South-Eastern Hemisphere

An old continent gets a giant asteroid right in the face: of it remain only Madladscar, Guinea and some scattered pieces of islands and islets, worth noting the later called Island of the World's End, Eyr at the World's Edge, Hattea, Zebra Island and the Island of Evil.

Following the impact, tectonic plates form and start colliding, thereby creating through volcanism all the known archipelagos on the edge of the plate bearing the remnants of the old continent. A hot spot forms and a great volcanic island appears and then explodes in an eruption of an unheard-of violence (of course, nobody was there yet). With the movement of the plate, the hot spot moves "up" to the NW and new islands emerges: the Antimagnet Islands. The first magma chamber, immense, get filled with water from the sea above.

Of unknown origin, the Ey Sea - the Great Inward Stream - appears and in turn forms the other streams and swirls of the Known World, including of course the Dee Sea - the Great Outward Stream. The specific cycle of the Big Eastern Swirl unfolds as a consequence of the old magma chamber. Rapidly, the storms of the Sea o' Many Mournings settle for the long term.

Another part of the same Neolithic people is carried away by the Great Southern Stream. Some survivors manage to settle in the land which will soon be called Nip'On.

A primitive farming culture evolves, highly developped pottery craft; beginnings of a State around the person of the Techno. Start of the Nip'In Calendar in year 1280 BUC.

Evolution to a properous and advanced culture in a rich country. Appearance of Buddhism on the shamanic background of Shinto.

Gradual settlement by Madladscary, over several generations. First barbecues of the Cannibal culture.

Gradual settlement by Madladscary, over several generations. First glimmer of the Realms of the Navel of the World in Kalimantan and Underdamatress Land.

The Madladscary are repelled by the Nip'In of Nip'On Land - who already use junks - lead by some guy called Hedo-Jooruna to the legendary battle of "Sea Kissing Ahora!" (in 375, thus 905 BUC).

The Realms of Underdamatress and Kalimantan adopt Nip'In techniques and expand their influence on the neighbouring archipelagos. However, the Island of Evil will never be conquered.

Technical progress. The Nip'On Land becomes a Feodality and the Nip'In Piracy develops. Raids on the coasts of the Bornold Sea. First discovery of the mysterious "treasures" of the Island of Evil, by the legendary Pirate Rie Hinokibayashi - The narratives locate her story around 620, thus 660 BUC.

Nip'In Pirates found an International Piracy Confederation in the Shellfish Sea. Ship-Hell Island becomes the "Pirates' Island". The Nan'n'Wan's Archipelago also becomes a breeding ground for Pirates. Buddhism expands.

The legendary Pirate Nayami Hinokibayashi, having picked up another of the "treasures" of the Island of Evil, scares the Nip'On Land and invades the Island of the Nine Rivers in the North around 840 (thus 440 BUC). Frequent raids in all the country. The Buddhism melts in the Nip'In's Shinto shamanism.

The shamanic Cannibal civilisations resist well to Pirates (who avoid Guinea) and to the great Kingdoms interested by the natural treasures of that vast land. The Cannibals are not starving and do not need to kill each other anymore… Many say that Guinea is an immense country, wealthy of natural ressources; life there is good but tourism is not yet very developped.

Having become Captain Lamarck a while ago, Benjamin Lamarck meets Rei Hinokibayashi (in 275 BUC). They associate to Chang Yunfeng, the most dreaded Pirate of Tawan Island. Together, they unify again the Piracy of the Shellfish Sea and of the Philippinas but they must then part with Chang and flee from the region (in 271 BUC). They leave for the Island of Evil, then the Island of the Nine Rivers (Nip'On). Gunpowder is discovered on Kalimantan and Underdamatress…

On the Island of the Nine Rivers, Captain Lamarck and Rei Hinokibayashi get married (in 1010, thus 270 BUC). They spread terror for a while in Nip'on Land but their meeting with the monk Choutatsu marks a new stage of their life and they embark with him for a journey without return on the Great Outward Stream (in 1014, thus 266 BUC)… "Discovery" (or appropriation) of gunpowder in Nip'On Land…

The Kitchen Gardener Lwa (Thus is he called on Glabbooby and Mattink Islands, don't ask me why and moreover he has many other local names), from the Island of Evel, become established in all the Navel of the World through surviving followers chased out of Nip'On Land.

A strange religion develops in Nip'On Land, in which a kind of Demon producing Vegetables is worshiped, named in awe Saima, on a distant and not well known island… The cult is violently expelled from Nip'On Land between 1095 and 1097 (thus around 184 BUC) by the police of the Techno. Some chapels and shops dedicated to the Kitchen Gardener Lwa survive however.
The Techno establish more and more firmly its power as time goes.

As a side-business to that of Captain Lamarck's Island, development of tourism on Guinea, under control of the Cannibal Great Chiefs of the West who get richer and eat more than they need. The East of Guinea, otherwise called the Bird's Head, becomes a Piracy zone. The Cannibals of the Middle (of Guinea) experience again the vicissitudes of a random nutrition source…

The Voodoo blends with Buddhism and still quickly spreads in all the Navel of the World as far as the borders of Hanan and the Sunda Islands. The (usually deadly) pilgrimage to the Island of Evil develops significantly.

The Nip'On Land isolates itself progressively. It becomes a very mysterious Land. Hitomi Hinokibayashi, the brilliant Pirate, spread a terror bearing her name but it lasts only a short time; the decline of the Nip'In Piracy has begun… Hitomi Hinokibayashi resolves to go on the seven seas and beyond in search of the treasure of Captain Lamarck and her grand-grand-…-grand-mother, Rei Hinokibayashi, not without having made a cultural and bloody stop on the Island of Evil… (in 1200, thus 80 BUC)

The Cannibals get down to Voodoo because they appreciate its culinary techniques and potential in terms of touristic development. The Cannibals of the Middle take the most advantage from the new wave. Those of the West are ruined by the competition of the Salmon Islands, "mellow waters and waterlemon"… Becoming that slim is not nice to look at…

Economy, culture, politics and Piracy flourish and develop in all directions in that region, probably the wealthiest of the Known World (at any rate the best endowed from Nature). The Island of Evil becomes famous worldwide but the remains particularly difficult to visit…

The Pirates of the Island of the Nine Rivers are not anymore so much heard of, even at home, since the young prodigy Hitomi Hinokibayashi, last of her lineage, left Nip'On Land in her quest beyond the Great Outward Stream (??). The society evolves to a system dominated by lords, courtesans, (boasting) warriors and bourgeois. Cities are thriving. "Great Eruption of 1333". We are now in the year 1372 of the Nip'In Calendar.

Adoption of a common Calendar for all the Known World (Nip'On Land keeps its own ancient Calendar however). Emergence of the world of Zebra Island RPG as our Young Pirate friends will soon discover it: a not always easy to understand joyful mix of all those religions and cultures who crossed with each other in the History of the Known World. "Great Eruption of 53". With the exception of Nip'On Land, which maintain its mysterious isolation, each island keeps also cultural specifics and various specialities and it is a fine mess!! We are now in the year 92 of this era already to remember…