Hélice: The Island of Koros
Overview
The Island of Koros, the northeastern-most isle of Hélice, is the island closest to Quacia and the Southern Continent and therefore the most influenced by Vahanic culture. Of all the islands of Hélice, only Koros has remained in somewhat-consistent contact with dignitaries from the 'mainland', and thus both their dialect of Vahanic and their architectural style and way of life has not diverged nearly as much as the other Helian Isles.
Climate-wise, Koros is fairly similar to the other isles of Hélice. It carries many of the topical climate tropes of its surrounding isles; rainforest, warm and cold summer coastal, oceanic, subtropical and light arid subtropical climates; it is an island-environment through and through, with extended periods of sunshine and mild humidity. In all seasons save for Cylus, Koros is warm, and even in Zi'da it only dips into winter-like weather near the very end of the cycle. Additionally, it is known that the island is situated around an extinct volcano, or one that will never erupt again.
In terms of demographic information, Koros is populated by around three thousand inhabitants that are spread across the coastline with a fairly mountainous interior. They are mostly human though with a sizable minority of biqaj at around thirty percent of the population, with almost no other races represented. There are mages though they are uncommon, and being a 'mage' is typically associated with a shamanist closeness to the Gods due to the harrowing dangers of the initiation. Once most mages are initiated in Koros, they join a religious order and only develop menial parlor-trick like abilities within their spark, in order to show the gifts allegedly offered to them by the pantheon.
The patron deity of Koros is Hargalis, or the God of the Sea, whose belief holds considerable significance on the every-day lives of Koros-kai (the people of Koros). There are several shrines to Hargalis along the coast and a marble temple dedicated to him upon the island's 'beak' extending from the northeastern coast. Perhaps as a result of Hargalis' influence on their culture, Koroskai are renowned for their ability to build boats and have constructed many of Hélice's triremes and other rowing vessels. They are also legendary fishermen and have even been known for the sport of hunting sharks within the waters, many of them proficient in wielding tridents and other polearms.
Recently, Koros has been the receiver of several major attacks on the populous from both Saltfetchers and now the Quacian Guilds, seeking to colonize them. As a result of these crises, in Ashan of Arc 719, the Koroskai chose Alistair and Zarik Venora to rule the region as the official Lords of Koros, overturning what was previously an informal system of elective leadership based on independent villages.
Marcovera
Marcovera is the largest settlement on Koros, and was once one of the largest in Hélice. However, due to Quacia's invasive Saltfetcher diaspora, it has declined from a population of nearly two thousand residents at its peak to barely over four hundred by Arc 719. Still, hosting around fifteen percent of the population of Koros, Marcovera holds considerable sway over the island's politics and is now formally seen as the capital of the island.
The locale is known for its incredible roster of unique sea-foods, either due to their native species of fish or their unique cooking and seasoning styles, or both. Fish and other aquatic animals, as well as seaweed, oysters, clams, cockles, et cetera are by far the most common foods in Koros, and with Marcovera perfecting their taste. As a result, the town is largely populated by fishermen, though the people of the township tend to be fairly multi-talented due to the arduous ethic required to maintain their lifestyle in a withering locale. Many of them are talented gardeners, stonemasons and woodworkers, and to some degree all of them are somewhat proficient at self-defense though without professional army-grade materials to work with.
Marcovera was the first settlement of Hélice, in Arc 413, and therefore immediately during the events of the Cataclysm. Amidst the near-apocalyptic crisis, a ship of refugees made their first landing on the beach beneath what is now the town, and as time went on they migrated further and further southwest. This is seen as a contributing factor into why Marcoverans continue to utilize Quacian-like architecture and why many of them speak Common, as they feel that they are the true inheritors of the Quacian legacy. Many other Helians see Marcoverans as strange for this reason, but acknowledge the foundational history of the town.
