Kaobia

Garden of Athena is a far future realm of Suzerain, part of the Catalyst family of realms. Kaobia is one of the many barbarian garden-planets colonized by the Athenians.

KAOBIA

Geography

The nature on Kaobia is breathtakingly picturesque consisting of thousands of islands, many of them no more than a few hundred square miles, scattered around the equator in a shallow ocean.      This ocean is rarely more than a quarter mile deep, with much of it being less than a hundred feet deep. Some oceanic sink-holes and rifts are scattered across it, however, with the sea floor at several miles below the surface.
     There is a single large continent, but it is located at the North Pole and is completely covered in ice. As a matter of fact, without the ice bound by this continent, Kaobia would be completely covered in water.
     The southern hemisphere has a couple of larger islands; some more than fifty thousand square miles, but the climate is unwelcoming and cruel. This is a relatively new state of affairs, as these southern islands used to be much more welcoming and habitable, but due to a climatic shift, the usual warm water streams that made the islands hospitable seized to flow about 300 years ago. A huge mass-extinction of native plants and animals followed and forced the human population to migrate north en masse.
     Even today Kaobia’s climate is still very unpredictable, especially outside the tropical belt around equator. Particularly the southern hemisphere is dangerous to travelers with storms and hurricanes making it a challenge for even the greatest captains to sail there.

Ancient History

Most of Kaobian history is rather peaceful. The sea and the islands provided plenty of nourishment for the small and scattered tribes that inhabited them, so wars were rare and often fought over trivial matters, such as pride, love or envy, rather than for resources or survival. In those rare instances where the resources got scarce there was always another island to be found and settled by the loosing tribe. In this manner humanity slowly settled the entire circumference of the equatorial sea during the first one and a half thousand years of Kaobian history.
     Things started changing with the settling of the larger and less hospitable islands of the south, most notably Aotearoa. Legend has it that it was settled by a prince who had been thrown off a canoe by his jealous brother who had lured him to sail far south of their normal fishing grounds. But instead of drowning the prince was saved by a whale and he rode it all the way to a new land.      He named it Aotearoa after his tribes’ legends of paradise. While this legend is arguably pure fantasy, it does show the animosity that the southern tribes harbored towards the equatorial tribes and it was to be the cause of much grief later on.
     The southern islands forced the tribes settling there to be much more creative in order to survive. Proper agriculture had to be developed, solid and isolated houses built and granaries constructed and organized to survive the harsh winters. Wars over resources were commonplace and soon political organizations that were much bigger than tribes began to develop. Especially the king of Aotearoa became very powerful, developing a standing army of ferocious warriors and organizing a tax system with the local chiefs acting as representatives of the king.
     For about five hundred years the southern cultures grew stronger and more organized, while the equatorial tribes continued to exist as they had for millennia. While contacts were made constantly during this period, crossing the great open oceans was never easy and trade was scarce.      A few wars were fought, when the southern kings tried to reclaim their “ancestral home-island” in the equatorial sea, but almost without exception any conquests made were lost almost as quickly due to the impossibility of maintaining control with holdings across thousands of miles of sea.

     In 2140 ac disaster struck. For almost a decade winters had grown longer until this year the winter just never ended. Twenty seven months of winter followed, and when spring finally broke it was with terrible storms that leveled all but the sturdiest houses. From 2142-2145 it became clear that the natural flora and fauna could not survive the climate changes, and that the southern islands were no longer habitable for humans either.
     In 2146 ac the kings of the southern islands, with the king of Aotearoa as their leader, build an armada of canoes, boarded their entire population, except the sick and the old, and sailed north towards the warm waters of the equator. Needless to say this journey was perilous to the extreme and thousands upon thousands of people drowned or died of hunger and thirst during the crossing. But despite the losses most made it, and they fell upon the first islands with the bestial fury that only hunger grants man. The wars and conflicts that followed are collectively called “The Immigration Wars”.

