Abstract: Starzenc Isle is the homeland of the Starzenc Mercenary Company, more often called “Zenc Fist Mercenaries”. The island is known by scholars to be one big factory churning slaves in an endless cycle of brutality and submission to produce the island’s primary export: warriors. These warriors can be hired by any who can afford them to obey their new master’s every command without doubt or question.
GEOGRAPHY
Starzenc Isle looms southeast of Vulcanys, a volcanic bastion forged in fire and shadow. This accursed land, home to sodians—towering, horned humanoids born of primal war and savage dogma—is a realm where the very earth seems to seethe with fury. The island’s landscape is a nightmarish vision of blackened volcanic rock, jagged cliffs, and endless ash-strewn plains. At its heart burns a titanic forge, fuelled by the fiery breath of a chained red dragon—a living furnace of a hell-beast, bound and broken – it’s mind ravaged of all intelligence except to keep the fires of it’s volcanic prison hot – to serve this brutal domain.
The shores of Starzenc Isle are a death trap of rocky outcrops and swirling volcanic mists that hide humid bogs and sulphur pools, their treachery claiming all but the most daring or desperate sailors and explorers. Yet beneath this perilous surface lies wealth beyond reckoning: veins of starmetal, a rare and near-indestructible material birthed from the stars themselves. These precious deposits drive the island’s relentless industry, crafting weapons, armour, and steel-clad ships unmatched in strength and artistry. Above it all, the sky shimmers with an unearthly green glow, cast by the planet’s rings, a spectral beauty that belies the grim and unforgiving nature of this hellish isle.
NOTABLE LOCATIONS
URIM-GIGISK (THE CITY OF SCREAMS)
Starzenc Isle’s coast is lined with ports, but none rival the ominous Urim-Gigisk—the City of Screams. Its name is no metaphor, for sailors whisper that you hear its tormented cries long before its shadowy silhouette rises on the horizon. Starzenc Isle is a damned land, thriving on the twin sins of slavery and war, and the mournful wails that echo across the Sea of Tears are the soundtrack of its malevolence, a warning to those bold or foolish enough to approach.
Urim-Gigisk is no ordinary settlement. Its ashen-blackened stone walls rise like a monolithic shadow, cloaking the city in perpetual gloom. Here, masonry serves not beauty but dread efficiency. Tall, foreboding towers pierce the sky, bleak and lifeless. These are not homes but grim prisons—cages for the broken and the defiant. From their heights, screams pierce the air, a constant cacophony of anguish as slaves are dragged in chains, reshaped through torment into weapons of flesh. Those deemed unworthy are tossed to ravenous war-beasts, their last moments a spectacle of primal horror.
The city itself is a fortress of suffering. Its courtyards teem with grim purpose—arenas of blood-soaked sparring, execution stages where defiance is snuffed out, and bustling bazaars hawking flesh, steel, and sustenance for the isle’s war engine. Layers of inner walls and gatehouses choke any thought of escape, each guarded by warriors bred in cruelty. Only the most shadowed, unscrupulous organizations dare to trade within this pit of despair. Urim-Gigisk is not merely a city—it is a monument to the raw, unrelenting power of oppression.
UB-SUKALBARASK (THE ARENA OF A THOUSAND CHAMPIONS)
Throughout Starzenc, countless arenas echo with the clash of steel and the roars of battle, each a crucible where warriors are forged or shattered. These blood-soaked proving grounds pit combatants against one another in savage duels, sprawling field battles, or brutal contests against feral beasts dragged from the wilds. Here, strength is not enough—only those with the cunning, endurance, and unyielding will to survive earn their place in history.
But among these battlegrounds, one stands above all: Ub-Sukalbarask, the Arena of a Thousand Champions. Perched atop a dormant volcano, this hallowed ground is deceptively unassuming—a stark square of blackened earth encircled by a single row of seats. Yet within this unremarkable ring, legends are born. Only the finest warriors, tempered by the lesser arenas, ascend to Ub-Sukalbarask, where they face their peers in battles to the death. Here, there is no room for mercy, no tolerance for weakness. Victory is the sole path to survival.
