The Lhazaar Principalities

Life in the Principalities revolves around the sea. Even those who spend most of their time in the villages that dot the islands provide support for the vessels of the sea princes and those who sail them. Harsh winters and woefully short summers make life on the islands hard and harrowing. They also make the people tough, weathered, and as volatile as the raging seas that regularly buffet their coasts.

The Principalities consist of frontier towns and wild reaches where might makes right and the law reflects the will of the strongest sea prince in the immediate vicinity. Though the Principalities contain some of the oldest human settlements in Khorvaire, they remain places of untamed beauty and lawless excess—at least compared to the towns and cities of the Five Nations. Fierce and independent, the people of the Principalities can be as wild, beautiful, and brutal as the environment around them.

The islands are divided among the dozens of princes who rule the Principalities, and everyone who lives and works on the ships or at the docks pledges fealty to one of these princes. One prince may be a dictatorial taskmaster, another might be thoughtful and good-natured, but all have a ruthlessness that allows them to command hard men and women from the common races—as well as the stray goblinoid or monster that finds its way to the sea. To the people of the Principalities, life on the mainland is soft; the sea tests them and allows the strong and brave not only to survive, but to thrive.

Source: ECS

Unlike the nations of mainland Khorvaire, no High Prince has ever fully united the Lhazaar Principalities. While the princes, like the kingdoms before and after Galifar, have always fought over borders, the territorial disputes of the Principalities rarely spilled over to outright conquest. The open ocean is near impossible police, and the sheer number of smuggler’s coves means controlling the ports is insignificant. Combined with the free-spirited culture that came with Lhazaar, the Lhazaar Principalities are defined by geography rather than formal governance from above.

Each principality is defined by a combination of its land holdings, the sea around those islands, and the fleet it uses to defend those claims. Large principalities control multiple islands and claim waters far from their shores, while small principalities sometimes struggle to even defend their shallows from incursions.

While each principality has its own method of determining leadership, they all share a core conviction that rule must be earned rather than born into. Princes are then free to govern as they desire, but more lawful Principalities such as the Seadragons of Regalport maintain more consistent rules than chaotic pirates like the Cloudreavers. 

Below the princes are captains, who each command their own ship, like how a noble administers a territory on behalf of a king. The dynamic between a prince and his captains varies from principality to principality and is complicated by the relatively high level of turnover amongst princes – only politically savvy captains retain their positions when a new prince takes power.

The economic relationship between a prince and their principality involves similar dynamics to any feudal lord – taxes are primarily collected at major points of trade, such as a dockside market. If a prince taxes too heavily, they risk mutiny and losing business to other Principalities. If they tax too lightly, they are unable to keep up their social status and/or pay their navy well enough. 

Slavery, though rare in the Principalities, is not unheard of. Some savage towns and ships maintain outright caste systems enforced by a small cadre of leadership. Most pirate ships prefer to impress captured crew rather than imprison or kill them, transforming a liability into an advantage. Impressed crew typically serve until they escape, although plenty of sea shanties feature bold heroes who rose from victim to captaining the very same ship.

The laws of the Lhazaar isles vary from principality to principality, and are uniformly lax. The Principalities are a good place to disappear, since its folk ask few questions and answer even fewer.

Understanding the internal politics between the princes and their territories is important. Although movement and trade between the various principalities are unrestricted, the princes’ ongoing rivalries and feuds have a profound influence on business dealings and relationships. Say the wrong thing in the wrong harbor tavern, and you might find yourself having to swim for friendlier waters.

Beneath the sea princes, other lesser nobles claim titles such as sea baron, pirate lord, merchant king, admiral, and duke. On the isles and in the seas around them, authority depends entirely on the troops and ships at a noble’s immediate disposal. A merchant king might have no land holdings, no support from any nation, and no lineage to speak of, but if he has a fleet of warships crewed with able sailors, then he rules the seas around him—at least until a bigger, faster fleet sails over the horizon.

Source: ECG

The rule of the princes over the Principalities goes back more than two thousand years. These are not hereditary positions as the kingships enjoyed by the royalty of the Five Nations, though some bloodlines produce more leaders than others. Instead, rulership of each principality goes to the strongest, the toughest, and the most accomplished sailor or pirate or merchant lord in the pack. Determining the next prince (a term applied to both male and female rulers in the Principalities) can sometimes be a violent, bloody affair. In general, the captain with the largest fleet, the most powerful sailing vessel, or the greatest popular support takes the banner of prince for his or her Principality, but tests of skill, of battle, or even of wits have been used to select leaders among the islands of Lhazaar.

