Rokhyla

**Nation Name:** Rokhyla (endonym) - Land of the Masked (exonym)

**Creator:** Suatrone

**Starting Provinces:** https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/363018578234048519/1023230278480707604/RDT\_20220924\_091036546816896004520242.jpg

**Sapient Species:** The taiga island is inhabited by a rather small species of humanoids that call thelmselves the Ianai. Not much is known about them (see: cultural information), but two things are for certain: 1. They are endemic to this island and (currently) don't live anywhere else. 2. While humanoid, they are not related to humans, elves, dwarves or any close relatives of these species. They are, however, not what one on earth would call antropomorphic animals either. The island is also inhabited by a species of foxes that is slowly increasing in sapience, paralleling the development of an 9 year old human when fully grown. These foxes, which the Ianai call "Baru", are currently in the evolutionary development of speach, reaching a level that is comparable to a human 2 year old. Both species commune with each other and also live together, tho the Ianai never domesticated the Baru in any intentional way.

**Religious Information:** Ianais (and through their influence also the Baru) worship a genderless god\*ess they call: the Everchange. According to Rokhylan folklore, living on the moon, the Everchange watches all living and unliving. They are marked by the duality of things - the state of everything staing the same (like the existence of the moon) and the state of everything changing and never beeing the same again. This duality, which the Everchange represents, leads to changing phases of a cycle (similiar to the phases of the moon), where certain phases might resemble one another heavily, but they will never be exactly the same. Because this can be seen anywhere (like in the seasons), the Rokhylan also believe that the Everchange can influence everything everywhere and is therefore nature themself - and while they might play favorites for a short while, in the end, the Everchange will prioritize a balance in their duality over their worshippers desire and lives. For that reason, the Rokhylan have a lot of traditions to celebrate and emphasize important steps of these changes, like the birthing season of young animals or becoming an adult. They don't, on the other hand, see themselves as chosen by the Everchange and rather as just one of many children lucky enough to be one of the living.

**Cultural Information:** Rokhylan culture is strongly influenced by their religion. Seeing everything as constantly shifting and changing, the Ianai believe that ones personality can shift an change. Because the Body might change slower than the mind, Ianai wear foxlike masks, which they rarely take off. The Mask form looks like a Baru face, because of which the Baru don't wear any masks. This is also influence due to the Baru having much shorter lives than the Ianai. These masks, giving Rokhyla the exonym "Land of the Masked", also has another effect - no one is currently really sure about how the Ianais actually look like other than beeing humanoid - since they only take their masks off for family and close friends, and they also wear rather protective clothing due to the environement they live in. In Rokhylan culture, beeing hospitable, friendly and caring is favorable and encouraged, but so is beeing secretive. They also are rather mistrustfull towards strangers, leading to the Rokhylan having a calm to a calm and reserved, but helping attitude towards strangers instead of a hostile one.

Rokhylan live in villages, led by three Ianai and thee Baru elders, who are choosen in a vote by all adults in the village of the corresponding species. One of the choosen elders for each species meets with the other chosen elders of all villages regularly on matters regarding topics important to all. It is far more common for Rokhylan that who other species would regard as female to be chosen for this position, as Rokhylan are matriarchal.

**Economic Information:** Beeing a Taiga Island, the flora and fauna of Rokhylan is rather limited. The Rokhylan are currently in a transitional period from beeing mobile herders to a more sessile, more agricultural life, still mostly focusing on herding animals. They sometimes trade with other close nations, mostly products like the fur of their herded animals and medicinal herbs an mosses.

**Military Information:** As of now, Rokhyla does not have an organized military, but the Rokhylan will use their skills learned in daily life (like using bows) to defend themselves if necessary. They, however, prefere a peaceful, diplomatic or athletic solution over any unnecessary bloodshed.

**Strengths:** Rokhyla is rich in rare medicinal usable plants, some even endemic to the island. The plants can not only be used for healing, but also as poison or for defense, helping the Rokhylan to defend their secretive, peaceful life against intruders, despite their disadvantage against organized militaries.

**Weaknesses:** The ground in Rokhyla is frozen for about 5/6th of the year, making acces to the deeply buried ores even more difficult. The fact that quite some plants, for some unknown reason, are endemic to the island poses an additional thread of extinction to them, in case an invasive species is introduced or they were over harvested for their usage.

**Notable Characters:**

* The Voice: the chosen elder of each village and species, that meets with the chosen elders of the other villages
* Nefje: an ancient healer known widely across Rokhyla for their abilities, founder of a village renowned for their healers