Renad-Pai (Rih-nod pie)
"Is it worth digging through a toxic well for the gold at the bottom?"
Renad-Pai is an island off the Northeastern coast of Renad. Owned by the city of Roja, it is home to a volcano full of riches and history. The myths of j'barri culture claim that this island was the source of the lionfolk's fire magic, as seen in this record. While the developments and tragedies brought by fire magic in past millennia have tainted figures such as J'bar and the ambiguous "Impersonator ," the island itself has been spared cultural shunning.
Life on the Island
Working the Well
"Working the Well" is a work from a j'barri native of Roja. Lacking a strong family structure, Aska would take to the island at the age of 11 in hopes of building finances and a name for himself. Over 17 years, Aska would work the island with little to no hope of leaving, noting that he had all but destroyed his body throughout his "career." It was not until he reached the age of 29 that he was provided with financial compensation from the government of Roja due to negligence on the job.
Merging this compensation with his lackluster savings, he left his mining job and set out for Kala, having heard that the people there would "rest all day and knew no work." While Aska notes this as being "partially true," he slowly began to understand that their comfortable lives were carried on the backs of him and his peers who slaved away at Renad-Pai.
The book would serve as a partial autobiography while also delving into the history and socioeconomics of the island. Aska hoped the book would lead to labor reforms, but this has yet to come to fruition. While the book is often analyzed by modern scholars in Kala, no one has gathered to confront the behemoth of the government and resolve their sister nation's concerns.
Aska would pass away in the year 1901 NG at the age of 45. Many theorize that he was poisoned due to his growing recognition in protest communities, though the j'barri himself knew the death had been a long time coming. Blaming Renad-pai itself, Aska claimed that the mines had cursed his mind and body, leading to a death closely resembling asphyxiation.
Living Conditions
The living conditions are scarcely for the faint of heart. The houses are constructed from local resources, which include volcanic rock, which is notably poor for construction. Houses are known to damage easily, with holes often breaking through the walls over time. While there are systems in place for maintenance, it is typically on the worker to fix their living space personally.
The quarters for workers are communal spaces, housing six individuals per lodging. They lack amenities such as bathrooms, cooking stations, wardrobes, and local wells. Most of these amenities will be communal and restricted unless actively observed and manned, with the only service active around the clock being the outdated medical bay.
Work, Wages, and Opportunity
Those who work on the island often rotate their jobs due to poor mining conditions. Options available may be in public services, mining, transport, or spotting. An individual's pay will change depending on what position they have temporarily moved to, with mining offering the highest wage (by a small margin). As a result of the pay increase, workers often prioritize mining positions, usually with hopes of saving enough to leave until they can find a better work opportunity.
Most individuals who work on the island are foreigners fooled into the promise of opportunity and riches, generally including humans and the less educated among immigrated Kalans. The most common tale among these individuals are youngsters who were told they could make a name for themselves.
Culture Surrounding Renad-pai
| Renad-pai, meaning "little Renad," was once the pride and joy of Roja. At one point, it is believed that Roja may have been the most powerful j'barri nation on the continent, due to their rich resource deposits, their discovery of alloys, and their ability to craft magical weapons thanks to the short-lived Rojan Spellsmiths. However, the collection of resources from the volcano was never a glorious task, as the government of Roja may imply. While it is easy to blame Kala for their financial woes, sources show that working the island was always a troublesome task. For example, officials on the island were known for their use of Yunbad slaves to collect resources. Looking at its tragic history, why would this island ever be considered such a cornerstone of j'barri culture? For answers, one has to look at j'barri mythology... |
The j'barri have sprung their modern nations in different directions, but they believe this has all been from a singular point: the binding of 3 tribes (or prides) to the patron gods. Among them was Riiji: Patron God of Cycles, who guided her pride to the lands of Roja. While the land seemed insubstantial compared to Kala or Brillé, the pride put faith in their patron. Over time, they found the riches of Renad-pai, ensuring their faith had paid off. While suffering would be used to attain said riches, it would only be so long before workers were replaced for Yunbad slaves. This slavery would fuel the golden age of Roja, making it easy to forget that their riches were built from suffering. Regardless of the tales surrounding slavery, the volcano still had yet to bestow its most influential riches.
Eventually, history would reach the Discovery of Fire Magic by the J'barri," which occurred within the volcano itself. Whether it served merely as a channel or the source is unknown, but this discovery would change the course of Renad forever. The ability to wield and bestow fire magic was given to the pride leaders of each j'barri nation. These individuals would come to be ordinated as demigods and served as proof of j'barri significance in the universe. These three individuals would be known as the Epiket, and while fire magic is still looked down upon today, these individuals are either respected, revered, or worshipped among certain groups. Their bodies are preserved and they are attributed as the source of modern j'barri ideals (whether or not this is valid is a source of debate)
The Eruption of Ettermiddag
Geography
The island gets its namesake from the mainland itself, "Renad," which denotes the land dedicated to the j'barri on their small continent; however, this comparison is not due to abundant geographic similarities. Renad itself is has few mountains and no volcanic activity, while Renad-pai donns black pumice in every direction. Plants scarcely grow in the region and the water is generally toxic to fish until you get several miles off coast. There are occasional hot springs, but none are sufficient for recreation, as the temperatures are always sweltering.
The surface rock is known to crumble easily, making living conditions worse for those who live in the governmental housing below. The surface rock is so prone to collapsing, in fact, that areas have to be spotted before any mining can take place, determing which areas can be sufficient mined by incoming crews. While several programs have begun in order to decrease surface erosion, all have failed or made matters worse.
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