Khutu - Revision history

Forthright at 20:16, 25 July 2023

2023-07-25T20:16:15Z

Forthright at 20:11, 25 July 2023

2023-07-25T20:11:23Z

Forthright at 20:06, 25 July 2023

2023-07-25T20:06:34Z

Forthright at 19:53, 25 July 2023

2023-07-25T19:53:26Z

Forthright: /* Politics */

2023-07-06T17:44:04Z

‎Politics

Forthright: /* Politics */

2023-06-06T17:25:51Z

‎Politics

Forthright at 02:15, 31 May 2023

2023-05-31T02:15:03Z

Forthright at 01:55, 31 May 2023

2023-05-31T01:55:42Z

Forthright at 01:53, 31 May 2023

2023-05-31T01:53:08Z

Forthright at 01:50, 31 May 2023

2023-05-31T01:50:22Z

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 [[File:Khutuwiki.jpeg|500px|thumb|right|Map of Khutu]]
-'''Khutu''', also known poetically as '''The Grey Rivers''', formally as the '''Omban Empire''', and derogatorily as the '''Necrarchy''', is a relatively small, craggy monarchy (of sorts) that relies heavily on maritime products, mining, and grain agriculture.  Located along the coast nestled between [[Sharai]] and [[Taizi]], and with its interior bordered by the great [[Gusu Sea]], it is a land oriented to the sea economically.   It is one of the older and more traditional former provinces of the [[Omban Empire]], governed by a council of aristocratic priests of the [[Voice of the Dead]].   Its principal claim to fame is that the body and spirit of First Emperor, [[Eluli Ula]], reside in the capital of [[Onighus]], where his spirit is regularly consulted on any decisions of national import.   In effect, he is the Emperor and decisions are made in his name.  During the time of the Empire, Eluli was honoured but power lay in the hands of his descendants; in Khutu, since the empire fell, he has acquired power, tempered by the fact that he cannot move or act on his own. The Voice is much more powerful than the Hand here, and Khutu is home not only to the Emperor but also numerous other important saints.  Nineteen important aristocratic priests are chosen, largely on the basis of birth rather than merit, as [[Conduit|Conduits]] for the will of the sainted emperor, and exercise power through controlling access to the bodies of the revered.  Pilgrimages to the [[Mausoleum]] in Onighus are a major source of revenue, as individuals from throughout the former Empire come to visit the bodies of their noble ancestors.   Khutu maintains a studied neutrality in most political affairs; most other nations are reluctant to attack it directly out of respect for Eluli, and it has become very conservative and inward-looking. The name Khutu may derive from Old Omban ''khuat'', 'west', a reflection of the period during which Khutu would have been at or toward the west of the Omban region. Alternately, it may derive from an early hypothetical OO ''*hha tua(-nne)'' 'grey rivers'. Khutu is sometimes still known colloquially as the Grey Rivers in poetry and myth.
+'''Khutu''', also known poetically as '''The Grey Rivers''', formally as the '''Omban Empire''', and derogatorily as the '''Necrarchy''', is a relatively small, craggy monarchy (of sorts) that relies heavily on maritime products, mining, and grain agriculture.  Located along the coast nestled between [[Sharai]] and [[Taizi]], and with its interior bordered by the great [[Gusu Sea]], it is a land oriented to the sea economically.   It is one of the older and more traditional former provinces of the [[Omban Empire]], governed by a council of aristocratic priests of the [[Voice of the Dead society|Voice of the Dead]].   Its principal claim to fame is that the body and spirit of First Emperor, [[Eluli Ula]], reside in the capital of [[Onighus]], where his spirit is regularly consulted on any decisions of national import.   In effect, he is the Emperor and decisions are made in his name.  During the time of the Empire, Eluli was honoured but power lay in the hands of his descendants; in Khutu, since the empire fell, he has acquired power, tempered by the fact that he cannot move or act on his own. The Voice is much more powerful than the Hand here, and Khutu is home not only to the Emperor but also numerous other important saints.  Nineteen important aristocratic priests are chosen, largely on the basis of birth rather than merit, as [[Conduit|Conduits]] for the will of the sainted emperor, and exercise power through controlling access to the bodies of the revered.  Pilgrimages to the [[Mausoleum]] in Onighus are a major source of revenue, as individuals from throughout the former Empire come to visit the bodies of their noble ancestors.   Khutu maintains a studied neutrality in most political affairs; most other nations are reluctant to attack it directly out of respect for Eluli, and it has become very conservative and inward-looking. The name Khutu may derive from Old Omban ''khuat'', 'west', a reflection of the period during which Khutu would have been at or toward the west of the Omban region. Alternately, it may derive from an early hypothetical OO ''*hha tua(-nne)'' 'grey rivers'. Khutu is sometimes still known colloquially as the Grey Rivers in poetry and myth.
 === Geography ===
@@ Line 38: / Line 38: @@
 Religion
-As with the other Omban successor states, the [[Corps]] is the main and only official religion of Khutu.  Because of the importance of [[Eluli Ula]] the emperor-saint, the [[Voice of the Dead]], in particular, occupies an extremely prestigious role in the politics and culture of the country, especially in southern Khutu.  Noble lineages regularly send their sons and daughters into the priesthood as a means to exercise greater political authority.<br />
+As with the other Omban successor states, the [[Corps]] is the main and only official religion of Khutu.  Because of the importance of [[Eluli Ula]] the emperor-saint, the [[Voice of the Dead society|Voice of the Dead]], in particular, occupies an extremely prestigious role in the politics and culture of the country, especially in southern Khutu.  Noble lineages regularly send their sons and daughters into the priesthood as a means to exercise greater political authority.<br />
 A large number of saints make their homes in Khutu, giving it the moniker Ulanai 'sainted, sainted land'. The protection and patronage of Eluli and of the powerful Voice of the Dead have led several saints to locate themselves here, even if they are not originally from Khutu. Because saints are of different ages, come from various social classes, and have different powers and interests, the cults surrounding each saint may exhibit minor theological variances from the central Corps beliefs, but normally, these are held in check by Eluli Ula and the Conduits, who hold the vast majority of both secular and theological power in Khutu. When heresies do emerge surrounding particular saints, this can be a cause for considerable strife.<br />

