Overview (WIP)

Ketorushima is a theocracy located on Kotelny Island. It is bordered on the north, south, and west by the Laptev Sea, and on the east by the uninhabited, often-submerged territory of Bunge Land. Ketorushima covers 4,504 square miles (11,665 square kilometres) and has an estimated population of 10,000. Ketorushima is composed of 10 regions.

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Etymology

Ketorushima's modern name is a Japanese translation of the island's Russian name, Kotelny Island; in English, this translates to Kettle Island. This name came from 18th century Russian explorers, who thought the island uninhabited and named it for a lone kettle they found. Before this the nation did not have a formal name but had various informal names in both Sakha and the local dialect of Japanese.

Generally, Ketorushima is used to refer to both the nation and the island itself. In English, Kotelny Island is sometimes used when referring to the island.

The standard way to refer to a citizen of Ketorushima is as a Ketorushiman.

History

According to the kitsune's own historical records, Ketorushima was originally a flat, barren and uninhabited island much like the others in the Arctic. At some point in the distant past, the kami Inari Ōkami led her kitsune here from their homelands so that her children could have a place to be safe from the more destructive elements of humanity. Inari was apparently able to bring elements of the kitsune's various homelands to the island, resulting in its unusually varied geography, climate, and ecosystem. For example, the plant life and soil in the northwestern marshes bears a striking resemblance to that of Avaste Fen in Estonia, a region where evidence of kitsune presence has been found in cave drawings and some artifacts.

The kitsune remained relatively isolated for centuries, with most contact being with the native peoples that lived on and near the coastline to the south. Though Russian explorers in the 17 and 1800s came near the island and explored its icy southern regions, contact was not made until early in the Soviet era. The USSR kept its otherworldly discovery under wraps and attempted to bring the island under its control, culminating in the establishment of an airbase, Temp, on the western coast of the island. Further progress was halted by a magic barrier cutting off the rest of the island; full control over the small Russian-held area and the end of the barrier only came with the collapse of Russia following the supernatural events of 2019. Remnants of the airbase still remain, with its paved airstrip serving as the main street for a Ketorushiman village.

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Geography

Ketorushima in its entirety is situated on Kotelny Island, north of the Asian mainland. Geographically, Kotelny island consists largely of flatlands and rolling hills, with the northeast being dominated by several large mountains. Permafrost and icelands are common in the south and southeast.

Ketorushima's climate is mostly arctic. Winter temperatures as the norm fall far below zero at night in and remain below freezing most days. During the summer, however, the climate is unusually mild compared to other landmasses this far north, with temperatures rising high enough in some areas for crops such as wheat and barley to be cultivated.

Ketorushima is home to an extremely unusual level of environmental diversity. The southern part of the island is barren flatlands and permafrost, not unusual for this latitude, and becomes slightly more hilly to the east. In contrast, the middle of the island is crossed by a mostly unbroken band of forest. In the west this consists entirely of evergreens, abruptly changing to oaks in permanent fall colors in the island's heartland, before transitioning to a dark swamp in the east. Northwest of the forest is a grassy plain of rolling hills, bordered on the east by rising foothills. The extreme northwest of the island is fen, while the northeast is completely barren mountain.

While Ketorushima is not officially divided into provinces, states, or other entities, informally the island is divided into ten regions. The oak forest in the center of the island, where the main settlement and shrine is, is Foxwood. The evergreen forest to the west is Sylvan, while the dark swampy forest to the east is Yomotsu Hirasaka. The flatlands and permafrost to the southwest and south is known as The Great Expanse, while the similar region in the southeast is simply known as The Ruins due to the mysterious ruins partially buried in the permafrost. The grassy plain north of both Sylvan and Foxwood is known as The Rolling Plains, while the fen northwest of there is Merrymaker's Fen. North and east of the Rolling Plains, and north of Yomotsu Hirasaka, are The Foothills, relatively treeless foothills leading up to The Grey Mountains in the northeast. Finally, on the region of the island's west coast bordering the foothills and mountains are The Barren Cliffs, dropping straight into the sea.

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Demographics

Population
The total population of Ketorushima is estimated at about 10,000. Historically population growth was fairly slow, as the long lifespan of the kitsune led to them often delaying having children. The island's small size and the lack of need for expansion also contributed to this. Population growth has slightly accelerated in modern times due to new inhabitants arriving from outside the island and cultural shifts.

Language
The main language spoken is a dialect of Japanese with major influences from Sakha and Russian that has mutated over time. This language is generally just referred to as Kitsune. Modern Japanese and the local Sakha language are also spoken.

Religion

Though several different religions are practiced by the island's inhabitants, the dominant and official religion is centered around the worship of Inari Ōkami, the kami of, among other things, foxes, agriculture, and prosperity in general. She is seen by the island's kitsune population as the creator of their race. This belief system is by its nature tied to Shintō, which holds that foxes were created as messengers of Inari Ōkami. As a result, the priests and priestesses of Ketorushima generally try to spread knowledge of Inari and Shintō in general rather than trying to convert humans to their own sect. The faith of the kitsune is very tolerant, and those of other religions are welcomed by most as long as they don't go out of their way to disturb their way of life.
Though much of Ketorushima's history, religious and otherwise, has no written sources, there seem to have long been some differences between the Japanese and Ketorushiman depiction of Inari; for example, the Ketorushimans almost exclusively treat her as female, while in in Japan Inari has traditionally been depicted as of either gender or ambiguously. Differences such as this may be due to cultural separation or, from a believer's point of view, the Ketorushiman leader's connection to Inari giving them a better understanding.

