Torn Cities

The region known as the Torn Cities, or sometimes Kopesk States, and its surroundings.

Overview

"The Kopesk States have been broken, burned, torn apart in their entirety. We have saved our land and people with this surrender, but we have cast our souls to damnation." -Excerpt from the final writings of Korza Azkeri, a prominent Kopesk shaman and Grand Herald of Tak. Written shortly before his execution.

The Torn Cities are a region stretching along the western coast of the Moghresian Sea, along a thin stretch of coastline that was not rendered uninhabitable by the Contact War. Once, they were the States of Kopesk - a loosely affiliated league of prosperous fishing city-states, known for their opulence and wealth. During the Contact War, the Kopesk States surrendered to the Izweski shortly before the fall of Darakath. Their Leaders, as leaders of the traditionalist coalition at the time, were executed, and new ones appointed. However, unlike the rest of the Traditionalist Coalition, the Torn Cities were not ruled by noble clans. Instead, the Kopesk States were a theocracy, ruled over by shamans of the local variation of Th’akh. However, following the Contact War, they are shadows of their former self, struggling against Gawgaryn raiders from the Wasteland and struggling under the weight of the ongoing famine. Izweski governors of the region have been appointed, and the shamans of the Kopesk Th’akh way have largely fallen into obscurity as the Sk’akh Church has worked to spread their beliefs into the Torn Cities. However, in recent years, a new prophet has arisen, attempting to revitalise the old faith - and seemingly succeeding.

The Torn Cities have, historically, not had noble clans, with power being concentrated in the shamans instead. Following the end of the Contact War and the collapse of the Kopesk Church, the Hegemony has appointed their own nobles to govern the region. Largely, these Izweski governors have a poor understanding of their new lands, and are generally viewed with apathy at best and animosity at worst by the locals. For this reason, Watchmen, Levies, and other military/enforcement positions within the Torn Cities are given to non-native bannermen. While none of the locals have cared enough to act against them, rumours of a messianic figure rising along the coastline may shake the Izweski’s grasp of the region.

Culture

"The seas provide." -Common proverb in the Torn Cities, frequently used as a greeting among the population

The wreckage of the contact war dots the coast of the Torn Cities.

To the Kopesk Sinta, the oceans are the source of all life. Fishing is where the wealth of the Kopesk States once came from, and remains the primary source of food and income for the region. The Fishing League, as a consequence, holds great power in the region, having guildhalls in each of the Torn Cities - though many of these have been downsized significantly following the Contact War, as the cities can no longer support such a large population, and the Moghresian Sea’s fish supplies are growing increasingly sparse. Aquaculture remains the primary industry of the Torn Cities, and their fishing flotillas are still some of the more impressive on the Moghresian Sea. However, as the Hegemony is still gripped by famine, more and more of their fish is taken by the Izweski to be redistributed to regions suffering more - a state of affairs that has angered many of the locals, and is rapidly straining the popularity of the Izweski governors. The affinity for aquaculture combined with their religious tendencies has led to the Sinta of the Torn Cities being known as diligent, highly religious, and hardworking individuals, often being mocked for their superstitions by Unathi from other regions of Moghes. Sinta from the Torn Cities are used to a day of hard labour, and are willing to do almost any task, for the right price.

The oceans are sacred and to be protected in the eyes of the Kopesk. Thus, routine prayers are observed before meals, especially those including the ocean's holy bounties. Any time guildsmen were to reap profit from the sea, it would only be done after a proper prayer to appease the spirits of the ocean for taking from it. Nothing was to be wasted from the sea, and thus bones were ground and used as compost for plants in aquaculture, or even turned into divining items; scales were often stripped and incorporated into trinkets after a proper blessing was laid on them; the organs of fish were prepared and eaten alongside the meat, unless they were poisonous. Knowing these practices was required for any guildsman working with aquaculture, the ocean, or even just preparing food; not knowing and reciting them could result in licensing for these jobs being revoked within the Torn Cities. Despite being viewed as sacred, the Sitna of the Torn Cities are not above doing what they wish to the oceans in some ways. While pollution of the waters is considered a grave sin and crime, issues such as overfishing, commercial fishing, and large amounts of trapping threaten the ecosystem of the ocean floor. Recently amongst the more enlightened Sinta of the Cities there has been a campaign to stop these destructive habits, now enforced by law due to the famine currently facing Moghes, which has only strained the feelings of the peasantry more harshly, as they see no issues with the practices they’ve used for generations.

