Olitskur

Beneath the icy waters, hidden on the undersides of glaciers, is the frozen kingdom of Olitskur, the homeland of ianthina. In the heart of this dangerous and unforgiving environment, the fierce and proud olitskens, terrors of the sea that they are, show a surprising warmth: they are deeply communal. In an world as harsh as theirs, they know well that the only people who will look after them is each other, and this is echoed in their perpetual refrain: “Don’t go alone.”

## Olitskur

### Architecture

While ianthina are amphibious, Olitsken cities are primarily underwater. The ianthina that live there use magic to create underwater skyscrapers anchored onto the bottoms of icebergs and ice shelves, appearing like massive icicles that they live and work in. Intricate carvings cover the buildings and act as signage and decor. Most of these buildings extend up into the ice they're formed from, where Olitskens turn ice caves into above-water communal spaces for all sorts of social activities. Shared kitchens, for food cooked over flame, and fur tanners are the most common sorts of caverns to find.

### Notable Locations

There are a wide variety of landmarks within Oliskur, from its glacial mountains to the ocean floor. A selection of some of its most well known ones are as follows.

#### The Vents

Very few ianthina live permanently on the ocean floor. The darkness and the pressure are often overwhelming, even for them, so those who work typically only stay for three or four month long stints, but some choose to live there permanently. Olitskens who live permanently in or near the Vents tend to be strange to others, even scary, whether in behavior or appearance. Down on the ocean floor are the hydrothermal vents, where glass is spun into ever-precious beads, ores are hammered into weapons, and far out in the dark, lay the graves of the fallen. The graveyards are gardens of invertebrates and scavengers who tend to the bodies of deceased ianthina and cared for by gravekeepers.

#### Southern Enclaves

Any population of ianthina that doesn't live on Olitskur's main landmass is said to live in the Enclaves. Most of these off-shoot locales are in the Frozen Wastes, but a precious few are even further south, moving into rivers, lakes, and swamps. Typically, these places are too warm for traditional icicle homes, and the way these ianthina live are as varied as the locations. Ianthina from the Southern Enclaves tend to be friendlier to their non-ianthina neighbors than those from the mainland, but, since many still respond to any ianthina with fear, they are still frequently secretive. Some groups have dealt with this prejudice by disappearing as much as they can and becoming mere legends in the communities they live in. Others have formed alliances with their neighbors, coexisting privately, and still others are just as territorial as their northern brethren.

## Politics

Olitskur is operated by a series of councils that function in complex relations to each other. Neighborhood councils are voted in by the people, and neighborhood councils work together to find people for more specialized councils. For example, three neighborhood councils might decide they need to keep a closer eye on local fish populations, so they'll form a specialized fish council. The neighborhood council settles disputes and hears out community needs, and meanwhile the fish council--or whatever function the special council serves--will organize people to count the fish, investigate the nests, track the data, and create a picture of the health of local fish populations. All the neighborhood councils work together to form a city council, and city councils meet annually to administer the entire country and address its needs.

Due to the large, complex structures of ianthina families, the elderly with the best capacity to navigate the many family branches tend to be the ones who become neighborhood councilmembers, though special councils are more varied in age. Some neighborhood councils skew younger, but it's much harder for the young to prove they have the conflict mediation abilities needed in a councilmember.

### Justice System

Neighborhood councils also act as judiciaries. When people in their community are having a dispute, they collect information, hear out relevant parties, and make a decision on how to proceed. Olitsken justice is not punishment based. Olitsken ideas of justice are entirely focused on how to bring peace back to a community. What would be fair? What does the victim--in the cases of crime where there is a victim--need? What causes the least harm? This can be a very difficult process, and councils don't always make the right choice, but managing the fallout of their choice is part of their role as well.

Exile is one of the most severe punishments a community can dole out, and exiles are often marked in some way--typically an unnatural notch in the fin--to warn other communities they might attempt to join, or should they ever try to return.

### International Relations

Olitskens are a deeply suspicious people. The sea is full of dangers, and that is not a guard they drop once they’re on land. Their reactiveness and formidable combat capabilities have given them a reputation for violence—it’s not uncommon for people to view them entirely as savages, and treat them accordingly. Of course, this only further validates their defensive attitudes.  Few scholars have been able to access Olitskur, much less ingratiate themselves with the ianthina, so there is very little general knowledge about Olitskur. This lack of knowledge goes two ways: ianthina children grow up on stories of warning from their parents, who claim those from the continent only want to harm them, which means when these children grow up, they are more likely to respond violently to perceived threats. Thus, the cycle continues.

