Ryukami has descended into a brutal three-way war that has defined the archipelago for decades. Three powerful kingdoms clash for supremacy, each controlling different islands and commanding vast resources. Neither side can decisively defeat the others, leading to a grinding stalemate punctuated by violent raids and shifting alliances.

Kagemura, the human kingdom, relies on numbers, honor, and naval might. Sserakai, ruled by Yuan-Ti sorcerers, counters with magic and espionage. Gogath, the monster kingdom, strikes with overwhelming individual power and fortress defense. Each kingdom believes victory is possible. Each kingdom may be right.

The common people suffer most. Trade routes are disrupted. Farmland is scorched. Young men and women are conscripted to die on distant islands. Yet the war persists because none can afford to surrender, and no one has discovered a path to peace.

Shiroshima — The White Isle

Shiroshima stands as the archipelago's most valuable unclaimed territory. This island is renowned as neutral scholarly ground, home to great libraries, universities, and research institutions that serve scholars from all kingdoms. Its independence is theoretically guaranteed by ancient treaties, yet all three kingdoms recognize its strategic value.

The knowledge held within Shiroshima's halls is immense. Ancient magical texts, military strategies, alchemical formulas, and technological innovations make the island a prize worth fighting for. A kingdom that controls Shiroshima would control information itself—and information may be the most powerful weapon in this war.

Currently, Shiroshima maintains its neutrality through a precarious balance. The councils of scholars actively suppress military developments on the island and refuse to grant permanent military presence to any faction. Yet pressure mounts as the war intensifies. Many wonder how long the island can remain neutral when all three kingdoms circle hungrily.

Scuttle Cove — The Pirate Haven

In the hidden coves of the Shattered Reefs, the Freeport of Scuttle Cove has flourished as the war has dragged on. This lawless haven welcomes anyone with coin, regardless of allegiance. Pirates, smugglers, mercenaries, and arms dealers converge here in a strange harmony of greed.

The war makes Scuttle Cove infinitely profitable. Weapons are smuggled to all three kingdoms, often manufactured in secret facilities within the Freeport itself. Intelligence flows like water—sold multiple times to multiple buyers. Ships captured from one kingdom's navy are retrofitted and sold to another. Even military scouts and deserters find sanctuary here.

The three kingdoms tolerate Scuttle Cove's existence despite its crimes because the Freeport serves a valuable function. It provides an escape valve for excess violence, a place where conflicts can be resolved without armies clashing, and a neutral ground where even enemies can meet. The Freeport is officially disavowed by all three kingdoms yet secretly essential to keeping the war from spiraling into total annihilation.

There are whispers that the most powerful merchant lords in Scuttle Cove secretly play the three kingdoms against each other, extending the war precisely because they profit most when fighting continues. Whether this is true or merely paranoia, none can say.