Las Isloyatą Kheya
Introduction
Las Isloyatą Kheya, or frequently shortened simply to “Las Islos” is a northern kingdom in Mahka Nata that prioritizes entertainment, trade, glamour, and gambling. Originally a stable monarchy with simple values, now a corrupt metropolis fueled by money and hedonism.
History
Early Period
The kingdom of Las Islos was founded on the idea the simple idea to provide a city devoid of the structure of Astorian life. This concept was seen in the kingdoms explorer/founder Matoskah Takoda, nicknamed "friendly white bear". Matoskah was born to Astorian rice farmers. They lived in the northern mountain range of Mahka Nata in cramped and concentrated pockets. The environment that Matoskah grew up in would later influence the architecture and structure of Las Isloyatan. Despite being born to hardworking rice farmers who mastered the terrace form of farming, Matoskah often found himself unhappy and even depressed during his time in the mountains. Matoskah began finding enjoyment in exploring the wilderness near the farms rather than attending to them diligently. This would all come to a head when Matoskah was given a new job by his family. Trying to satiate his wonder for exploration they gave him a boat filled with rice. Instructed to make rice deliveries and come back, Matoskah set out down a river which would later be the known as Tortuga River. Living a life secluded in the mountains, Matoskah finally began to experience the wider world. Using the boat filled with rice Matoskah cruised down the river until finding a place that spoke to him. A small settlement of Free Spirited Astorians nestled in a lush coastal reigon. The people in this settlement had rejected much of the traditional Astorian way of life, and Matoskah had found his people. Over the course of the next 60 years, Matoskah would build a kingdom that would encapsulate all the freedoms he never had growing up.
Middle Period
Under the leadership of now King Matoskah, Las Isloyatą enjoyed stability and growth for over 60 years. Under his reign many public works were constructed to ensure the kingdom's mission could be fulfilled. City walls were erected to provide a level of safety and security. The kingdom developed and so did its ideals. In Las Islos, it was said that you were provided with a level of freedom that was unique to the kingdom. The one condition however, was that if you affected the suave flow of the kingdom and disrupted the peace, swift force would be used to elimate the disruption.
Once many public works and essential facilities were created, next came the markets. Many of the Astorian free spritied indivudals that started the city had unique talents and passions, such as art or sculptures. In a traditional Astorian society, these indivuals would be seen as worthless as their art was not of a religous figure. In Las Islos however, there was a much larger apprecation for art, with many coming to the city to observe new and interesting art that had been created due to the more free flowing nature of Las Islos. As the market grew, so did the clientle, by the Kingdoms 30th year of establishment, The Market of Topah Cheekahs, or four corners. This Market featured Astorian, Hilaelean and even Adairian traders interacting with each other. Topah Cheekahs was one of the king's personal pet projects, and he belived that the best way to achieve his goal for the kingdom would not be through conquest and armies but through economic strength and the freedom to make a name for oneself
As the market of Topah Cheekahs expanded, and more diverse customers began to enter the city center of Las Islos, a laguage barrier began to form. Many traders had trouble communicating with their customers and vice versa. This lead to disruption within the city, and many customers began to get malciously ripped off by the sellers. Translators became a hot commodity within the city, and many scholars from other kingdoms began to travel to Las Islos in order to make a pretty penny providing their skills. For those that could not afford a translator, they were forced to attempt communcation with others through universal symbols or gestures. As these symbols progressed and became spread, a slang was developed between the three groups that allowed traders to communicate simple concepts such as “how much”, “too expensive”, “how many'' and more. This slang, locally called tijaraŋ, exploded throughout the market place and the need for translators went down as teachers of this slang began to pop up. With a universal trading language, many past barriers between these groups became non-existent, and Las Isloyatą began an incredibly important location across the continent for communication between the three great cultures of Mahka Nata.
Modern Period
After creating a flourishing kingdom and a place for wayward souls to find a home, King Matoskah passed away in his sleep peacefully. Following the death of King Matoskah, the trajectory of the kingdom of Las Isloyatą veered towards a gradual decline, due mainly to the erosion of its foundational vision. King Matoskah's demise left his young and emotionally shattered son to inherit the throne prematurely, leading to general unrest within the kingdom. In an attempt to remedy his personal grief and mourning, the new monarch mandated the establishment of a designated "red light" district within the city, fostering an atmosphere of hedonism and escapism. While the general public of Las Isloyatą did not mind the sudden change, the Chancellor, Yusil Olakatan, was infuriated by the kingdom devolving into a "dirty" city. Believing that the kingdom had been destroyed by the young moody King, Chancellor Olakatan began planning a Coup. During one of the king's visits to the upscale brothels he had mandated the creation of, an unidentified assailant struck, fatally wounding the monarch and plunging the kingdom into disarray. As Chancellor Olakatan took the throne, a series of shifts in power overtook the kingdom. The Chancellor called for the destruction of the red light districts, and many of the other hedonistic facilities that were created during the Young King's short rule. The people of Las Islos did not agree with these choices, and called for a change of power in the city. An election was held in which the people nominated a prominent business-man from the Four Corners market to assume rule of the kingdom. This businessman, known in the streets of Las Islos as "The Iron Snake" heavily rigged the election to put him in the center seat of power within the kingdom. The Iron Snake, who's real name was Jurengar Tolosk began to alter the kingdom in major ways.