Aside from the Fishing League, the Merchants’ Guild has historically held several assets in the Kopesk States, having often facilitated much of the region’s trade with the Hegemony prior to the Contact War. With expansion into alien markets, and trade having dried up in the Torn Cities, the Merchants’ Guild has downsized its operations in the region heavily, though one guildhall in Sai remains open. The Construction Coalition has also been hired extensively in the past by the Kopesk Church, building several of the grandest temples and holy sites of the local variety of Th’akh. Several of their guildhouses remain open in recent times, though most of their work now is maintenance and reinforcement of the Cities’ walls, their last line of defence against raiders from the nearby Wasteland.

Following the Contact War, Sinta of the Fighters’ Guild have found steady employment in the Torn Cities, guarding their western border against Gawgaryn incursions. Several new guildhalls have been opened in the region, and many young warriors from the Cities flock to the Guild as a way to prove themselves and earn decent money, especially as overfishing takes its toll upon the waters of the Moghresian Sea. However, these Guild mercenaries have often had to compete with mercenaries from the nearby Reclaimer Clans, who have offered their services across the Torn Cities for securing them against the vicious incursions of the Wasteland.

Education

Before the advent of widespread schooling, the Sinta of the Kopesk States were known for their high levels of education - prior to the Great Endeavour of the Sarakus Hegemony, they were one of the only regions where the vast majority of the population were literate, leading to an oddly conflicted stereotype of the region's Sinta being both superstitious and scholarly. Even today with more widespread education, the well-established school system is largely better than the average peasant's education in most regions outside of the Izweski Heartland and urban centers of the Untouched Lands. Though the fall of the Kopesk Church has hampered the system somewhat, it largely persists similarly to how it did prior to the Contact War, though with a reduced focus on the religious aspect of schooling.

The standard curriculum of a Torn Cities education lasts for eight years, from the ages of six to fourteen. It covers literacy in Sinta'Unathi, though prior to the Contact War Sinta'Azaziba was also taught, and remains the language of choice among older Kopesk Sinta. It covers basic numeracy, the theological foundations of Kopesk Th'akh, the history of the region and a cursory examination of wider Moghresian history where it impacts the region, usually focusing on the period following the fall of the Sarakus. More practical skills are also taught, with schools tending to specialize in specific skills for future trades. These religious schools also tend to have a strong focus on athleticism among Sinta of all genders, with swimming races being a popular form of competition among young students.

Further education following this schooling period usually came in the ordinary Sinta way, learning on the job or as part of a Guild apprenticeship. However, for those Sinta who showed particular academic aptitude, they were often encouraged to pursue the life of a shaman, and to learn the ways of Kopesk Th'akh from the church itself. This led to a culture with more social mobility than most regions - though power remained firmly in the shamans' claws, any who applied themselves well could seek to join their number, however humble their origins.

Faith

"The water gives me fortitude, The wind gives me swiftness, The lightning gives me strength, And the life in the depth drives my blade." -The Ocean's Chant, a battle-prayer spoken by the Storm Heralds of Kopesk Th'akh before combat

The Torn Cities were once nearly entirely Th’akh - now, many of the regions have fallen into agnosticism or atheism, turning away from the traditional beliefs of the region. However, despite efforts, other faiths have not been easily able to replace this. Sk’akh’s spread to the region is highly limited, and the rare Si’akh groups largely come in the form of refugees from the Wasteland, who have difficulty in spreading their ideas among the locals. Though it is a shadow of its glory, Kopesk Th’akh remains the only faith to exist at any significant level across the Torn Cities.

