Although The Logos has made a definite statement on the shape of our
world, His answer is beyond my meager comprehension. I offer a small
sum of gold to anyone who can help to clarify this most intriguing
answer.

One another note... the Isle of Shalla-Khulia has caught my imagination.
I don't mean to press this point too hard but this is what I have found
out so far. Both the old sailor and Epicurus are very tight-lipped
concerning this land. Although both seem to have traveled there in the
past, neither is willing to speak for any length of time on the subject.
The sailor will only tell me, 'In me younger days, I traveled the
isles of Shalla-Khulia. My what riches and pleasures were found there!
'Course the overseas trade dried up during the Anarchy Rebellions. Not
that I cared much for the royals, but leastways they kept the sea
ports. Ah perhaps one day, the sea trade will open up again.'
As for Epicurus, 'This hookah comes from the isles of Shalla-Khulia
where I visited as a youth. What memories!' is all he ever says.
I would like to put forth the following.... It is doubtful whether
both of these men would dream up some fanciful isle with the same name.
It is equally doubtful that these two have collaborated in creating a
lie to mislead the citizens of Ashtan and Sapience, as a whole.
Therefore, I take it on faith that the Isle of Shalla-Khulia did exist
at some point in time. If we can believe the stories of a drunken
sailor, at least to some extent, then at least Ashtan had a trade
route with this 'fabled' island and that the ports and routes went
neglected after the Fall of Nicator's Empire, which is what I believe
the sailor is referring to by the term 'Anarchy Rebellions'. If we
add all of these together, one can infer that Ashtan was the centre
of a mighty ocean going empire encompassing not only known Sapience
but areas that have since become unexplorable. As a side note and
one that supports this argument, I would like to put forth the well
developed dock yards, albeit in a state of neglect, and the age of
many buildings in our older sections of the city, specifically
Martin's Sorrows.

Let all of Sapience tremble at the thought of the return of ocean
going vessels and the might that is Ashtan, Queen of the Seas.

Your Humble Servant,
Urlotus Lucoster

Penned by my hand on the 24th of Ero, in the year 245 AF.