Kotesh Ubulii

Kotesh Ubulii

NATION - The Golden Coast, The Seat of Innesha, The Golden Road, The Desert Land, The Bankers of Vaanth, The Endless Sand. Kotesh is north of the Aestervholrs, ribboned along the Mithrlochr on the north central edge of the southern Vaanth subcontinent, a north-central nation set on the Vaanth continent.  It overlooks the Mithrlochr, much of it being cliffside outside of the two great bays, Koskyr and Deinyr Bays.  The people are called Koteshee and their possessive is Koteshen,  however, outsiders use these virtually interchangeably, with the demonym often being used as the possessive as well.  They are sometimes called the Kosh or Koshee because of  the name of their language.  They are sometimes called Rush or Rushes, an offensive term.

Koshen for *The People Upon the Bay*, is a nation of proud swarthy, curly haired humans due west of Hilden and north of mountainous Rhegrheim. A desert and savanna nation set upon bays and coves of the Mithrlochr, maritime trade, and a well maintained inland road system has made this monarchy nation into the trade capital of the Vaanth continent.

Language:  Common (New Hilde), Koshion (a dialect of the Sheneo-Sotedian some refer to it as Shenoto).

## Population

Population:

* Dominant - Human
* Minority - Dwarf, Tiefling, Hobbit, Orc
* Enclave - Gnome, Elf,
* Groups Goblinoids, Genasi, Kobold
* Individuals - Goliath, Dragonborn, Lizardfolk, Tabaxi

## Religion

The primary religion is Ennea with more temples than anywhere else, Followers of Aeleam, Haukkenism, Cultism, Bharasineism, the Alrymic Temple, Three Dreamers Faith, Mordernity, Khatism, and very few Ageelians.

## Cities

* Innesha - CAPITAL - Major
* Melchiar - CITY - Major - Northern commercial capital of Kotesh Ubulii.
* Notheen - INLAND CITY - Major - In the shadows of the Aestervholrs
* Dabuul - DESERT CITY - Minor - A religious center.

## Economy

The economy of Kotesh includes the imports of coal, wood, lumber of all sorts, leather, pipeweed, game (considered a delicacy), copper, tin, iron, and many other major ores, sugar, ivory and quartz.  The major exports include steel, horses, granite, tea and sheep.  Their currency is the silver Dran system:

* Copper Peck 1 cp
* Quadran 2-2.5 cp value silver quarter-dran chip.
* Hadran 5 cp value silver half-dran piece.
* Dran 1 sp, a breakable coin.
* Half Hec 1 ep
* Hecdran 1 gp
* Lodran 1 pp

## Governance

Form of government.  Inherited absolute monarchy system.  The Emir, supreme state rulers of Kotesh are a heritage family line that has changed more than a few times over the centuries of the three-millennia old Emirate of Kotesh Ubulii.  The Kosh are currently ruled by Halib g’ mh’Daneed, Emir ban Kotesh Ubulii.  A kindly, but shrewd and successful Emir and emirate line, the Daneed have economically stabilized the continent of Vaanth in spite of the Fae invasions, rise and fall of empires and the machinations of Heród.

He is enabled in this rulership by his four Satraps, governors over the four states of Kotesh: Innesha, Melchiar, Notheen and Dabuul.  Each city state and their Satraps are further eased in rulership by a complicated and well protected social caste and credit system of Kadree a Koff.  This system of intense mores rules everything about the Koteshee life from the naming of people to the weight of flour sold at market.  While the Emir and the Satraps as well as their judges and administors, the Kan Haakin have laws in place, the Kadree a Koff serves as a far more stringent system of social behavior and life than the threat of the royal sword ever could.

The military is a Selcherian Guard, the Hoshe Charioteers, and the Bansra or Royal Guard.  The Selcherian Guard has its main function in guarding the Selchur Desert for thieves and beasts.  This is the single largest military branch of Kotesh.  Buth o’qu Laman, Selcherian General ban Dabuul is their leader and they are organized out of Dabuul, where they might better serve to watch over the hostile Selchur Desert.

The Hoshe Charioteers are considered the main defensive force for the nation, with smaller steeds pulling the chariots they are able to move powerfully and quickly across the landscape.  The role of Kotesh as the mercantile center of Vaanth makes their service largely sinecure, however, they are still a fiercely able military service.  Fraz o’ru mh’Belkeen, Hoshe Captain ban Innesha is their Captain and leader and they serve from the capital.

The Bansra are a palace guard for the nobles of Kotesh.  Their numbers are purposefully kept hidden, but they are a larger service than they appear.  In addition to their roles as guardians of the Emir and the Shomhet, as well as the emirate family and the noble families, they function as plain-clothes spies watching for market manipulation for the Kan ban Ishel, the Lord of Balance.  They serve as the uniformed guard of the mint system and individual guards for each of the Haakin.  Finally, they also guard the delivery and postal system on behalf of the Chapar Kan alongside the Selcherian Guard.  They answer only to Khamut o’ mh’Brothat, Bangshra ban Kotesh a Innesha.

