Communal Istakir

Map of the Regions of Istakir

The Communal Regions of Istakir is a coalition of villages at the end of the Golden Coast, preceded by the Empire of Istakir. It has a hard border with Qadiyya to the west, a soft border with Esetho to the south-west, and no border with Aticco to the south. The largest cities are Sorrokh in the east, Gorkan in the west, and Ruhilah in the south. It has no central government system, instead relies on a complex network of ambassadors to trade goods and information between towns. Common languages include Istaki, Kirdish, Qadiyyan, and Rejan Trade.

## History

Communal Istakir is the byproduct of the 31:69 Revolution, where Shah Idris IV was overthrown and the last heir to the throne, Andisheh II, abdicated and disowned the monarchy. The government was disbanded and new ideas for individual town-by-town organisation drafted by political philosopher Saamdar, then implemented over the course of several years.

## Geography

The general Istakir region is divided by the Crown of the World mountain range, which creates a rainy side on the west that stretches to the smaller Reynjis Ranges near Qadiyya. This fertile land lends itself well to agriculture and forestry. On the eastern side of the Crown, subject to the rain shadow, is drier scrubland and the You Desert, split by the Jolfi River. This river has the lowest elevation in Istakir.

## Governance

The Communal Regions have no central government system, and most towns have minimal individual governance due to the popularity of anarchist thought. However, larger cities like Sorrokh and Ruhilah have a variety of advisory boards, since they deal with foreign affairs and trade the most, and thus need to present a united front to best serve the other regions. Individuals of note are Enlightened Ambassador Daniyah al-Sadiq, who is charged with sharing the grand stories of the Revolution, and Andisheh II, who is the unofficial President of Trade and Foreign Affairs.

## Magic

Communal Istakir has varying cultural opinions on magic. Coastal towns like Marsul, Sorrokh, and Gorkan have a long tradition of water-based magic, resulting in the iconic seaswords. Ruhilah has historically had a balance between Istaki and Aticcan people, serving as something of a transition city, and hosts the Finite Library, a collection of magical tomes and research papers derived from Aticcan research. However, villages like Elyari and Neyraz are wary of magic, having dealt with Qadiyyan refugees and populated by a large number of Esethon people.

## Religion

The most popular religion is Eldol-Mitri, particularly in the north-east regions, with Surat-Mitri more common closer to Qadiyya. There are Kelem populations in most cities. The Creed of Atonement has some traction in Sorrokh, but is generally regarded as gauche. There are independent tribal spiritualities and beliefs scattered across the regions, such as Asetism.

## Cultural Touchstones

Eastern Istakir is generally Turkic, whereas Western Istakir, particularly the regions close to Qadiyya, are Iranian. However, this is not a hard and fast distinction, due to the long history of trade and cultural exchange between regions.