Koritsae
Geography
Koritsae contains a mixture of biomes, though it is mostly comprised of damp rainforests and dense wetlands to the south as frequent northbound storms slam the southern coast of the island. Two large mountain ranges dominate the center of the east and west respectively, creating a rain shadow over the northern and central regions, forming a few vast plains and a single large deciduous forest. Throughout its long history Koristae has never really had much in the way of major biome shifts, even during the Long Summer, as the rainfall that had abandoned the mainland kept falling on the islands of the Shattered Coast.
A number of bays can be found all over the coasts of Koritsae, providing the various small fishing and trading communities with safe harbours for visiting vessels, as well as the perfect place for the Sharbian Naval Base; Kokate. Given that most local communities farm various unique wildlife it would seem to most outsiders that the Koritsan are mineral poor, however this is a ruse meant to avert attention. Secretive mines high up on the mountains, where snow even appears, provide the island a steady flow of iron which the Koritsan refine into various steel tools and weapons.
A number of bays can be found all over the coasts of Koritsae, providing the various small fishing and trading communities with safe harbours for visiting vessels, as well as the perfect place for the Sharbian Naval Base; Kokate. Given that most local communities farm various unique wildlife it would seem to most outsiders that the Koritsan are mineral poor, however this is a ruse meant to avert attention. Secretive mines high up on the mountains, where snow even appears, provide the island a steady flow of iron which the Koritsan refine into various steel tools and weapons.
Ecosystem
Given that this island was the only home for the Kitsune and Ninja for centuries, Koritsae possess a healthy population of Kass'obake in its southern rain forests, monitored by a sizeable order of Kassukto (Kass Watcher). Flocks of Koritsae Seirori (Fae Birds) leave trails of sparkling light in their wake, their enchanting calls haunting the early morning fog of the rain forests.
Climate
The island of Koritsae is a wet and warm place most of the year round, with average temperatures close to or around 30 Celsius in the summer, reach down to an average of 20 in the winter. Frequent storms and the tropical climate of the region cause the summers to be quite humid, requiring specialized structures and clothing to properly deal with. While maybe not ideal for many, the island has been home to its current population for close to 1900 years, and they have long since adapted to the climate.
History
Originally settled by a tribe of Triaxians long before the Bloodplague, Koritsae was a relatively isolated island community for much of this time, with only a few thousand people living on it for centuries. When the Bloodplague came the island was suddenly inundated with refugees from the mainland, seeking a safe harbour, though their sheer volume would come to be a problem. As food stores dwindled and more refugees kept arriving, local villages would begin to withhold food for the original settlers, leaving the refugees without food. Some would take the hint and leave, though many others lashed out in their anger, beginning a period of time where the Koritsan Triaxians were forced further and further south on the island, until the worst happened; the Kalkur arrived.
Refugee flotillas had led the Kalkur straight to Kortisae, an island with a few ten thousand Triaxians, leading to a near disastrous outbreak of the disease. A small council of elders from both the refugee Triaxians and the Kortisan came together and decided to work together for their own sake, hashing out an agreement to cut down the barriers between the two groups. This united effort managed to push the Kalkur off of Koritsae, one of the first major victories in the constant war against the Kalkur, though this would bring about a new time of struggles. The council of elders attempted to make good on their deal, though many of the now veteran warriors of both sides still held great contempt for each other, leading to the building of tensions.
With the island once again nearly on the verge of open warfare between the two groups, two hermit sages, of indescribable origin, came to the council and proposed a solution; let them fight. Take control over the violent movements on both sides, then organize a battle on one of the sparsely populated plains, where the problem would mostly take care of itself. Any that survived would be given the opportunity to cast down their hatred and rejoin society, or join their hateful brothers in the dust. While brutal, the method did hold promise, and so after much discussion, the Elders would agree to this, and begin to nudge the malcontents towards a confrontation.
Said confrontation would come where the town of Namanoge is today, both sides attempting to get a leg up on each other, though would end up being caught between the fast flowing rivers on both sides. After a brutal battle, both sides attempted to retreat, where they were met with their respective elders and fresh warriors, and were offered a place back in society in exchange for abandoning their hatred. As far as the records say, none accepted this offer, and hundreds of survivors were put to the sword, ending this tragic piece of Koritsae history.
Following this event the island would see a period of great growth as Strix merchants would come from the south while other islands nearby would trade with them freely. Technology advanced, farming improved, as did their cities, and the population continued to grow, though scouts would keep a constant vigil on the mainland, keeping track of the Kalkur and any possible hint of their return. As the Bloodplague came to an end and the Kalurai, as they now called themselves, began to build their own cities and grow rapidly, paranoia set in to the hearts of the Koritsae. Not wanting to deal with these violent outsiders again, many cities built up stone walls, with a fleet of vessels constructed to intercept any assaulting force.
