Scaled Continent: A Brief History, and Current Situation

Long ago: Aura and environs ruled by the High Kings, divinely appointed.  Rule of Law expands; isles of Voltager settled.

2-3 centuries ago: Lizard kings invade Aura, overthrow High Kings with assistance of Voltari mercenaries and ships.  Torch and salt the forests of Argolle, dragon overlords crack open and plunder dwarven vaults.  Vast numbers of slaves shipped back across Sea of Tears to Scaled Continent for thirsty altars and hungry teeth.

~60 years ago: Dragon Emperor of the Lizardmen disappears mysteriously.  Empire begins to crumble under internal strife, civilized races rebel and gradually retake homelands, form Auran Republic of independent principalities.

5 years ago: Auran Legions dislodge snakemen from volcano-crater-mouth stronghold on Voltager by cutting their water supply and undermining their foundations.  Voltari mostly complicit.  Construction of permanent garrison on Voltager undertaken, along with aqueduct.  Taxes imposed, slave trade halted by Primipilus Galerian (commander of garrison of ~1500 soldiers) much to discontent of Voltari.  Piracy increases as a result, Auran-Voltari relations tense. 

Further expansion by the Legions onto the continent is hindered by inept seamanship, pirate activity, long distances, and institutional preference for galleys.  In preparation for future invasions, however, Galerian has been authorized to provide rewards both for maps of the continent and the capture of pirate vessels.  Meanwhile, grumbles in Voltager suggest that some members of the Council of Captains, a governing body comprised of captains both of ships and mercenaries, find the Primipilus onerous and would be pleased to see him ousted and replaced with someone more pliable.  The Temple of Ianna has been granted a religious exemption on pleasure slaves (an act of political necessity that Galerian no doubt regrets, but which his troops do not), and so supports the Auran garrison, while the Church of Yaris leaves each priest to his own judgment.  The Guild of Ship's Mages tends to support the Council out of alignment of interests.

Salvation, the largest settlement on the Isles of Voltager, is a class IV small city, but is treated as a class III market for the purposes of ruffians, mercenaries, mariners, ships, and trade goods as a result of its traditions and location.  Two other villages stand on the shores of Voltager - Timber, a logging village on the northeastern edge of Voltager Maxima, and Gemsands, a mining village on the eastern short of Voltager Minima.  The settlements on the coast of the Continent are mostly class V or VI, except for Stillwater and Port Maw, which are class IV large towns.  They were once larger, but the decline in slave traffic has caused much of their beastman populations to return to the jungle.