Gyre Islands

Art by Makato Yukimura

"Sailing north past the terror of the Whirling Strait of the Above Ocean are the rocky shores of the Gyre Islands.  From these islands the clansmen set forth out into the Whirling Strait to descend deep into those moon pools and cold caverns. Embedding harpoons into vast expanses of cold flesh, they grapple and pull their ropes. Thews glisten with sweat as curses and grunts spill from between tensed teeth. The sea-beasts are slashed with thin knives and their limbs removed. The butchers then enter the beast through each bloody orifice, boring themselves deep and pulling out that blood soaked treasure from within." - Ahasver Who Wanders

The ancestors of the Gyre Islanders arrived at the uninhabited archipelago centuries ago. Their names lost to time, their great struggle with the Bear is still remembered. A monstrosity towering above the trees and the hills, it was exiled to the islands in primordial times. The ancestors knew of bears in their homelands who would fish out salmon from the rivers, and upon seeing the Bear pull out the sea-beasts of the Whirling Strait named it such. They waged war against the Bear envious of its strength. Most died, the few survivors ate its flesh and grew strong. The flesh of the bear now inside them, each renamed himself as an aspect of the war against the Bear in honor of its strength.

Each Gyre Islander is valued only by the strength of his flesh. They produce neither art nor song save for funeral statues, instead struggling to grow bigger and stronger than those around them. There is no culture, instead there is a cycle of struggle, feast, sleep, all in preparation for the struggle which overwhelms them. As the blood of the Bear flows in their veins, they re-enact his actions. Each awakens with a need to pull the sea-beasts out from the sea and consume their flesh.

The Hunt and the Hunted. Art by Mitch Cotie and Robert Shore

Their bestial nature and general disdain for magic as an inability to take action by ones own hands leads many to consider them barbarians. Though barbaric, they are well learned. The numerous butcheries of the sea-beasts has taught them much of anatomy and what lies inside the living.  They have no gods among them, instead venerating only their strongest as living hero-saints. When one dies, he is simply flayed and his strength put on display, his musculature contorted to raise a standing stone in his honor.

An ancient pharmicist made his home among the Gyre Islanders, seeking to understand the secret to their strength. He found that their diet of bitter herbs allowed them to push their thews past their breaking points, snapping tendons and ligaments as they hauled their bounties ashore. Using his knowledge, they refined each bitter herb into a potent strengthening powder. Merchants from the Gyre Islands are identified by having hair only on top of their heads, an unclothed breast, and being able to awaken drunks from their stupor with but a few grains of their powders.

Preparing themselves to fish the sea-beasts, each Gyre Islander garbs themselves in shared uniform. The back and sides of each heads is shaved clean, a knot of hair above the crown free to frenzy in the salty wind. Each simply wears a pair of black pants, held up by wide belt etched with their Clan symbols. They show their chests bare to the sea, simply binding their arms in bands of black and blue. They wear their same garb when they go to war, avoiding armor which would obscure their forms. They believe their thews are enough to terrify their enemies.

3 Major Clans of the Gyre Islands

Clan Bearskin. Led by their elder Rooster, the Bearskins are the most well known clan of Gyre Islanders. Strongest among the Gyre Islands, their bodies ripple with muscles as they mock out-landers for being disfigured. Many keep hounds, and each Bearskin clan member bonds with one dog. Each also a massive beast, fighting alongside their masters. Each member meticulously cleans himself and is hairless, a nubile edifice of thick thews.

Clan Bridgeburner (Beartrap). - Led by their oracle Valentin, the Beartrap clan is know by others as the bridge burners. A few decades ago they imposed a firm embargo on any entering their island and burnt every bridge leading to it. First an insult by the other clans, the Bridgeburners adopted their name as a prophecy. Consuming their yellow powder of crushed phoenix and salt, each burns themselves from within.  Many degrees warmer than the other islanders, they walk as burning embers. While the internal flame grants them minor mastery of other flames, it leaves them self-immolating in behavior. Each knows the burning flame is a death sentence and each rushes forward towards either glory or swift death.

Clan Beartooth - Led by their minister Dark-Hair, the Beartooth sit in their towers and record all that occurs on the Gyre Islands. Their demeanor melancholy and sour, they rarely exit their towers to hunt within the Whirling Straight. Each records his thoughts upon lithographs which are not likely to be seen by other living souls. Many farm rather than fish and simply trade food for the treasures brought out of the sea-beasts's insides. Recording description of those bizarre constructs found within the sea-beasts.

Bridgeburner clan member burning bright with his internal flame. Art by Vulpes-Ibculta

Unique Purchases from the Gyre Island

Gyre Powder - This powder can be used in one of the following ways: Granting a +2 to a character's initiative score for 2 turns, healing 1 hp for 1 turn, or granting a +1 to a character's strength score for 1 turn. Uses of the Powder can be stacked to increase the effects, but a character must then Save else they take 2 points of constitution damage.

Bridgeburner Powder/Yellow Phoenix Powder - Upon imbibing, Save vs Death, if save is successful then the character heals 1d8+Level hp and is now on fire.

Moby-Dick Dungeons

"The butchers then enters the beast through each bloody orifice, boring themselves deep and pulling out that blood soaked treasure from within." - Ahasver Who Wanders

At some point I'm going to write up rules for hunting the Sea-Beasts. Essentially the Sea-Beasts are larger on the inside than the outside. PC's would have to capture and cut them open to enter their alien bowels. Full of  monsters as immune system, parasite infections, and sailors who have been swallowed and slowly driven mad. Treasure would be loot swallowed ages ago by the beast: so ancient armors, artifacts, barnacle encrusted chests of antediluvian coins, idols of a squid-headed god made from unearthly bone, and other items you would otherwise find in a "marine" dungeon.

Upset that God didn't save you via sea-beast, you go inside of it to grave-rob those who had been saved.