Cyliria

Cyliria has been inhabited by different population groups for over 400 years. The first inhabitants, probably from lands which came later on to be known the Realm of Eros, arrived in the inland bay which would later become known as the Bay of Fortune, where the first settlements were started that would later grow together into the village Chaniba, what would become the largest settlement on Cyliria.

Chaniba was for a long time the only village on the island together with the slightly northerly Illanibas. In the early days of its existence Illanibas was little more than a small fishing village, where it was not even possible to moor by galleys of the Realm of Eros. Because of this poor accessibility, the shortage of natural resources on the island, and the presence of only one easily moored bay, Cyliria was left aside for a long time by the great lords of Eros and the empire of Medrya. But Cyliria was on the eve of a tremendous growth, not only in population, but especially in wealth.

After the siege of Armurad by Adan “The First” in 96 and the subsequent downfall of the Empire of Medrya, Cyliria became one of the hotspots for refugees from the fallen Empire of Medrya. It was during these years that a huge wave of refugees came to the village of Illianabas, the northernmost town on Cyliria. Loyalist who remained loyal next to the fallen king Akbitur, or simply people who lost their homes and families during the rebellion of Adan fled across the sea from Nera to the island of Cyliria.

To this day, the culture from Medrya, and also to a lesser extent the Empire of Jagrad, can be felt in Illianabas. Recognizable are the small clay buildings and the names of residents of this town, which is now officially under the control of the Realm of Eros. Many of the families in Illianabas are descendants from the great families of Medrya, a feat which they still hold in high regard. These Medryans still follow the traditions of ancient Medrya and some Cylirians still call themselves Medryans.

One of those refugees was the tax collector Mogad Saal, who after fleding to Illianabas, worked as a pirate contractor for a few months. As a tax collector, Mogad’s financial knowledge was of a high level, so when Tergamos I of Eros decided to boycott the Jagradian trade after the conquest of Adan “The First” and thus also ban payments in Jagradian Shekels in the entire Realm of Eros, Mogad saw an opportunity. In Illianabas he devised a complex exchange system in which Jagradian Shekels, Erosian coins and stolen pirate wares served as collateral for exchanging currency.

Because of this trade and the fact that Cyliria was still outside all spheres of influence of both the newly emerged Jagrad and the Empire of Eros, it was able to flourish like never before. Trade and piracy soon moved from Illianabas in the north to Chaniba in the Bay of Fortune, where a multitude of ships could dock.

Partly because of this new coming of many inhabitants, on an island that was not rich in natural resources, a large part of the population was forced to turn to piracy. What initially was a tough necessity for the population of Cyliria, soon turned into a lucrative business for the islanders, definitely after the invention of Mogad´s ingenious exchange system.

The next hundred years would be the golden years for the pirates of Cyliria. Not only was the whole coast of Ebedos raided, the pirates even dared to strike occasionally on islands belonging to the Realm of Eros or the Empire of Jagrad. There are even records of pirates who went so far north that they raided villages belonging to the Acenii.

Cyliria became a growing problem for the Empire of Eros through these said raids on the empire’s lands and villages. The empire of Eros was built above all on internal trade, and piracy, however small in number, created fear among merchants. It was not until the empires of Herculon II and Herculon III that the pirates were dealt with more severely, even resulting in a number of attacks on Chaniba.

The year 211 is a turning point in the recent history of the island of Cyliria. The conquest of the Tell cities, near the island of Cyliria, by Al’nur’s army caused fear among the great lords of Eros. If Al’nur and the Empire of Jagrad could capture the Tell cities, they would probably shortly after take Cyliria, which would gave them access to the Sea of Nera and which could be a springboard to conquering other islands. The Realm of Eros needed to strike firm. A fear that resulted in Titus “The Black” being ordered with the silver fleet to sail up the Masal River and lift the blockade of Al’nur’s troops.

Titus the Black was put in a tricky package as he stir up the Masal with the Erosian Silver Fleet. The fleet that the Empire of Jagrad had gathered in the river was much larger than its own fleet. Titus therefore decided to use the mandate he had received from emperor Herculon III to found a city on the island of Cyliria, Anibapolis. The settlement would serve as a deterrent against the growing urge to conquest of the Jagradian Empire.

This moment also heralded the end of the golden age of piracy on Cyliria. Because parts of the Erosian silver fleet were now consistently on Anibapolis, the pirates no longer dared to dock in Chaniba, and the total piracy was almost wiped out by Titus in a few number of years.