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.

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 under Captain Soot were related to the Anaconda, and thus likely also hailed from Katashaka. These warrior women used similar tactics and weaponry.

Beliefs
Around, the ancient Tabaxi tribes of Katashaka worshiped a deity known as Olurobo and his children, called the nyama-nummo. One nyama-nummo was Akongo, a particularly perfidious entity dwelling in the southern highlands.

However, the greatest of the nyama-nummo was known as the Sleeper—the terrible tarrasque —who dwelled in the Palace of the Alliz-Dren. She reigned over the lands of the Tabaxi and supposedly favored them over the other tribes. In turn, they chose one of their own at birth to be named Tarasajok, meaning "She Who Watches over the Sleeper"—and who had the honor of being first to be eaten by her upon awakening on the next Night of Feasting.

There were also believed to be spirits.

Ancient 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.

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

In Tabaxi legend, one season, the Sleeper desired vengeance against an ancient enemy and summoned the greatest warriors of the nine tribes to follow her into battle in Mhairshaulk (c. to c. ). Apparently defeated, the Sleeper returned in a rage, went on a rampage, and devoured four nyama-nummo on the Night of Feasting, before finally returning to sleep and recuperate in the Palace of Alliz-Dren. She would awaken twenty-three more times, and ever more angry and hungry.

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. The Tabaxi of Katashaka called this the Great Rending.

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. The couatl Ecatzin came to the Tabaxi. Although initially resistant, fearing the feathered serpent to be a minion of Akongo, some of the tribe gradually came to accept the couatl's words and to learn a little of its language, while a chosen few like Oyai even learned a forbidden magic called matumbe. But they still dreaded the Sleeper's imminent awakening.

Finally, on the next Night of Feasting at the end of a millennium, Ubtao blessed Oyai, naming her Negus Negusti and Bara, right before the Sleeper awoke with a roar and came to devour her. But she used the matumbe magic to halt, crush, and slay the Sleeper. That night, many liberated and joyous Tabaxi pledged themselves to Ubtao, as Ecatzin named them Ubtao's blessed children.

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 in some 300 canoa (canoes). 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. Oyai's story of Katashaka would be recorded in the Teachings of Ubtao, stored in the vaults of the Maze of Life in their new city, Mezro.

Geography
There were highlands in the south.

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 land is finally named Katashaka, based on fanon lore in the earlier fan-made A Grand History of the Realms by Brian R. James.