The champion who emerges triumphant is no mere survivor—they become a living prize, coveted by the overlords of Starzenc Isle. These victors are auctioned to the highest bidder, their strength serving as either a household guard or the commander of an army. Ub-Sukalbarask is no simple arena; it is a stage where destiny is carved into flesh, and every drop of blood spilt fuels the relentless cycle of power and subjugation that defines Starzenc Isle.
GISH-GALULUBA (THE FORGE OF ETERNITY)
Starzenc Isle’s claim to infamy lies not only in its brutal warrior caste but also in its unmatched mastery of metal. The island is blessed—or cursed—with an abundance of starmetal, one of the most durable and coveted materials in all of Dark Earth, rivaled only by the fabled Cyclosteel forged by the legendary Cyclopes. Born of meteors that rain from the heavens, starmetal is exceedingly rare, yet Starzenc Isle, perched near the planet’s volatile equator, is a magnet for these cosmic remnants. Here, the sky itself delivers wealth to the blackened earth, as stones from the rings of Dark Earth crash to the ground in fiery cascades.
At the heart of this industry stands The Forge of Eternity, the largest and most formidable forge on the isle. Crowned by the great volcano that dominates Starzenc’s skyline, it is both a testament to and a prisoner of the land’s raw, fiery power. Its fires burn endlessly, fueled by the volcanic heart of the island, casting a sinister glow that lights the ashen cityscape. The forges glimmer like stars in the darkness, their light a constant reminder of the toil and torment that drive the isle’s relentless industry. Beneath this glowing zenith, the veins of starmetal run deep, extracted by tireless laborers and melted down into the tools of war that make Starzenc feared across the lands.
The Forge of Eternity is more than an industrial marvel; it is a living embodiment of Starzenc Isle’s soul—a place where the heavens and the earth collide to create weapons, ships, and armor unmatched in strength, forged in fire and shadow. It is here that the fate of the isle, and perhaps the world, is shaped in molten metal and unyielding flames.
HISTORY
Starzenc Isle’s history is steeped in violence and oppression. For centuries, it was a hub of the slave trade and weapon manufacturing, controlled by chieftains tied to The Hegemony – a union of “civilised” sodian tribes who have begun to evolve from the primeval masses that dominate the land. These chieftains ruled with brutality, using slaves as both laborers in the forges and entertainment in the fighting pits. The turning point came with Lothend Zenc, a sodian slave and gladiator who led a rebellion that dismantled the chieftains’ control.
The rebellion was merciless. Lothend and her fellow gladiators turned the tables on their oppressors, forcing them into the very arenas they once dominated. The chieftains were made to fight each other and savage beasts, and those who survived faced gruesome executions. This violent uprising cemented Lothend’s rule and transformed the island into a militarized state. From then on, Starzenc became known as a forge of warriors, its inhabitants conditioned from birth to survive through combat. It is snow ruled by a union of families – descendents of the rebellion. There are fifteen families who rule now. Most of them are sodian, but two are human families.
CULTURE & SOCIETY
The culture of Starzenc Isle is centered on violence, strength, and survival. Every individual born on the island is considered its property and is trained from a young age in the art of warfare. This militaristic upbringing fosters a brutal hierarchy where only the strong survive and thrive. Those who cannot endure the rigorous training and combat are relegated to subservient roles, often suffering torment at the hands of their stronger peers.
The Zenc Fist, the island’s mercenary company, epitomizes this culture. Membership is both a mark of status and a test of one’s endurance, with failure in battle resulting in a return to the island as “damaged goods,” where harsh fates await. The island is also a melting pot of races—humans, elves, sodians, fomorians, and hybrids like sodites—reflecting its history as a hub of the slave trade.
Starzenc Isle’s industrial prowess is another cornerstone of its culture. The island’s forges are world-renowned for their craftsmanship, producing starmetal weapons, armor, and steel ships that are unmatched in quality. This blend of martial tradition and industrial expertise ensures that Starzenc maintains its fearsome reputation across the lands.
Despite its harshness, the island’s culture values discipline and skill. Loyalty to the Zenc Fist and adherence to its brutal ethos are considered the highest virtues, creating a society where every individual is honed into a weapon, either literally or metaphorically.