The most often used title among the rulers of the Principalities is prince. Other rulers give themselves titles such as sea baron, pirate lord, merchant king, captain, admiral, or duke. Such titles all depend on the traditions of the particular principality and the wishes of the current ruler. While a piece of land, which usually includes a dock or seaport and a small village, accompanies each ruler’s title, the true wealth and power behind the captain’s chair remains the ruler’s flagship and the size of his or her fleet. A prince can hold acres of land, but without a powerful flagship and a fleet of support vessels to sail the sea, he or she has no real power in the Principalities.

Each principality maintains a number of lesser leadership roles that usually remain filled by the same people despite how often the prince’s crown changes hands. These administrators, navigators, shipwrights, and other positions necessary to the continued existence of the principality often attract and keep those best suited to the jobs assigned them. Occasionally a prince comes along who refuses to honor an existing rank or position and wants to place his or her own minions in power, but this is the exception and not the rule.

Source: ECS

Law and order in the Principalities is limited by the capability and willingness of each individual prince to impose control. The Seadragons and Heavenly Fleet both seek to reform the wild ways of the Principalities, while the Cloudreavers actively pursue a return to the chaos before Galifar.

Out on the open ocean, where a prince’s soldiers are less present, flags are important public declarations of intent. A typical merchant ship flies two flags – one for its home port, such as the flag of Breland or Aerenal, and a second for the prince the ship is conducting business with, such as the High Prince Ryger’s Seadragons. Pirates claiming the protection of a prince may fly that prince’s flag in addition to the Jolly Roger, but only a few princes like Mika Rockface tolerate open piracy. 

These flags serve two purposes – first, a declaration of who will enact retribution if assaulted. Second, these flags determine taxes, tariffs, and quotas. On occasion a captain might hoist a “flag of convenience”, falsely declaring they are under the protection or have paid tariffs. This practice is risky, as an “allied” warship may accost the ship to check the paperwork and confirm the proper prices are being paid. 

Source: Politics of the Lhazaar Principalities

Few of the dragonmarked houses operate in the Principalities. The exceptions include House Thuranni, which has made its headquarters here since breaking away from House Phiarlan; House Orien, which follows trade and cargo across the continent regardless of which borders it crosses; and House Kundarak, which reluctantly maintains the island prison called Dreadhold.

House Thuranni

When the elf family that carries the Mark of Shadow split during the Last War, the newly formed House Thuranni needed to find a place to establish a headquarters. While Thuranni has enclaves and outposts throughout the more inhabited portions of Khorvaire, the patriarch of the new house accepted an invitation from High Prince Horget Black to set up shop in the town of Regal port. For twenty-five years now, the Shadow Network has made its home among the islands of the Lhazaar princes, providing information and other intelligence-related services to the princes as well as to factions in Karrnath, Droaam, Q’barra, and the Order of the Emerald Claw, among others. Like their cousins in House Phiarlan, the elves of Thuranni don’t advertise their espionage services. Instead, they claim to be entertainers, artisans, courtiers, and information brokers—legitimate businesses operated under a common banner.

Whispers of the true nature of the Shadow Network are murmured in the back halls of government and in the inns and taverns of the roughest neighborhoods in every town and city. When someone has a need for information, or when the Shadow Network has something relevant to sell, a representative of the house appears with an offer and a knowing smile. Baron Elar d’Thuranni (LN male elf, rogue 6/dragonmark heir 3), patriarch of House Thuranni, leads mercantile activities ostensibly related to entertainment but really devoted to espionage and assassination. The greater shadows Wrem and Wrek, creatures as dark as night and as insubstantial as smoke, protect and advise the patriarch and are never far from his side, whether he’s overseeing operations from his manor house in Regalport or coordinating activities from his tower apartments in Sharn

Source: ECS

Far away from the comforts of mainland Khorvaire, the dragonmarked houses have not made many inroads into the Lhazaar Principalities. The past century of war and piracy scared off many potential enclaves, with the houses choosing not to invest in unproven towns. 