The shamans of Kopesk Th’akh were very different from other Th’akh shamans across Moghes - while traditionally, Th’akh shamans held a largely spiritual position, the shamans of the Kopesk States held positions equal parts political and religious, operating in a fashion more similar to the Sk’akh Church than to other Th’akh sects across Moghes. Quite literally the "Harbingers of Tsunamis" in Sinta'Azaziba, the common shamans or Storm Heralds of Kopesk Th’akh were usually chosen as children. Children that had unnatural birthmarks or discoloured or rare azure scales were indoctrinated and trained from a young age to know the faith inside and out. By the time most are 14, these children seen as being "blessed by the sea" had matured enough to a point to become Kopesk shamans, despite not being legal adults among most of Moghes.

On top of their normal duties as shamans, Storm Heralds had many other auxiliary duties. Shamans of this variety were often consulted by rural farmers when weather reports seemed unsure of their outcome. The blessing of a shaman was an unspoken requirement before someone took to the seas by boat. Storm Heralds were also consulted and sought out whenever large quantities of products are gathered from the sea, for an extra blessing over the harvest and to prevent spirits from becoming misaligned for these actions. These priests got their name from olden days; Storm Heralds used to play a vital role in predicting or even subverting the "Ocean's Wrath," which were usually seen through the three forces or outlets of energy from the seas: air, lightning, and water. Natural events such as lightning storms, hurricanes, tsunamis, and flooding were all under a Storm Herald's purview to try and prevent. The role of predicting these storms became exceedingly uncommon for them before the Contact War as modern technology largely helped predict whenever storms would pass. However, Storm Heralds in the Torn Cities try to predict whenever these events might occur through divining means, or trying to fend them off through daily, strenuous rituals. It has even been claimed recently Storm Heralds have protected Wasteland settlements from lightning storms and tornadoes, though no recorded proof outside witness testimony is found, especially in the Izweski Hegemony.

The people of the torn cities worship the ocean, and all the bounties it provides.

In the Kopesk States, most citizens were not allowed to vote. It fell under the role and responsibility of nearby Storm Heralds to vote in their stead towards the High Tranquillity: the head of the Kopesk Church. The Church appointed people to govern cities, organisations, and bureaucratic functions as they themselves kept their rule to a broader scale, like a federal government ruling over individual states.

Most of Kopesk Th'akh follows the doctrines of the Th'akh religion, with some notable deviations. The Kopesk believe prosthetics do not inherently maim the soul. They still retain the notion Aut'akh are heretical due to claiming the flesh should be replaced. Generally, however, Dramos'krutii advocates that prosthetics should incorporate reclaimed metal from the seas of Moghes as it is blessed by the ocean's power, should an Unathi need it. They also believe religion should influence governmental policy. A lack of morals from traditionalists and Izweski alike is what caused the Contact War to become so dishonourable; they maintain the fact that their nation's bidding in the war and before was as perfect as it could get for Unathi.

Nature should be heavily preserved in the eyes of these Unathi. Those that follow this religion often have negative opinions of corporations like Hephaestus Industries for destroying Ouerea, or the former Coalition for dropping the first nuclear weapons and sparking the catalyst for destroying most native life on Moghes. Burial rites are largely replaced by aquatic burials. As all things have come from the sea, all things should find their way back to it. This can be any ocean or sea, not just the ones on Moghes. The rest of the burial rites remain similar to Th'akh.

The creation myth for Kopesk Th'akh is a tale of the universe being a vast sea, devoid of life and light. The spirits constantly squabbled and bickered to pass the time. The first acts of creation came when spirits mingled with one another, the best of the lot turning into stars to shine light in the void. Then, more congregated to form other things in the cosmos, populating it with planets, each with water and land. The rumour goes that even in their new physical forms, the spirits still bicker; natural disasters like hurricanes, earthquakes, and lightning storms are attributed to the fact that the spirits inhabiting the world are fighting. These primordial ghosts eventually evolved back into a semblance of life, and their squabbling began anew as these animals hunted one another, the plants grew and competed, and the first Unathi grew and were shaped in the image of the spirits. The Kopesk have rituals they consider and observe that distinguish them notably from other Th'akh worshipers. The prayer of bounty is observed and done before and after a meal, which is usually a quick verse to thank them for the spirits giving up form to put food before a unathi. This is almost entirely universal among this religion. It is seen as extremely insulting to a unathi if someone does not do this prayer before that unathi eats. As a result, unathi often mutter this prayer quickly for meals served to those who do not share the faith, much to the confusion of other species or even other religions.