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 There are nineteen [[Conduit|Conduits]] appointed by Eluli, and the country is divided into nineteen provinces over which each conduit has some nominal authority.  Pragmatically speaking, the conduits live in Onighus and work at the [[Mausoleum]], and have a steward who lives in a major provincial town. The steward is normally a member of the nobility but is, crucially, normally not a member of one of the major noble lineages, and is meant to put a check on the unrestrained behaviour of greedy or power-hungry hengge. <br />
-At the local level, courts, disputes, and taxation are handled by [[Reckoner|reckoners]], as they have been for centuries.  Any reckoner can be appointed or removed by Eluli, but practically speaking, these appointments are made by the heads of the major noble lineages in each region or town. Larger communities may have councils of reckoners assigned to adjudicate key matters, while in smaller communities, a single reckoner, or even an itinerant one assigned to multiple communities, adjudicates matters of law, especially concerning disputes between lineages or disputes over taxation.  Reckoners' decisions form a body of customary law that may vary from community to community, although communication among them in most regions prevents egregious variation across Khutu.<br />
+At the local level, courts, disputes, and taxation are handled by [[Reckoner society|reckoners]], as they have been for centuries.  Any reckoner can be appointed or removed by Eluli, but practically speaking, these appointments are made by the heads of the major noble lineages in each region or town. Larger communities may have councils of reckoners assigned to adjudicate key matters, while in smaller communities, a single reckoner, or even an itinerant one assigned to multiple communities, adjudicates matters of law, especially concerning disputes between lineages or disputes over taxation.  Reckoners' decisions form a body of customary law that may vary from community to community, although communication among them in most regions prevents egregious variation across Khutu.<br />
 There is at least animosity, if not outright antipathy, between Khutu and its western neighbour [[Taizi]], over the competing claims of its two emperors, Eluli Ula and [[Zapan Ebesnata]].  Eluli was, of course, the First Emperor of Omba, during the period in which the Empire was truly unified, and although, after his death, other emperors followed, he remained revered that entire time.  The Ebesnata emperors of Taizi are descended from Femusa, a young son of the last true Omban Emperor, Ulirega Tirumfegla.  But [[Femusa Tirumfegla]], adopted into the Ebesnata after his father's death, was always of questionable parentage and the Ebesnata emperors of Taizi have always been known as Pretenders, and not only in Khutu. In return, Taizians call Eluli the Necrarch, a grave insult.<br />

