The Kingdom of Kokka

Written by little song

Culture

Kokka and its peoples have been isolated from the rest of the continent both by ocean and by choice. They are a calm people for the most part, preferring peace in solitude and self-sufficiency. They have a honor-based society, focused on always ensure everyone around you is taken care of before yourself. However, courtesy is considered to be available to help, but to leave others alone if it appears they are well. Their diet consists mostly of fish and sea-meats, with chicken sometimes and beef only very rarely. Due to the small plots of land often flooded, rice is the most grown crop, but their fruits are known for being of the highest quality. In their cooking, there is a heavy emphasis on spice and making every meal not only taste delicious but look beautiful. Precious metals and jewels are rare, but when obtained, set beautifully. The pottery of the Salamduel is particularly known for its excellent quality. In addition watercolors, bamboo furniture, silk, carvings, glasswork and fashion are all passed down and perfected through the generations. Music is highly valued. They boast several unique instruments and seek to unravel the order behind the notes. In short they are a nation of artisans. Trade with other kingdoms happens, but since there is no necessity that can not be produced there, it is sporadic at best. The land has two dialects. The national language, Nihon, has a complex but beautifully crafted language system that takes 6-8 years to master. The Salamduel dialect Kore was built for function and spreading of knowledge taking two weeks to a month to master the character system. In spoken though, both share grammar and are closely related in sounds. Most of the inhabitants of the land can speak both and read one. In Military there are three branches; the Akeruman, specializing in naval defense against see beasts and pirates; the Deto, acting as the palace guard and main enforcers of law and justice; and the Akito, the people’s militias if you will, mostly consisting of volunteers who hold monthly and weekly training sessions. All have their own unique weapon style and the first two begin their training around 3-6 years of age. Thus even for a small nation they know how to defend their own, and have little to no desire to leave or conquer others.

History

In The Pale War, Kokka’s (then called Edo) highest mountain and capital city, tore from the earth and arose into the sky. With so many lives lost in the process and the seat of power all but gone the remaining people (then called Nihonkora) were thrown into chaos for twelve years, they were little help in the Pale War, so preoccupied with keeping their land together and livable and so easily prone to fighting amongst themselves in the stress.
Being so far from the Borax Uldek, and isolated from the other lands, they had little understanding of why such things happened. In the tenth year of the dividing war, (as they called it) the Tengu descended from the sky island. Faced with this new enemy who had supposedly destroyed the remnant of Edo, the Nihonkora banded together again and all but completely wiped out this new race, forcing the bird men to withdraw to their sky island now dubbed Akuma.
Then proceeded six years of the peaceful divide, where the two sides formed layers of treaties and two governments. Thus came the Jin and the Salamduel, each developing their own dialects and traditions and, for the most part, living in peace. 153 years ago the merging occurred, a three year war of sorts that brought both land kingdoms back together. Each side claims their own story for why it happened. Nevertheless the land was renamed Kokka and called one nation.
For the most part everyone is content, but hostility still remains between the classes. Beneath the land lies many great caverns but the various tides and title waves render them continually flooding and drying and uninhabitable. Various manner of sea beast dwell nearby but through many years of practice Kokka has found means to defend against and slay the creatures.

Demography and Population

Peoples:
Jin: The ruling and upper class of Kokka, distinguished but angular faces, dark almond shaped eyes, button noses, and jet black hair. Most of slender frame and smaller in height, with skin easily tanned but kept pale in most cases.
Salamduel: The middle and lower class of Kokka, almost indistinguishable from the Jin in appearance to outsiders, but with slightly wider noses and a bit firmer jaw line. There also exist halfbreeds of the two races, normally belonging to whichever group is the father’s.
Tengu: The feared bird men from Akuma. Tall, slender, human-like entities, with massive bird-like wings sprouting from their backs. Their hair ranges in colors from black to white their wing feathers often matching their hair. Tinges of red silver or gold may appear in their wings or hair. Their eyes, though almond shaped, are larger that the Jin or Salamduel, and most often red in color, but can be gold, and, in rare cases, white. In battle they are uncanny in speed and vicious, but also very susceptible to poisons.

Territories

Size: Small
Terrain: Kokka, despite its small size, holds a vast variety of terrain. From tall mountains to fertile valleys, beaches and rocky shore lines, swamp-like fields and plains. It’s an island with everything necessary for life.
Climate: Temperate, with flower-filled springs, hot summers with the bugs chirping, crisp autumns, and snowy winters. Due to magnetic anomalies, the island suffers from tidal waves every summer and on rare occasions great whirlpools will open off it’s east and flood all the shores for a mile inland as well as strike the coast with tsunamis.
Cities:
Yoi Shihon is the capital and it and Nagoyari hold a good 70% of the population.
Hwarang boei and Mamori are the main military seats. Very little common population there.
The two cities in the south are mostly farming fishing communities and more spread out.
The ocean watch is pretty specialized to defend against sea creatures specifically. Daegu is also fairly large in population but it’s considered the poorer places.