Botha

So twice five miles of fertile ground

With walls and towers were girdled round;
And there were gardens bright with sinuous rills,
Where blossomed many an incense-bearing tree;
And here were forests ancient as the hills,
Enfolding sunny spots of greenery.

—Agha Porlock Sahib, Lines tortured from the Shade of one out of time and place, for the pleasure of She who has commissioned the restoration of the Blessed Isle – (1690 AN)

The island of Botha is a quiet island with forests in the east and west. Although situated in the Bay of Chryse, separated from a busy port and teaming metropolis by only the Strait of Gamboia, the island is itself sparsely populated. Over the years the island has come to be considered something of an idyll and a retreat. Indeed it became so famous for its spas and relaxing airs that ultimately the High Commissioner, Ayesha al-Osman, requisitioned the island in its entirety for her own use upon the occasion of attaining rulership over the city state in 1690 AN. The Palace of Botha, built on the island after its clearance; swiftly becoming the favoured residence of Ayesha, where the Bothan Institute was established in 1704 AN.

Botha comprises of three settlements; Botha, Gamboia, and Hamquet. The Palace of Botha is situated on the north coast, due-southwest along the shore from Gamboia, facing the Bay of Chryse. A lighthouse and navigation beacon is active on the headland of the island's western promontory projecting southwards towards the open waters of the Shire Sea. Following the clearance of the island, only persons granted permanent leave to do so by the High Commissioner, Ayesha al-Osman, may reside upon the island. These comprise of three main groups, the companions and domestics in the service of the High Commissioner, the students and staff of the Bothan Institute, and personnel posted to the island from the Women's Auxiliary Service - who provide a garrison for the island. By virtue of a by-law enacted after the clearance of the island, men are not permitted on the island between the eighth hour after midday and the seventh hour after midnight. Dayworkers and other non-resident persons on the island by permission of authority are obliged to depart with the six o'clock ferry, with men found on the island outside of permitted hours, without exceptional leave by the High Commissioner, facing the penalty of castration and forcible enlistment into a regiment of eunuchs retained on the island for work duties required to be undertaken during the hours of the night.

The village of Botha, formerly the main town on the island, is located at the end of a bay inlet which is open to the southern sea. Hamquet, another coastal village, is positioned on the eastern promontory. Gamboia, by virtue of its proximity to the Palace of Botha and the ferry terminal which is the island's main tie to the mainland, has become the most important settlement on the island since 1690 AN, providing barracks accommodation for administrative and auxiliary personnel.