Zendizi Isles

The Zendizi Isles are a collection of islands both large and small just off the coast of southeastern Idiri. They lie at the eastern mouth of the treacherous Inkyunayaku Channel, where they spill out into the warm waters of the Sea of Sala'ah. Not so much a cohesive territorial unit as simply a loose collection of people sharing the same space, occupations, and general worldview, Zendizi is viewed by many as a lawless backwater collecting the worst elements of the seafaring world. This is not an entirely fair assessment -- though not entirely unfair either -- for while some Zendizi certainly are freebooters, pirates, and smugglers, many are as honest tradesmen or fisherfolk as any. Nevertheless, the lines dividing licit from illicit activities is rather blurred in the Isles, and it has a deserved reputation as a refuge for people fleeing servitude, authority, and various unpleasant or inconvenient situations.

Geography

The Zendizi Isles boast a fair amount of variety in terrain and vegetation, ranging from tropical savannah to thickly tangled jungle to barren stony reef. The largest island, Zendabar, features steep and densely forested slopes and an abundance of caves and ravines, which have made it a haven for the lawless and desperate for centuries. The Isles are sliced through with narrow bays and half-hidden coves, with Zendabar City benefiting from one of the largest of these. Palm trees cluster around the shores and mangroves tangle their roots in the shallow water, while the higher ground of these islands is draped in a thick blanket of tropical hardwoods such as ebony and mahogany. The Zendizi Isles are also home to a type of wild pig known as an ouweegha for the squealing cries it makes, and roasted ouweegha is the favorite central dish in the Zendizi people's famous firepit feasts.

People

The population of the Zendizi Isles consists chiefly of Xhalantu, Salawi, and Jalanit, the latter two being of course the great seafarers of the Sea of Sala'ah. Although the Zendizi Xhalantu can also be found crewing vessels and paddling dugout canoes around the Isles, they are the people who tend to make up the most settled and permanent population, whether tending palm groves and small clearings of cropland, hunting ouweegha, or working as shopkeepers in town and village. The Salawi are more likely to be found cruising around the Isles fishing and trading (and often smuggling), while both Salawi and Jalanit sail into the Sala'ah for purposes of both licit trade and piracy.

Notes

The Zendizi are known for staging small markets in the middle of the sea, where they offer up fresh water and produce, goods from islands with poor harborage or at locations distant from primary trade routes, or a variety of pirated or suspect goods. These floating markets are vital to the commerce and prosperity of the Zendizi Isles, and so turning a market into a freebooting board-and-raid opportunity victimizing potential customers is severely discouraged. Nevertheless this does occasionally happen anyway, despite the self-policing efforts of the Zendizi themselves.