Kiny'orenk

**Trigger Warning: Past mentions of slavery and violent abuse of women**

## Common Knowledge

There are a few city states were Merfolk live and flourish. These city states are spread around the ocean floor of Temporis. The most well known are Mardark, Kiny’orenk, and Khione but there are others that are not yet known. There are also efforts currently to rebuild and re-establish the city state of Lumeria.

## Topography and Climate

Located in the Metri Sea it is of a mild temperature due to its location and the depth of the sea floor in that area as it is quite deep. There is a lot of underwater flora and fauna here.

## Population

Kinyorenk generally only house Merfolk as they often see the Beast-Folk aquatics as “lesser” versions of them even though they don’t share ancestors. There are a few merchants and such that are not specifically merfolk but permanent residents of those cities are only Merfolk.

## Exports and Trades

Agriculture is a large part of trade for this city as they have large fields of flora and fauna that can be harvested. Many people here will be farmers or gatherers and perhaps fisherpeople as well. Despite their lack of many natural ore they are a fairly militant society and so many of the people are warriors.

## Government

This city is ruled by a royal line passed through the female lineage. The Queen is the ultimate authority and the advisory council to the Queen, called “Her Court”, is always made up of women. Men are not allowed to rule, if there is no one who can take up the Throne by blood then the female population of the city will elect a new Queen.

## Military

Being a highly militant society they have a strong military with internal organization much like other strong military powers. They will help to defend Mardark from major threats if they are in need.

## Social Hierarchy and Culture

It is an extremely harsh matriarchal society where men are not allowed into positions of high authority. The women are the leaders and the main military force. It has recently become better for men but not by much.

### Celebrations and Holidays

They also have individual celebrations for things such as birth and death but Kiny’orenk does have city-wide celebrations as well.

#### Shori

A massive celebration to commemorate the new government’s victory over the old with a military parade and magical light shows. It happens in the late spring.

#### Visht

This isn’t so much a celebration as a remembrance day for all of the lives lost in the Matreda Massacre which sparked the Queen’s Revolution. There are moonglow vigils held all over the city and silence is kept throughout the day, it is a very haunting experience. This happens on the winter solstice every year.

## Alliances

Kiny’orenk has a military and trade alliance with Mardark.

## Enemy Countries

This city state doesn’t have current enemy countries or cities.

## Founding and History

Kiny’orenk was founded in 924 AB and governed by the Dision Kingdom, with a history of cruelty and exploitation of its citizens, specifically the women. It was much worse in Kiny’orenk as the ruling family actually lived within its bounds. There were a lot of terrible things done to the citizens of Kiny’orenk that Mardark never experienced. The women in Kiny’orenk were treated as less than slaves and were almost exclusively used for child bearing. They were not allowed to hold any position nor do most jobs. There were some small resistances but they were easily shut down.

Then in the year 8379 AB an uprising of massively larger proportions occured on the Winter Solstice. This event was called the Matreda Massacre as all of those who were rioting were mercilessly killed, even those who surrendered. Quite literally, an entire section of the city was now void of life as everyone had been murdered. The area, called Matreda, had been where a large amount of pregnant women and women with young children had lived. There had been a soldier that had killed a female child for “disrespecting” him and the violence just grew from there. This sparked the now named Queen’s Revolution which lasted just over three years and ended in the late spring of 8383 AB.

The new government was composed of only women and the rules that used to govern them now applied to the men. This was a punishment for all of the men in the city. They offered to extend their rule to Mardark, who had helped them in the revolution, but Mardark declined the offer. They left Mardark to their own devices as both men and women of Mardark had helped them so they didn’t hold so much of a grudge against the Mardarki men. This new Queendom was not as harsh and cruel as the Dision Kingdom but the rights of men were very few and the laws very strict. Over time these laws have become less controlling but the government is not ready to trust men with any type of power.

Due to this bloody war and their experiences the Queen mandated that all women learn to fight and are highly trained so they will always be able to defend themselves. They make up the military of Kiny’orenk and are proud of it. Celebrations were established to commemorate the Matreda Massacre and the victory over the Dision Kingdom. As time passes trust is being slowly extended to the male population of Liny’orenk but it will be many years more before they have earned enough trust to be equals.