Undakav

Undakav (*/ˌu:nˌda'qɑ:ʋ/ or /'u:nˌdaˌqɑ:ʋ/*), officially **The Realms of** **Undakav-Kavdaun** is a nation on the northern coast of the continent of Argossa. It currently consists of the Great Bay of Unkavil and an extensive series of caverns and tunnel in the walls of the cliffs surrounding it. The capital and only city is **Unkavil** which lies at the end of the eponymous bay and consists of two wards, one a floating raft city populated by the Toli Unna and the other a series of cave dwellings carved into the cliffs populated by the Dor Kavan. Undakav is formally a pseudo-elective ethnarchic diarchy with two monarchs or Konath (singular Kon), one representing the Toli Unna and the other the Dor Kavan, chosen at a young age by their respective peoples. However, most matters are handled by the Ammath Toli and Ammath Dor, two councils of elders from the respective ethnic group.

The people of Undakav consist of two distinct but closely related ethnic groups, the Toli Unna and the Dor Kavan. The two groups have lived in close proximity since they arrived in the area fleeing Kor'delo but were separate and in conflict for much of this time. They were united in **YEAR** under the rule of Kon Manu and Kon Fellu and, while tensions remain, they have largely peaceable interactions.

The economy of Undakav is largely self-contained and they have little contact with other nations. The Toli Unna engage in extensive fishing and some forestry while the Dor Kavan produce goods made from stone and metal. Due to their relative isolation, they also have no formal standing military though many citizens are proficient in the use of weapons.

## Name

The name Undakav is a subject of some debate among its people as its meaning is different in Matola, the language of the Toli Unna, and in Madoran, the language of the Dor Kavan. In Matola the first syllable is emphasized, and the name is interpreted as The Waves beyond the Cliffs while in Madoran the final syllable receives the stress, and the name is interpreted as The Cliffs around the Waves. For this reason, the full formal name is Undakav-Kavdaun, translated as The Waves beyond the Cliffs *and* The Cliffs around the Waves though this name is very rarely used.

The name of the capital, Unkavil, is less contentious and is simply translated as The Place of Wave and Cliff in reference to its location.

## History

The Toli Unna and Dor Kavan were once part of the Ha'jega and Bor'den tribes of the Walo'radi people respectively. However, after the destruction of the So'neya tribe by Kor'delo, in fear of further attacks, they elected to leave the lakes of their home and travel downriver to the coast. This section of their history is rarely spoken about as it is considered a point of shame that they abandoned their original goddess Walo'mur and their brethren. Due to their prolonged policies of isolation many members of the nation believed the rest of the Walo'radi people to have been fully exterminated by Kor'delo, a belief which has only recently been found to be incorrect.

Upon their arrival on the coast, they came across two huge monkeys arguing and fighting. One, a white macaque, sat floating in a giant clamshell while the other, a black baboon, scrambled along the cliff face throwing rocks. Initially the two groups tried to ignore the bickering monkeys and began to set up camp. However, they soon found that they were unsuited for their new environment. Their scales and fishing techniques were adapted for freshwater and the salty seawater irritated them greatly. Moreover, the coastal plants were alien and they did not know what was safe to eat. Even the weather and rock were strange to them with coastal storms sweeping away their shelters and the cliff face crumbling as they tried to work it. Faced with starvation the two groups blamed one another for their failures and struck up two camps at opposite ends of the bay.

That night one of the two great monkeys came into each camp and spoke to the people there in their own tongue. The white macaque came to the Toli Unna and named itself as Kaku. It promised to grant them skin that would resist the salt waters and to teach them the secrets of the coastal currents and fish. The black baboon came to the Dor Kavan and named itself as Hiki. It promised them limbs strong and nimble enough to scale the treacherous cliffs and to teach them the names and use of each new plant and beast. In return they each only asked for one thing: the hide of the other. Faced with no choice the two clans agreed.

The two great monkeys bestowed them with thick leathery skin with coarse hair running along the spine and forearms as well as strong dextrous hands and feet that could easily grip to any surface. Emboldened by their new forms and fearful of their loss each tribe crept down the long shore towards the other's camp. The Toli Unna walked by the surf and the Dor Kavan by the rocks and in the silence and dark they passed by each other unnoticed and fell on the camps with blade and torch setting the camps ablaze. It was only when they turned and saw the flames in the night sky and heard the cries of the young and old left behind that they realized what had occurred. In a fury they fell on each other in a great melee until morning, a battle now known as The Night of the Two Fires.

When morning came many lay dead and the two tribes retreated. The Toli Unna returned to the shoreline and crafted great rafts which they set adrift in the middle of the bay so that they could see any attempt to reach them. The Dor Kavan scaled the high cliffs and carved caves into the walls so no foe could attack without making the treacherous climb. And so, they each settled down and watched for the next attack. Kaku would sit in the center of the largest raft and would talk of fish and currents while Hiki sat in the center of the largest cavern and spoke of stone and plant. And every evening, they would end their speech in the same way, crying "Now go and bring me the hide I was promised! Or I will strip you of your gifts!".

