The Lords of Silnas, also known as the Gleaming Isles, are an island chain out in the Tempus Ocean to the west of the Aquarius Continent. These isles contain the largest natural supply of Gleamstones on Arius. These magic prone gems are used to create magical catalysts which can be used to enhance magical and physical abilities and as such have created a wide range of demand globally for their constant supply. The 5 Lordships of these Isles are backed by larger countries and their governments to allow for the largest supplies possible and many wars have been and will continue to be fought over the isles.
The Everhart Lordship has been backed by the Blackreaver Kingdom since the claim was established in the early 600's P.E. They dawn their fabulous Blue and Steel garments resembling that of another noteworthy country to the furthest Northern parts of the world. They control the entire Northern part of isle where their territory is split in half with Firfyr Mountains making it appear much like a crooked horseshoe. Their wealth is only guaranteed so long as Blackreaver receives its regular shipments lest they force the hands of the territory with trade and military action.
The Vogiel Family is backed by by the Imperium of Rekkaku. Notably the family was installed through revolution at the height of the Sunless Sea War which had briefly reached the isles between the Republic of Merchants and Al'Modian Empire. A small gambit had a big payoff as the family managed to secure power over the south-eastern territory of the isle. The shift in power caused Blackreaver to further arm their respective side which has left a sour taste in both sides mouth.
The Witten Lordship is backed by the Al'Modian Empire. The Empire managed to buy their way into the isles not long after Blackreaver aided in establishing the claim which divided the isles into North and South. When civil unrest broke out in the southern stretch of the main island the territory once controlled by Al'Mod was shattered and it left much of the land up for claim. Witten would remain backed by Al'Mod til the end of the war and managed to succeed in keeping control of their territory. Though the war was over, it would not last as further tensions between the Lordships would force internal conflicts.
The Marren State is an independent island controlled and backed by the Republic of Merchants. The island itself gaining the name Emerald Isle is notable because of its green-tinted Gleamstones that are said to offer a more potent effect than that of the ones found on the main island. The Marren State is probably the one that has shifted the most over the years with it originally being Blackreaver before being sold to an Al'Modian Prince before then being sold to the Empire directly then eventually joining the Republic of Merchants during the Sunless Sea War. Its history is mired in war and economics that its alignment with the Republic of Merchants makes the most sense.
The House of Rutega is the only independent and neutral faction within the isles, they were able to break free from the shackles of Blackreaver's control on the isles after a short-lived revolution proved to be costly for Blackreaver. In just 8 weeks Blackreaver managed to lose 20,000 soldiers at sea after it was deemed far too difficult to take the island under the conditions that they accidentally created with the large amount of wealth on the island alone as well as unfavorable weather conditions which resulted in many ships crashing on the rocky coasts. A deal would be worked out between them that trade with the Lordship would continue as the Golden Gleamstones were seen as the most valuable among those found on the isles.
To this day, these territories continue their conflicts with one another in the hopes of one day conquering the wealth and power contained in the politics of this island nation yet history has proven no victors last forever.
Cool setting, lots of intruige as posted before. Seems well-historied, complete with robust connections and harsh terms of trade.
Gleamstone is particularly interesting to me, as I have something vaguely similar in my world. What makes the material so rare? How is it that so much can be found here? Did this abundance give the natives a level playing field against their colonizers, or was it an unbalanced war?
Gleamstone is a magic-mantel that can be used to store magical energy. Certain types of magic-mantels are able to store more of this energy like the emerald colored stones. The reason why they're prominent on the isles isn't fully understood, there's theories in-world that think that these magic-mantels are formed over the same course of time as other minerals but absorbed magical energy over the course of billions of years.
As for the 'natives' the natives were Blackreaver when they first showed up as the isles were originally uninhabited and were only found when Blackreaver was exploring in the early years of the new world. Divisions would occur in the centuries that followed and what exists now is a reminder of these events.
Not fully understood, but for sure nearly fully exploited, seems about right as far as a rare resource goes! Are these solely reserved for military/combat applications, or can it be used for certain utility magics as well?
And there I go projecting my colonial themes and tragedies from my world to yours. Anytime I hear an island with rare resources and it's inhabitants being politicked all over, I immediately think some kind of oppressed natives. Reminds me of empires of our world (colonial/imperial expansion by any other name...) snatching atolls and small islands to gain rights to the ocean surrounding it, as opposed to something like Hawaii or such.
Ya, the original population of the world was wiped out thousands of years prior. Humans arrived on the new world in what is now known as the Exile Event during the Zero Year and branched out from there, the Blackreaver Kingdom being the oldest in the world.
As for Gleamstones, they're used all over. Private, Commercial, and Military; lots of people use them but they're still valuable due to a variety of things such as quality, type, magic-types, industrial-uses, etc. A popular usage among the upper classes of the world is jamming them into weapons to apply effects directly into weapon.