Laws
Being that Koros is now a feudal-aristocracy beneath the rule of Alistair (as the Lord regnant) and Zarik Venora, it follows a similar code of feudal laws requiring - unsurprisingly - religious-level devotion towards the nobility both in speech and practice. The citizens of Koros are required to pay taxes to the Lords and assist them in developmental projects, with punishments for non-compliance up to the degree of high treason.
Though no lower or middle level aristocracy has been created, there are several positions of official authority elected by the Lord. These individuals have the ability to make everyday decisions over the people of their locale, and can enforce the law up to imprisonment but must ultimately refer to the Koroskai 'High Enforcer' in order to issue final punishment to any civilian, though the ruling family of the island can issue any accusation or punishment without consultation. Beneath the 'High Enforcer' and often assisting these officials are regular 'Enforcers', serving as a policing force meant to assert the arm of the law.
It is important to note that the Lords of Koros and any explicitly excluded from these laws are not beholden to them whatsoever. The laws enforced are, in generally descending order of magnitude:
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High Treason: High treason is the belligerent, willful or consequential act of directly assaulting the interests, resources, wellbeing or social cohesion of both Koros at large and its reigning Lords. This can be for something violent such as the attempted assassination of a Noble, or even the intentional spread of dangerous misinformation (or even harmful information) regarding the Lords of Koros. High treason is nearly always punishable by death, and accusations of high treason may only be invoked by the Lord-regnant of Koros. Treason: Treason is typically associated with actions that were not performed with the intention of harming Koros or its Lords, but with either resulting dangers or even the fear of negative repercussions. Typically this is issued in the face of extreme disobedience, but can also be issued to those who spread information (such as an ideology) that may be damaging or antithetical to Venora interests. Treason is most often punished by castration or other forms of genital mutilation, but the penalty of execution can be invoked depending on severity.
Murder: Murder is the act of homicide, though its punishments vary depending on the number of casualties and the individual circumstances behind the act. Typically, murderers are executed and typically publicly. They may also be publicly tortured or humiliated depending on the severity of their deeds.
Exploitation: Exploitation is an extremely broad law that - truthfully - is used as an amorphous weapon by the Nobility. Exploitation was instituted in direct resistance against the monopolistic tendencies of the Guilds, with such actions being punishable by Koros' law. However, it is worded as the act of abusing one's wealth or privilege in a way that is harmful to another or Koroskai society, and so can be utilized with variable pretenses. The punishments can be as minimal as small fines all the way to public torture and decapitation.
Rape: Rape is a crime in Koros, but with severity typically dependent upon the situation. For example, sexually assaulting a minor who has not officially been recognized as an adult by society is considered much more heinous than raping another adult. Equally, raping a married individual is much more heinous than raping a single individual.
Being an archaic society, there are some very... unique cultural perceptions that can be seen as recognizing sexual assault as a form of transaction. Many rapists simply pay a sum - taxed by the government - to the family of the victim, and equally as many marry the victim in order to care for the child, typically at the behest of the victim's parents.
Usury: Usury is the act of charging ridiculously high interest rates for loans, including indentured servitude as a consequence of defaulting on a loan. Those who engage in usury are typically imprisoned, flogged and fined for the expected or received repayment.
Theft: As an act of thievery can vary in value and extremity like other laws, it is typically punished based on the history of the thief and the value of the item(s) stolen. It can be punished by severing the hand or hands of the thief, but is most often resolved through fines and the return of the item.
Assault: Assault, or the act of willfully attacking another individual, is a fairly informally enforced law that is generally only policed at the deadly or serial level. This law also includes non-penetrative sexual assault and is typically punished via flogging and fines.
Indolence: Indolence, in Koros, is literally the act of laziness or non-productivity, generally for those who do not work. Though typically it is reinforced through verbal warnings and appearances by local officials and enforcers, indolence can be punished by enforced labor lasting up to - potentially - arcs. Though a rare law to invoke, indolence is meant to ensure the productivity of the islanders in order to assist in abating their extinction.