In the post-war peace and the promise of a Seadragon-enforced order, many houses are looking to expand into greater Khorvaire. While Regalport has always had some house representation, they are now looking to expand into Juna and Port Verge.

House Kundarak

While House Kundarak does not have a presence in much of the Lhazaar Principalities, their most heavily fortified compound lies on the isle of Dreadhold. Nobody has ever escaped from Dreadhold – even Mordain the Fleshweaver could only escape during the trip to the prison.

House Lyrandar

The Windwrights guild of House Lyrandar is the biggest economic competitor to the Lhazaar princes. While the house dominates the Scions Sound and the Thunder Sea, it has trouble moving ships, crew, and cargo from one to the other. Passage around the Demon Wastes to the west is dangerous, forcing travel through the Lhazaar Principalities. 

While it would be one thing to simply send ships through, Lyrandar’s gift for endless ambition would not abide. The majority of House Lyrandar’s ships are chartered and licensed rather than directly captained – attempts to poach captains have earned the house the enmity of the region’s princes.

The Korth Edicts’ prohibition on creating a military has restricted the house’s ability to directly defend its interests from piracy. Without warships of its own, the house relies on whoever is making a shipment to provide security, either in warships or hiring Blademarks Guild mercenaries from House Deneith. On occasion a merchant will hire one of the Principalities for protection, forcing the two to put aside their differences in the pursuit of profit.

• A party of adventurers is hired to transport a dangerous prisoner to the inescapable island jail of Dreadhold. Their task is made more difficult by her comrades’ attempts to rescue her and her former employers’ attempts to silence her en route.
• House Orien hires adventurers to guard a cargo ship traveling from Aundair through the Lhazaar Principalities on its way to the ports of Sharn. (Note: Most ships prefer to take the longer eastern route rather than risk running aground in the Demon Wastes, the Shadow Marches, or Droaam.)
• House Lyrandar seeks to disrupt sea trade coming from the Principalities, because the sea princes are undercutting prices and causing the house of the Mark of Storm to lose clients. If the adventurers manage to slow down or stop the progress of one of Prince Ryger’s cargo vessels, the reputation of the Lhazaar ships would be set back or even permanently damaged.
• One of the Inspired wishes to hire heroes to retrieve something from a tomb on Trebaz Sinara—an item said to have been brought from Sarlona by the mythic explorer Lhazaar herself. He provides directions and warnings of how to locate the tomb and avoid the worst of the dangers guarding it; the heroes can keep all the treasure except for one oddly shaped stone, which he says is of great historical significance.

The Principalities have existed for centuries. They were the first lands settled by the human migrants from Sarlona, and though the famed pioneer Lhazaar led her expedition to these shores three thousand years ago, scattered groups of refugees arrived even before her, some as early as five thousand years ago. These bands were too small and weak to challenge the goblinoids for control of Khorvaire, so they remained on the islands off the continent’s northeast shore. Similarly, waves of migrants arrived after Lhazaar, adding to the population of this area. At the time of these expeditions, Sarlona was composed of a dozen distinct kingdoms, each constantly at war with the others. Some people, looking at the history and the current state of the Principalities, would argue that here, at least, little has changed.

Source: PGtE

Though typically thought of as a single sovereign nation, the Lhazaar Principalities are a loose affiliation of separate island states, each ruled by a so-called sea prince. The Principalities were once part of the kingdom of Galifar, but they broke away at the start of the Last War. Historically, the islands have been havens for pirates, privateers, and merchants of questionable morals. Although their political legitimacy was established at Thronehold, the Principalities remain a largely lawless land, and travelers in the islands must be wary.

Though the Principalities existed as a loose alliance of territories under Galifar, the Last War saw those alliances—and the princes’ allegiance to Galifar—break apart. After a period of fighting among themselves for control of the islands, the sea princes looked to turn the chaos of war into financial gain. Whether by engaging in open piracy or hiring out as privateers to the warring Five Nations, the princes established themselves as independent powers.

As the Last War drew to a close, the Principalities perceived the need for a unified front if they were to keep their hard-won freedom. By allowing the powerful Ryger ir’Wynarn to represent them as high prince, the sea princes saw the Lhazaar Principalities recognized as an independent nation at Thronehold.

