Jopu

Governmental system: Constitutional monarchy

Capital City:

Technology: High but varied

Magikin Power: High

Creature Power: Medium –speast, horses and dolphins are common

Average Jopil: Brown, olive skin with blond, grey and black hair being common.

National Emblem: Various

Jopu is a wild, diverse country of trade, culture and life. Though not incredibly large by size, its influence stretches as far as the Idion Isles, and occasionally even further beyond. Jopu is a melting pot of loud and vivacious culture, with colours and fragrances filling the air. It reaches all the way along the eastern edge of the continent, containing the nation of Uo and bordering Tuinjan, Vusmal and the lands of the Boundless Sands.

History

The country of Jopu was originally the home to a variety of disparate tribes of fishers and farmers along the continents edge, united by a common love of keeping and maintaining animals and beasts. Eventually, the nation was absorbed into the expansive Uon Empire and began to mix its culture with that of its conquerors.

Jopu wasn’t magically rich, and was undivided, so the united armies of Uo were able to sweep the lands into their control. However, after a hundred and fifty years of rule and cultural intermingling, the lands of Jopu were attacked by the Soona as a response to the Uo provocations. The Uo appointed ruler of what would eventually become Jopu, a man who had deep cultural roots to his people, saw an opportunity to succeed from the Empire. He and his wives managed to broker an alliance with the Soona, and the Jopil people began to rebel, striking at key locations throughout their lands.

Eventually, the leaders of what would soon be Tuinjan and Vusmal joined hands with the Jopil and began to push the ruling class of Uo back to their home lands. The Soona struck from the south, Jopu and Vusmal from the east and Tuinjan from the north. With Uo and her forces pushed all the way into the mountains, and with the battle reaching a standstill, a truce was finally made and new borders redrawn.

The lands that Jopu were left with were scarred and broken by the ferocity of the magics that had been strewn by the people. However, the leader of Jopu, deeply connected to the ancient ways, believed that their magic should be embraced, but lessened to avoid any conflicts like this in the future.

As the main intermediary between the vying nations, Jopu slowly became a hub for trade throughout the region, notably being one of the only cultures allowed to regularly trade with the Soona.

Geography:

Due to its length, the climate and geography of Jopu is quite varied and diverse, with its southern end being deserted and its northern tip being more tropical. It is intersected with jungles, forests and hills, and has an abundance of coral reefs on its eastern shores.

Magic

In ancient times, the people of the region of Jopu worshipped the great beasts of the land, and ate mostly fish as they were of the waters. The ancient tribes slowly began to communicate with these animals, able to interpret their cries and chirps and song and wonder. This magic was eventually joined with the Uo’s elemental nature magic, Vusmal’s beast conjuration magic and the spirit magic of Tuinjan to create the Uon magic of elemental beasts.

After the wars, Jopu became the melting pot of the magic again and (after careful consideration) decided on the way forward, which (though now long forgotten) has been melded with their culture near seamlessly.

Jopu magic is focused around the ethereal beasts. It is relatively common among the natives and readily taught to anyone who wishes to learn. With focus, a Jopil can conjure a beast into reality, called a speast. It resembles the animal it is based upon, though it is somewhat translucent and wireframe with a set of glowing eyes. It physically exists, but cannot be hurt or killed.

The Jopil are able to communicate with these speasts and understand their response. They are linked to the person’s soul who summoned them and are a reflection of the supposed ‘animal within’

Jopu society

Jopu is ruled ceremonially by an Anijaka, and governed by the Jiklu Pact. When the Jopu nation was formed, the first leader had his wives elect a group of trusted individuals to advise his new position. Due to the hardships they faced under the corrupt Uon Empire, he swore to never again let one man or ruling class hold so much power over the nation. Thus, the Jiklu Pact was formed, a government of elected officials meant to handle the running of the country, with the Anijaka acting as a tiebreaker and ceremonial leader.

This lead to an explosion of culture and societal blend as Jopu acted as the middle hub between several very disparate groups. They also expanded their operation on their cost to trade with their neighbours and began spreading their influence to nearby islands and cultures.

Merilla is known to rule west in terms of trade, and it is said that Jopu rules the east. The two nations clash quite frequently, but also do an incredible amount of trade with each other, increasing the wealth of both.

The cities of Jopu are crammed with people, most of which heavily utilise their speasts to carry materials, unload cargo, to entertain and to act as companions in general. Because of this, very few animals fill the cities themselves, spare the ones used for food or transport from the farms. The cities are kept relatively tidy due to this.

Jopu military

The military of Jopu is mostly utilised as a policing force to protect trade, merchants and profits. All are trained in the ways of the spirit beast, and each soldier uses their animals as a form of offence or defence.