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 The leader of Khutu is the First Emperor [[Eluli Ula]], a revered saint. He resides in the capital of Onighus, where he is regularly consulted on any decisions of national import. In effect, he is the Emperor and decisions are made in his name, although the degree to which he is directly involved in the affairs of state varies. During the time of the Empire, Eluli was honoured but power lay in the hands of his descendants; in Khutu, since the empire fell, he has acquired power, tempered only by the fact that he cannot move or act on his own.  Khutu is a monarchy in the sense that it is a single ruler, and Eluli is always known by the title of Emperor, because, through him, the country still claims titular governance over the entirety of the old Omban state.  It is considered transgressive or insulting to refer to Khutu as a kingdom, for, as its leadership will remind you, it has no king.<br />
-The [[Voice of the Dead|Voice]] is much more powerful than the [[Hand of the Dead|Hand]] here in politics, and Khutu is home not only to the Emperor but also numerous other important saints. Nineteen important aristocratic priests are chosen, largely on the basis of birth rather than merit, as [[Conduit|Conduits]] for the will of the sainted emperor. These are lifetime appointments, made by Eluli himself in conjunction with the other Conduits. They exercise power through controlling access to the bodies of the revered, access to the Emperor himself, and to the incredible repositories of knowledge held by the Voice. They are responsible for matters of state, military, diplomacy, and matters that affect the entire country.<br />
+The [[Voice of the Dead society|Voice]] is much more powerful than the [[Hand of the Dead society|Hand]] here in politics, and Khutu is home not only to the Emperor but also numerous other important saints. Nineteen important aristocratic priests are chosen, largely on the basis of birth rather than merit, as [[Conduit|Conduits]] for the will of the sainted emperor. These are lifetime appointments, made by Eluli himself in conjunction with the other Conduits. They exercise power through controlling access to the bodies of the revered, access to the Emperor himself, and to the incredible repositories of knowledge held by the Voice. They are responsible for matters of state, military, diplomacy, and matters that affect the entire country.<br />
 There are nineteen [[Conduit|Conduits]] appointed by Eluli, and the country is divided into nineteen provinces over which each conduit has some nominal authority.  Pragmatically speaking, the conduits live in Onighus and work at the [[Mausoleum]], and have a steward who lives in a major provincial town. The steward is normally a member of the nobility but is, crucially, normally not a member of one of the major noble lineages, and is meant to put a check on the unrestrained behaviour of greedy or power-hungry hengge. <br />