In the centuries preceding the Last War, the Principalities were an autonomous region within the kingdom of Galifar. The pirates and plunderers of the islands won their limited self-rule during the long-ago Lhazaar–Galifar War, a conflict little remembered by the Five Nations but celebrated as a major victory by the folk of the isles. In the aftermath of the conflict with Galifar, the privateers of the Principalities began shifting their focus from piracy to legitimate trade and exploration. By virtue of their skill, they also began to supply a significant percentage of the ships and officers in Galifar’s navy.

The Lhazaar Principalities were the site of the first human settlements in Khorvaire, established by migrants from Sarlona. From the beginning, the isles were a wild and turbulent place, and they have maintained that quality despite long centuries of pressure from the civilized mainland.

Source: ECG

The Principalities developed during the same period when the Five Nations were formed, more than a thousand years before the birth of Galifar. By the time King Galifar I was uniting the Five Nations, the Principalities were well established, as was their inhabitants’ well-deserved reputation as raiders and pirates. When Galifar proclaimed that his kingdom “stretched across the width and breadth of Khorvaire,” the Lhazaar princes ignored him. Their domains were far from the great cities of the Five Nations, separated by a formidable mountain range and the endless seas over which the princes ruled supreme.

By 28 YK, King Galifar had fortified his hold over the Five Nations and turned his attention to the threat from the east. The Lhazaar princes and sea barons were wreaking havoc among the coastal communities, interfering with shipping and refusing to bend to the will of the crown. Thus began the Galifar–Lhazaar War, a series of naval engagements that lasted nearly a decade. The sea barons knew the currents better and started out with better vessels, but Galifar dedicated his efforts to building a powerful navy. Aided by magic and the help of some of the dragonmarked houses, Galifar was able to garner enough victories to force the Lhazaar princes to meet to discuss terms. In the end, the Principalities became part of Galifar’s kingdom but remained autonomous, the Lhazaar princes more or less independent within their own domains yet agreeing to pay tribute to Galifar and recognize him as the legitimate ruler of the mainland kingdom.

For the next eight hundred years, the Lhazaar princes continued to live in relative harmony with the Five Nations. Lhazaar pirates slowly developed into traders and explorers, keeping their illicit activities to a minimum so as not to attract the attention of Galifar’s ever-improving navy. When the Last War broke out, the Lhazaar princes initially stayed out of the fray. As the months of conflict and unresolved issues of rulership wore on, the princes decided that their longstanding agreement was with the united Galifar, not the individual successor kingdoms. With the kingdom shattered, the princes felt no obligation to honor the ancient pact.

During the century of conflict, the Lhazaar princes one by one reverted to their ancient ways. First, the princes (and their subjects) fought against each other for dominance in the Principalities. Then they turned their sights toward more lucrative prey. Throughout the war, Lhazaar ships engaged in piracy, hired out as privateers, and began to carve out their own pieces from the corpse of the oncegreat kingdom. Under the leadership of Prince Ryger ir’Wynarn, who claims that the royal blood of Galifar flows through his veins, the Principalities settled their own differences long enough to present a united front at the peace treaty talks on Thronehold.

Now, with the Principalities recognized as a legitimate confederacy by the rest of Khorvaire, the princes have once again traded their pirate flags for the colors of merchants—at least outwardly (what may be a merchant vessel today can switch its flag and sail as a pirate or raiding vessel tomorrow). Prince Ryger is determined to unite the Principalities and create a naval force the likes of which Khorvaire has never seen before. Then, whatever happens on the mainland, the Principalities will be safe, secure, and powerful beyond imagining. Unfortunately, none of the other princes are quite ready to bend their knees to Ryger, and so his dream remains unfulfilled.

Source: ECS

The Lhazaar Principalities stretch across the eastern coast of Khorvaire. The islands northeast of the Hoarfrost Mountains are dark and cold, while the winters are long and the sun a rare visitor. These isles are the source of many sinister tales; living in the long shadow, one can easily imagine ghost ships prowling the waters and lich-lords hiding in the mountains. To the south, steaming jungles cover the Lhazaar islands; the land is home to deadly dinosaurs, and colossal sea serpents are said to lurk beneath the waves. From the frigid north to the southern tropics, these are hard lands that produce hard people.

