Post by Kurosaki on Aug 29, 2010 20:07:05 GMT -5
Created by Pablo, improved by Aubs
◊- Name of Island: Battalia Isla
◊- Society: Elder Kingdom
◊- Size of Island: Slightly smaller than Punk Hazard
◊- Location: End of the Warring Route
◊- Log Pose Time: 3 Weeks (21 days)
◊- Climatic Type:Autumn
◊- Climate: The islands tends to be of a mild climate with varying degrees of precipitation. The air is usually humid and mild with high degrees of moisture. What this creates is a generally foggy, mildly warm landscape that can range from hot and sticky to mild and chilly. While this does create many opportunities to work all year around, it is perhaps not the most cheerful place to live.
◊- Island Appearance: The first thing one would notice as they approach Battalia is the sheet of fog that covers the sea around the island. Because of the islands precipitation, the fog that forms on the island rolls off into the ocean until it is spent. When one breaches that fog they arrive at the island proper, and are greeted with a low plain full of old stone relics symbolizing the sheer eons in time that people have spent on the island of Battalia. This is the only entry to the island from the Warring Route, as more steep crags jut out of the ocean, and the fog obscures most of the nearby area, making it nearly impossible to pass around the island without stopping on this beachhead without local guides. It is not yet apparent, but the island of Battalia is shaped like a spearhead, with a shallow entry, a wide base and a tapered point. This beachhead acts as the shaft of that spear, and as you mount the lone hill the weapon-head begins while the island expands east and west, explaining the mountain-faces that bookend the beach.
This beachhead of gravel and rocks breaks up into grass littered with high stone pillars forged with sweat and time. It is so shallow and flat for the first half a mile that in there are intermittent pools halfway up the beach head before the grass begins. Bookended by high, sharp cliffs the beach begins and ends abruptly but could fit a large amount of ships on its shallow shore if it needed to.
As you leave the shoreline however the landscapes begins to till and bump as the elevation raises a good hundred feet in one big hill. Atop this hill of grass and rock opens a scene of
Peat and muck from the upcoming marshes, and do not usually sustain much life, which goes on for miles. Curiously enough, these marshes are also littered with strange waypoints that guide travelers where they will, without much concern for where exactly that is. But after these plains of mud and gunk the hills begin in earnest, and so does the more sustainable land and peat. Amidst these hills and dales is very fertile land where small hamlets have formed and ranges of livestock can be seen. Due to the shape of the island this section takes up the second largest portion of the island, next to the very vide bog that covers the first section.
On either side of the island are sheer cliffs cut from the crashing waves, along with tall spires of rock and churning depths. The island as a whole is shaped as an arrowhead, with that low beachhead acting as the base before it goes up the big hill and spreads out wide into marsh and then rolling hills. While it rises from sea level to roughly 400 feet above sea level the island stays at that height give or take a few contour intervals. But before long the island tapers quickly into its arrowhead of rock and stone, leaving behind the hills and meadows and bogs, this arrowhead of spear point looks out from its vantage of the quickly approaching end of the Grand Line, and very little fog if any every blocks that view. It is where that the city that the island is known for sits, the hardened stone city of Battalia.
◊- Flora and Fauna:
Flora
Bog Fauna- The myriad of bog related plants can be characterized by an astounding number of semi-water treated and wet woodland orientated species. There are dozens of ferns and mosses that cling to the small trees of birch alder and willow. These small trees come in the largest groups near the standing water that collects atop stickier, thicker patches. Most of the plants are edible.
Open plains fauna- Trees of all variations clog up the few forests on the island that are by definition temperate rainforests due to all of their rain and teething life. In the rolling plains not considered bog however the variation is less so and consists of mostly grass with pockets known for growing herbs. There is a legend however that centers on a strange clover with a certain number of leaves. It is said that eating these cloves can grant one magical properties for a short amount of time. Finally, a very important crop has been grown in the fields of Battalia for generations, known as the potato it is a world-renown food source that has been cultivated here for years. And even though most of the domestic crop goes to the people, a thriving trade around the potato has grown over the years.
Peata- Peata is the most common substance on the island. It is a strange substance that forms from the slowed decomposition of plant life due to high water levels. Peata is special because it burns in a heavy smoke that can be used as energy or a heat source. Additionally it is strong enough when compounded to build structures out of or insulate an already standing structure. Peata is far and away the most valuable resource on Battalia Isle, and is the backbone of the society’s infrastructure.