When the Kalurai slavers did come for Koritsae they found the island a tough nut to crack, with their first expeditions being destroyed or forced to withdraw before even landing on the island. Instead of being dissuaded, the Kalurai saw this as a challenge that was to be overcome, and would spend a great many decades attempting to find a crack in the defenses, which they eventually would. Over time the Kalurai would learn that a series of beacons would be used to signal the fleet of the raiders and their location so, using the early morning fog as cover, a band of raiders would land and dispatch those manning the signal fires, allowing for a greater force to land on Koritsae. They would ransack many towns and villages on the northern coast before withdrawing, taking hundreds of Koritsan Triaxians as slaves, the beginning of the end for this haven of Triaxians.
Over the next century the Koritsan would be worn down by the Kalurai, as more and more of their people were taken by the slavers to the various slave states on the mainland. Eventually, however, an expedition from Mathath came and annexed the island entirely, enslaving the remaining locals and constructing various ports to be used as staging grounds for further raids. Koritsae became a slave processing center as well as a staging ground for raids, with hundreds of thousands of slaves coming through the island's facilities over the centuries, before the Empire of the Sun rose to fight the Slavers.
By the time the Empire was born and the Wars of Light began many slave revolts had attempted to free Koritsae from the grips of the Kalurai, though none had been successful. When the Empire annexed Mathath and, by extension, Koritsae, it was considered some minor naval base the salvers had used, and was mostly ignored, though a small naval force was stationed there to keep trade open. After centuries the Koritsan culture was all but gone, however the few remaining Triaxians of the Koritsan culture managed to integrate themselves with the other freed slaves, merging what little they remembered with other cultures, birthing the Neo-Koritsan culture.
Trading towns would once again be built and flourish on the island, and the Empire would take note, though they would still leave the island and its unique culture under the governance of the Province of Mathath. For a long time most would ignore Koritsae, which the locals would be fine with, though when the War of the Star began, suddenly Koritsae's position gave it grave importance. Naval bases here would be expanded during the war, mostly for the repeated failed landings against the Striven, though after the war they would remain sizable, as an entire Fleet, the Ferian Fleet, would be based here.
When the Imperial Civil War began, Koritsae would be on the front lines of a devastating naval war between the Heartlands and the various rebels throughout the Shattered Coast. Multiple attempts by various hostile factions were made to take out the fleet yards of Koritsae, though each time the enemy was pushed back, at great cost. While the Empire would manage to survive the Civil War and Koritsae would come to a form of notoriety as a naval base, the island's population had shrunk drastically by the time the war had ended. Some had fled from the fighting, while others perished in raids, others still died from a few famines the ravaged the local lands and some had left to fight, never to return.
As the Long Summer began, and as Federal power waned, Koritsae found itself more and more isolated, until one day Imperial vessels stopped arriving in port. The Naval yards were empty, the garrison was gone, and barely three thousand people remained on the island. This would have been fine by itself, though by this time much of the people who remained on Koritsae were in various occupations meant to support the Naval base, which was now defunct. After a decade the population was reduced to less than five hundred, and most others had used their skills to construct some vessels and leave the island, while those who remained were the few farmers left on the island. Even before the Empire officially collapsed Koritsae was left uninhabited, as marauders had come by the island, slaughtered those who remained, taken what food and valuables they had, and absconded with them.
Not even a century later the Kitsune would arrive on Koritsae, rebuilding many of the settlements and taming the now strange animals of the island. They would flourish on Koritsae, calling for all of their kin to come to the island, and would attempt to defend it against aggressors. During the Kauran raids of the Shattered Coast the island would once again be assailed by slavers, however a deal with Kharsharb would end these raids, a deal which remains intact. Today Koritsae is home to the Kitsune and the original Ninja Order, now simply called the Kortisan Order, is guarded by a Sharbian Naval base, and is shrouded in mystery due to the fact that so many have simply forgotten the island was even there.
Refugee flotillas had led the Kalkur straight to Kortisae, an island with a few ten thousand Triaxians, leading to a near disastrous outbreak of the disease. A small council of elders from both the refugee Triaxians and the Kortisan came together and decided to work together for their own sake, hashing out an agreement to cut down the barriers between the two groups. This united effort managed to push the Kalkur off of Koritsae, one of the first major victories in the constant war against the Kalkur, though this would bring about a new time of struggles. The council of elders attempted to make good on their deal, though many of the now veteran warriors of both sides still held great contempt for each other, leading to the building of tensions.
With the island once again nearly on the verge of open warfare between the two groups, two hermit sages, of indescribable origin, came to the council and proposed a solution; let them fight. Take control over the violent movements on both sides, then organize a battle on one of the sparsely populated plains, where the problem would mostly take care of itself. Any that survived would be given the opportunity to cast down their hatred and rejoin society, or join their hateful brothers in the dust. While brutal, the method did hold promise, and so after much discussion, the Elders would agree to this, and begin to nudge the malcontents towards a confrontation.