The Lhazaar region draws its name from the Sarlonan explorer and pirate who colonized Greentarn, Orgalos, and Cape Far. Despite her fame, Lhazaar was neither the first nor last pioneer to settler along the eastern coast of Khorvaire. Over two dozen large islands are in the Principalities, and a remarkable range of people have found their way to the eastern shore. Gnome explorers from Zilargo claimed the isle of Lorghalen long before Lhazaar made her crossing. Elf refugees from the Aereni civil war found solace in the icy solitude of Farlnen. Dwarves and orcs from the Ironroot Mountains migrated to the eastern shore, laying the foundations of Tantamar and Cliffscrape. And dozens of human expeditions followed in the wake of Lhazaar, with most being Sarlonan explorers and fugitives from nations since destroyed by the Riedran Empire. The islanders have come together over the centuries, forming cosmopolitan communities and common traditions.

Despite the blend of races and cultures that have come together to form the Principalities, Lhazaar's influence can still be felt. It was Lhazaar who organized the first raider fleets, leading expeditions against Zil merchants and the ships of the dying Dhakaani Empire. Lhazaar granted her best captains the rank of praelas -- a Riedran rank translated as "prince" in the Common tongue -- proclaiming herself to be the prince among princes. She established the few laws that are universal throughout the realm, notably the fact that the title of prince is not hereditary. By the edicts, a Lhazaar noble holds his post through the power of his fleet and ability to command. Should he slip on either count, a more capable leader can lay claim to his title and his lands. Over the centuries, a number of principalities have adapted this custom to their own traditions; the gnomes of Lorghalen allow would-be princes to challenge a ruler to games of wit and tests of strategy, while the Farlnen elves expect a prince to possess arcane skill in addition to naval power.

The Lhazaar princes have always been willful and independent, and the history of the region is filled with feuds between princes. Powerful alliances have risen and fallen, but the islands have never been fully united under one prince. There has always been at least one lord who has claimed the title of high prince. This claim usually reflects the power of the lord's fleet, and as a result the high prince usually has the respect of the other princes -- but this doesn't make his word law. He can make requests of the other princes, but unless he intends to use force, he cannot make demands.

In the present day, the high prince is Rygar ir'Wynarn, the lord of Greentarn. A clever diplomat and brilliant captain, Rygar has earned the loyalty of a host of warriors and the respect of most of the princes; those who oppose him do so quietly. Rygar called together the delegation that represented the Principalities in the Treaty of Thronehold, and he hopes to one day rule as the true king of the seas.

Source: Dragonshard

Ancient and free, the Lhazaar Principalities were born from a bold venture over 2000 years before the founding of the Kingdom of Galifar. The pirate queen Lhazaar led humanity over a sea that now bears her name, coming from the east to Khorvaire. These Sarlonan immigrants quickly spread, conquering the continent over the following two millenia before Galifar.

Those who remained did so by choice – choosing the open air of the sea and a life of freedom and independence.  This freedom would not last forever. In less than three decades after Galifar united the Five Nations, he declared war upon the Lhazaar Principalities, an extended fight that lasted another ten years. However, Galifar's success was limited - while the Lhazaar Princes would pay tribute and taxes, they retained their right to self-govern. Galifar’s successors found it easier to tame the wild east with carrots as opposed to sticks, in order to transform the ships of Lhazaar into Galifar's navy. Cooperative princes found themselves richly rewarded for protecting Galifar's trade from the region’s rebellious pirates.

When the Last War split Galifar, the once united Principalities devolved to infighting. Princes took advantage of the new order by selling their services as both merchants and privateers to the highest bidder. Alliances came and went, with naval battles over the Scion's Sound and Khorvaire's southern ports taking their toll in blood and treasure. One hundred years of war burdened the Principalities with enough grudges and rivalries to last a thousand more.

Despite this, High Prince Ryger accomplished what his predecessor, High Prince Horget Black, could not – unite the Principalities under a single banner, if even for a moment. Key to Ryger's success was the relationship with House Thuranni he cultivated under Horget. High Prince Horget Black's title was at best nominal, a formality afforded by his control of the largest and strongest fleet. What Horget Black lacked was meaningful influence over the other Principalities. When Horget disappeared, Ryger took charge of the Seadragons and contacted Baron Elar d'Thuranni for aid. With the aid of the elven assassins, Ryger united the Principalities enough for the Treaty of Thronehold to recognize them as a signatory nation.

