Drath Archipelago

The Drath Archipelago is a group of islands in the western oceans of Innworld. The dominant power in this region is the Empire of Drath.

Geography

The Drath Archipelago is west of Izril, at the Edge of the World. The islands are also relatively close to Minos and Rhir, as well as Baleros. They are furthest from Izril.

There are great reefs that bloom with a thousand colors underwater.

Note: There are only two geographical features of Innworld usually referenced as an archipelago: the Isles of Minos (but rarely), and the Drath Archipelago (more often). In the first two volumes, Ryoka mentioned that a sixth continent of Innworld has been destroyed, and that the only thing remaining is a "massive archipelago filled with whirlpools and deadly storms". This is likely to be the Drath Archipelago. Magnolia mentions yet another one, the frozen archipelago, which has not been mentioned since Volume One.

Layout

The capital's great palace built from an entire island, extending into the sea with underwater ports and connected to the rest of the city by bridges and magic. It used to be an ancient border fort from the old kingdom of Drath before the Godwar. There are bulwarks of jade. There is an ancient watchtower planted in the ocean, rising from the depths twenty thousand feet down.

There are villages on the islands where rare plants are collected for medicines.

Overview

Inhabitants

The inhabitants of the Archipelago are referred as Drathians and the Drath people.A very formal people, Drathians are rarely seen in foreign lands. The Humans of Drath have unique physical features uncommon among other Humans. Both Magnolia Reinhart and Venitra noticed that Ryoka (who is half-Japanese) appears to look similar to a Drath Archipelago native. Another species native to Drath are Kitsunes.

Trade

The Drathians maintain trade fleets capable of far ocean-travelling. Drathian waters are also considered dangerous for Pirates.

After incidents with Roshal slavers, they stopped sailing to Chandrar. However, seeing Drathian sailors in Dullahan ports is not a rarity unlike in most other ports, and their products make their way also to the rest of Baleros and even Terandria. The house of Minos also trades with the Drathians, claiming that their tools and magic are useful.

Foreign warriors make pilgrimages to Drath to learn their fighting arts.

In books of Magnolia's library, Ryoka deduced that the Minotaurs and the natives of the Archipelago often clash, and she mentally compared them to the Philippines or Japan. Other sources confirm that Drathians and other seafarers occasionally clash with each other.

Culture

Drathian culture contains elements similar to Japanese, Chinese, and Korean cultures. Drath's unique language, referred to as Drathian, contains Japanese and Chinese words. Traditional Drathian weapons also include katanas and hwachas, which can be found in Japan and Korea respectively.

A special meal from Drath is the sea urchin, that is also common on other eastern parts of the world, like Rhir and Minos. Some Drathians and Minotaurs are also known to be [Martial Artists]. The Drathian culture also has [Ninjas], while other continents refer to a similar class as [Assassins].

The Drathians have distinct ornamentatations. Niers Astoragon uses a tiny comb with these patterns. The Drathians also produce ofuda-like charms and glass talismans, intended to protect from magic. Most other species have fewer counters to Drathian magic, since it's comparatively exotic.

Drathians also know that any aspect of the body and even qualities like the mind or natural flow of mana can be improved to some extent. They have became experts at making, refining and producing pills, liquids, and other methods to cultivating and changing the very nature of their form. Thus, they have individuals with the [Cultivator] class.

Using these cultivating methods, it is said that the perfect warriors of Drath have blood which circulates the body ten times faster than a normal person, as well as being lighter, swifter, stronger, have eyes like birds and flawless skin and the ability to consume poison like water.

Military

As the nation is comprised of islands and they patrol the Last Tide to fight any Seamwalker that appear, they have a powerful navy. They have Border Fleets that act as peacekeepers and patrol the edge of the world, and they have Armadas they can send out as well. Their ships are armored with scale-mail inscribed with magical sigils, armed with what may be magic-based weapons resembling cannons (magical devices with glowing barrels), and some are large enough to carry hundreds of soldiers. One of those ships can duel one of Zeres' biggest warships.

Their soldiers use katanas and glaives, and also have staff-wielders and bare-handed experts in their ranks. Drath does not have Adventurers, but instead has a suicide corps comprised of [Abyssal Slayers], [Doomkillers], and [Edgeworld Hunters]. These hunters, trained to fight Seamwalkers, carry gigantic dragonblood crystal weapons.

As mentioned above, they craft hwachas. They also produce artifacts that summon monsters from paper talismans.

History

The Kingdom of Drath predates the Godwar. The southernmost edge of their old empire survived the attack that destroyed a part of the world and created the Last Tide. The inhabitants have sworn to remember theses events.

Dragons took notes of the capital's jade bulwarks to later build their Walled Cities. Their warriors of stone once helped revive the art of creating Golems.

Trivia

• Islanders (either the Minotaurs or more possibly the Drathians) are practicing a caste society.