For untold centuries, the island now called Aradi lay deserted, a wild and
windswept land occupied only by wild boars, birds of every description, reptiles
both small and large, and the occasional dragon. The last dragon to live in the
low hills that make up the bulk of Aradi was called Zylleix, and he came to live
there one hundred years ago.
Zylleix found the cavern system that riddled the island hills a perfect home,
and made his store there for several years, until the gargoyles came. The
gargoyles coveted Zylleix's great treasure, and they battled the dragon until at
long last, he was killed and his caves plundered. The gargoyles then left the
island alone, not noticing or caring that it was the largest island in the
northern chain, and returned to their homes on the islands to the east.
The island once again was deserted. The remains of the dragon sank slowly
into the hilltop he had been left on, until only his ribcage remained visible,
rising like white fingers from the hill. It was this that the boatload of
Raltuman fishermen saw, and what attracted them to the hilly island.
The Raltumans were both an exploratory force and colonists. The leader of the
Raltuman Nation, recently come under the protection of the Andorian League,
believed that there were livable lands to the north of the small peninsula that
jutted from the mainland and made up the total of the Raltuman lands. This man,
Ylirri Five-Families , who had gone from being the Head Chief of the Nations to
Duke under Andorian rule, was filled with ideas of a great land that he could
claim, presenting it to the High King of Andoria and thus ensure his nation
would be the greatest in all Andoria. He had sent the boat, the Aradi Alyia
(which meant "Sunrise Dancer"), to find this mythical world for him. Needless to
say, they didn't find it.
But they had found this island. The dragon's bones beckoned the men to search
the land and they found a wealth of game, plenty of fruit and places to grow
more, and of course the cavern-riddled hills. The hills whistled eerily as the
wind whipped through them, and the fishermen fancifully named their new home
Island of the Whistling Dragon.
The men set about building a small village of huts, clearing fields for
planting and setting up fishing lines, meaning to head back to the mainland for
women as soon as they were settled. Alas, it was not to be; the Aradi Alyia was
washed into the cliffs that sheltered the bay during a terrible storm and broken
on the rocks. In addition to the loss of the ship, they had lost many men. Those
who remained set about trying to build a new ship so that they could get word
back to the mainland.
In the meantime, Duke Ylirri died and his son, Irriand Six-Families, came to
power. He wondered what had become of the colonists and finally sent a force of
ships out to discover what had happened to the Aradi Alyia. Being of a more
practical mind than his father, he sent five vessels, one carrying women. They
found the island with no trouble--only two of the men remained alive.
Eventually, they said, all the others had died; a violent strain of fever had
left them too ill to try to continue with their plan of escape. These last two
had held on in hopes that someday someone would come from the mainland and find
them.
The men and women of Raltumas found that Island of the Whistling Dragon
enchanting. Although overgrown, the work the first men had done was extensive
and impressive. The leaders of this new force, Chiefs Kalidon Two-Families and
Rerrianarsis Four-Families, set their people to work at once. They knew that
this was a valuable and profitable place. Word was sent to the Duke of their
discovery, and the new village on the Island of the Whistling Dragon was named
Aradi, after the lost ship that had founded her.
In the last few years, Aradi has grown into a sizable town. It subsists
mostly on the fishing trade, although the hunting is excellent, and farming is
reasonable. Since the fever which struck down the first colonists, there hasn't
been a sickness there, and it is known across Andoria for its healthful climate,
and many people travel there for vacations. In fact, many times people arrive
for a short stay and end up making the island their permanent home!
When the island rulers, most notably Peace Chief Rerrianarsis, began
discussion of the building of an arena on the island, the debate reached the
ears of one of the newcomers to the island, one Eulalie Dunsel.
It must be noted that in Raltuman culture, women are not permitted to own
ships, work on the crews of ships, or bear weapons. This came about as the
result of a rather long and involved story concerning a mage and a curse.
However it came about, the women of Raltumans have been, over the years, even
further downtrodden. In many cases, they are not allowed to own land or operate
business...and this situation did not at all find favor with Eulalie Dunsel.
An enterprising businesswoman in her own right and one-time First Lady of
Dullens, Eulalie Dunsel had, when her husband had been defeated in the mayoral
election of Dullens, embezzled the entire city treasury. With the Dullens city
treasury in her pockets, a beguiling smile on her face, her bumbling husband and
five daughters, Eulalie had gotten out of the Charter Cities area, gone up the
coast, out of independent waters and into Andoria--where, she believed, no one
would come looking for the erstwhile Mayor of Dullens! Eulalie, in her husband's
name, bought up all the land that the arena was to be built on and sold stock to
other women of Aradi who also desired to see things change. As soon as the arena
and its holdings were all snugly in the hands of the female population of the
island, Eulalie organized the League of Female Gladiators. This League was to
protect all female warriors; if they wished to bear weapons and fight in HER
arena, then they were most welcome!
Eulalie's fears of retribution vanished. The arena was built and opened under
her supervision. The Arenamaster, Kaylei, was her own oldest daughter. The city
of Dullens never sent anyone so far to find them, and as the months passed, it
seemed less and less likely that they would. The ex-mayor didn't understand how
it came about that he and his wife owned the new arena, but he didn't complain.
He got along well with Rerrianarsis, and Eulalie was happy--what had he got to
complain about?
Plenty. As the years passed, Eulalie was targeted by an assassin; she died of
what was initially thought to be food poisoning, but clever investigation by
some of the warriors of the arena proved otherwise. The assassin, and who hired
him, were never found. However, it changed things--the arena went to the city,
and Kaylei left the island with her lover, Lady Protector Willow (they were
later married in Andorak). Old Horatio Dunsel still lives on the island, mostly
in seclusion, for Aradi's stiff, bloody politics bother him no little bit and
he'd rather stay out of it.
Aradi is a fierce, proud, vicious little town, cutthroat and businesslike.
They do not tolerate treachery or treason, yet it is rumored that there is a
Chaos Gate open on the island itself, and that Chaos Lords roam free in the
streets. This could be, as most people believe, just one of the many myths that
frequently surround arena cities, managers, and warriors. They are almost
violently Andorian, most willing to shed blood to prove that Andorians are
hardly the "weak, fainting flowers" that Delarquans would paint them.
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