**Kote** - Koteshen Naming System

A semi-complex naming system exists to codify the hierarchy of Kotesh.  While inheritance plays a powerful role, adoption into a house is entirely possible, even desirable to those house masters in order to earn ‘Kadree’ a form of social currency or clout that individuals and houses may earn.

Proper name - Disha or Role (This must be earned) - House Mastery Modifier - Kahu or House (inherited), (Formal Titles) (State).

So the Satrap of Notheen would be Eliz an’ Brothat, Satrap ban Nothen - or Eliz (proper name) an’ (Satrap, female) Brothat (Kahu) Satrap (Formal Title) ban Notheen (of Notheen).  Her brother Khamut is the Mali - Khamut o’ mh’Brothat ban Innesha - for he serves the Emir as his Royal guard master.

Royal Disha

* g’ - /guh/ - Emir - Royal personage (male or female)
* b’ - /bae/ - Shahzadeh - Royal family (male)
* c’ - /kaa/ - Shahzadeh - Royal family (female)
* a’ - /aht/ - Satraps (male) - Governor
* an’ - /ahn/ - Satraps (female) - Governess
* el’ - /ell/ - Kan ban Ishel - Lord of Balance, “The Measures Kan”
* ur’ - /url/ - Drankan - Royal Mint Master, “Coinstrike Kan”
* er’ - /air/ - Kan Haakin - Royal Judges, sub-satraps & administers to the states
* p’ - /pae/ - Chapar Kan - Royal Postmaster, “The Post Kan”
* o’ - /ooh/ - Bangshra - Royal House Chief Guard
* ip’ - /Ip/ - Bansra - Royal House Guard

Professional Disha (This is in order of actual Kadree society value - Priests and smiths are equal).  Societitally, production of textiles is more valuable than production of produce in Kotesh.  A whole is more valuable than parts.  However, a skillful farmer who produces gains more Kadree than a master carpenter who is seen as sitting about.

* mo’ - /muh-o/ - Priest - (Kotesh remains quite religious to the Ennea)
* maat - /muh-aht/ - Smith (Master smiths are more honored than nobles)
* maath - /muh-ath/ - Coker (This is dirty but granted exultation - black hands are Kadree)
* ma’nan - /muh-naan/ - Merchant
* ma’go - /muh-gho/ - Brewer
* ma’he - /muh-hey/ - Mason
* ma’to - /muh-toe/ - Carpenter
* con’ol - /coon owhl/ - Furrier
* con’un - /coon oon/ - Cobbler
* con’ull - /coon ool/ - Tailor
* con’ut - /coon uut/ - Barber
* con’van - /coon vaan/ - Baker
* con’va - /coon vah/ - Miller
* pra’as - /prah AAs/ - Manor/Boat Kan - (mngmt. of unskilled labor is seen as unskilled)
* pra’cos - /prah kos/ - Fisher
* pra’van - /prah von/ - Farmer
* pra’o - /prah oh/ - Common Laborer

House Disha

* mh’ - /may/ - Mali - House Master or Matron
* mh’di - /may-die/ - Mal-cona - House Cupbearer - second in command, trusted
* mh’lu - /may-luu/ - Mal-cala - House Recorder - maintains papers and house Kadree
* mh’pe - /may-pay/ - Malin - House Guard - maintains the defence of the house in public and physically

**Kadree a Koff** - A social currency system practiced within the caste and strata that is fiercely meritocratic in its structure of mores and rules.  By this system a truly astonishing, hard-working or driven common laborer or slave might be adopted into better and better houses until they are themselves nobles or part of the Emir’s family.

Kadree - is the positive social currency.  Among the Kosh reputation is everything, and nothing demonstrates one’s standing quite like the public display of Disha jewelry.  Receiving a Disha’hal or Disha chain, bracelet, anklet, ring, nose ring or earring from someone of higher Disha is great Kadree.  A day laborer or field hand might well be seen with one or multiple copper, bronze, iron, steel, silver, mithril, Disha’hal chains, wristlets, bracelets or the like.

Koff - is bad form, breaking societal strata norms, Koffah are outsiders, foreigners and strangers.  They are literally, “those outside of koff,” which to some holds a connotation that they are so deeply entrenched in Koff as to be almost lesser beings.  To most Kosh, it simply means that they are like small children, untrained in the finer arts of Kadree.  Many see it as an amusing project, or a way to attain Kadree, to teach Koffah the Kadree.

