Escal Isles

The Escal Isles, also known informally as Escal, are a Caphirian colonial Possession and archipelago in the Okatian Sea in Australis. The native population of the Escal Isles archipelago call the islands Tûsapulũq (Eng: Ten (islands) standing together). The five main islands are (from largest to smallest in area): Selangai, Koráng, Fata'ukula, Trichi, and Laukasori. The archipelago includes many smaller islands and islets, including Taruri, Ayothaburi, Tuy Liêu, Mata'alanga, Phakéo, and Osinas. It also includes a number of rocks, including those of Neplona, Tsuvia, Atlaria, and Azhane. Collectively, the Escal Isles have a total area of 20,927 km2 and population of 884,450. Cătare, is the capital and main port of Escal, located on the island Selangai.

Due to their remoteness, the Escal Isles and the Austral region were among the last large habitable landmasses to be settled by humans. Although the original settlement of the Escal Isles is not entirely clear, linguistic, genetic, and archaeological analyses indicate that indigenous peoples were living on the archipelago at least 2000 years ago but possibly one thousand years or more before, and that they shared a common origin with Koré'hetanùa. The Escal Isles are home to a large and unique indigenous ethnic group known as the Sivumawai, who have been living there since approximately AD 1000. From the 14th century onward, numerous visits were made by sailors from the Occidental world. Francisio Moda, a Caphirian navigator from the Third Imperium, was the first Caphirian to land on Escal in 1331. After Moda's voyage, several Caphirian missionaries launched exhibitions to Escal from 1340 to 1397. Christianity quickly took hold in the culture and many islanders are Christians today. No immediate colonisation occurred following Moda's discovery; however, a variety of settlers from various backgrounds made their home on the islands, including pirates, shipwrecked sailors, and deserters.

During the start of the 15th century, several "explosive events" occurred, known as the Davuavu Event, which decimated the population. The Sivumawai were among the few surviving indigenous inhabitants, living mainly in natural caves, usually near the coast, 300-500m above sea level. These caves were sometimes isolated but more commonly formed settlements, with burial caves nearby. Archaeological work has uncovered a rich culture visible through artefacts of ceramics, human figures, fishing, hunting and farming tools, plant fibre clothing and vessels, as well as cave paintings. The Escal Isles remained relatively isolated from the Occidental world until 1629, when another Caphirian explorer, Aricăr Fadră, returned to the archipelago and is credited with rediscovering the islands. Fadră found the islands uninhabited, but found several "small ruined temples of stone" and "some traces of buildings". Fadră spent 18 years living on the Escal Isles pursuing adventure and riches, and established several of Caphiria's first permanent colonies. In 1651, the age of Caphirian colonization had begun and Fadră would eventually be granted the title corsair from the Imperium, giving him legal authority to conduct raids and piracy. He used enslaved prisoners of war and enslaved the native population to work plantations of sugar, coffee, indigo, tobacco, cotton and cocoa.

From the 1651 to 1818, the Escal Isles were governed by a procorsair, an appointed magistrate from the Imperium. The procorsair was effectively an autocrat as the sheer distance between Venceia and Escal made virtually impossible at the time for the Imperator to actually know what was going on. This led to gross negligence and rampant corruption on Escal and the native population, most of whom were either enslaved or killed. The objective of the Imperium to convert the islands into a powerhouse of cultivation required an increasingly larger labor force. This was attained through a brutal practice of enslavement, not only of indigenous Sivumawai but large numbers of other Polynesians as well as Sarpics. As a result of the huge wealth generated by enslaved labor, magnificent palaces and churches were built on the archipelago, most of which are still in use today. This wealth invited attacks by pirates and privateers.

On 29 May 1818, the Escal Isles became officially declared and administered as a Possession of the Imperium, giving the archipelago semi-independence; it was able to form its own government as a constitutional monarchy with a high level of self-government within the Imperium, as well as its own legislature and fiscal independence. The Imperium would still assert itself in areas of diplomacy, international treaties, defense and security.

The Escal Isles are a major tourist destination, with over 10 million visitors per year. This is due to their beaches, subtropical climate, and important natural attractions. The islands have warm summers and winters, owing to its predominantly temperate maritime climate and includes green areas as well as desert areas. The islands’ high mountains are ideal for astronomical observation, because they lie above the temperature inversion layer. As a result, the archipelago boasts two professional observatories - the Watihana Observatory on Selangai and the Lomasori Observatory on Koráng.

Etymology
The native population of the Escal Isles archipelago call the islands Tusapuluq (Eng: Ten (islands) standing together). Their mythology states that they came to the island on the backs of turtles around the 13th century. It is assumed that their mythology must be based on some variety of a realistic timeline and excavations in parts of the Escal Isles have loosely corroborated an arrival of native populations between the 11th and 14th centuries. It is further assumed that the native populations started in the southwestern Ota'Ane and over the centuries migrated further east and north, likely settling Motukairangi last.

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