The Shepherd Isles
"Course, there are no actual shepherds on the Shepherd Isles. Sheep are mostly illegal here. No indeed, it's just the name of the genterman that found the islands."[1]
The Shepherd Isles are a small archipelago of islands located in the Unterzee.
Tales Upon Tales
"No sheep. But plenty o' tales. Ask us anything."[1]
Despite its name, there are no real shepherds at Shepherd Isles, nor are there sheep; the Isles supposedly got their name from the explorer who discovered them. Rather, the Shepherd Isles are populated by a group of bearded villagers with a fondness for telling tales.[1] These individuals love to spin stories about the happenings of their settlement,[2] but mysteriously, they seem reluctant to tell stories regarding the rest of the zee.[3]
The answer for the inhabitants' love for tall tales may lie in the Mithridate Office, the Presbyterate's office of spreading misinformation and falsehoods.[4] Supposedly, a previous director of the Office resigned from his position many years ago, and decided to retire to the Shepherd Isles, which may have played a role in influencing the Isles' culture into what it is today.[5]
Landmarks
"The bearded villagers are happy to talk about the local sights. Well, sight."[6]
Shepherd Isles is home to a few landmarks, and the inhabitants seem eager to tell fantastical, often contradictory, stories about them and their history.[6]
The Isles' most notable landmarks are the Standing Stones,[6] also called the Three Graves.[7] These odd structures are located on a mysterious island to the northwest of the mainland, accessible only by boat.[8] According to the Isles' storytellers, these Stones, or Graves, were...
- ...brought to the Isles 80 years ago by a wise man from Irem, and have been growing ever since that day.[6]
- ...members of the sisterhood of Abbey Rock, who have been transformed into pillars by Stone.[6]
- ...raised by Blemmigans, using poetry.[9]
- ...built by three devils, the very worst from Hell.[10]
- ...used by the Chelonate to bury three hunters who died cowards.[7]
- ...used by the Drownies to settle underground and experience land once more for a while.[7]
Another landmark is the Thornwell Croft, an abandoned island to the north of the mainland that lacks a connecting bridge. Apparently, this isle contains dark reflections of the mainland's inhabitants, and as such, the isle is avoided. That, or a mysterious vessel called the Ship of Light zailed through the bridge and destroyed it, and each time the bridge is rebuilt, it bursts into flame again.[11]
Despite the Shepherd Isles' reputation for unbelievable stories, some members of the Admiralty remain interested in information from this place, as there may be a grain of truth under all the rumor.[12]