Starzenc Isle is fairly Godless society – all notions of The Maw or any other belief has been long extinguished, and so all inhabitants place their life in the grip of their overlord. A slave will see their master as their God; it will be to he or her who will determine if they get to even breath, let alone sleep, eat or move. It is only the rulers of the Isle who have any true freedom. And even then, they must fight against their own kin to maintain their position.
Across Westland and the wider world, a wealthy warlord may hire “Zenc Fist Mercenaries” to help them win a battle, or maybe just as guards to protect a paranoid lord. Zenc Fist Mercenaries are the Isles primary form of export to the world. But how does one become a Zenc Fist Mercenary? Simple. Through the Isle’s primary import: Slavery. Merchants or raiders will sell slaves to the Isle, and these unfortunate souls are taken to the dark dungeons that dot the forsaken realm. They are broken in ways that are too tearful to describe. Broken, until they are malleable enough to become whatever they want you to be. Those that either do not break, or the dungeon keepers see no use for, will be fed to the isle’s beasts, such as Hellhounds (large, black hairless canines – one beast could tear a wolfpack to shreds for fun) or the Bloodbulls (large, black or red hairless creatures with the body of a horse, lizard claws for hoofs and the head of a bull – carnivorous, ferocious creatures that can be tamed for war).
Slaves will then be made to fight one another senselessly, for dungeon keepers to assess the strongest and mightiest among them. And so, the slave has a spear thrust in their hand and armor donned on their torso, and they must fight to appease their masters.
What makes the Zenc Fist Mercenary Companies so formidable is that they do not hire fighters. They make them. Fighters with favourable traits are selectively bred to produce warriors who will be born to understand their purpose in life. Furthermore, the Zenc Fist ensure their population always flourishes, maintaining a healthy balance of people who have been selectively bred to achieve a purpose; whether it is to become a commander, or to be simple fodder, or as blacksmiths and masons, or to be studs and broodmares to continue this dark economy.
GOVERNANCE
Starzenc Isle is a land ruled by power, blood, and ruthless ambition, where fifteen fierce families – known as “Blades” – vie for dominance. At the heart of this savage realm stands the most feared and revered Blade: Blade Zenc. Descendants of the legendary Lothend Zenc, these rulers are more than just leaders; they are worshipped as gods by their loyal followers. Blade Zenc’s grip on Starzenc is unyielding, keeping the other Blades at bay with a terrifying mastery that quashes greed and ambition before they can take root.
The other Blades, though powerful in their own right, are bound by blood, as they are the descendants of Lothend Zenc’s closest brothers and sisters in arms from her fabled rebellion. Yet, in the tangled web of lineage, bloodlines blur, and distinctions between them grow hazy. Each Blade commands a domain on the Isle, and in Starzenc, there are no “families” in the traditional sense. Leadership is earned, not inherited; only the mightiest rise to the top. The title of Blade Master is not given lightly, but bestowed upon the strongest and most ruthless warriors, chosen through the brutal trials of Ub-Sukalbarask.
Beneath the Blades, the Champions stand as titans of war. These fearsome warriors, proven in the unforgiving fires of Ub-Sukalbarask, serve as elite commanders, bound to their Blade Masters by oaths of blood and loyalty. A Champion leads clusters of battle-hardened warriors, but their allegiance is first and foremost to their Blade, second only to their devotion to the one who commands them.
The very fabric of Starzenc society is built on this unyielding hierarchy, with warriors battling for glory and slaves shackled by their fate. Each Blade Master’s domain is uniquely tailored for war, with every territory specializing in the tools and tactics of destruction. Blade Trothk, for example, are unrivaled masters of archery and mounted combat, their skill in battle striking fear into the hearts of their enemies. Blade Syrocan, one of the last two human Bloodlines to stand in Starzenc, are legends in their own right, with an unparalleled expertise in the crafting and deploying of siege engines and steel war ships, laying waste to all who dare stand against them.
Starzenc is a realm where only the strongest survive, and in the shadow of the Blades, there is no mercy, no forgiveness, only the unrelenting march of power and war. And despite the creed of this land was born to break free their chains, they have only replaced old shackles for new, stronger ones. And for what? For money. Starzenc Isle, when all is said and done, is simply a factory of slaves that churn out mindless warriors for the highest bidder.
FANTASY BOUND STUDIO 