Race
The dominant race on the island is the kitsune, fox yōkai who are able to take on a humanoid form. They are followed by lycans (wolf yōkai) and then several other types of sapient yōkai. A very small number of humans also live on the island.

Largest Cities

Government

Ketorushima is officially considered under the guidance of Inari Ōkami, and ruled via her High Priest or Priestess, the current holder of this position being High Priestess Mai Chie. The will of the High Priestess is generally seen as being in line with that of Inari Ōkami, as the latter is able to take control of the former at any time. Such direct control very rarely occurs, however, with the mental link between the High Priestess and Inari being sufficient to communicate with her and carry out her will. The High Priestess is generally obligated to remain on the island, as leaving it would temporarily sever the mental link with Inari unless another site she is enshrined at is nearby, as is often the case in Japan. On a semi-regular basis and when major changes in policy are needed, there are gatherings involving the High Priestess and most of her priestesses and messengers, both from the island and elsewhere. Although the High Priestess remains the final authority, these meetings allow for others to give input and ask questions, and for information gathered by the messengers to be taken into account.

Despite the High Priestess being the ultimate governing authority on the island, in many ways there is relatively little 'governing' going on, with quite a few matters that elsewhere would be subject to codified laws instead handled according to agreed-upon tradition. This has led some to question whether Ketorushima is in fact a peaceful form of anarchy rather than a typical theocracy. It's possible this state of affairs has continued over the centuries due to the kitsune having a different mental structure more prone to peaceful coexistence, and if this is the case the influx of humans and other foreigners may ultimately lead to an increase in formal governance becoming necessary.

Foreign Relations and Military

Ketorushima has no official relations with most of the world's nations, but most recognize its existence and sovereignty. It does have an amicable relationship with the Angelican Order, a military order controlling territory on the mainland to the south which originated from a pre-cataclysm private military company. They often utilize Ketorushima's coastal settlement of Temp as a refueling stop for their seaplanes.

In terms of the military Ketorushima does not have much, and for defense in wartime would mostly rely on the aforementioned order and the Federal Republic of Alaska, which is focusing on fighting hostile forces further east in Siberia. The nation does have a small stockpile of assault rifles and other infantry weapons recovered from the former Russian airbase at Temp, which a small defense force is trained to use, as well as some more traditional weapons. Any aircraft that were stationed at the base are either non-functional or in civilian hands. Of some interest is an Object 279, a prototype Soviet heavy tank from the late 50s that was found in the base. The cold weather of Temp has protected it from rust, but it is not clear if the vehicle is still functional.
If any plans exist for Ketorushima to develop a more capable defense force they are unknown, and would likely be hindered by its small, largely nonviolent population. Reportedly, plans for the island's defense were discussed at the most recent gathering in Fusumizu, but details are not widely known outside of the island.

Economy

Ketorushima does not participate much in the international economy, being self-sufficient with regards to food and other essentials. Most food comes from wheat farms in the north-central part of the country and from fishing activity along the coast. Ketorushima is essentially entirely preindustrial, so most examples of modern technology on the island have been imported one way or another. Private citizens have been known to trade raw resources and artifacts for outside goods ranging from books and toys to computers and even occasionally automobiles. In recent years the state has engaged in trade with some foreign countries and organizations with the goal of increasing development.

Culture

Aesthetically, Ketorushima's culture resembles that of feudal Japan on the surfaces, with some subtle, ancient influences from other parts of Eurasia. There are also elements borrowed from the Sakha people.

The nation's culture is pacifistic, and while the nation can be considered isolationist in some ways the people themselves are welcoming to those who can show that they have good intentions.

Infrastructure

Ketorushima lacks any public transportation, but there is a paved road leading from a fishing village on the southern shores to the town of Temp and from there to Kuzusunai; the portion of the road through Temp is actually an airstrip, as the site was formerly a Russian airbase. Unpaved roads and trails connect various other settlements.

Energy
Ketorushima is still largely unelectrified. Windmills are used by the island's inhabitants to pump water from underground and for milling grain. Electric appliances were an extreme rarity until recently. Electricity is mostly limited to those with their own generators or windmills, but the town of Kuzusunai is in the process of being electrified with solar panels imported from the Angelican Order. For many of the nation's inhabitants, there is little pressure to adopt electricity as their day to day lives simply don't require it.

Gallery

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Ketorushima's only paved road, viewed from the north. It runs from a village on the island's southern coast, through the town of Temp, and from there to Kuzusunai. In this picture we can see the forest of Sylvan to the left and the Great Expanse in the distance. Just down the road is Temp, and over the hill to the right are cliffs leading down to the sea.

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