The conflict between the Toli Unna and Dor Kavan continued for generations, sometimes actively, sometimes passively. This continued until two young hunters, Manu and Fellu, ran into each other in the forest. Recognizing the other as an enemy they fought until, oblivious of their surroundings, they fell into a deep pit, each breaking an arm. Trapped for 5 days and 5 nights, they grew to love each other deeply until on the morning of the sixth day they bound their broken arms together and climbed out. Together they devised a plan to capture Kaku and Hiki, who they believed were responsible for the conflict. Luring them from their lairs with the promise of their rival's capture they trapped them in a pit much like the one in which they had been trapped themselves. Kaku and Hiki fell on each other in a storm of claws and teeth and created such a noise that the entirety of both tribes came to investigate the disturbance. There they saw the two monkeys fighting faster and faster until they became a silver blur. When the dust settled neither Kaku nor Hiki remained. Instead, a silver gorilla sat there peacefully. It climbed from the pit and stood before Manu and Fellu and spoke. It named itself as Hikaku and told of how its soul had been rent in two never to be rejoined unless others could put aside their differences. Thanking the two young hunters, it pulled a long canine from its mouth and formed it into a great curved blade. Next, it took a fist of hair from it's back and wove it into a shimmering cloak which it wrapped around the pair. These gifts given, it turned and walked into the deep jungle, disappearing from view.

Though the instigating forces were gone peace did not come immediately for the wounds were deep. However, the gifts of Hikaku had a greater purpose. Wrapped in the cloak, Manu and Fellu could speak with great wisdom while the blade granted them mighty strength. Together, with much difficulty and over many long years they brought the clans back together and taught them that their skills could be used to improve one another. As they grew old, they chose two youths from their respective clans as their successors and, when they came of age, they granted them the cloak and blade.

Since the reunification of the Toli Unna and the Dor Kavan, the people of Undakav have been at peace though ancestral grudges are still held by many. Recent years have been dedicated to the ongoing task of bringing the two halves of the city into closer contact both physically and culturally. Long ropes and bridges now run between the cliff halls of the Dor Kavan and the rafts of the Toli Unna and trade between the two groups is brisker than it has ever been before. However, socialization between the groups remains rare and intermarriage even rarer. Most hope that this integration of the two cultures can continue to blossom, though some still believe that remaining separate is right.

## Notable Figures

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## Crafts

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## Government

Undakav is governed by two rulers known as the Konath, one chosen from the Toli Unna and one from the Dor Kavan. Currently these positions are held by Kon Denu, a male Toli, and Kon Pone, a female Dor. They are assisted in their duties by the Ammath Toli and the Ammath Dor, two councils of elders from the respective tribes who also handle of the most administrative duties of running the nation. While wearing the Cloak of Hikaku, the Konath's words are considered absolute law; however, when they are not, they have no more authority than any other member of the Ammath, though their opinion is nonetheless highly respected. The Ammath is comprised of any previous Konath and any member of the tribe who is considered to have done great service - as such there is not a fixed number of members though it tends to be between 12 and 20. Election to the Ammath is done via a nomination from a sitting member which is then voted on by the entirety of the clan.

The two Konath are considered to be wedded as part of their coronation ceremony regardless of gender or sexual preference; in fact, any romantic attraction between them is uncommon though not unheard of. The Kon choose their successors semi-randomly from the infants under 5 from in each tribe every 25 years. These children are raised together and are taught the ways of both the Toli Unna and the Dor Kavan and as such the Konath are often considered to have the greatest understanding of the relationship between the two tribes. When the successors or Arkonath have both reached the age of 25, the age at which Manu and Fellu unified the tribes, they are coronated by the current Kon on the next full moon. They then go on to choose their own successors. If a Kon dies before their successors are of age, they are replaced by the youngest previous Kon of their tribe any remain alive followed by the relevant Arkon if over the age of 15. If neither option is possible their duties are fulfilled by a rotation of elders from their tribe's Ammath. No Kon can ever rule alone, nor can there be two Konath from the same tribe. The Konath and Arkonath pass the dry season with the Toli Unna on their rafts and the wet season with the Dor Kavan in their halls.

## Ideals and Philosophies

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## Geography

Undakav exists entirely within the Great Bay of Unkavil, a huge saltwater lagoon. The high cliffs surrounding the bay largely mitigate the destructive power of the tropical storms that otherwise ravage the northern coast of Argossa, though significant damage is still sustained every year. The people of Undakav rely on the bay for much of their food, fishing the waters and gathering edible seaweed as the cliffs offer little in the way of arable land. However, the Dor Kavan have developed the art of cultivating mushrooms in their caverns which supplement their diet. The river Alu empties into the bay, running through a long heavily forested canyon, which provides all of the wood used in construction. This canyon is also hunted for fresh meat and foraged for fruit and berries though these are considered delicacies. The clifftops surrounding Unkavil are almost barren and contain little or nothing of use to the people of Undakav. Within the sides of the cliffs however there are many veins of various valuable ores which the Dor Kavan mine and work.

## Miscellaneous

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