##### Coronus

Ianthina have an instinctive fear of dragons. Legend has it that dragons once preyed upon them, like any other fish in the sea. That being said, the countries of Coronus and Olitskur have virtually no contact. More ignorant Coric citizens may doubt that Olitskur exists at all, or may believe that ianthina are extinct.

##### Dolsia

Olitskur and Dolsia have no contact. Unless Dolsian resides near the entrances to the country or has taken up interest in the outside world, most Dolsians don't know that Olitskur or ianthina exist. (However, there is rumor of fish people sighted near the Salted Sea...)

##### Eniya

Eniya is the closest trade partner to Olitskur, but they also have a very tense, delicate relationship. One of the things that feeds into ianthinas' violent reputation is their penchant for piracy. Any ship that trespasses into Olitsken waters never makes it far, though they do not limit themselves to just trespassers. Seeing the colorful lights of ianthina lumens beneath the waves is a portent of doom well known by any sailor. There are many dry land materials coveted by Olitskur, making each passing ship an appealing target.  Not all those materials are necessarily acquired by piracy, however. Olitskur has long-standing alliances with numerous Eniyan port cities, where they hold night markets, typically once a month. Nothing can be bought with currency, but anyone can come and barter anything of sufficient interest for ocean treasures. Savvy traders attend these markets, where they try to bargain for protection for their ships, but betrayal and backstabbing is common.

##### Sayil

In line with Sayil's policy of neutrality, it is friendly with Olitskur, although since Sayil is so far south, they don't have much contact. One or two dedicated night market troupes will make the long journey to Sayil a couple times a year, to offer them their wares. Ianthina who have left Olitskur, for whatever reason, most often end up residing in Sayil. The wet environment is comforting, though they sometimes struggle with the heat.

##### Theriad Caravans

Theriads who have tried to scrape out an existence and settle in the Frozen Wastes have the friendliest relationship with Olitskur. Most of them are very neighborly, exchanging goods, supplies, and support freely. There are even a few towns that have mixed populations. However, this friendliness does not extend to *all* theriads. Those who are not known within the Wastes are not given the same courtesies.

### Work

It takes many hands to keep Olitsken society moving, and there are many avenues down which an ianthina can seek their passion. This is just a small sample of possibilities. There are several kinds of hunters. Fisherfolk are the most important: some specialize in big game like whales, seals, or giant squid, while others focus on netting smaller fish. Some specialize in trapping crustaceans, and others gather shellfish (and seek their pearls). Some hunters also specialize in land game, like penguins and bears.

Gathering is also a popular profession. There are ocean plants (or plant-like creatures) for eating, medicine, decoration, or that can be processed into other things (like cloth or dye or tools). Metalsmiths and glassblowers work around hydrothermal vents and deep sea lava flows, making beads, armor, weapons, tools, and more. Miners and gatherers supply the raw materials for their crafts.

There's a whole host of different crafters who process what the hunters catch, making leather, collecting teeth, carving bone, collecting and sorting scales, and crafters who process plants, making spices or baskets or dye or tools. There are candlemakers, who use whale oil, and light above-water caverns. Of course, there are tailors and cobblers too. Jewelers are highly valued; many specialize in beadwork.

There are also guards to protect the city from aggressive creatures. Attendants maintain Leviathan temples and tend to the creature when it comes. The ianthina have instruments, but a lot of their music is primarily choral, so there are many singers. Dancing is also very popular. Ianthina don't have written language, so they keep an incredibly accurate oral history, and storytellers are extremely valued. There are those who use their ice magic to build, alter, decorate, or carve homes and buildings. Of course, they have teachers and others who help with child care.

The ianthina that travel most are the traders and raiders. Raiders are teams that attack trade ships, stealing their contents, and traders are the teams that attend night markets, swapping deep sea treasures for land goods. There are also the people who sort through the things the traders and raiders bring back, organizing and getting stuff where it needs to go.

### Cuisine

Since you cannot have fire underwater, many meals are raw. Poke- or ceviche-style dishes (assorted raw fish in a sauce) is a common comfort food. Smoking and salt curing is often practiced as well, and more easily available than traditionally cooked food. Olitsken meals are always heavy in meats and fats.