     The inhabitants of the islands tried desperately to defend themselves against the hordes, and soon became very good at making their paradise islands virtual deathtraps for invaders. The southern kings could not hold on to their power, but some of them still managed to carve out considerable territories to rule over, often comprising several dozen islands, requiring them to keep their standing armies or hire mercenaries.

Modern History

When the Athenians arrived in 2216 ac the internal conflict had far from settled, and the diplomats and expert xenologists had no trouble finding local allies willing to betray their neighbors. The two first poleis to settle Kaobia was Methone and Sicyon. Despite heroic resistance, especially from the deadly Shark Warriors? the Athenians quickly conquered the larger islands and then threatened or bribed many of the lesser chieftains and kings to give up their sovereignty.
All the major poleis of Athens have holdings on Kaobia, but also smaller poleis often have an island or two, if nothing else, then as a pleasant vacation spot for their rulers. Some very rich individuals, both Athenian but also very rich barbarians, also own a few islands as their personal holdings. But the equatorial sea is littered with thousands upon thousands of islands, and there are still many islands outside the control of the Athenians.
Various tribes often rebel against the foreign control, but so far each and every Kaobian rebellion has been crushed, and often by other Kaobians who have more of a grudge against their own, than they do against the Athenians.

PLACES OF NOTE

The Kia Orana Islands

An almost six hundred miles long chain of islands controlled by Methone. Many of these islands are larger than average for Kaobia, and are among the most populous as well. The Kia Orana Islands suffered much during the Immigration Wars, many of them changing hands several times. When the Methonians arrived the islands were still divided between many warring tribes. The Athenians did not even have to divide; they could proceed directly to conquering. Opposition was fierce still, but many of the common people of the Kia Orana Islands were quite content to accept new masters if it meant the end of the constant wars.
Since the colonization the Methonians have only suffered a few uprisings, mostly over trivial things, and none of them were truly dangerous. Today the colony is among the most peaceful on Kaobia, with a thriving economy based on a combination of fishing, harvesting of pearls, exotic fruits and luxury tourism. There is also an entire local industry taking care of the large number of hoplites and barbarian auxiliaries stationed in the colony. Kaobia is a popular place to get some R&R between assignments for Methonian armies. As a result Methone has the single largest military presence on Kaobia.

Important NPCs

Governor Hippias
(governor from 2400-2406 ac)
A plumb man, suffering from mild alcoholism. He is not incompetent, but no miracle worker either. Most of the colonists are indifferent to him and few of the indigenous Kaobians would even be able to name him. He is not even particularly corrupt, and secretly just wants to return home to his wife and family on Athens.
Strategos Diodotus
A capable commander, respected – if not loved – for his stern demeanor and swift justice. Though still not fifty years old, he has more or less resigned to the idea of serving out his time on Kaobia. He has become rather fond of sailing and hunting Giant Crabs and Dragon Turtles and has several shells to show for it.
Kai the Explorer
A former member of the Royal Explorers Society, Kai is now a successful real estate agent for the rich seeking a different kind of property. Many of the islands he sells are literally “off the map” since he has made a deal with the local ministerial cartographers to save some of their green ink.

The Woleaian Cluster and the Rapanui Islands

These two areas are Sicyon controlled colonies. Being one of the first Athenian poleis to colonize Kaobia, Sicyon controls a vast territory on this watery garden, larger in surface area than any other Athenian power, but it is made up thousands upon thousands of tiny islands. Only the central islands in the Woleaian Cluster and the Rapanui Islands are of significant size. These territories have suffered more than their share of violent rebellions and uprisings. A series of overzealous and inept governors, especially in the decades following the Sakalid War, has made the indigenous population very hard to govern. In addition the Sicyon theocracy has had a hard time converting the local religions into Olympian beliefs, though Poseidon and Hermes have largely been accepted into the pantheon of indigenous gods (not surprisingly many of whom are water or ocean gods).
Sicyon has the second largest military presence on Kaobia, more out of necessity than choice. The current governor (his title is High Priest of Kaobian Zeus) is not as inept as many of his predecessors, but he has not been able to quell a particularly nasty rebel group in the Papanui Islands.