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 Although the concept of citizenship itself did not long outlast the Empire, there is still a social recognition, independent of wealth, that country folk are in some ways still outsiders, and intermarriage between country and common lineages is much less common than in other countries.  In rural area, country folk such as the [[Ravre]] may even have their own settlements, although any community of sufficient size will have a mix of common and country lineages.  Even though all speak the Khutuan dialect of Ombesh, and all follow the Corps, there is still a distinction between the two, preserved in local memory and reckoners' ledgers.  Marriage with country folk is frowned upon (though not prohibited) and, in particular, land transfer from common lineages to country lineages as part of bridewealth is seen as a violation of social norms.<br />
-[[Corpseborn]] are relatively common in Khutu and are treated with a comparable level of disgust and pollution as they would be in Taizi, Sharai, or Omba, but considerably worse than in Daligash. Urban corpseborn are generally relegated to walled ghettos and bound by strong sumptuary laws, while in rural areas, they have their own separate communities.<br />
+[[Corpseborn society|Corpseborn]] are relatively common in Khutu and are treated with a comparable level of disgust and pollution as they would be in Taizi, Sharai, or Omba, but considerably worse than in Daligash. Urban corpseborn are generally relegated to walled ghettos and bound by strong sumptuary laws, while in rural areas, they have their own separate communities.<br />
 Religion

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 The [[Voice of the Dead|Voice]] is much more powerful than the [[Hand of the Dead|Hand]] here in politics, and Khutu is home not only to the Emperor but also numerous other important saints. Nineteen important aristocratic priests are chosen, largely on the basis of birth rather than merit, as [[Conduit|Conduits]] for the will of the sainted emperor. These are lifetime appointments, made by Eluli himself in conjunction with the other Conduits. They exercise power through controlling access to the bodies of the revered, access to the Emperor himself, and to the incredible repositories of knowledge held by the Voice. They are responsible for matters of state, military, diplomacy, and matters that affect the entire country.<br />
-There are nineteen [[Conduits]] appointed by Eluli, and the country is divided into nineteen provinces over which each conduit has some nominal authority.  Pragmatically speaking, the conduits live in Onighus and work at the [[Mausoleum]], and have a steward who lives in a major provincial town. The steward is normally a member of the nobility but is, crucially, normally not a member of one of the major noble lineages, and is meant to put a check on the unrestrained behaviour of greedy or power-hungry hengge. <br />
+There are nineteen [[Conduit|Conduits]] appointed by Eluli, and the country is divided into nineteen provinces over which each conduit has some nominal authority.  Pragmatically speaking, the conduits live in Onighus and work at the [[Mausoleum]], and have a steward who lives in a major provincial town. The steward is normally a member of the nobility but is, crucially, normally not a member of one of the major noble lineages, and is meant to put a check on the unrestrained behaviour of greedy or power-hungry hengge. <br />
 At the local level, courts, disputes, and taxation are handled by [[Reckoner|reckoners]], as they have been for centuries.  Any reckoner can be appointed or removed by Eluli, but practically speaking, these appointments are made by the heads of the major noble lineages in each region or town. Larger communities may have councils of reckoners assigned to adjudicate key matters, while in smaller communities, a single reckoner, or even an itinerant one assigned to multiple communities, adjudicates matters of law, especially concerning disputes between lineages or disputes over taxation.  Reckoners' decisions form a body of customary law that may vary from community to community, although communication among them in most regions prevents egregious variation across Khutu.<br />