Due to the difficulty of procuring fuel, cooked foods are uncommon meals. Special caverns in the icebergs serve as communal cooking areas; they are carved with holes for ventilation, and they're available for public use. When Olitskens do cook, they typically make a big enough batch of food for the entire immediate family and some friends to enjoy. Most cooked meals are still seafood, but for special occasions, they'll hunt land animals as well.

Food from the mainland is highly prized and a rich luxury. At night markets, food is always a safe offer. For ianthina, bread is a delicacy. They especially like to trade for spices and dried beans, grains, tubers, and squashes, anything long-term stable that they can pack into their watertight bags and take home for the others.

### Language

Most of Enchiron shares the same common language, with accents and handfuls of individual words that change from place to place, but Olitskur has been isolated for so long that their language has deviated far more than anywhere else. An Olitsken can still converse with a mainlander, with some effort, but it definitely takes effort to become fluent. Olitsken language has many words that are all its own, and still more words that simply do not mean the same thing as they do on the mainland. Sailors and traders are typically fluent in both.

### Gender

For ianthina, gender is just one of many ways to present oneself, like a sense of style. It reflects a person's understanding of themself, and it's not uncommon for ianthina to go through at least two or three sets of pronouns throughout their lives as that understanding grows. One of the ways that Olitsken language has shifted is that, their pronouns reflect this flexibility of gender. Notably, their "I" pronouns are gendered, and these pronouns can be broadly grouped as masculine, feminine, or other. Different "I" pronouns carry different connotations. For example, there are different pronouns that are all masculine, but also indicate that the speaker defines themself as cute, or young at heart, or confident. Certain "I" pronouns are also used specifically in formal settings, to indicate respect (and, similarly, specific pronouns can be used to insult someone). Depending on what "I" pronoun someone uses, other ianthina are typically able to conclude which third-person pronouns are appropriate.

Children also have a pronoun used specifically for them. Ianthina cannot be gendered at birth: no physical clues to their biological sex are present until they hit puberty, and even then, they're less sexually dimorphic than humans. Thus, ianthina have neutral pronouns reserved specifically for children. Choosing an adult pronoun is part of an ianthina's coming of age ceremony, and--though some know immediately which they want--it's common for teenagers to test out different pronouns amongst each other in preparation for that moment.

### Clothing

Most Olitskens wear some variety of wetsuit, which they will pair with boots if they go above water often enough. Usually, these are made of treated leather or woven from a variety of flax-like seaweed. If it fits tightly enough, these will be fur-lined for extra warmth. In big cities, you'll see more unusual silhouettes--like skirts and looser clothes--since the city is well-protected enough that no one who lives there needs to make a quick getaway from predators.

Because most Olitskens are wearing the same silhouette, accessorizing is extremely popular. Glass beadmakers in particular are held in high esteem: strings of beads make excellent accessories and are extremely versatile. Special beads are always available for purchase during festivals, and Olitskens will commission custom beads to commemorate major life events. Strings of special beads will often be displayed in the home, if not worn.

Aside from beads, Olitskens will decorate their wetsuits with appliques, color blocks, sewn-on fish scales. Some will tie on cords of shell, shark teeth, coral, stones, or other ocean treasures as jewelry. The other most common accessory is a basket or weapon holder. All Olitskens are trained in self defense, and many carry weapons. Most weapons are sharpened bone or steel forged in hydrothermal vents. Traditional Olitsken weaponry consists of spears, harpoons, and other similar piercing, melee-type weapons.

### Religion

The Olitsken god is the Leviathan, and the Leviathan is very, very real. It is a massive, violent sea serpent that roams the seas, alight in signature patterns of lumens.  Legend has it that, in ancient times, those living on the Eniyan coasts offered human sacrifices to the Leviathan, for its blessing, or to pray for calm seas, or out of abject fear, and indeed, the Leviathan took these victims.

But, not all perished. Survivors were taken back to the Leviathan's home in Olitskur and, depending on the teller, what happened next varies. It is one of the few stories not agreed upon in the histories. Some say, clever sacrifices hid from the Leviathan, scraping out a life for themselves in secret, and slowly, over the years, their children adapted. Others say that the Leviathan--jealous of other gods' creations--used its magic to twist the bodies of its victims until the ianthina were born. Still others--kinder folk--say the Leviathan was simply lonely, trapped in the arctic waters, and changed the humans it took because it craved a family, as they all do.