Said confrontation would come where the town of Namanoge is today, both sides attempting to get a leg up on each other, though would end up being caught between the fast flowing rivers on both sides. After a brutal battle, both sides attempted to retreat, where they were met with their respective elders and fresh warriors, and were offered a place back in society in exchange for abandoning their hatred. As far as the records say, none accepted this offer, and hundreds of survivors were put to the sword, ending this tragic piece of Koritsae history.
Following this event the island would see a period of great growth as Strix merchants would come from the south while other islands nearby would trade with them freely. Technology advanced, farming improved, as did their cities, and the population continued to grow, though scouts would keep a constant vigil on the mainland, keeping track of the Kalkur and any possible hint of their return. As the Bloodplague came to an end and the Kalurai, as they now called themselves, began to build their own cities and grow rapidly, paranoia set in to the hearts of the Koritsae. Not wanting to deal with these violent outsiders again, many cities built up stone walls, with a fleet of vessels constructed to intercept any assaulting force.
When the Kalurai slavers did come for Koritsae they found the island a tough nut to crack, with their first expeditions being destroyed or forced to withdraw before even landing on the island. Instead of being dissuaded, the Kalurai saw this as a challenge that was to be overcome, and would spend a great many decades attempting to find a crack in the defenses, which they eventually would. Over time the Kalurai would learn that a series of beacons would be used to signal the fleet of the raiders and their location so, using the early morning fog as cover, a band of raiders would land and dispatch those manning the signal fires, allowing for a greater force to land on Koritsae. They would ransack many towns and villages on the northern coast before withdrawing, taking hundreds of Koritsan Triaxians as slaves, the beginning of the end for this haven of Triaxians.
Over the next century the Koritsan would be worn down by the Kalurai, as more and more of their people were taken by the slavers to the various slave states on the mainland. Eventually, however, an expedition from Mathath came and annexed the island entirely, enslaving the remaining locals and constructing various ports to be used as staging grounds for further raids. Koritsae became a slave processing center as well as a staging ground for raids, with hundreds of thousands of slaves coming through the island's facilities over the centuries, before the Empire of the Sun rose to fight the Slavers.
By the time the Empire was born and the Wars of Light began many slave revolts had attempted to free Koritsae from the grips of the Kalurai, though none had been successful. When the Empire annexed Mathath and, by extension, Koritsae, it was considered some minor naval base the salvers had used, and was mostly ignored, though a small naval force was stationed there to keep trade open. After centuries the Koritsan culture was all but gone, however the few remaining Triaxians of the Koritsan culture managed to integrate themselves with the other freed slaves, merging what little they remembered with other cultures, birthing the Neo-Koritsan culture.
Trading towns would once again be built and flourish on the island, and the Empire would take note, though they would still leave the island and its unique culture under the governance of the Province of Mathath. For a long time most would ignore Koritsae, which the locals would be fine with, though when the War of the Star began, suddenly Koritsae's position gave it grave importance. Naval bases here would be expanded during the war, mostly for the repeated failed landings against the Striven, though after the war they would remain sizable, as an entire Fleet, the Ferian Fleet, would be based here.
When the Imperial Civil War began, Koritsae would be on the front lines of a devastating naval war between the Heartlands and the various rebels throughout the Shattered Coast. Multiple attempts by various hostile factions were made to take out the fleet yards of Koritsae, though each time the enemy was pushed back, at great cost. While the Empire would manage to survive the Civil War and Koritsae would come to a form of notoriety as a naval base, the island's population had shrunk drastically by the time the war had ended. Some had fled from the fighting, while others perished in raids, others still died from a few famines the ravaged the local lands and some had left to fight, never to return.
As the Long Summer began, and as Federal power waned, Koritsae found itself more and more isolated, until one day Imperial vessels stopped arriving in port. The Naval yards were empty, the garrison was gone, and barely three thousand people remained on the island. This would have been fine by itself, though by this time much of the people who remained on Koritsae were in various occupations meant to support the Naval base, which was now defunct. After a decade the population was reduced to less than five hundred, and most others had used their skills to construct some vessels and leave the island, while those who remained were the few farmers left on the island. Even before the Empire officially collapsed Koritsae was left uninhabited, as marauders had come by the island, slaughtered those who remained, taken what food and valuables they had, and absconded with them.
Not even a century later the Kitsune would arrive on Koritsae, rebuilding many of the settlements and taming the now strange animals of the island. They would flourish on Koritsae, calling for all of their kin to come to the island, and would attempt to defend it against aggressors. During the Kauran raids of the Shattered Coast the island would once again be assailed by slavers, however a deal with Kharsharb would end these raids, a deal which remains intact. Today Koritsae is home to the Kitsune and the original Ninja Order, now simply called the Kortisan Order, is guarded by a Sharbian Naval base, and is shrouded in mystery due to the fact that so many have simply forgotten the island was even there.
Type
Island
Location under
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Owning Organization
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