Source: Politics of the Lhazaar Principalities

During the Last War, the Lhazaar served as privateers and pirates. Outsiders wonder if the principalities can adapt to peace, or if their thirst for gold and adventure will lead their subjects to ruin.

Most of the princes are content with their domains, but ambitious rulers such as Prince Ryger of Regalport and Prince Kolberkon of Port Verge could shatter the status quo. Kolberkon seeks to expand his personal power, while Ryger wants to forge a stronger unified nation. Both pursue dangerous alliances in their campaigns. In addition to agreements with the dragonmarked houses, rumors abound of bargains with dragons, fiends, and the distant Empire of Riedra. Will the dreams of these princes lead to a new war?

The water is a way of life for the people of the Principalities. Lhazaar children learn to fish and harvest the bounty of the sea as soon as they are old enough to handle a net, and most are equally at home on the deck of a ship or swimming through the waves. Most Lhazaarites prefer to stay close to the water: the ocean is freedom, and a Lhazaarite deep inland feels isolated and trapped. Lhazaarites prefer fish and salty foods to red meat, and Lhazaar captains traditionally drink salasta, a strong, clear alcoholic beverage made using salas seaweed.

The ancestors of the Lhazaarites came from many different races and nations. There is a wide range of skin and hair color among the humans; the original settlers came from across Sarlona, from desert, jungle, and plains. As a result, Lhazaarites tend to be comfortable with all races, and their culture and language incorporates traces of many others; while a dwarf born in the Lhazaar Principalities may not be able to speak Elven, he may use Elven swear words or interjections in his speech. Many of the humans of the western Principalities learn Riedran, which is fundamentally the language of Old Sarlona -- though a Lhazaar accent is quite different from that of an Inspired lord. The people of Orgalos have kept Riedran as their primary language and consider Common to be the language of Galifar; over the course of the last century the princes of Orgalos have formed strong ties with the Inspired, and much of the local Riedran trade passes through Piritar.

Lhazaar dress varies from principality to principality, but it often shows traces of the polyglot heritage of the region. Clothing tends to be tough and functional since it's made to resist the rough weather of the seas and the bitter cold of the northern winter. Lhazaarites take great pride in their hair, and complex braids and decorative accessories are common among both men and women.

Source: Dragonshard Part 1

The people of the Principalities are sailors and fishers, pirates and merchant marines. They are more comfortable aboard a ship than on land, and some can’t abide solid ground for more than a short visit at a time. Each sea baron and pirate lord commands a fleet of ships that serves as his or her claim to wealth and power. A piece of land, either on the mainland coast or on one of the many islands that separate the Bitter Sea from the Lhazaar Sea, accompanies each title, but without a flagship and support vessels the land has no value in their eyes.

Some sea barons work exclusively as fishers, traders, or privateers, but the vast majority fly whichever flag is most advantageous at the time—including the skull and crossed swords of piracy. Even with this reputation, many of the dragonmarked houses and other enterprises hire Lhazaar ships and crews to move cargo from one destination to another, in order to take advantage of their expert knowledge of the sea and their ready-to-sail ships.

Source: ECS

While the reversion to piracy has attracted plenty of attention, the economic reality of the Lhazaar Principalities is that the majority of ships which traverse the isles are merchant ships. As humanity expanded westward into Khorvaire, it maintained relations with the Lhazaar Principalities, primarily buying fish and salt. The passing of time and fading importance of the region’s resources drove some Principalities to piracy until Galifar united the kingdom and made pacts with the princes.

Galifar’s unity brought an unprecedented age of magical advancement, with wizards searching far and wide for new reagents to brew into potions and craft into items. The unique and diverse animals and plants of the Lhazaar Principalities have proved invaluable in these pursuits.

The start of the war and the severing of Orien rail lines renewed the importance of Lhazaar’s fleets, who were able to enrich themselves by providing a path around the dangerous battlefields that dominated the borders of the Five Nations. Even with the resumption of widespread piracy, Lhazaar merchants provided indispensable logistical support to governments and private citizens.

The destruction of Cyre dealt a massive blow to Khorvaire’s land trade, severing the final lightning rail lines connecting the east and west. This loss has created a unique opportunity for the merchants of Lhazaar, providing an alternate trade route around the eastern edge of the continent. The Lhazaar merchants also conduct significant trade with Sarlona, both in legitimate trade through Dar Ulatesh and Dar Jin, and in smuggler’s runs to Syrkarn and Adar. 

