The Isle of Katrine

History

Katrine was originally one of the territories of Akis, a seafaring empire of island states that span the seas east of the continent of Mortanis. The were active participants in Akis’ fleet of Mariknights until the end of the First Age, when the fallout of the War of Gods brought their capitol to ruin. With Akis in shambles, the people of Katrine retreated to their island to protect their families from the famine that gripped the entire eastern sea and there they stayed without their imperial leaders to guide them.

Prior to the foundation of Midania’s republic, the people of Katrine were the most isolationist of the island cultures that the sai’mul annexed. This is because, unlike Ravager, Sister, and Owl Island, Katrine’s society is self-sustaining. This limited their need for trade and has resulted in a long tradition of ignorance of other cultures. Despite this, they were cordial to the occasional sailors who cross their shores, although they were typically forbidden from landing.

They joined the rest of the world in the Third Age, when the sho’kai of the planet Mennon staged one of the battles of their invasion of Comalan close to their island. It was on this day that the people of Katrine met people from both Resta and Midania for the first time, who had banded together to help repel the aquatic aliens. Following this battle, the sai’mul of the newly declared republic invited the people of Katrine to join their nation. 

This new alliance was uneasy, owing to the people’s distrust of their new undead allies and the Restan citizenship of the Avatar of Salica, who they credit most with their salvation from the invaders. This all changed when Katrine was bombed by sea, forcing most of its population to retreat to Midania. This tragedy was blamed on Jager Harret, a former Avatar of Chaos, and his templar crew from Resta.

Since then, the people of Katrine are loyal additions to Midania and most are openly critical of templars and the nation of Resta in general.

Culture

Katrine has a progressive culture with a simplistic view of morality. Their values are based on a set of fundamental truths that define the spirit of their choices. They are cautious, but accepting of new ideas and compare their worth to their local proverbs.

• One who takes what belongs to another is unjust.
• One who brings bodily harm to another is cruel.
• One who takes the life of another person is an abomination.
• One who controls another through fear is a cretin.
• One who condemns another to struggle has a guilty heart.
• One who forces their body onto another has no heart.
• One who deceives is to be censured.
• One who seeks benefit from another’s misfortune is to be condemned.

Rather than a formal system of laws, one’s actions are judged on an individual basis. This duty falls to the shaman, who are tasked with mediating any personal grievances based on the spirit of one’s choices. 

The Shaman

The shaman have an innate ability to sense deception and will use this ability to determine a fair outcome for any dispute. They are trained in the ways of combat and have formed pacts with the spirits of their ancestors to fight alongside them if conditions require their justice to be extreme. These spiritual powers also find extensive use in defending people from the terror of the deadly storms that regularly threaten the island.

The shaman also use storm magic to influence the weather, actively ensuring that the forests that border each settlement are full of healthy trees and its farms grow the healthiest crops.

The Moon Goddess

The people of Katrine spent all of the Second Age worshiping a goddess of the same name, who was believed to be represented by the moon. These beliefs were called into question when they met the Avatar of Salica, Atunis Astersong. As he completed a ritual to enlist Katrine’s aid in the battle against the sho’kai, he learned that Katrine is an alternate persona of Salica herself. Atunis was hesitant to reveal this truth, believing that they should be entitled to their own conceptions of his goddess. Despite this, rumors began to circle both Midania and Mortanis of Salica’s tendency to adopt alternate personas because of a growing belief that the individual deities worshiped on the other major islands of Midania were all Salica. This forced Atunis to confirm this fact with the caveat that he didn’t believe that this news should alter their customs. Unfortunately, other Midanians didn't agree with this notion and have pressured the people of Katrine to acknowledge their goddess' true identity over the Avatar's protests. Since then, the people of Katrine have endeavored to get back in touch with their Salican roots and have fully embraced her Doctrine of Storms, blending them with their longstanding traditions of the moon goddess.