Katashaka

Katashaka was a continent a long distance to the southwest of Faerûn. In some outlandish old stories, it was called the "Dark Continent".

Inhabitants
It was the original home of several human tribes of the Chultan Peninsula, including the Eshowe, Tabaxi, and Thinguth. The Tabaxi language had its roots here.

A being known as Olurobo—and its children, the nyama-nummo—was worshiped by the Tabaxi tribes before they converted to the worship of Ubtao and their subsequent migration to the Jungles of Chult.

The Anaconda mercenary company originated in Katashaka. Led by Nkonzi Maru, a ranger, and Kwanza Maru, a priest of a snake god, they operated in the Heartlands of Faerûn in the mid–14 century DR.

The amazon marines that made up a large portion of the planes-sailing Ebony Queen ' s crew were related to the Anaconda, and thus likely also hailed from Katashaka. These warrior women used similar tactics and weaponry.

History
During the ancient Days of Thunder ( to ), when the creator races reigned over Abeir-Toril, the land that would become Katashaka was little touched by them. Instead, it was home to tribes of the first humans. Such humans were still primitive, even ape-like, dwelling in caves and using simple tools.

Eventually, the continent of Katashaka was split from the former super-continent of Merrouroboros in the great cataclysm known as the First Sundering, dated to around. Faerûn and Maztica were separated in the same event.

Over the millennia, Katashaka came to be home to several distinct human tribes: the Tabaxi, the Eshowe, and the Thinguth.

Meanwhile, around, across the sea in Faerûn, the couatls were dwindling in number and desired to halt the spread of the yuan-ti into the western end of the Chultan Peninsula. Searching for another people to take their place, the winged serpents eventually chose the humans of Katashaka, and went to them to preach of their god, Ubtao.

Finally, in, peoples of the Tabaxi, Eshowe, Thinguth, and several others who'd accepted the faith of Ubtao went with the couatls in a great pilgrimage over the ocean. Landing on the Wild Coast, they journeyed into the Jungles of Chult and met their new god at the Peaks of Flame. They would go on to settle much of the peninsula, and having lived free of oppression, they inspired the neighboring Lapal tribes to revolt against the yuan-ti.

Background
In its entry on the Anaconda, Gold & Glory refers only to "an island far to the southwest". This could've been the Chultan Peninsula, but that is of course not an island. The "Speaking in Tongues" article in Dragon Magazine Annual 1999 uses this to introduce a sub-Saharan-like so-called "Dark Continent" where the human Tabaxi tribe originated. It suggests DMs adapt the unofficial fantasy-Africa "Dark Continent" outlined in Dragon #189, proposing an island-continent the size of Australia south of Nimbral and west of Zakhara. In The Grand History of the Realms, this finally named Katashaka, based on the earlier fan-made A Grand History of the Realms by Brian R. James.