Herne and Cespar are two large islands in the Abecean Sea, located southwest of mainland Hammerfell and the Iliac Bay.
Pronounced: "Her" + n
Pronounced: Keh-"Spar"
Herne Location - Eko Hirna, Tava's Roost, Chendzrkel, Ino Hirna, Mitani Do-Tu'whacca, Zamhai Do-Hirne
Cespar Location - Chora Doks, Fort Liminos, Irkndzel, Ravanu Oasis, HoonDing's Veil, Chora
Herne, the "Old Isle," lies northwest of Cespar and is named after its inhabitants and guardians, the Tomba do-Hirn. Originally known by the Redguards as Stros M'Utu (Isle of Kings), Herne was the first island discovered and colonized by the Yokudan Migrant Fleet, and was the capital of Raguda for decades. The island was originally inhabited by Nedes, who were routed onto Cespar by the warriors which would settle there. When Uei-utei (High King) Zutun departed Herne for Hegathe, he left the old capital of Ino and the island itself in the perpetual care of the Tomba do-Hirn, who had already been caretakers of the shipyard at Eko for many years. With the center of power now in Hegathe, the island steadily declined in importance, and the old capital city at Ino was abandoned in favor of the small coastal village around the shipyard at Eko. That, too, has become a shadow of its former self, as the population and resources have dwindled over the years. With the recent death of their chieftain and spiritual leader, the last thread of staunch Yoku traditionalism has been cut.
Cespar, the smaller island, is occupied by the Tomba do-Cespar, descendants of great Yoku warriors. These warriors initially came to kill the last of the Nedes who fled from Herne, and found an island full of goblins. The warriors killed most of them, driving them underground to be reborn into ghouls by Sload magic. Since the Red Wave moved on to conquer mainland Hammerfell, Cespar has stagnated in importance and power. So much so that disgraced mainland nobles were exiled to a crumbling Yoku tower on the island. During the Tiberian conquest, the Empire forcibly repurposed that tower, renaming it Fort Liminos. Since the Empire's eviction from Hammerfell, the dilapidated Fort has sat abandoned save for the occasional enterprising pirate. Chora, once a mighty stronghold famed for its heroic warriors, has been reduced to a humble village of farmhouses with only a few residents keeping up the old ways of war and worship.