Fauna
Sacred Bull/Buffalant-The pride and joy of Battalia Isle. The Buffalant, sometimes called the Sacred Bull is a beast of burden that is nearly ten feet long, six feet tall and weighs over a ton. A hulking brute of heavy, shaggy fur and powerful horns it is docile but easily aroused when challenged. The horns of this animal go out in one direction, much like a long horn bull, up and back like a deer, and sometimes down like a ram. What this creates is a large series of weapons that can be used to attack and charge with. However, even though these animals are eaten and used as workmen, there are those that are actually worshipped. For you see, every so often a Buffalant is born with a golden cusp formed in the middle of their forehead, like a horn that never grew. Those animals are considered to be the rebirth of ancient warriors who have died. Symbolizing the reincarnation of heroes and the eternity of the warrior, they are the most holy thing on the island, and a treated like divinity. Islanders will kill and throw away their lives for these Sacred Bulls.
Red Deering- A main food source for some of the bog predators and the lesser known animals on the island, as well as a prize for most hunters, the Deering is well known because of its red coat made of very soft fur. Secondly, it’s large set of horns stand up a good 2-3 feet off its head, and has uses as a weapon. The dense coat that the Red Deering has is known to pick up debris over the course of the year, making the animal look like it is growing leaves and branches out of its coat.
Puffineer- The puffineer is a small bird with a brightly colored peak much like those seen in a curious area called Jaya. However that is where the comparisons end, as the Puffineer is a much more violent bird, known for fighting each other over the best perching areas directly above the ocean where they feed. The island of Battalia has many animals, but these make our list because of that violence. The Puffineer uses his wings as weapons against other animals. However they tend to leave other birds alone.
Bog Lizards (Vivi)- The common Bog Lizard, referred to normally as the Vivi or the Peata-eater is a lizard who is known for, you guessed it, eating copious amounts of peata. They make their homes in the bogs of the island, snuggling down into the peata and raising their young, which are born alive instead of in eggs. The amount of peata that they consume has given them the strange ability to breath out smog, a thick, dark cloud of the stuff that can blind and sometimes suffocate. The more that the animal eats the bigger it gets, and they have been known to grow up to twenty feet long. They will however not bother travelers as long as their bog-dens are left alone.
◊- Inhabitants:While most islands might have some peoples attached to it, those that live on Battalia are instead peoples from the rest of the Warring Route who have settled on the island. In reality, Battalia does have a natural people, but because of its long history the country has seen many dictatorships and hostile takeovers. In essence, with each successful conqueror who has taken to the Warring Route and reached the end of the dangerous series of islands has found waiting for them only one thing; the cold, eerie shores of Battalia Isle. Those armies never made it past, with few exceptions , and as such have made their home on the island. The peoples who owned the island were at one point a collection of clans that both farmed the land and mined the mighty bluffs, striving out a living. Since then however the city at the crest of the island has become home to manner of all warriors that come to the island but never leave.
The tribes and bands, squadrons and armies that have made it here are strengthened by their journeys, but differ in their origins. Those of harsh winter islands with thick beards live side by side with dark skinned men of the heavy sun. Despite the mixture of where the people come from they are without question one of a few types of people. They are either former soldiers, former pirates or former raiders. While each may differ in what the precise make up of those elements are they are all warriors of some nature and as such have a predominantly male driven society with simple needs. The women on the island predominately are from the islands around Battalia or are from families older and more naturalized to the island. They might also have come as warriors themselves, as a few distinct families have at one point. But generally the clans can be traced to back to the generations they have spent on the island.
The final aspect of note for the peoples of the island deals with the contrast between the new comers and the entrenched clans. As groups come to the island they must more or less earn their way into the large city of Battalia, while individuals themselves have to be either accepted into a family or clan, or even more rarely win the right to their own name and be left alone.
So in summary the important thing to know about the citizens of Battalia Isle is that they are warriors from out the history of the Warring Route and can be read as a moving history of the warriors from the world that have survived in armies’ whole and broken to this point. The people are generally hearty and warriors by their nature, but as their groups are accepted or form clans that are entrenched on the island they tend to expand into farming and textiles. The influence of a family can be seen in whole long they have been on the island or how large their congregation is. Finally warriors can earn their right to form their own families if they dare to, but for the most part this clan system of warriors forged from different armies and forces, and from different eras in warfare create the lingering feeling of struggle and the pervasive peace that seep into the very mud of the island.
