Conny

This is one of the newer islands of the Empire. It is also one of the few that was actually taken by force of arms by the Empire. The reasons for the Empire to decision to take the island are twofold. First the island is larger than most in the known world and is very fertile land. There are vast forests of fruit trees that grow year-round. The estimates are that the fruit harvest alone could yield enough food to increase stores by ¼ for the Empire. The second reason the Empire decided to take the island by force is that the the native people, an unknown number of humans that call themselves the Shimundra, refused to even enter into negotiations with the Empire. They are an extremely peaceful people who have strong ties to nature. They felt that it would be defiling what the Great Spirit had provided for them to sell or trade what was freely given to them.  

Of note, they also refused to just let the Empire take part of the island’s bounty and leave the Shimundra alone. When they originally tried to do this there were countless natural tragedies that happened to the workers that came to the island on the Empire’s behalf. Horrible illnesses, attacks by wild animals, freak storms that wrecked ships off the coast and more. '''

After the Empire consulted the various wise ones and religious leaders, the Emperor was told that only by having people from the Empire reconcile themselves to living on the island permanently would things change. In the past four years since the city of Carria on the west coast have things started to become less perilous. There are still a higher than average number of accidents and deaths by Imperial settlers than other islands but they are well paid and protected by a significant force of Imperial marines stationed on the island.

The Emperor authorized the Imperial Navy to land 3,000 marines on the island and establish a safe area that could be settled. The marines, like earlier traders who had visited the island faced a number of natural tragedies at first. Over the next six months they gradually got a perimeter stabilized. Settlers came and now go into the forests and harvest the abundant fruits and other plants that they trade via the empire.

The Shimundra are often seen by the settlers but have reported no significant contact with them or any real negative encounters.