Major Islands: The Golden Isles, Crete, Iaxos, Rhodes, Alashiya
Dominant Powers: Rhodes under Queen Herathia, Crete’s fading palatial kingdoms, Alashiya’s copper lords
Perils: Sea Peoples raiders, cannibal cults, storms of Poseidon, monsters of forgotten ages
Pantheon: Poseidon, Athena, Apollo, Hera, Dionysus, and local island gods of sea, stone, and storm
The islands of the Great Green form stepping-stones of trade, piracy, and war. Each isle has its own customs and gods, but all share a reverence — and fear — for the sea. To rule the waves is to hold the fate of nations. Ships laden with grain, copper, tin, and wine crisscross the waters, while raiders lurk in hidden coves.
Yet the islands are more than trade posts. They are ancient, layered with ruins of forgotten peoples and haunted by the gods of the deep. Heroes who set sail here may find glory — or vanish beneath the waves.
Located in the Aegean, these islands bask in endless sunlight.
The inhabitants are golden-skinned cousins to the Amazons: tall, warlike women ruled by warrior-queens.
Men are rare and usually foreigners; children are raised communally.
The Golden Isles are famed for golden olive oil, citrus fruits, and deadly javelin-maidens who can outmatch any sailor or soldier.
Patron Deity: Helios, who drives the sun, and Artemis, goddess of the hunt.
Once the greatest naval power of the Aegean, Crete’s palatial kingdoms are now fading, wracked by infighting and weakened by disasters.
The island is still mighty, its ports filled with merchants and mercenaries, but its age of dominance is ending.
Crete is haunted by its myths: the ruins of Knossos, the labyrinth of the Minotaur, and sacred caves said to hold the cradle of Zeus.
Cretans are renowned seafarers and mercenaries, often fighting as slingers or light infantry for foreign kings.
Patron Gods: Zeus (as a Cretan storm god), Poseidon, and remnants of bull cults tied to Montu-like traditions.
Once a thriving city-state, Iaxos is now a cursed ruin.
A great famine and plague drove its people to madness; the survivors fell into cannibalism and the worship of Sarinaya, goddess of vengeance and hunger.
Today, the island is overrun with feral cultists who stalk outsiders through ruined streets, feasting in her name.
Sailors say the smoke of Iaxos is never absent from the horizon, though no fire burns.
Patron Deity: Sarinaya, dark goddess of vengeance, feared more than worshipped.
Ruled by Queen Herathia, Rhodes is the rising naval power of the Aegean.
Herathia has united her people through cunning diplomacy and ruthless military command, fielding fleets of swift biremes that challenge even Crete.
Rhodes is a crossroads of trade, with harbors full of Greek, Anatolian, and Egyptian ships.
Known for its bronze-smiths, Rhodes exports weapons, shields, and statues of divine beauty.
Patron Gods: Helios (patron of Rhodes) and Athena, who favors Herathia.
Alashiya (modern Cyprus) is the great supplier of copper, vital for bronze across the world.
Its kings are wealthy but wary, for all powers covet their mines.
The island is defended by mercenary fleets and sacred oaths sworn to Apollo.
Culturally a blend of Greek, Anatolian, and Levantine traditions, Alashiya is cosmopolitan, its ports full of traders, mercenaries, and cults.
Patron Gods: Apollo Alashiyos, Aphrodite (born of the seafoam here), and storm deities tied to the mountains.
Seafaring: Every child learns the sea; ships are lifeblood.
Ritual Games: Athletic contests honor gods before voyages.
Sacrifices to Poseidon: Before departure, captains pour wine and blood into the sea.
Oracle Shrines: Many islands keep oracles who interpret the sea’s will.
Piracy as Tradition: Raiding neighbors is often celebrated, not condemned.
Sea Peoples Raiders: Peleset and Sherden strike settlements, vanishing into the waves.
Monsters of the Deep: Scylla, whirlpools, and serpents rise where the gods are displeased.
Divided Loyalties: Some islands lean toward Troy, others toward the Achaeans, most waiting to see which side wins.
Cults of Sarinaya: From Iaxos, her corruption spreads like smoke, infecting sailors with bloodlust and hunger.
The Trojan War Looms: The islands must choose sides or face ruin as battlegrounds. Rhodes favors Troy in secret; Crete leans toward the Greeks.
The Fall of Crete: Earthquakes and famine weaken its kings. Ambitious lords rise in rebellion.
Alashiya’s Wealth: Kings seek mercenaries to guard their copper mines from Sea Peoples.
The Golden Isles’ Challenge: Envoys from Greece court their javelin-maidens, but they demand proof of worth in brutal contests.
The Curse of Iaxos: Sailors whisper the island’s cannibal cult grows stronger — and that Sarinaya hungers to spread beyond its shores.