The Leviathan still visits Olitsken cities regularly.  A city of any substantial size has a massive temple dedicated to it, a place where the Leviathan will come, sleep, and the ianthina who work there will ply it with food, music, and other entertainment. Occasionally, the Leviathan has acted destructively, killing people or destroying buildings, so when it comes, Olitskens are desperate to please. Temples are always large, open, and lavishly decorated. Some ianthina have dreamed up kinder gods, but these religions are much more niche. Most Olitskens take very little stock in faith: if you cannot see a god and it does not respond to you, then it must not exist. Consequently, they see very little reason for religious symbols. Gods are simply something that are, not things they owe any loyalty too.

### Arts and Entertainment

Olitsken music is traditionally a capella and choral: if an ianthina says they're in a band, they typically mean they're in a choir. Scat singing and beatboxing have come into popularity as a new and exciting musical development. When instruments are involved, they're almost always drums or percussion, but on special occasions, you'll see strings as well. String instruments are difficult to make--usually they're metal or ice--so few know how to play. It's extra special when one does. Woodwind instruments don't work underwater, so they're virtually never used.

Song is incredibly important in Olitskur. Due to the lack of written language, all history, lessons, and more are stored in stories and song. A great many songs form the basis of any child's education.

### Romance and Family

Marriage ceremonies include a twining of the antennae, as a way of combining your light. Because of how they're used for communication, and because they're relatively delicate, touching an ianthina’s antennae without permission is extremely taboo. For most, it’s an act of intimacy reserved only for parents, lovers, and the very closest friends.

Polyamory is very common in Olitskur. There is safety in numbers, and ianthina apply that philosophy to romance as much as anything else. Due to the complicated family structure, most track their family line through their birthing parent.

### Parenting

Olitskens believe very strongly in the tenet that it takes a village to raise a child. While parents might be the primary caretakers, there’s no sense of a nuclear family, and very much the expectation that wherever your child goes, there will be someone there to ensure nothing bad happens. Children are typically close with neighbors and very familiar with their big extended families. For the most prominent of these caretakers, their word can hold almost as much sway as the parents, and parents can be overruled if enough of their community disagrees with a choice they’re making. (This does tend to mean that different neighborhoods have different practices, when it comes to the specifics of how best to raise kids.)

Ianthina also highly value instilling a sense of independence and self-determination from a young age. For example, children are generally allowed to explore the nearby area on their own, without parental supervision. If they have friends with them, they have a lot of freedom where they can go. Or, another example: set bedtimes aren’t common; children are expected and allowed to sleep whenever they are tired.

Children also take on responsibilities within the house at a young age, and often help their parent with whatever their chosen work is. Learning responsibility starts young. A child’s first errand—commonly to deliver an item to a neighbor or pick up an item from elsewhere—is a celebrated rite of passage that typically occurs before a child turns 5 years old.

This culture, of course, isn’t foolproof: not all adults want to or know how to deal with children--particularly if they're rebellious, combative, or have a special need--and some parents overrely on their communities. There are always those who fall through the cracks.

### Death

For many ianthina deaths, nothing remains. Friends and relatives disappear into the dark or the jaws of a predator. When this happens, there is a funeral where memories and grief are shared, and that's the end. The dead are considered carried off by the current, swept away to another life. When a body remains, this idea persists, and this is when Olitsken morticians get involved. The mortician guides the body down, down, down to the grave gardens on the ocean floor and hands the body into the care of the gravekeeper.

Gravekeepers are biologists, herders, and gardeners all at once. The body receives a shallow burial, and the local population of bone worms, shrimps, corpse cleaners, and other scavengers release the soul of the deceased ianthina back to the sea. Often, graveyards are decorated with stones, deepsea corals, and glowing algaes, bringing beauty to this final resting place.

For diaspora ianthina and those in the Southern Enclaves, where the ocean is not deep enough nor the currents fast enough, you often see cremation, after which, a loved one's ashes are returned to the sea, or another place they loved.

For those who want to keep their lost one close, you often see memorial sconces. Memorial sconces are crystal bowls full of glowing algae in the deceased's lumen color. Often, these sconces are decorated with special beads to represent aspects of their life or things they loved in life.