Source: Politics of the Lhazaar Principalities

Another legend that causes chills and sleepless nights in the ports and villages of the Principalities is the story of Prince Moren and his Ship of Bones. The legend claims that the evil Prince Moren was cursed, and now he sails the Lhazaar Sea in his skeletal ship with a crew of undead pirates in search of living sailors on which to feed. It is said that on nights when two or more moons are full, the Ship of Bones slides silently over the waves to attack hapless vessels unlucky enough to cross its path.

http://keith-baker.com/ifaq-lhazaar/

While most people think of the islands off the eastern shore of the Lhazaar Principalities, the Thronehold Accords recognize the land east of the Mror Holds to be part of the Lhazaar Principalities. Culturally the mainland differs substantially from the isles – many of the towns and villages are older than Galifar, maintaining traditional ways of living since Lhazaar’s journey. 

Despite the intervening mountains the settlements of mainland Lhazaar have had substantial contact with the dwarves and orcs of the Mror Holds. This contact has ranged everywhere from peaceful trade to violent conflict and every level in between.

The wide range of diverse environs of the Lhazaar Principalities are home to an even more diverse set of manifest zones. 

Unusually warm or cool seas and isles could be the work of Fernia or Risia. These zones occur in the southern tropics and frozen north, intensifying extremes, transforming humid climate to blazing heat and norther sea spray to bitter cold. Winters where Risia draws coterminous are particularly brutal, freezing most of the northern ocean and occasionally connecting the isles to the Frostfell with land bridges, bringing ancient, unknown horrors south.

The isle of Dreadhold is home to a Lamannian manifest zone that reinforces the prison’s roots, prevents teleportation, and purifies supplies of poison and disease. Other Lamannian manifest zones in the Principalities usually link to the Endless Ocean and are home to beasts of titanic size.

While the Lhazaar Principalities are home to storms of all kinds, the fiercest are the chaos storms which can form in regions close to Kythri. Fire and ice, water and lightning merge into a horrific elemental maelstrom. One crew of pirates now known only as the Chaos Fleet (p. 15) was transformed by such a storm into elemental monstrosities.

Fishermen are always wary of angering the oceanic fey that hail from Thelanis. Ocean Striders are one such fey, colossal spirits capable of protecting large swathes of sea. Most rumors allege that Ocean Striders take special interest in protecting the whales of the region.

While Dal Quor was cut off from the material plane by the Giants aeons ago, the closest the plane has to a manifest zone lies on the mainland portion of the Lhazaar Principalities. Taer Lian Doresh, the Fortress of Fading Dreams, is a Feyspire that was transformed into a critical juncture of the Dal Quor, Material Plane, and Thelanis. While visitors to the fortress always return to their home plane upon leaving, Taer Lian Doresh allows quori to directly interact with creatures from the material plane.

The most prominent manifest zones to Mabar in the Principalities lie on the isle of Farlnen, the frozen home of the Bloodsail principality. Sailors have many tales about the power of Mabar, amongst them the story of the Ship of Bones, which slips through to the material plane to feast on the living when two moons are full in the sky.

Source: Politics of the Lhazaar Principalities

The primary form of transportation in the Lhazaar Principalities is by ship. When humanity crossed the Lhazaar Sea, they relied on large sailing ships that could carry many people and significant cargo. While ships of similar size (but dramatically improved construction techniques) are still used to cross the Lhazaar Sea today, most of the travel in the Lhazaar Principalities is across short distances in shallow waters. 

The typical Lhazaar Galleon is long and shallow, with ready oars and small, maneuverable sails. While each principality has its own “secret sauce” of enchantments and blessings for its ships, some features are common throughout. Even ships made from ordinary materials feature enchantments to bolster their strength, and the hull is usually enchanted to ward off parasites. Beyond that, individual captains have unique superstitions to bring them good luck and good weather.

Even Lhazaar merchant ships are heavily armed – almost every principality expects their crews to be capable of fighting in addition to their duties manning the ship. Armaments vary heavily by principality, but ballistas and siege staves are common features throughout. A century of war has precipitated a calamitous arms race that House Cannith has only played a small part in, with many of the advancements instead made by independent artisans and weapon smiths throughout the isles.

Source: Politics of the Lhazaar Principalities