Geography
Las Isloyatą Khéya, is located in the northeast. The east coast borders the seas, with flowing rivers and tributaries coming in through the southwest. This kingdom features endless mountains encompassing the north, with an abundance of timber littering the south. There are two main rivers, Isloyatą and Tortuga. These rivers start north and flow down south into neighboring kingdoms. The Isloyatą River is controlled by both Astorian nations, Apawichak’ya and Las Isloyatą Khéya. Tortuga River is completely dominated by Las Isloyatą Khéya. On the East coast, there is an island called Kaškeya. Kaškeya is a prison surrounded with water and no way to escape. Only way in and out is through maximum security ships. This prison not only holds prisoners of Las Isloyatą Khéya. Due to best relations with Hilael Kingdoms, Khasut and Kaliq-Hala, prisoners of these origins are also sent away to Kaškeya. The weather here can be very predictable. The mountains will have grass in summer with snow in the winter. The lands where timber grows are sunny with occasional rain. Cloudy days appear most in the fall. On the east coast that borders the sea, it can get very hot. The east coast always sees an abundance of sun year round. In the mornings there is always fog. As well as occasional rains that last just a few minutes. When it comes to natural disasters, there are none. With the mountains splitting off the north, the sea bordering the east coast, and timber littering the south, most residents settle at the southeast base of the mountains near the sea. Here is where the Cathedral and city center reside. Not only are these main places here, the First Outer Harbor takes place. The Second Outer Harbor is located near Kaškeya. Besides the two outer harbors, there are many ports set up along Tortuga and Isloyatą River. Another geographic feature Las Islos has is many beaches all along the East coast. It is tradition to party, take a swim, sober up, and resume festivities. There are a total of ten beaches. Each beach has a different atmosphere and theme. Beaches further north can be very rocky with steep sandbanks. Further down the coast, the sandbank widens and it becomes less rocky.
Government:
Originally a strong but honest monarchy, the kingdom of Las Isloyatą has fallen into a state of disloyal and corrupt governance. As the golden days of the hedonistic kingdom begin to dwindle, many are faced with the ugly truth of the City: the complete mess of a government system. The vague skeleton left by the previous king puts a supreme ruler in power, with a chancellor as a second in command and a council of tradesmen to deal with trade, production, as well as other important city matters. This goes against the common Astorian hierarchy, which puts a group of religious leaders at the highest point of power, with very few small power jumps between tiers of the traditional caste system. While the monarchy was not perfect, the idea of a system more simple and easy going than the traditional Astorian one led many of the free spirited individuals from other Astorian kingdoms to set down roots in the free flowing city of Las Isloyatą. Many of these free spirited individuals were religious devotees, and began setting up places of worship as well as creating art, music, and statues in the name of Apao, the Astorian god and mother of the lands. While many Astorians believed the city to be weak and heretical due to its divergence from tradition, there was a large appreciation for the works done within the city, and many often traveled to the coasts of Las Isloyatą to see the works done by Usul Kaji and Raj Taltakta.
Economics
Rice economy
Rice has been a pillar of Las Islos society from the very beginning. Rice is what founded the city, Rice is what feeds the city, rice is the economic strength that kept the kingdom growing. Even though the first king Matoskah despised rice and rice farming, it was a great gain to start a society on. The edible starch could be grown relatively easy in comparison to its other staple grain counterparts. Its importance to Astoria culture made it important to incorporate into the city. Rice farmers ealy on became the backbone of the kingdom. rice accessories and tools were also a big part of the rice economy. With so many farmers growing the grain there needed to be a place to buy more shovels and buckets. Funding of much of the early projects, rice farming would soon be overshadowed by the entertainment services and the black market that Las Islos would become known for.
Entertainment economy
While rice provided the base for the Economy of Las Islos, the entertainment and services provided within the city is what it became legendary for. With many Rice barons in the city, high rollers What started as just friends and coworkers betting pocket change during lunch snowballed into massive gambling dens. These buildings to hedonism would be adorned with large gambling floors that allow patrons to try and take the house in games of chance. The gambling halls would become home to Zahrat Alraqs (flamenco dancers) dancers. Theaters imported dancers from Khasut to perform for monthats at a time. People can go to these shows for a pretty price. If a person is seeking pleasures of the flesh, Las Islos has a variety of brothels to visit. The coast and their soft sand beaches would become another leisure space for patrons of the kingdom.
