Ruotan

The **Kingdom of Ruotan** is a fictional country.

It is located in the western hemisphere, at an archipelago on the turbulent seas between Baido and the continent of Daleskarnia. It is surrounded by its equally-eccentric neighbours of Tuksharan descent, and its more affluent rival, the kingdom of Pärmankjapoi, is southeast of it.

Its capital is the wild city of Anapatrapya-Pura, or Ampatrja/Ampatsha-Pura.

## Flag

"The shades of purple symbolise ecstasy and escapism, the pink lines for any slipping traces of sanity that remain; and the flower is not a tribute to our Sixteen Dancers, but a sad monument to the fruit that kept the inhabitants bound to its addicition."

## History

Ruotan was founded during the Sixteenth Age by sixty-nine of the Tuksharan flying cities when it crashlanded on Dakkenvan Island, after its fleets retreated from their empire's defeat. Unlike its neighbours, the Kingdom of Ruotan sought diplomatic relations with the outside world, instead of helping them build up a new Tuksharan Empire.

It almost met its end when the Pratighan Empire conquered it and enslaved the defenders, as its emperor Krodhakama sought more of its *lutos* fruit. His eventual death by overdose and his empire's infighting led to a revolt that restored the country.

## "Economy"

The Ruotanese economy is supported by gambling, drink distilling, pirated media, (mostly intoxicated) brawling) agriculture, and fishing. It is also funded by tourism from romantic trips and Ardeschi-style pride parades.

## Culture

Most Ruotanese are addicted to an intoxicating fruit known as the *lutos*. Also, most Ruotanese are bisexual: it is considered *absolutely* normal in Ruotanese culture to be attracted to both men and women.

Instead of bowing the head and putting the hands together (the *namaskar*) like other Tuksharans do, Ruotanese greet each other by pointing their second fingers as though they were pistols, and saying "Pjo pjo!". Ruotanese people also love to make puns, no matter how poorly their words are, and they are known for their inability to sit properly.

Yoga is also a popular sport in Ruotan, alongside soccer, grenade tossing, wrestling, and bazooka archery. In spite of their widespread drug addiction and their dysfunctional society, Ruotanese are renowned for their skill at astronomy.

## Religion

Although Buddhism is the official religion of Ruotan, most Ruotanese have developed a neglectful attitude to the teachings of the Dharma. They focus more on fulfilling their desires and their addiction, rather than refining and freeing their souls from the torment and repetition of Samsara.

The patron bodhisattva or god of Ruotan is Shri Lashvansh Lashkara, a fictional pilot from an Ardeschi television show from the Sixteenth Age. The Ruotanese honour and worship him, because during his life he was accused by his fanbase of having female *and* male lovers, and that he was very popular in his country. His birthday, July 28, is under the patronage of Mahavairocana, the Buddha of the True Nature, which seems to fit its snobbish bisexual population well in their constant celebration of themselves. He is sometimes accompanied by his wife, Lurisha; and some mocking variants also include his best friend Kalshoroi as his second consort.

Another popular saint in Ruotan is Asura-pancha, an irate young Ardeschi man whose rage against his lost video-games transformed him into a little four-armed god of rage and loss. He uses locusts and Yoga CDs as his weapons, and he has ended up as one of Shri Lashvansh's many male lovers.

The local Vozonid minority worships the war goddess Sauska, whom heretics claimed to be having male and female consorts.

### Pop culture/mock shrine cult

In some countries, people make mock shrines to Lashvansh and any of his companions as a mischievous joke. Sometimes, they put up scarecrows and dress them up as Lashvansh and Lurisha -- complete with haloes made from boards -- and they pretend to leave offerings to these idols for amusement. Lashavansh is later identified as a solar god, while Lurisha is depicted as a lunar goddess.

Some people even worship them for good luck, or invoke their names for good fortune or to keep away evil spirits.

## Trivia

* Ruotan was created by a bored Porasonid artist as a generic example of a fictional country. As it was placed somewhere at the seas between Daleskarnia and Baido, its culture was assumed to be Tuksharan (Tocharian), descended from crashed flying cities. And to make it more "exotic", it was imagined as a nation mostly or entirely populated by bisexuals. Other authors and artists added more unsavory parts to make fun of Porashon's social issues.
* Ruotan's flag is an unflattering tribute to Porashon's flag, because the latter resembles that of an ancient Ardeschi community of bisexuals. Due to its association with Porashon and Tukshara, "Ruotanese" became an insult towards people from both countries.
	+ However, some people among them (especially bisexuals, their best friends, and lovers!) actively embrace the "Ruotanese" label, creating satirical subcultures to celebrate their maligned sexuality and fight back against bullying. When an angry teacher painted the Ruotanese flag with those colours, his students celebrated and threw a party in his honour, crowning him as their king.

* The worship of Lashvansh and Lurisha was originally intended to be a critique of the cult of Mithura and Goruso, two monarchs that were revered as protective gods of Porashon and its people.

## See also

* Gdjestrana, a placeholder country in Bujanski pop culture.
* Bradistan, an Idiocracy from another planet discovered by the Sarmelonid Empire.
* Eastern Enclaves (Gauvajut), one of two openly-non-heterosexual nations during the Sixteenth Age.
* Ioratin and Ajoltar, two gendered nations.
* Shinnippori, another parodic country from another universe that Ruotan considers as a close♂ally.