Zoquiyo

Zoquiyo is a state of the Huitca Federation located in the northernmost region of the Ummarnu Continent. It's known for it's beautiful beaches, it's white sandy deserts, and Savannah Mountains. The region has an ancient history that goes further back than people of Tlahatl.

Currently, the only settlement, and Provincial Capital, is the tropical city of Farafin, owned by Toronto Dougwald.

Ancient History
The Ancient History of Zoquiyo is greatly intertwined with the Ancient History of the Huitca people, and much of this land's ancient history has been uncovered via the efforts of the Nationally-funded Zoquiyo Excavation Company.

In the earliest times, the modern-day Zoquiyo region was inhabited by tribes of Ashurite Elves, known as the Dashuri, in the north, and the Kemal, in the south. Both Elvan tribes lived among the then prosperous, Paletta Plains, and worshipped their goddess, known as A'ashia. As the tribes to the north in Syltor fought for power and dominance, these tribes mostly cooperated and prospered together. Only 3 known wars occurred between these two tribes, most most ended quickly, with limited to zero casualties. Around 3000 years ago, the vast plains biomes across Syltor and Ummarnu began to undergo desertification as the land became more arid. As the Ashurite tribes in Syltor embraced this new environment with their Obelisk, the Kemal and Dashuri refused to accept this. Being further south, they would be affected harder than the tribes to the north, and together, the tribes united to stop the desertification. Over the next 300 years, They built walls, built aqueducts to create fertile soil, and even dug artificial canals to feed the land in an attempt to stop the Desertification. It was successful to some degree, as the ancient plains still exist today in the form of the Flower Forest and plains biomes of Northern Zoquiyo, despite the fact that the walls have since crumbled to time. The Modern-day Paletta Desert in Northern Zoquiyo, however, did not remain a lush forest. This part of the wall was believed to have been the first to crumble, and since then, it has fallen to the desert.

It is believed that the Dashuri and Kemal worked together to try to prevent desertification by creating a new settlement in Southern Zoquiyo, known as Darinakua (Name origin unknown), around 2600 - 2400 years ago. They believed that by preventing desertification further south, this would eventually surround the desert then kept creeping up on their homelands, suffocating it. Their plan didn't work to it's full extent, but it did allow them to create a small plains biome in Southern Zoquiyo that is now home to a small Village.

These two tribes, being so far away from the majority of the other Ashurite Elvan Tribes, they were not included in the Dominion of Ashura's borders around 2000 years ago. Despite this, trade continued throughout this region between the tribes of Syltor and of Ummarnu.

Eventually, the Dominion fell, and these two tribes continued to cooperate on stopping Desertification of their land.

The Founding Legend of Bradecblight
A few thousand years later, a traveling Nomad known today as The Lost Guide (or Lea Ladeboust, in Bradecblightic AKA The Founder to the people of Tlahatl) was taken in by Neo Knossos. The Founder and his people were given food and clothes by the people of Neo Knossos, and they lived there for many years. Meanwhile in the distance, the God of the East Mahobious raged across the land, as Empires battled for scraps of dust. Seeing the distress of the people in the East, The Western Fruit of Mercy, Tlahatepa and the God of the North, Calibrius contacted the Guide in his dreams, asking them to find a land safe for his people. The Founder searched for many years for a haven, but somewhere along the way, a few of the Ancient Huitca followers got lost in the South Phagosian Sea, and were split of from The Guide. Believing the Guide abandoned them, they called towards The God of the North, Calibrius (Cualitzin) to guide them. Calibrius, who they now deemed the God of Fertility and Life, led them north where they landed in Modern-day Zoquiyo. (This is the Hiarllii Adaptation of the Huitca Founding Story!!)

After docking, they quickly came across the Kemal Tribe, who were amazed by them. The Kemal Tribe welcomed them into their village, and quickly alerted the Dashuri to the North about the new visitors.

The Ancient Huitca were soon offered tours by the local Dashuri and Kemal peoples to visit their settlements on the then-lush Palleta Plains. The Ancient Huitca were astonished by the walls built by these Elvish people. During a tour of the Dashuri Village, the Ancient Huita watched as the sky darkened mysteriously, and a beam of light coming from the sky pierced the landscape. The beam was said to have lasted for 7 minutes, and once it was gone, an oxy daisy in a flower pot was left in it's place. The Ancient Huitca knew that this was a sign from Calibrius, and that they were to settle here, among the Dashuri people.

The Hiarllii
After less than 4 generations, these Ancient Huitca of this region integrated into the Dashuri and Kemal Elven societies. As they integrated, their languages seemed to merge together, creating the Bradecblightic Language. The Dashuri Village in the Paletta Plains soon grew into a flourishing city known as Bradecblight, meaning "Hilly Farms" or "Rural Hills" in Bradecblightic, which was the language named after the city. At the peak of this city-state, it is believed that they controlled a quarter of Modern-day Zoquiyo. The Kemal people's settlement eventually transformed into a fortress for the new city-state, known as Fort Hemnyck'farafin (Meaning Fort by the Sea), as the Kemal people moved to Bradecblight.

