▁th riv ed ▁on ▁a ▁tropical ▁island ▁north ▁of ▁the ▁British ▁Is les ▁that ▁apparently ▁was ▁a ▁semi - active ▁vol cano . ▁They ▁had ▁been ▁there ▁since ▁" The ▁Time ▁Before ▁the ▁Moon " ▁( br ief ly ▁mentioned ▁by ▁the ▁v amp ire ▁Mah aret ▁in ▁The ▁Queen ▁of ▁the ▁Dam ned , ▁the ▁third ▁install ment ▁in ▁Anne ▁R ice ' s ▁V amp ire ▁Chron icles ), ▁and ▁lived ▁innoc ently ▁and ▁peace fully ▁until ▁the ▁land ▁began ▁to ▁shift ▁under ▁their ▁feet . ▁The ▁water ▁became ▁too ▁hot , ▁and ▁the ▁animals ▁died . ▁The ▁tribe ▁esc apes ▁in ▁time ▁and ▁fle es ▁south ▁to ▁the ▁bitter ▁cold ▁of ▁Scotland . ▁From ▁there ▁they ▁can ▁see ▁the ▁island ▁as ▁it ▁s inks ▁into ▁the ▁sea . ▁They ▁make ▁do ▁in ▁their ▁new ▁home , ▁becoming ▁h unter - g ather ers , ▁and ▁occasionally ▁spot ting ▁the ▁early ▁humans , ▁whom ▁they ▁sometimes ▁kept ▁as ▁p ets . ▁They ▁break ▁off ▁into ▁different ▁tribes ▁and ▁the ▁largest ▁of ▁them , ▁led ▁by ▁Ash lar , ▁goes ▁south ▁to ▁Som erset ▁where ▁they ▁sett le . ▁Their ▁peace ▁is ▁often ▁dis rupted ▁by ▁the ▁C elt ic ▁ra ids ▁on ▁the ▁land . ▁To ▁adapt ▁and ▁live ▁peace fully ▁among ▁humans , ▁they ▁become ▁the ▁P ict s , ▁and ▁Ash lar ▁their ▁king . ▁When ▁Christian ity ▁comes ▁to ▁them ▁in ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁St ▁Col um ba , ▁Ash lar ▁converts ▁with ▁more ▁than ▁half ▁his ▁tribe