Important NPCs

Theocritus, High Priest of Kaobian Zeus (Governor)
Having completed three successful tours as governor on less troublesome garden, Theocritus is a capable organizer and ruler. He speaks only little, and always chooses his word carefully. In an unorthodox move he has promoted a locally born half-breed to lead the colony’s forces against the current rebellion in the Papanui Islands.
Epiktetos, High Priest of Kaobian Poseidon
Officially Epiktetos is the commander in chief of the considerable colony fleet of both surface and cosmos vessels. Unfortunately he doesn’t like sailing, and space travel makes him seriously sick. So he is mostly found enjoying life on one of his private islands while officially “hunting rebels”.
Theodulus, High Priest of Kaobian Ares
Son of a local woman and an Athenian colonist, Theodulus rose through the ranks of the locally raised phalanxes. He caught the eye of High Priest Theocritus who named him High Priest of Kaobian Ares and put him in charge of the considerable forces fighting the Papanui rebels. He is young, and very, very ambitious.

Polynesia

This Megaran colony is probably the richest of the Athenian possessions on Kaobia. Consisting of about nine hundred inhabited islands, many of them quite small, and countless thousands of uninhabited islands and islets, it covers more than five million square miles of ocean. In order to keep control over this huge territory, Megara has developed a system of movable prefectures based on ships. Each prefect acts as a combination of a judge, tax collector and military commander, with his own small army, and fleet, as well as bureaucrats and other aids. Many of these prefects are local Kaobians, happily acting on behalf of their Athenian masters, since many of them seem to get surprisingly rich during their tenure. As long as the profits keep flowing, the Megaran governors rarely intervene. Naturally this system have let to great abuse and many protests and conflicts, but mostly they have been focused on one prefect or another, and occasionally the Megaran rulers have stepped in and removed or killed an unpopular prefect, acting as “friends of Kaobian people”, making it hard for a real organized opposition to gain momentum. The system has worked for almost two centuries now, and the Megarans see no reason to change it.

Te Fenua `Enata (literally: Land of Men)

The Land of Men is a largely Zaraxian controlled colony, but with large degree of autonomy. It is a cluster of medium sized islands located in some of the richest waters on Kaobia. According to many local legends these were the first islands to be settled by mankind after he was transported here in the mouth of the great whale.

Aotearoa

These larger islands lie far within the southern hemisphere and are not claimed by anyone, though occasionally a team of explorers or prospectors from various Athenian poleis land there in hope of finding historical artifacts or strike gold. Though still relatively barren and unable to sustain any larger human population, the land is slowly adjusting to the new conditions. Many races of birds have already returned to the shores.

Special Dangers:

Southern Storms
Storms on Kaobia can be extremely violent even in the milder climate around equator, but on the southern hemisphere the storms are deadly to the unprotected. Wind speeds of up to 400 kilometers are common, as are hails and lightning.

Giant Dragon Turtles
The largest giant dragon turtles of Kaobia killed had a confirmed diameter of 10.4 meters across its shield. Rumors of even bigger individuals persist, and it is possible that they exist in the deep ocean.
Though not naturally aggressive, these creatures will attack if threatened and during mating season the males will attack anything their own size or smaller.

Mega Crabs
Among the many sea creatures that exist in larger versions on Kaobia, the Mega Crabs are among the most common. Commonly 2-4 meters across their shell, with pincers that can cut through bio-ceramics, these creatures are best treated with respect. They are a favorite among many hunters due to their delicious meat. Though still common, the intense hunting and export of the meat has let to significant decrease in their numbers.

Content Type > Approved Content
Realms > Mortal Realms > Catalyst
Realms > Mortal Realms > Catalyst > Garden Of Athena
Features Of Realms > Geography
Features Of Realms > Plants/Animals
Features Of Realms > Culture
Features Of Realms > Technology
Features Of Realms > Politics
Features Of Realms > People
Features Of Realms > Events

Created by: 89.150.177.80. Last Modification: Wednesday 25 of November, 2009 22:16:47 UTC by Magnus.

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