◊- Prominent Organizations, Groups and Establishments:Clan- Clans make up the base of the Battalia society. Families are combined together through marriage, enterprise or war and become much larger units called Clans. These clans run the different businesses in the country, as well as make up the governing body. In order to be successful you must deal with other clans, so learning to function within the insular structure of clans allows you to mobility on the island that would be unavailable to an outsider. You could consider Clans the backbone of the government on the island. It is the leaders of the Clans that make up the governing body, known as the Kingsmoot.
Kingsmoot- The Kingsmoot is the collection of Clan Heads that run the country of Battalia. They make all decisions that influence the island as a whole, and as such are granted great power. Each member of the Moot is the leader of one of the most powerful Clans. Because of this, the collection of leaders relies on dealing with one another to actually govern. This leads most definitely to drama, deal-making and back-stabbing. But remembers, it’s just politics; and even though the Kingsmoot essentially runs the island of Battalia, they are not the most influential person on it, as that distinction goes to only one man.
Ironborn- That man is known simple as Ironborn. His actual name is forgotten when he earns that title, and no single man has as much influence of Battalia society as he does. Simply put, the Ironborn is the strongest warrior on an island of warriors. He is revered as the strongest and worshipped as the mightiest. While the Ironborn has no power of the council that forms the Kingsmoot, an antiquated group of men as old as the original kingdom that was on the island, his word carries far more weight. How one becomes the Ironborn is not known, and the only way to know the Ironborn if you are an outsider is by the symbol he is allowed to wear on his clothes, a wrought iron circle with a X through the middle. It is ill-advised to confront the Ironborn, and that is about all you can about it.
◊- Trends:Fashion
Clothing is functional in Battalia. Most wear armor of varying sorts, from leather jerkin to full plate mail depending on their status and clout. Even the most unknown of men will carry some type of armor as a status symbol of their skill in battle. These pieces of battle-wear commonly have clan symbols so that everyone knows where they stand. It should be said however that not all armor is the same. Some clans tend to prefer light leather with shawls that cover the face. Others will only be seen in steel mail with a robe sashed around it. One group from the high deserts of the Warring Route wears only silks when they are in public, revealing much about their bodies. Women tend to be more conservative in their wear, and many do not sport armor save those of warrior clans. And finally, to not carry a weapon on the island would make you stand out more than anything else, as even children carry a dagger for work. Do not be fooled by the gaudy armor however, not everyone who carries heavy plate or glamour scale can match a wanderer in battle. Be on guard, always.
Politics
Clan Politics- It is the clans that run the country, as anyone on the island knows. It is the clans that give individuals status, as well as form the backbone of the lineage of the people. People are proud of or dissatisfied with the history of their people, and for a country that prides itself on its strength and fortitude your worth is measured in your deeds. It is considered the pinnacle of success to be the leader of a clan, and those people that come and are fortunate enough to join one or be allowed to make one are very respected. Your clan is what allows you to work where you do and keep the company you do. It can be very rigid at times, but it can also be very fluid, it all depends on the politics of the Kingsmoot and the feelings of the Clan Heads.
Kingsmoot- The Kingsmoot, as stated is the collection of Clan Heads that council and confers over the running of the islands affairs. It leads to many heated discussions between men and women of generally the same power and stature. There is a great deal of backstabbing and deal-making, while generally each clan tries to give themselves the best chance to succeed. However, the Kingsmoot always comes together in the face on an enemy, and for that the island is generally safe from external harm. It is during times of war however that the power over the entire army is passed to the Ironborn, though this has not been done in many years. It is unclear how the Kingsmoot deals with the World Government, as they do not have a formal seat within the government. It is known to the members of the Moot though, that they are relied upon by the World Government to stop warriors from leaving the Warring Route. It is implied that as long as they do so the island will be left alone, whether that is true or not has yet to be seen.
Ironborn- While most consider the Kingsmoot the seat of power on the island, those that call this place home know that it is the Ironborn that has the heart of the people. They worship the Ironborn as what is best about their country, their strength. He is without question the strongest warrior on an island full of warriors. What he says about you can change the entire islands perspective, and crossing him is a death wish. It is unknown how the title of Ironborn passes from one man to the next, but it only happens once per generation. What is known is that seeing the Ironborn fight is a marvel to behold.
