Isi

> *"The life of an Isi culminates with the blessing of a newborn." - Mina*
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The **Isi**, referred to as "Pirates" by the One Concern, are a seafaring society in the eastern part of the world of Iconoclasts. Isilugar is the home of the Isi, including Mina and Samba.

# Origin

The Isi arrived on the Planet in a time long forgotten aboard their Ancestral Vessel. Their people came from another unknown planet, bringing only a small number of colonists and some technology stored away on the Vessel. Most information given by their ancestors to assist in creating their new society on a new planet was stored on "machines" that broke long ago, presumably during or before landing on the planet. The machines likely contained a wealth of information about their ancestral history and technology from their original homeworld. Their information machines destroyed, combined with their smaller number of colonists, is what likely led to the Isi being a much smaller and less technically-advanced society than the One Concern.

# Religion

The Isi do not follow a named religion but instead have a very strong philosophy of traditionalism involving ancestral worship and the worship of matrimony and maternity, as can be seen by their Icon of Prayer scattered throughout Isilugar. Marriage and childbirth are considered the pinnacle of the life of an Isi, and it is expected of each member of their society. The marriage of a couple is one of the grandest occasions for the Isi community, giving cause for great celebration and for icons of the married couple to be painted on the Ancestral Vessel for all time. While not strictly enforced by government entities, this traditionalism plays a large role in all the rules and roles of Isi society.

# Government and Society

The Isi govern themselves in a matter rooted in deep tradition, rather than a police state like the One Concern. The Isi are likely too few in number to have a large government, military and law enforcement. Societal honor and tradition dictate the behavior of most Isi. For example Gustavo, who is unable to procreate, was shunned by the Isi until he eventually left. Like the One Concern, the Isi also prescribe occupations to their people, though it is seen more as a duty to meet the needs of the people rather than a command economy as the One Concern orders. The Isi intend to populate the planet with many humans, eventually spreading out into multiple cities. However, their encounters with the hostile and powerful One Concern Army has prevented them from being able to do this, and they have built only a few small settlements and cells outside Isilugar.

# Technology

The Isi Scientists have limited knowledge of Ivory technology, being able to mine it from Ivory Pustules, but not able to efficiently extract it from other materials like the One Concern can. They believe this technology and the Ivory itself to be a gift from their ancestors, suggesting it may have been one of the few bits if information salvaged from their Ancestral Vessel. They also have the capability to produce some robotics for military defense, but not the ability to produce them on the scale that the One Concern can.

# Trivia

* Konjak has confirmed that Isilugar is inspired by the nations of South America and Arabic regions.
* One of the Isi in Isilugar resembles the player character from *Mina of the Pirates*, one of Konjak's abandoned projects.

1. ↑ https://twitter.com/konjak/status/1268906506403090438