The Shepherd Isles

From The Fifth City Wiki

"You heard of the Pillared Sea, where Irem lies? Wise man from Irem came here, oh, eighty year ago. He planted three pillars. They were as big as fingers when I were young. Now they're as you see them. In my son's time, they'll be big as dock-cranes."[1]

"The Chelonate, right - they're hunters. They killed a turtle the size of London and built their city in its shell. A ship from the Chelonate came by, hunting the Midnight Whale. Three of them had died cowards, so their bodies couldn't go into the zee. They paid us for the land, in whale-ivory. I still got a piece, but I keeps it safe."[2]

The Shepherd Isles are a small archipelago of islands in the Unterzee. Despite their name, there are no shepherds nor sheep here; the Isles were instead supposedly named for the explorer who discovered them.[3] Rather, the Isles are populated by bearded villagers with a fondness for tales.[4] They spin stories about the happenings of their settlement,[5][6] but seem reluctant to discuss the rest of the Zee.[7] Most of these stories are unsubstantiated[8][9] hearsay,[10] with no care given for internal consistency.[11][12]

The Isles' most notable features are the Standing Stones,[13] also called the Three Graves,[14] which are located on a northwestern island accessible only by boat.[14][15] According to the storytellers, these objects were...

  • ...brought here eighty years ago by a wise man from Irem, and were once the size of fingers but have been growing ever since.[12]
  • ...once sisters of Abbey Rock, who were hunting a renegade devoted to Stone, but were transfigured by the god as punishment.[16]
  • ...raised by Blemmigans using poetry.[11]
  • ...built by three devils, the fiercest from Hell.[17]
  • ...erected by the Chelonate to bury three hunters who died cowards.[18]
  • ...used by the Drownies who take turns burrowing underground to experience land once more.[19]

Another point of interest is Thornwell Croft, an abandoned island to the north that lacks a bridge. Apparently, this isle is home to versions of the mainland's inhabitants from "another history" who plot to replace their originals, and should be avoided.[20] That, or a vessel called the Ship of Lights destroyed the bridge, and anyone who tries to rebuild it bursts into flame.[21]

According to a rumor from Adam's Way, a director from the Mithridate Office of the Presbyterate retired to the Shepherd Isles many years ago.[22] Given the Mithridate Office's dedication to spreading propaganda and falsehoods,[23] it is possible that this individual had a role in shaping the Isles' culture.

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Tales of the Standing Stones, Sunless Sea
  2. ↑ Tales of the Three Graves, Sunless Sea
  3. ↑ Location description, Sunless Sea ""Course," the Bearded Watchman tells you, "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."
  4. ↑ Location description, Sunless Sea ""Course," the Bearded Watchman tells you, "there are no actual shepherds on the Shepherd Isles. [...] Greybeards sitting in the village square nod solemnly. "No sheep," one says. "But plenty o' tales. Ask us anything.""
  5. ↑ Tales of the Standing Stones, Sunless Sea "“A long way from home...” [...] “You heard of the Pillared Sea, where Irem lies? Wise man from Irem came here, oh, eighty year ago. He planted three pillars. [...]"
  6. ↑ Compile a Port Report, Sunless Sea "“Oh, yes yes my yes. There's been goings on.” [...] “...surface roilin' like a porridge-pot...up with a roar of steam and flash of fire!...three widows swimmin'... TENTACLES!... and then we saw His Highness...”"
  7. ↑ The rest of the zee, Sunless Sea "“Rest of the zee!” the Bearded Watchman scoffs. “Here's where you need to be. We don't talk about the rest of the zee.” But a Snivelling Caitiff draws you aside. “I got something for you,” he promises. “But I'll need some of that good stuff from London. A lot of that good stuff.”"
  8. ↑ Tales of the Three Graves, Sunless Sea "They paid us for the land, in whale-ivory. I still got a piece, but I keeps it safe."
  9. ↑ Tales of Thornwell Croft, Sunless Sea "You won't find 'em anywise, being that they hides in the barn."
  10. ↑ Shepherd Isles: submit as unsubstantiated hearsay, Sunless Sea "“We do hear some unlikely tales of that place.” [...] “I agree: it does seem implausible. So many of the stories from that place do. Still, there is a little gold of truth in the mud of rumour, from time to time. Your payment, Captain.”"
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Put a blemmigan ashore, Sunless Sea "“These!” the Bearded Watchman exclaims. “We used to have these. Long ago. They raised the standing stones, you know. With poetry.”"
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Tales of the Standing Stones, Sunless Sea "“You heard of the Pillared Sea, where Irem lies? Wise man from Irem came here, oh, eighty year ago. He planted three pillars. They were as big as fingers when I were young. Now they're as you see them. In my son's time, they'll be big as dock-cranes.""
  13. ↑ Tales of the Standing Stones, Sunless Sea "The bearded villagers are happy to talk about the local sights. Well, sight."
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Tales of the Three Graves, Sunless Sea "Who sleeps beneath the turf, over on that island to the north-west?"
  15. ↑ A picnic at the standing stones, Sunless Sea "The bearded villagers will [...] row you over to the stones."
  16. ↑ Tales of the Standing Stones, Sunless Sea "“They were Sisters, from the Sisterhood over on Abbey Rock. Came here huntin' a renegade, who served the god called stone. Ran her to ground here, and she called on the god. And the god struck 'em all to pillars of rock! Stand close and quiet, and you'll hear 'em weepin'.”"
  17. ↑ Deliver a Wandering Parson, Sunless Sea "“Have you heard tell of our famous Standing Stones, Reverend? No? Well, you see, there were three devils, three of Hell's fiercest...” [...]"
  18. ↑ Tales of the Three Graves, Sunless Sea "[...] A ship from the Chelonate came by, hunting the Midnight Whale. Three of them had died cowards, so their bodies couldn't go into the zee. They paid us for the land, in whale-ivory."
  19. ↑ Tales of the Three Graves, Sunless Sea "“You know the Drownies? The zailors what won't rest? Well, they rest here. I seen 'em come up out of the water all white and dripping, and dig themselves into the ground. They take turns. I think they miss the feel of the earth.”"
  20. ↑ Tales of Thornwell Croft, Sunless Sea "“The ones that farm up there - they're us. Me and you. All the other versions of us. [...] Characters out of another history. They're waiting up there and plotting, gathering allies. Waiting to make their history ours. So don't go there. You won't find 'em anywise, being that they hides in the barn.""
  21. ↑ Tales of Thornwell Croft, Sunless Sea "“We did have a bridge, but the Ship of Lights came through here once. [...] Ploughed through the bridge and kept on going. Everyone who tries to rebuild it? Bursts into flames. So we don't try to rebuild it any more.”"
  22. ↑ Listen to a storyteller, Sunless Sea "Years ago, a director of the Mithridate Office resigned from his position and retired to the Shepherd Isles."
  23. ↑ Listen to a storyteller, Sunless Sea "Shun the tavern gossip, most of which is fabricated by the Mithridate Office, the Prester's propagandists."
Retrieved from "https://thefifthcity.wiki/w/index.php?title=The_Shepherd_Isles&oldid=22058"