Industry
Three trades are the leaders of industry on Battalia Isle. The first is the harvest and production of Peata. A resource used by many poor nations to fuel lifestyles that would otherwise be unavailable, Peata is bought and sold for high quantities. As Battalia is the largest supplier in the world of the substance it deals in the most per year. Some families trade in it for their livelihoods, but as most of the supply is away from the city those Clans are hardly seen save a few representatives. Most of the time they are in the swamps and bogs either protecting their crop or toiling to earn their berri.
The second industry of renown on the island is that of the Textile market. Many sheep and wool-producing animals are found in the higher lands just off the bog, and some clans have made it their lives work to raise the legion of sheep that must produce wool used for making clothes. Most of this supply is sold to the World Government at discounted prices (of course) and used to create uniforms for the Marines. The sheep that are needed to produce such copious amounts of wool are protected from both predators and other shepherds by whatever clan owns the lot. Fights over livestock have been very blood in the past.
The final market of note is that which is most served in the Warring Route, and is without question the culmination of the many successful campaigns that have ended at Battalia. This market is that of the weapons. While other countries might specialize in the creation of gadgets, Battalia still does blacksmithing the old fashion way. Weapons, Arrows and Armor are made here by hand, and just like all other trades on the island this is controlled at the Clan Level. The wealthiest of the clans hold control over the smiths, and have the luxury of using their products to arm themselves against other clans.
Cuisine
There are very few things that would be considered delicacies that come from the hard ground of Battalia Isle, but there is certainly one thing that men would fight over at the table, assuming they were not already fighting of course. The sacred bull meat. The bulls on the island are cared for greatly as livestock, but it is the ones that have been dubbed holy, and that die of natural causes that are the most delicious to eat. These bulls are pampered throughout their lives and treated as the reincarnations of fallen warriors. It is said that each mouthful can change your life. In addition however, very thick foods including potatoes and other gamey meat mixed with the many roots and spices on the island tend to make for fattening food. It is good, but not really delicate.
◊- NPCS:
Ironborn- The Ironborn simple is what he is, the Ironborn. This warrior is worshiped on the island as the pride of its people. He is without question the strongest warrior on an island full of warriors. What he says about you can change the entire islands perspective, and crossing him is a death wish. It is unknown how the title of Ironborn passes from one man to the next, but it only happens once per generation. As such we do not discuss the Ironborn in this brochure, you will know him when you see him. Keep in mind that he is the only one allowed to wear the Ironborn symbol of the crossed circle.
Kingsmoot Clan Leaders: Listed below are three of the most influential members of the Kingsmoot. They are not the only members, simply some that are known very well for various deeds.
Tybalt “Shadowfax” Xalvador. The newest member of the Kingsmoot, Tybalt is seen mostly as an unknown force. His astronomical rise in power and wealth on the island over the last few years has been unprecedented. Also, his people, a southern tribe from more arid regions of the world are seen as not completely trustworthy. It does not help that there clan is newly accepted and now recently powerful. Tybalt on the whole is known for his crafty nature, and his ability to strike compromise from the depths of sheer hatred. He received the name shadowfax from his people though, and while no one outside of the clan knows what the name signifies, it tends to lead to a great deal of mystery. While he is not trusted, he is by no means disliked. The wildcard, the man known as Shadowfax, Tybalt Xalvador.
Alys “Dame” Ellyn. A crafty woman known to have bedded an Ironborn. Whether or not it was true is now besides the point, and it earned her the nickname of “Dame”, and many enemies for supposedly losing the sanctity of the Ironborn. Kidding aside though Alys is perhaps the shrewdest of the Kingsmoot and has a better eye for politics than most of the Clan Heads. The interesting facet of all this however is that Ms. Ellyn is of a landed family, meaning she draws most of her influence from her heritage and not from deeds or business credentials. This gives her decidedly less pull than other members of the Moot. However, her adept political nature allows her to be completely overt in her desires and still get away with her schemes. She might be the most dangerous of them all.
Walter “The Tower” Rulf. In his youth Walter was considered to be a favorite to take over the Ironborn title later in life. Even though no one can really say how the Ironborn is decided it is believed that he is simply the strongest fighter on the island, and without trying the young Rulf looked the part. A towering man of nearly 10 feet tall and broad of shoulder, even at a young age he appeared to be in a league of his own. However, his gentler spirit got the better of him, and he took to raising livestock. He has made quiet the living with the bulls he has raised, and has to his name more of the Sacred Bulls than any other man. He tends to be a calming force on a council full of hot heads, the gentle giant; The Tower, Walter Rulf.