As the Ancient Huitca and the Elven people bred, their children, after a few generations, were no longer Ancient Huitca, and were no longer Elven. This new race decided to call itself the Hiarllii people, based on the Ancient Elven adaptation of the word Huitca.

In fact, it is believed the word "Zoquiyo" came from these people. It's the Ancient Huitca adaptation for an Eleven word (before the languages merged), and it's believed to mean "The Land of Clay" due to the plentiful amounts of clay surrounding the once-lush coastlines. They used the word Zoquiyo to explain the land they owned. It is considered the "official" name of the Bradecblight city state.

Bradecarashirism
The Hiarllii people worshipped mainly worshipped 5 Gods. Calibrius, Mahobius, and the Western and Southern Great Fruits of Mercy, and Dadrikra.

Calibrius is the Hiarllii adaptation of Cualitzin, the Goddess of the North, God of the Overworld, God of Life, God of Fertility, and God of Order. Mahobius is their adaptation of Mecalahua, God of the East, God of War, God of Destruction, God of Night. The Western Fruit is Tlahatepa, the God of the West, God of Peace, and the God of Day. (The God of Fertility title was stripped from Tlahatepa when him and the Founder/Guide "abandoned" the Ancient Huitca). The Southern Fruit is Xoalcoatl, who is the God of the South, God of the Underworld, God of Death and Reincarnation, God of Chaos (His name is too dark to be said, so the Hiarllii said Xoco to refer to him). Dadrikra is the Hiarllii adaptation of the Ashurian Goddess of A'ashia, who, to the Hiarlli, is the God of Space and the Sun.

The Huitca people of Tlahatl do not worship Dadrikra. Despite Hiarllii worshipping Calibrius as their founder, in Bradecarashirism, their religion, they saw Dadrikra as their equivalent of "Zeus", to put it in IRL terms. She was the highest God in their religion, with the Gods of the 4 directions simply being her representation on Rathnir.

In Modern-times, Bradecarashirism is considered a branch of Cardinalism., and both religions are official religions of the State of Zoquiyo.

The End of Bradecblight
Not all walls last forever. After the Bradecblight Tlytoana Redo'an (Tlatoani) disrespected the Gods by refusing to do sacrifices to them, they sent the largest Sandstorm known to Rathnir, known as Deil'drand briqn (Which is a rough translation of "The Burning Tornado That Ended It All), which quickly knocked the outer and inner walls over. In just 1 day, the desert storm destroyed the entirety of Bradecblight, and the Hiarlli people. The few who survived stumbled over to their cave where they prayed to Calibrius, and left a message that foretold the end of Rathnir. A select few decided to remain praying in this cave with hopes that their Gods would hear them, but they were ignored. The ones that survived eventually set sail and assimilated into different civilizations across Rathnir, like the Inari, the Huitca, the Volandians and the Virdians.

One person, by the name of Tyorontyo Dou'wald, the Prince of the Tlytoana Royal Family of Bradecblight departed after the collapse of Bradecblight in hopes of joining a new civilization. Sadly, his boat capsized, and he drowned at the bottom of the bay between Zoquiyo and Ocotlan.

Fast forward a thousand years, Tyorontyo Dou'wald's, (who's name has been adapted to the more modern-sounding Toronto Dougwald), body was intact from the cold water, was risen again by Calibrius to settle a new city in Zoquiyo on behalf of the Huitca people. Toronto still has amnesia, and is unaware of his past. For some reason however, an evil being known as Rex Fernand lurks in his subconscious mind, who tells him to rebel against the Gods. He has a feeling that if he does, something awful will happen to him, like his father, and whatever happened to Rex.

Toronto recognizes the Tlatoani as his sovereign, since no remnants of his family are left to pass on the family crown (Since that's needed to become the Tlytoana).

Toronto has settled the city of Farafin as part of the Huitca Federation, and through the ZEC (Zoquiyo Excavation Company), is slowly recovering the past of the Hiarllii people. He is now the only Hiarllii left, and is now loyal to the Huitca Federation, as Calibrius told him to be.

He believes that Rex Fernand was trapped in his mind as both a punishment for what his family did, and for what Rex Fernand did.

Government
The Bradecblight city state was run as an absolute monarchy, with the Tlytoana being the ruler, until that role is passed onto either the Tlytoana's son or daughter.

Now, in the modern times, Zoquiyo, being a state of the Huitca Federation, is ruled by a governor. The current, and only Governor of the state since it's founding on December 18th is Toronto Dougwald. Toronto is also an active member in Tlahatl, the Federation's capital, where he acted as the 3rd Cihuacoatl of the Federation, but is now retired in Farafin.

