Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Lítlos Islands

The island of Lítlos became the "islands of" when the volcano that originally formed the landmass erupted, killing all but a few of the original inhabitants, and leaving the crater that the present day islands surround. The largest of the islands has been reinhabited by those who were away on fishing and trade voyages on that fateful summer night. Though stone ruins dot the other islands, they have remained too unstable to support any new structures.

Feriño, the single town on the island shares its name with the island itself. The inhabitants, upon returning to find their homes destroyed and their people covered in ash or utterly disintegrated, decided upon the new name, their word for an aquatic creature resembling a phoenix. They built all their new structures using the lava rocks cast out by the volcanic eruption.

Most of the inhabitants believe that an aquatic fire dragon lives under the island. This leads to a nominal level of fear which surfaces in the dour tales woven by local bards, and mothers to their children.

The fashion on Feriño consists largely of togas and sandals, though the rulers of the land tend to dress in tunics and light trousers. The people mostly eat fish wrapped in seaweed, but the volcanic deposits that have enriched the soil have provided the islanders with a more rounded diet including fruit resembling plantains, pomegranates and dates. The government is largely hands-off, though the head of each household serves as part of a council that meets every month, and the eldest sons in each family serve in the navy. The people of Feriño barter with one-another in well-established tight-knit groups, so they do not willingly trade with outsiders unless offered an item they think is unique.

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