Social Relations
Domestic
Out of all kingdoms in Mahka Nata, Las Islos defines the term ‘melting pot’ the most aptly. Hilaelian, Astorian and Adairian cultures combined here and developed their own medley of the cultural trio. As a result of this, the people of Las Islos are tolerant of each other. The kingdom is not brimming with discrimination by any means. As a matter of fact, the differing cultures acknowledge each other and respect the differences through inventing for the purposes of another culture or trading directly with the other cultures. Astorians developing trinkets or pieces of insignia for a Hilaelian is far from a rarity. All of that being said, however, Las Islos is far from perfect. Heated cultural debates can still take place and while rare do occur. They are oftentimes people too intoxicated to realize the extent of their immaturity or recently lost big while gambling, both of which are searching for some type of outlet. As with the rest of Mahka Nata, when political tensions are high, the tensions between cultures in Las Islos also increases. Since Las Islos serves as the hub for many peace negotiations, it should not be surprising that while these peace negotiations are taking place that the tensions can be very high in the kingdom. On even rarer occasions, trade and kičhíčhopi will halt.
Within Las Islos there is a pretty well defined caste system. Since the kingdom breaks from the norms and systems of the cultures themselves, Las Islos has developed their own overarching system to run by. That primarily consists of the king on top, other government officials next, inventors, traders and travelers, and finally, at the bottom, the general poor.
Foreign
While Las Islos is internally very progressive and forward thinking, the rest of Mahka Nata is not the same. Other Astorian kingdoms practically view Las Islos unrelated to Astoria. Politically speaking though, it is almost necessary for these kingdoms to remain in good standing with Las Islos because of its ability to essentially serve as a peace zone. While Astorians hold their inventors in very high regard, the inventors from Las Islos are often looked down upon in comparison to other inventors simply because they give their gift to Hilaelians and Adairians more than fellow Astorian inventors. Do not be confused though, these inventors are still held highly but they are not on top of the totem pole of inventors so to speak. Hilaelian Kingdoms and people, on the other hand, generally adore Las Islos. This kingdom serves them only benefits and provides them with economic and technological benefits. Las Islos provides an external location for Hilael kingdoms to always be able to trade goods with if the journey to the kingdom yields success. The kingdom also provides Hilaelians with the newest tech created by the Astorian inventors which Hilaelians often bring home to deconstruct and build bootlegged renditions that are never truly as well crafted. Adairians are a people that are not as welcomed in many kingdoms. In Las Islos, that is very different. In Las Islos, anyone with purchasing power is welcomed with open arms since the probability that the city profits off of them is extremely high. Adairians, like Hilaelians, generally greatly appreciate everything that Las Islos stands for. Freedom to exist is something that Adairians in particular are fond of. That being said, Adairians do not appreciate some aspects of the culture. Some Adairians view the freedom given in Las Islos to be fraudulent and exist to take advantage of the economic power of individuals, and they are not entirely wrong. Adairians are also extremely unappreciative of recreated mocktails to imitate their religious Elixir.
Food
The cuisine of Las Islos strays greatly from typical Astorian dishes. For one, the city doesn’t follow the same strict “no waste” policy that's typically seen and well known within the Astorian culture. Instead of utilizing every piece of an animal, they aim to prioritize better quality cuts of meat for their dishes. Anything that isn't up to their standard, or is inedible, gets discarded. Due to this waste, and clear contrast to Astorian tradition, the city of Las Islos has a lot of controversy surrounding its walls. As a result, they do not gain a lot of support from the Kingdom of Astoria as opposed to the other kingdoms who may travel there. The dishes that reside here differ from typical Astorian foods you may find within the Kingdom. Those who reside in Las Islos have the time to experiment and create their own brand new, enjoyable dishes of all different kinds. Particularly, they are known for their famous fair food: with leg of lamb, mini meat, veggie, or seafood paella skewers, rice puddings, and fried green beans being a few dishes. Considering this city is primarily utilized for its relaxation and entertainment, they don’t grow a lot of their own food. Instead, they import a lot of goods from their outside supporters because of the fact that the city doesn’t receive a lot of support from their own Kingdom as much. With an abundance of other Kingdom’s ingredients, and the fact that those from all different types of culture can come to Las Islos to vacation there, the variety of products that they have to experiment with is vast. Since many of their foods feature goods that come from the other kingdoms, this allows for them to express full creativity with their cuisine. With Hilael being a big influence, they now have access to many different kinds of spices to pair with their rice and meat… And their now vast abundance of beans from the Hilaelians as well. Las Islos’s food options range from high quality meals found in an abundance of equally high quality establishments, to comforting street and fair foods such as a leg of lamb. A lot of their dishes are known to contain rice, beans, and lots of different kinds of meats, including seafood, due to the oceans that line the coast of their land. Along with food, they also experiment with drinks as well, particularly alcohol, which is a crucial part of their culture. Las Islos, as a whole, is known for its lax nature, uniquely good food, and alcohol. Despite the heavy amounts of waste that happens behind the scenes with their production of it.
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