Sothoryos is one of the four known continents in the world, lying to the southeast of Westeros and south of Essos.
Geography[]
Sothoryos is a large continent, covered in jungles, plague-ridden, and largely unexplored. The northern coast has been mapped, with the ruined cities of Zamettar, Yeen and Gogossos noted, but little else is known of them. The Ghiscari believe the continent is at least as large as Westeros.
The north coast has many islands along its length such the Basilisk Isles, as well as Naath, which lies off the coast of the continent, to the northwest in the Summer Sea.
On the northern coast of the continent lie a score of small trade towns of mud, described as wet, humid, and full of misery, where adventurers, rogues, and whores from the Free Cities and the Seven Kingdoms go seeking fortune. Corsairs prey on these settlements, carrying off captives to their holding pens on Talon and the Isle of Tears before selling them to the flesh markets of Slaver's Bay or the pleasure houses of Lys.
Inhabitants[]
Sothoryi men have brindled skin is thick, often in patterns of brown and white. They are big-boned and massively muscled, with long arms, sloped foreheads, huge square teeth, heavy jaws and coarse black hair. Their broad, flat noses suggest snouts. Sothoryi women are said to be unable to breed with men from Essos or Westeros, only bringing forth stillbirths or malformed offspring.
The Sothoryi mostly known to the corsairs of the neighbouring Basilisk Isles are those who dwell closest to the sea on the Northern shore, who have learned the Trade Talk. The Ghiscari consider them to be slow of wit but fierce fighters that make good slaves. Farther south, the Sothoryi from these regions are more savage, known for cannibalism and worshipping dark gods with obscene rites. There are also unproven reports of other races and forgotten peoples that were driven out, destroyed, or devoured by the Brindled Men, as well lizard men and eyeless cave-dwellers.
The continent is home to a variety of unique animals, among them hairy apes that are found in the jungles.
Dangers[]
Besides the savage Brindled Men, particularly the ghouls and cannibals from the deep jungles, Sothoryos is home to many fatal diseases, including blood boils, green fever, dancing plague, sweetrot, bronze pate, the Red Death, greyscale, brownleg, wormbone, sailor's bane, pus-eye, and yellowgum.
The Zamoyos and other streams are home to crocodiles and swarms of carnivorous fish capable of stripping a man's flesh in minutes. The continent is also swarming with stinging flies, venomous snakes, wasps and worms that lay their eggs beneath the skins of horses, hogs, and men alike. Basilisk Point is full of the eponymous animals, some of which are twice the size of lions. The forests south of Yeen are also said to be the home of apes that dwarf the largest giants, capable of killing elephants with a single blow.
Farther south, in the Green Hell there are reports of white vampire bats that can drain the blood of a man in minutes, tattooed lizards that run down their preys and rip them apart with long curved claws on their hind legs, snakes fifty feet long, and spotted spiders whose venom is capable of paralysing an auroch.
Recent History[]
When Corlys Velaryon, named for the Sea Snake of 250 years prior announces his Fourth Grand Expedition in 372AC, a number of Westerosi and Essosi alike flocked to his side, wishing to join him on his adventures. Among them were the Crownlander Ser Osmund Massey, Stormlander Gilbert Tudbury, the Dornishman Nymos Toland, the Westerlander twins Alyssa and Marq Farman and a strew of lesser souls, sellswords and adventurers. Their ships were found at the mouth of Zamoyos, near the ruined city of Zamettar - although the charts located within the vessels suggested it was Yeen and beyond that they had travelled to by rowboat. They have not been seen since, although their long since raided vessels remain scuttled on the shore.