Odak

Odak is a territory of the Keizon Empire in the continent of Tikaj. It was the first country south of Keizorna which became so, surrendering before the Empire had barely made a move in that direction. Until that point, Odak was one of the poorest nations on the continent. The last King of Odak, whose interest was more in comfort than power, approached Keizorna with an unusual bargain. In exchange for surrendering independence, freedom, and all sovereign claim, the Empire was to pour wealth into the modestly-sized country and make it a prosperous one.
The groundbreaking negotiation was the first in history where the surrendering party was crafty enough to make a deal that benefited them more than the Empire. Within two years, Odak was the third wealthiest country on the continent after Rupendu and Keizorna, and the former king retired in the lap of luxury. It’s rumoured that the Keizornan Senate regretted some of the specific terms set by the sly man, but the deal proved watertight. Odak still today holds its third-place ranking, incredible given its relative size to those above it in the list.
The dominant culture within Odak today is one of radical indulgence, where the prominent flaunting of one’s wealth and lifestyle is encouraged. The people of Odak are largely as loyal to the Empire as those of Hongmark, their loyalty bought with wealth and regularly nurtured with propaganda reminding them of the generosity of the hands that feed them.
Extravagant banquets are the norm in Odak, even in the less wealthy homes, and for citizens there is no working class. All manual jobs are performed by labourers seconded by neighbouring countries. Excessive alcohol intake, overuse of decorative minerals as “edible” garnishes, widespread recreational use of psychedelic herbs indigenous to the region, and little exercise outside of leisure activities which are rarely physically taxing, are also the norm. Because the Empire does not wish for the people of Odak to reconsider their lavish lifestyle and start questioning the Empire’s role in enabling it, medical professionals in Odak are banned from attributing any poor health to any of the above causes, under the Diplomatic and Public Goodwill Sensitivity Act. The same applies in public formats such as radio broadcasts and any publications distributed in the country. Various mythical illnesses have been invented to explain symptoms of health problems caused by the Odak lifestyle, where the cause is officially put down as genetic or random chance.
Within the conscription region of Odak bordering Noksun, the culture is very different. Young men recruited into military service are sent into Noksun, where they rarely make it home due to the southwest of Noksun being one of the most dangerous regions in the Conflict Strip. This demand from the Empire to die for its dominance, and the restrictions on the conscription region’s border to keep people fleeing, creates a very different attitude to the Empire. The people have largely rejected the values of the rest of Odak, instead valuing hard work, compassion and dignity. They are considered traitors by the rest of the country for not wanting to send their sons to die fighting against the Noksun rebellion. The ones who do try to flee have learned to try to escape into Tsor or Maddar instead of staying in Odak, for the danger they will be lynched by angry mobs if their disloyalty to the Empire is discovered outside of their home region.
There is a tiny minority of Odak citizens outside of the conscription region who also reject the overindulgent culture. A ‘rogue’ sect of Odak’s official religion, they see the reality of the Empire’s bread and circuses manipulation, and try to convince others that the religious texts have been manipulated by the Keizornan Senate over the years to support the Odak lifestyle (which they have). Those brave enough to speak out are usually killed—not by the Empire’s forces, which would normally be the case for such vocal opposition, but by their peers. Despite this, the sect is slowly growing, as more and more individuals acknowledge an unease deep down that the rest of the country tries to ignore. The Senate is currently preparing legislation to make this sect illegal both locally and in the Empire’s central law, so any required executions will be watertight in their justification of treason.