◊- Town(s)/Village(s)/City or Cities:
Battalia: The namesake of the island, and the only true city on it, Battalia is a marvel in its own regard. Originally it was a small castle built from stone quarried on the island proper. Over time however the city has expanded with the arrival and subsequent need to house more and more warriors. Stone was continually brought in to build outward on the precipice that forms the arrowhead of the irregularly shaped landmass. Made entirely of stone and brick, the city is housed inside of a series of walls that rose as more began to call the island home. The building did not stop there however, as over time the need for a true port arose. The best candidate became the sheer cliffs on either side of the city, leading to the logical conclusion of cutting into the cliffs and building down the 400 feet or so to a stone port surrounded by a high seawall of the same shabby colored rock. Houses sprung up along the pathway cut into the rock face and then into the caves within, while wenches and pulleys formed a new mode of transportation between the two locales. But enough of that, from the center point of the city where the original castle was built along with its wall the city spreads outward until it reaches the angled slopes on either end, where the largest of all walls rises up to keep the city from tumbling over the side and into the thrashing waters below. This wall is so big in fact that blocks of city have been built atop of them, allowing for a very pleasant view.
The most prosperous Clans still remain in the vicinity of the original settlement, which has now grown lavish in comparison to its neighboring blocks. Enshrined by the original garrison, made by kings of names forgotten, the streets here are hedged with low fences, and grass is very present, which is much unlike the rest of the city. This place would seem more like a large park than a city if one were to remain in this part of the town, within its tight walls. Most of the homes and sub towers have been replaced with houses for important clans and high retail shops that deal in whatever goods make it on the island. It is not until you leave this gated community though that you see what the real city holds, just in the shadow of the nameless castle.
The streets are made of cobblestone and lined with Peata lambs about 8 feet high at a standard interval. Each day someone must come and light the substance, and it will burn for the night and into the morning, where it will be replaced. You can usually tell just how well-kept a neighborhood is by the status of its Peata lambs. Houses tend to be squat and heavy, made of stone and brick from the island, and they tend to connect in many places, making the smaller streets more important as the congestion rises. Subsequent walls from different eras with slightly different looks separate the city here and there, and each small section has its own flair for what makes it into the area. This is mostly decided by whatever clan or clans have residences there. Every so often a natural square is made amongst the walls, which have naturally become small parks used for relaxation and fighting (which as you could imagine is a pastime of the youth). The same can be said for other developed squares and neighborhoods where tradesmen have traveled to, such as a fletchers alley or Hammer and Anvil way.
To return only for a moment to the outer walls however, where the stonework is so large that city blocks were built atop the structure, it should be noted that this is the area that many of the clanless live. While it might offer nice views of the island and the ocean it will undoubtedly be the first place to be attacked by a besieging enemy, placing the clanless as the fodder while the city prepares for a counterattack. The same can be said for those that live on the cliff-face and even more so in the caves beneath. They are generally unprotected from the elements and an attacking force, if one was ever able to reach them on the reverse side of the city. The caves while unique tend to be the haven of the poor also, that or areas to complete sometimes better unseen business. While no one is sure how far back these caves in the rock face go there are a set of large steel doors that are paired shut deep within it where the lights run out, and they are the only few lights that are maintained by the guardsmen in the shantytown that are the caves. Perhaps held within is the support for the hulking stone city above that keeps the caves from collapsing the structure, or perhaps it is some type of vault. Perhaps we will never know at all.
While Battalia holds many unique areas and mysteries it is hard to explain in such a confined method. As such the best way to discover just what the city offers is to go and see it for yourself. But be wary, regardless of where you are in the city you had best remember that most here can wield a weapon, and crossing the line between respectable and arrogant can cost you more than a tongue lashing.
Clan Homes: These homes come in many shapes, but all tend to me rather large compared to normal homes of individual families. Clan Homes are for the clan to meet, discuss, party, hold processions and do business. While many a guild has started at a local pub or at a wayside dock in the rocky shore, all successful Clans work their way from a single point of entry and arrive at this stage, that of luxury. It would be hard to describe every single Clan Home, but be assured that all have an area to meet, an area to eat, places of business, places of sleep and stay for members, quarters for the leader of the Clan and their family, and most include trivialities that the Clan Leader enjoys, such as a sparring ring or an archer range. Perhaps if you are successful enough you may be able to build your own Clan Home also, whether it is from the stone of the City or off in the countryside.