@@ Line 10: / Line 10: @@
 === Politics ===
-The leader of Khutu is the First Emperor [[Eluli Ul]]a, a revered saint. He resides in the capital of Onighus, where he is regularly consulted on any decisions of national import. In effect, he is the Emperor and decisions are made in his name, although the degree to which he is directly involved in the affairs of state varies. During the time of the Empire, Eluli was honoured but power lay in the hands of his descendants; in Khutu, since the empire fell, he has acquired power, tempered only by the fact that he cannot move or act on his own.  Khutu is a monarchy in the sense that it is a single ruler, and Eluli is always known by the title of Emperor, because, through him, the country still claims titular governance over the entirety of the old Omban state.  It is considered transgressive or insulting to refer to Khutu as a kingdom, for, as its leadership will remind you, it has no king.<br />
+The leader of Khutu is the First Emperor [[Eluli Ula]], a revered saint. He resides in the capital of Onighus, where he is regularly consulted on any decisions of national import. In effect, he is the Emperor and decisions are made in his name, although the degree to which he is directly involved in the affairs of state varies. During the time of the Empire, Eluli was honoured but power lay in the hands of his descendants; in Khutu, since the empire fell, he has acquired power, tempered only by the fact that he cannot move or act on his own.  Khutu is a monarchy in the sense that it is a single ruler, and Eluli is always known by the title of Emperor, because, through him, the country still claims titular governance over the entirety of the old Omban state.  It is considered transgressive or insulting to refer to Khutu as a kingdom, for, as its leadership will remind you, it has no king.<br />
 The [[Voice of the Dead|Voice]] is much more powerful than the [[Hand of the Dead|Hand]] here in politics, and Khutu is home not only to the Emperor but also numerous other important saints. Nineteen important aristocratic priests are chosen, largely on the basis of birth rather than merit, as [[Conduit|Conduits]] for the will of the sainted emperor. These are lifetime appointments, made by Eluli himself in conjunction with the other Conduits. They exercise power through controlling access to the bodies of the revered, access to the Emperor himself, and to the incredible repositories of knowledge held by the Voice. They are responsible for matters of state, military, diplomacy, and matters that affect the entire country.<br />
 At the local level, courts, disputes, and taxation are handled by [[Reckoner|reckoners]], as they have been for centuries.  Any reckoner can be appointed or removed by Eluli, but practically speaking, these appointments are made by the heads of the major noble lineages in each region or town. Larger communities may have councils of reckoners assigned to adjudicate key matters, while in smaller communities, a single reckoner, or even an itinerant one assigned to multiple communities, adjudicates matters of law, especially concerning disputes between lineages or disputes over taxation.  Reckoners' decisions form a body of customary law that may vary from community to community, although communication among them in most regions prevents egregious variation across Khutu.<br />
@@ Line 20: / Line 22: @@
 Unlike areas of the former Empire that have been heavily ravaged by border disputes and wars, Khutu has remained relatively peaceable over the last 300 years, since the end of the [[Khutu-Taizian Wars]]. The western border of Khutu has been well-established as following, for the most part, the Ujon River which flows northward from its source in the Khurorgos Mountains to the sea.  Within the mountains themselves, the borders with [[Taizi]], and [[Daligash]] are much less clear. These uplands are sparsely inhabited by herders and country folk whose lives are far removed from the concerns of the coastal aristocrats.  The southern and eastern lowland  borders of Khutu with Daligash and Omba are longstanding and traditional, following noble lineage landholdings now centuries old.<br />
 Khutuan neutrality was tested most recently in the [[Bone War]] of 727-730 I.E. in which Khutu's eastern neighbour, Omba, fragmented as the northern peninsulas seceded and became the now-independent Kingdom of [[Sharai]].  The Senate of Omba appealed to Khutu at that time to break its neutrality and support the Imperial homeland against the uprising.  However, Sharai's powerful navy, which held sway over the arms of the Gusu Sea, dissuaded Eluli Ula from action.
 === Social Organization ===

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:55, 31 May 2023
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−	[[File:Khutuwiki.jpeg\|thumb]]	+	[[File:Khutuwiki.jpeg\|500px\|thumb\|right\|Map of Khutu]]