Toronto's job as Governor is to oversee everything that happens in the region, and to report that back to Tlahatl. The role of Governor will remain Toronto's title until they date of his death, or until he passes it on. The current home of the Governor is Fort Gemminot, on Mt. Yaultik, next to the Village of Farafin.

The current "Sub-Governor", as Toronto deems it, of Zoquiyo is GLI'MA, a self-aware robot Toronto invented.

Culture
Despite Bradecblight being so long ago, Toronto, through the ZEC, have managed to regain the knowledge of Zoquiyo's past, and has been trying to apply many of those cultural aspects of Bradecblight to his life in the modern-day in an attempt to revive the culture.

In Zoquiyo culture, it is considered rude to not bow, and to take off your shoes before entering your home. This is to give thanks to the Gods for blessing your home, especially Calibrius and Dadrikra.

Just like in Cardinalism, before battles, and on founding days, sacrifices are made to the gods to give thanks. Since the original traditions are long lost to time, Zoquiyo has adopted the Cardinalist way of Sacrifices. Eating Pickled Clownfish before meetings was seen as a sign of good luck, and has since translated over into modern times. Pickled Clownfish, while being weird, is known as one of Zoquiyo, and Huitca's, most signature dishes.

Fighting, or any kind of public disturbance was frowned upon in Bradecblight. They believed that should be reserved for Coliseum fights only. This tradition has carried over into modern times, despite the fact a Coliseum doesn't yet exist in Zoquiyo.

A variety of chopsticks were and are used in Zoquiyo, known as Stabsticks. They look like chopsticks, except with a sharper side and end for cutting and stabbing tough meat. For foods like rice, the Stabsticks are used like normal chopsticks.

On the Founding Day of the Ancient City of Bradecblight, it was customary to sit around a fire, to dance, and to share stories. At the end, a sacrafice would be made to Dadrikra, the God of the Sun, over the fire, as the Hiarlli saw fire as the way of transporting sacrifices to the sun. This tradition has carried on into modern days, except it's for the Founding day of Farafin, and the sacrifices are to Calibrius.

In Ancient Bradecblight, if you were gifted clothes, it was customary to wear those closes every Monday after for 7 weeks as a thanks to the gift giver. This tradition has not carried over into modern times.

It is customary to have an Oxeye Daisy somewhere on your property as a sign of respect to the gods.

More cultural traits are still being discovered as the ZEC continues it's excavation projects.

Cuisine
Toronto, in his excavations, uncovered a book of ancient Hiarllii recipes. He has adopted many of these into Modern-day Zoquiyo, and Huitca Society. The Hiarllii had to do much of their hunting beyond the desert walls, and ate a lot of desert rabbit, and drank Cactus juice as a result. Despite this, they grew and farmed a lot of food within their walls. The Hiarlli ate sweetbread, rice, potatoes, and carrots. They also had a small, but yet sizeable fishing industry, which did fishing off the coasts of modern day Farafin, and off the coast of Bradecblight. One of Zoquiyo's most famous dishes is Pickled Clownfish. It's primarily eaten out of a bowl using Stabsticks, and was seen as a sign of good luck to eat before important meetings. There is also a rare purple variant of Pickled Clownfish, which results if you leave the Clownfish in pickles juice for an extra day. The Hiarlli were also known for Sustew (Basically the Shepard's Pie of stew), Groundpebble cake (a 2 layer cake with pointy apple slices on top), and many more.

Modern History (Brief)
After Rex Fernand's Re-birth as Toronto Dougwald, he received a vision from Cualitzin to settle on the Ummarnu coast. After preparing, he set out and founded the city of Cualitz in Ummarnu, as well as some partial ancient Bradecblightan hieroglyphic inscribings, which were able to be partially translated in the following weeks. Cualitz was later renamed to Farafin, after what is believed to be the Bradecblightan word for ocean. Cualitzin, despite the name change, remains the Patron Goddess of Farafin.

Toronto Dougwald, after staying in Farafin for just one week, began to notice the faint lines of the Road that was used during the Viper War. He named this road the Road of Isolation, and began repairing parts of it. The road now goes all the way from Farafin to the edge of the Paletta Desert.

Farafin grows as a settlement!

On January 2nd 2021, Toronto, while digging a staircase that leads up Mt. Yaultik (The large hill next to the Village of Farafin), accidently stumbled upon a cave. While investigating the caves interior, he found some hieroglyphs in what is now known as the ancient language of the Bradecblight Civilization, or Bradecblightan. They lived in Paletta, but used Yaultik Mountain as a holy place, according to the hieroglyphs.

On January 4th, after the secession of Yama Inari from the Federation, Huitca extended it's claims to control all of the Region of Zoquiyo in Ummarnu.

More History of the Bradecblightic language can be found here.