The renowned ocean's chant gained a lot of fame for being a commonly muttered word by the Marine Messiah and his closest followers. In the now dead dialect of Sinta'Azaziba, Storm Heralds use this prayer before they or someone they are blessing goes into battle or a duel. Some witnesses report a "tempest wind kicking up" with storms not too far behind them. Translated, it is usually spoken like so:

The water gives me fortitude,

The wind gives me swiftness,

The lightning gives me strength,

And the life in the depths drives my blade.

The Marine Messiah

"He who lightning will not burn, He who waters will not drown, He who speaks and calms the storm, He who returns to us the truth and the way."

-A description of the Marine Messiah, found painted on a wall in Sai.

Born as Nzra Vindek in 2437, the Marine Messiah was a frail child that had been blessed with azure scales. The Vindek clan of Sai, a small rural clan, continued the old ways of aquaculture, living life as a quiet clan. They became rustboys of a different variety after the war: the sea shores were privy to scrap metal, which was reclaimed by the Vindek as they cleared out their fish dens, that they sold to the Hegemony for profit. An outing of three siblings, Nzra, his brother and his sister, made their way out to sea on a smaller boat to collect scrap floating in. However, the vessel was accosted by powerful spirits, or so the story goes. After thought to be long dead, Nzra washed up on the shore two days later, the rowboat intact. Barely alive, it was seen to already be a miracle of the spirits above. The recovery having finished though, Nzra started to speak strangely, claiming the sea had spared him to spread its message. He spoke vastly of former Kopesk Th'akh beliefs, such that the family and neighbours never exposed him to. It was said that this knowledge was instilled in him by the spirits, to help revive the rightful religion. At just the age of 11, Nzra took on the last name of Dramos'krutii, or "Storm Calmer." Due to the lack of proper Storm Heralds, the Marine Messiah has taken to travelling the Torn Cities to find disciples and train them as a new generation of Kopesk shamans. He has retained a following of seven though that he trusts as his closest that journey with him through the Wasteland. Only recently in the Hegemony has his existence come into the limelight, though, as previously his time in the Torn Cities made him isolated and far off. The influx of trading with the Hegemony, in addition to word of the miracles he has performed, helped carry his message beyond the Izweski walls.

Holidays

Given the highly religious nature of the region, most holidays are focused largely on Kopesk Th’akh, and the veneration of the ocean and its spirits.

Sea’s Bounty: Traditionally held towards the beginning of Kasavakh, this festival is a time of celebration as the fishing season picks up, thanking the spirits of the oceans for the bounty that they grant to the Kopesk States. Traditionally, the Storm Heralds of a city would lead its residents at sunrise in a prayer of thanks to the spirits of the Moghresian Sea, before the rest of the day was spent indulging in celebration and feasting. While the Storm Heralds are a largely defunct organisation in the modern day, the traditions continue, and wherever the Marine Messiah or his disciples are found they will seek to lead the faithful in this ceremony.

Day of Storms: A sombre ceremony, the Day of Storms is a day, usually held early in Travakh, where the population of a city will make sacrifices to the spirits of wind and wave, to appease them and grant good fortune to the city’s fishing fleets. Traditionally, the Storm Heralds would lead their city’s population to the waterside, where they would cast coin, food, or offerings of personal importance into the Moghresian Sea. This ceremony has largely fallen out of practice with the fall of the Kopesk Church - though again, the Marine Messiah seeks to revive it.

Armistice Day: A new holiday, which arrived following the end of the Contact War, in remembrance of the souls lost during the nuclear war. A mournful and quiet ceremony, practised among those who abandoned the faith and those who still keep to it, it is usually accompanied by seaside vigils, in the hopes that those lost in nuclear devastation will return from the depths some day