Common Kadree a Koff Rules:

* A House is not the same as a biological family.  In most cases there is heavy overlap, however a person of merit may be given the house’s name as an honor by that house’s Mali.  However, if a new house is offered but refused it is Koff on that Mali and house for having offered a new name.  Strict care and protocols are followed to insure good adoptions and marriages.
* A new marriage must be approved by the Mali of the family that the couple will join or the new spouse will bear their old house name while being in the new house which will bring Koff to the old house and the new spouse, but Kadree to the new house for maintaining order.  All Kadree of the new spouse will belong to the new house, all Koff to the old house.  In this way, while disapproved marriages are allowed they are socially stigmatized, or at minimum might be used by a clever parent to give their child their desired spouse while blacking the eye of the new spouse’s old house.
* Breaking a business agreement is more Koff than committing an act of murder.  Murder is a crime in Kotesh, but breaking credit in business carries a far greater shame culturally.  One who breaks trust by incompetence may be forgiven.  One who does so by malice or does so often may lose their business, be enslaved, jailed, cast out as “classless” or may even be formally executed.
* Lying is seen as a Koff act, a known liar may lose their business and be cast from their House to become “classless.”
* Slavery is allowed in Kotesh as an indenturehood to pay unpayable debts.  It is considered great Kadree for a debtor or borrower to submit themselves as Koosh (indentured) to another rather than become a default or agreement breaker.  Koosh are well protected under Koteshen law and custom.  Sums of the Koosh’s income considered fair are adjudicated to the master by a Kan Haakin.  Prostitutes may be Koosh, but it is considered a gross taboo of incredible Koff to have sex with one’s Koosh, contemporary writings on the matter consider it as disgusting, noting, “For a baker does not leave his seed in his bread, nor does a fisher woman mate her fish - for allowing the customer to devour such is unclean and a faulty product.”
* Any master who raises a hand against a Koosh is seen as having received all debts as, “paid in full, in flesh.”  Actual assault in such an act is dealt with through formal crimes as well as a severe Koff for waste and damaging of “goods.”  If they should injure them in such a way as to render them unable to work they are required to pay all costs of life determined by a Kan Haakin for protracted terms that might well bankrupt a House.  Conversely, an Inham is a formalized slap across the cheek of a master toward their Koosh to immediately cancel all debt.  This is done publicly and has a certain legalized protocol to it that grants public formality and makes the act legal.  It is an incredible Kadree to show one’s success by dismissing a Koosh as “unneeded.”
* Theft is Koff by all professional classes, however, it is seen as Kadree by the “classless,” if a beggar manages to steal from a merchant then that merchant is seen as a foolish person and the beggar is seen as having gained Kadree, and may well be cheered by a watching crowd.  Koffah do not gain Kadree by committing theft, they are outsiders and are treated merely as criminals.
* If a smith or coker rubs the sooty blackness of his or her hands upon a person, this is seen as great Kadree, a mark or respect.  If they hand a product to a person with the soot of their work on their hands, with a rag to protect the product this too is Kadree.  If they hand a person the product letting the soot touch it, this is Koff on the smith or maker, because they’ve given fault to the product by smudging it.
* Houses that have risen to nobility from being smiths or cokers may lacquer their nails and stain or tattoo their hands and forearms black as a remembrance of where they came from, and this is Kadree.  Taking such marks without having come from such trades is shocking Koff, those that do such are called thieves or “Shit arms.”
* Making faulty goods or using false balances is Koff, and will be treated as a mistake the first time, bringing shame.  A person who is known to have committed this Koff multiple times is a criminal and could be executed.
* Rudeness to merchants is viewed as a Koff act, however, rudeness to craftspeople and nobles is viewed as an even greater Koff.  Rudeness to priests is viewed still more as a Koff act, for the priest takes the raw material of the soul and crafts fitting receptacles to set before the gods.
* Smiths make the Disha jewelry, or Disha’hal.  Only the House Mali may order the crafting of such symbols of their House.  False Disha wear is considered an abhorrent lie and is only matched in Koff by malicious business trust breaking.  Those who make forged Disha’hal are promptly executed.  The first to attack a forger of such is considered to have the highest Kadree.  A false Disha’hal forger might well be nearly dismembered and disemboweled before they can even be dragged before the Kan Haakin or Satraps for justice.
* Those Kosh who wear false and forged Disha’hal will at best be cast from their House.  Most likely they can expect to have the finger, hand, ear, nose or foot upon which such a forgery hangs brutally removed to the applause of any who views it.
* Koffah who wear Disha’hal will likely be dragged before Kan Haakin to explain themselves.  If they were given the Disha’hal as a Kadree, the Haakin might even reward them with coin for bringing foreign honor into Kotesh.  If they are found to have stolen it or are wearing forged goods they will likely be killed, cut down on the spot by every able bodied Koshee including the Haakin or Satrap themselves.

Enslaved and embattled centuries ago by the now lost tribes of the Rushay of Ruama, they fought their destroyers and asserted their freedom and founded a veritable empire of trade and production along the rich, but narrow strip between jungle, savanna and desert.

After rising to such power they found themselves annexed by the might of the old Vaanthian Empire.  A better choice, by the reckoning of most, was to become their humming heart of industry, irreplaceable and worthy of the Emperor’s protection, rather than the tempting jewel to wage war upon.

The Kosh people, as they came to be called, would watch empires, nations, neighbors and foes come and go, but they would remain unchanged.  They and their Barto Tradeway would serve as the veins of the lifeblood of trade to all of the Vaanth Supercontinent.