	Khutu is a relatively small, craggy monarchy (of sorts) that relies heavily on whaling and fishing. Located along the coast nestled between [[Sharai]] and [[Taizi]], and with its interior bordered by the great [[Gusu Sea]], it is a land oriented to the sea economically. It is one of the older and more traditional former provinces of the [[Omban Empire]], governed by a council of aristocratic priests of the [[Voice of the Dead]]. Its principal claim to fame is that the body and spirit of First Emperor, [[Eluli Ula]], reside in the capital of [[Onighus]], where his spirit is regularly consulted on any decisions of national import. In effect, he is the Emperor and decisions are made in his name. During the time of the Empire, Eluli was honoured but power lay in the hands of his descendants; in Khutu, since the empire fell, he has acquired power, tempered by the fact that he cannot move or act on his own. The Voice is much more powerful than the Hand here, and Khutu is home not only to the Emperor but also numerous other important saints. Nineteen important aristocratic priests are chosen, largely on the basis of birth rather than merit, as [[Conduit\|Conduits]] for the will of the sainted emperor, and exercise power through controlling access to the bodies of the revered. Pilgrimages to the [[Mausoleum]] in Onighus are a major source of revenue, as individuals from throughout the former Empire come to visit the bodies of their noble ancestors. Khutu maintains a studied neutrality in most political affairs; most other nations are reluctant to attack it directly out of respect for Eluli, and it has become very conservative and inward-looking. The name Khutu may derive from Old Omban ''khuat'', 'west', a reflection of the period during which Khutu would have been at or toward the west of the Omban region. Alternately, it may derive from an early hypothetical OO ''*hha tua(-nne)'' 'grey rivers'. Khutu is sometimes still known colloquially as the Grey Rivers in poetry and myth.		Khutu is a relatively small, craggy monarchy (of sorts) that relies heavily on whaling and fishing. Located along the coast nestled between [[Sharai]] and [[Taizi]], and with its interior bordered by the great [[Gusu Sea]], it is a land oriented to the sea economically. It is one of the older and more traditional former provinces of the [[Omban Empire]], governed by a council of aristocratic priests of the [[Voice of the Dead]]. Its principal claim to fame is that the body and spirit of First Emperor, [[Eluli Ula]], reside in the capital of [[Onighus]], where his spirit is regularly consulted on any decisions of national import. In effect, he is the Emperor and decisions are made in his name. During the time of the Empire, Eluli was honoured but power lay in the hands of his descendants; in Khutu, since the empire fell, he has acquired power, tempered by the fact that he cannot move or act on his own. The Voice is much more powerful than the Hand here, and Khutu is home not only to the Emperor but also numerous other important saints. Nineteen important aristocratic priests are chosen, largely on the basis of birth rather than merit, as [[Conduit\|Conduits]] for the will of the sainted emperor, and exercise power through controlling access to the bodies of the revered. Pilgrimages to the [[Mausoleum]] in Onighus are a major source of revenue, as individuals from throughout the former Empire come to visit the bodies of their noble ancestors. Khutu maintains a studied neutrality in most political affairs; most other nations are reluctant to attack it directly out of respect for Eluli, and it has become very conservative and inward-looking. The name Khutu may derive from Old Omban ''khuat'', 'west', a reflection of the period during which Khutu would have been at or toward the west of the Omban region. Alternately, it may derive from an early hypothetical OO ''*hha tua(-nne)'' 'grey rivers'. Khutu is sometimes still known colloquially as the Grey Rivers in poetry and myth.

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 === Geography ===
-https://rocksfall.org/wiki/khutuwiki.jpeg
+https://rocksfall.org/wiki/File:khutuwiki.jpeg
 Geographically, Khutu is often conceptualized as having two centers - the northlands, centered around the city of [[Ardukh]], and the south, centered around the capital of [[Onighus]], which are connected by a narrow strip of land between the [[Ujon River]] on the west and the [[Gusu Sea]] on the east.  The total population of the country is perhaps 1,100,000 or so. The north is dominated by the coastal fishing and whaling industries, and mercantile trade from [[Omba]], [[Sharai]], and [[Basai]] especially.  The northern capital Ardukh, a city of over 30,000, is located at the confluence of the Isikh and Aghong rivers, and is heavily agricultural in the low floodplains of the region. In the far north, there are a number of coastal small islands that are administered by Khutu.  The largest and most important, [[Taigeltur]], is a major whaling center and has strong ties to the [[Luetka|Luetkan islands]], to the north.<br />