor when someone was strong enough to take and hold the title. The Warcaptains certainly hold the most sway over the town, though various criminal leaders also have quite a bit of power in their own right. The aging half-elf and retired Warcaptain, Regas Dall, operates as one of the more powerful fences in the city and could easily claim the position of mayor should it suit him.

Economy

The weather of Tamerynd is mild compared to its sister islands, Stormwind and Harshwind. Agriculture along the coast is sparse, but enough to supply the inns, taverns and supply stores of the Island, but not nearly enough for export. The interior of the island is a mountainous, dangerous place that few venture into. It is said that there is some ancient, vast city in the center of the mountain range, and strange and powerful creatures protect it. Thus far, none have returned from an expedition into the center of the island, and fewer and fewer try every year.

The economy of Tamerynd is as chaotic as its society: the fencing and smuggling of stolen goods is one of the most pervasive and lucrative industries on the island, though no small number of pirate crews are willing to turn privateer for a time and operate as mercenaries for more civilized nations, should the pay be good enough. Inns and taverns dominate in every port and there are even some growing vintners, distilleries and breweries in agricultural areas who are starting to lay claim to some of the available ill-gotten gains of the pirates. A burgeoning alchemical industry is also on the rise, with expeditions into the jungles and even some few into the highlands of the island searching for rare alchemical components and reagents from the jungles. Finally, the slave trade is thriving in the towns of Tamerynd unlike anywhere else in the world; now that the Great Empire has fallen and most of its successor states have outlawed slavery (or reimagined it in terms of serfdom), the slave trade has found a new home in the twisted alleyways of major towns like Deepberth.

Recently, warships from various nations have begun intruding into the pirate-infested waters and a few have even established small, temporary colonies to harvest resources on the island to ship home for profit. In particular, the merchants of the Freecity of Neptaris and the paladins of the Kingdom of Koramia have established colonies, with the former claiming expanding tracks of unclaimed jungle along the southern shore as a colonial possession.

Religion

Taltos the Deepdweller is the most popular deity among the pirates of Tamerynd, though the Warcaptains rarely get involved in supporting or suppressing any religious practice. Even Betshaba the Wavequeen has worshippers in some coastal settlements, though openly worshipping Betshaba can be deadly in some areas. The Neptaran colonists tend to worship Minos the Cockerel and those of the Koramian colony primarily worship Vortumnus the Glorius. Other deities that enjoy a significant number of worshippers include Adrasteia the Handmaiden, Goddess of Rivers and Streams, Britomaris the Rogue, Goddess of Thieves, Furinus the Liberator, God of Wine, Themis the Child, God of Mischief and Phlegethon Ironfist, God of Tyranny.

This page has been identified as needing a map for clarity.

See Also

• Deepberth
• Personalities of Tamerynd

 

This article is part of the Player's Guide to Duria

Introduction ·  Economics and Trade ·  Legends and History ·  Religion ·  Regions and Realms

Regions and Realms on Duria

Geographic Regions · Nations and Realms