Îrî (ˈiː.ɾi)
"Fifteen centuries of penance is enough. It's time to find a new balance."
Îrî is the third largest island in the Nûrîka, and is the largest island designated for the human population of the archipelago. When the Xapeta overthrew the Telmun kingdom of Šarrūt Nūrīkē and established Nûrikan, they banished the surviving Telmun invaders to Îrî and a few other small islands where they have eked out an existence for the last fifteen hundred years. For much of that time, the human inhabitants have sought to remove the restrictions placed upon where they are allowed to live and fish. Some of these movements have been peaceful, but the majority have been violent, and the Xapeta have often debated expelling all the Telmun from Nûrîka entirely.
The largest settlement on Îrî is the village of Nûmuṭî, located on the northern coast overlooking the hook-shaped bay called Ṣalû Ṭâka. Like the other villages on Îrî, Nûmuṭî's size is tightly controlled - Nûrikan officials inspect regularly to make sure that no new buildings are added and that the population is kept below a certain limit. This is done to impede any attempts at organizing into a larger polity, although it has not been particularly successful so far. The other settlements on Îrî are kept slightly smaller than Nûmuṭî, and it is not unusual for the government inspectors to require one family to relocate immediately if they believe a village has grown too large.
In recent years, a new movement to loosen the restrictions on the residents of Îrî has gained momentum. Called the Mushamu Nurahil, this group proposes to create a new balance between the Xapeta and Telmun people of Nûrîka. So far, they have been a non-violent movement, and the government of Nûrikan has not chosen to respond to their requests in any way. This has frustrated some of the members, and whispers of violence have already begun to emerge again.
Notable Spirits
The god of Îrî is known as Ašiwetré. According to the legends, Ašiwetré carries away the spirits of the deceased into the ocean, where they can begin their long journey to their final resting places on the sea floor. His body is made from coral, and the exact shape of his manifestation will mimic the person he has come to guide into the next world. Sometimes, a person will dream of their coral twin waiting for them on the seashore - this is considered a sure sign from Ašiwetré that their death is near.
Geography
The island is an irregular oval about 26 miles long and 20 miles wide. It lies northwest of Hunu, Nûrîka's main island. At the center of the island is a shallow lake, surrounded by a rim of higher land. Îrî is honeycombed with caves, pools, and pits of all sizes, whose sharp edges make for difficult walking. The shoreline is comprised of narrow beaches, often backed by cliffs.
Geographic Details
Location: Southern RegionLatitude: 14.41 degrees North
Longitude: 12.78 degrees West
Average Elevation: 112 ft
Highest Point: 407 ft
Lowest Point: -3 ft
Area: 247.8 sq mi
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This article was originally written for Spooktober 2024. You can find all of my Spooktober Articles at Spooktober Central.
This article was originally written for Spooktober 2023. You can find all of my Spooktober Articles at Spooktober Central.
There is a 99% chance that the whole thing with the Telmun won't end well. I really love the idea of the coral god and guiding people after death.
Explore Etrea | March of 31 Tales
It's never ended well before, and each violent conflict perpetuates the cycle.