Kotossai

Demographics

Too far North to be within Lizardfolk tribal territory, the population of Kotossai is a combination of Human and Elven peoples. People here are stereotyped to be strong, fat, laid-back, and slightly cowardly, taking on the appearance and temperament of the livestock they ranch. Most individuals here wear the Goat or the Shrike masks.

Government

Kotossai is governed by its Silver Mask, who is responsible for both the town and the few scattered hamlets around it. She is known to be a patient and genial leader, lacking the usual guile of the Silver Masks of Namu, but with a drive and resilience that has secured her position against the subterfuge of her rivals.

Industry & Trade

Kotossai is a farming town first and foremost. Grains, plantain flour, preserved meat and fruit, and spices make up the majority of its trade. Skins are tanned and worked into leather goods - straps, bags, cases, armour etc. - in the local hard-wearing (if somewhat inelegant) style. These items are popular among local hunters and soldiers, but see less trade with larger Republic cities or cultures outside of Namu. The town also has a small folk woodcarving industry, producing simple decorative goods and idols, but few of these are exported outside Kotossai.

Infrastructure

Farms and grazelands stretch for miles around the town of Kotossai, with the fertile soil producing plantain, sour fruit, and hot peppers. Animals are raised here for their meat, which is preserved and traded throughout the Republic, commanding a high price for its quality.
Near the center of the town lies a great shrine to the beasts of the land. The Goat has an altar here, as well as innumerable smaller shrines to other animals. The building itself is ancient, perhaps even pre-dating the practice of mask-wearing in Namu. There are rumors that within the shrine is a sanctuary for the Jungle-masks.

Guilds and Factions

The two most numerous groups in Kotossai are the farmers and ranchers of the Goat-masks and the hunters and trappers of the Shrike-masks. The two groups hold a friendly rivalry with each other - Shrikes think the Goats to be cowardly and lazy, and Goats think the Shrikes to be overmacho. This friendly rivalry can intensify when the two groups are attempting to influence the Silver Mask, and violence between the two groups is not unheard of.

Architecture

Structures in Kotossai are generally built in the grassland Namu style, with walls made from wood and stone with thatched roofs. Some cues from the buildings of jungle Namu, such as raised walkways around the outside of buildings and brightly-coloured decorations, can also be found.

Geography

Kotossai is the largest settlement in the sparsely-populated north of Namu, near the borders of the Namuan jungle and the north Namu grasslands. It lies a way east from the Hamashi Delta, far enough that trade with the river-folk and Enkur is infrequent, albeit not unknown.

Natural Resources

Kotossai is blessed with highly fertile grazelands and jungle, and meat and game, both farmed and hunted, are plentiful. The land is also put to use to farm crops, such as Deerhorn Plantain as well as fruits and grains.

Type

Town

Population

16,000

Location under

Eira

Owning Organization

Republic of Namu