Swamp Dens: There are small collections of houses near or even inside the bog known as Dens These Dens house some of the more subtle aspects of the islands culture, and aren’t really the best place for travelers to be. If nothing else, expect to find very little peace in the bog land between those that having nothing to lose, those that make a living from the death of the bog, and from the animals that help provide that death. Be advised when you stumble around in an area with Dens that the people below your feet may not want you around them. Other than that, these places only service a family or two, and as such as easy to miss.
◊- Island Map: None
◊- Missions: N/A
◊- Island History: The history of Battalia Isla, also called Battalia Isle or just Battalia, is set upon its stage of a landscape. A curiously arrowhead shaped island that rises from sea level to somewhere over 400 feet above the water, and surrounded by sheer deathly rocks beneath the glassy surface, the island might surprise many that it even exists at all. It doesn’t help that the Autumn island has high amounts of precipitation that create a good deal of fog, most of which floats out onto the water surrounding the island, making it nearly invisible until you arrive at a single beachhead with strange stone obelisks from the first islanders. Speaking of which, not much is known about those islanders except the following:
Years before there was a World Government there was still the Grand Line, and on the Grand Line there were islands fighting each other. At the end of one of those predestined routes through chaos was an island not so unlike Battalia, with a small kingdom held up in a tiny stone castle, living off their land. The next part of history repeats itself a few dozen times over, but goes a bit like this. An army decided that it wanted to conquer its neighbors, and in its rush to find its next challenge they washed upon the shores of this island. As they fought against the Battalians they found that even if they won in battle they could never win a war. If they fought their way through the swamps and bogs they would only find themselves up against the walls of a castle, now unable to siege it because of the loses they had sustained. And in the most precarious situations the ground itself would be turned against them and begin to burn, putting up dark smoke and ruining formations.
But the armies couldn’t run either, for if they made it back to their ships then they would only find that they couldn’t escape the islands grip. Either the fog rushed them unknowingly into the crags and cliffs of the island, or the waves did them in. And so, just in their time of weakness, after the army had gone to tatters the gates would open and the real fighting began. Now, just who eventually did beat back the small kingdom on the island no one really knows. But what we do know is that as armies were reduced to mere handfuls of warriors the fighting would stop, with nowhere to run they eventually surrendered, and when they did the Battalians would accept it unconditionally. Whatever leader they elected would enter the city, be received by whoever ran the country (for no King is mentioned in history by name) and then the refugees would be allowed into the city. Over the years this type of expansion allowed the city to grow with a very select group of citizens; warriors. Fighters of all kinds, be they swordsmen’s, raiders, walkers-of-sand of the very occasional cavalryman they were allowed to stay, and as they did so they would build their own sections of the city. Each was only slightly different in its arraignment and in its construction, but much of work was done with the help of the Battalians before them. Now whether this was the master plan of some great mind or just a series of mercies given from one warrior to another is not anything that we have record of, but still this pattern was blatantly obvious.
And what it did was create a prosperous country of warriors centered on the idea of accepting new warriors into their culture if they earned the right through drive or strength. That is the Battalia Isla we know today.
Most things of note have been addressed already but a few should be covered again. Battalia is run by groups of people known as Clans. Clans conduct business with each other and generally find profit in their abilities. The leaders of these Clans form a council called the Kingsmoot which is believed to be the remnants of whatever council led the country in its early years. While the society is based on these clans the single unit that is a warrior is held in the highest regard. Fighters are well known from this island and almost all of the men that reside here are former pirates, former marines or warriors from other countries. Any other man or woman comes from another warrior that arrived on the island years before. From there the families crew and combined into clans based on single purposes, and now they strive to fulfill those roles. That makes life here on Battalia tough but peaceful in most regards. For when another armies arrives with intent to take this island they find instead an army ready for them and with the combined might of many all in one.
A single warrior will inevitable lead them, a man called the Ironborn, whose purpose is unknown but whose influence is unparalleled. Outside of these facts people will find that the island is hospitable as long as you do not cause trouble for the people. Food is plenty and the sites are interesting to say the least. A home can be found if you are able to earn the respect to own it and if you are able then you will be shown the way past the island. The people know it, but it too must be earned. The people are hearty and the fighting is dangerous, the places are entertaining and the sense of time can get lost in the day to day grind of leaving with nothing on your mind about making a better life for yourself.
A true paradise for the veteran who has put down his weapons, but still keeps them by his bed.
Battalia Isla, the Island of Warriors.