Taraot

Taraot
Mainland Taraot and its surrounding islands.
Location of Mainland Taraot
Administration
Largest city:	Jiariaxivo, Taracorro
Demographics
Population:	121.7 million
Languages:	Vikti, Höt, Tuai, Vata, Saa, Tuuma
Ethnic groups:	81% Wiqta 7% Höt 4% Saa 4% Tuuma 3% Indao 1% Other
Religions:	Avitras, Tuuma shamanism, Luolaa
Additional Information
Calendar:	Avitras Calendar (A.C.)

Mainland Taraot (Vikti: [tæɾæɑt]; Höt: [tæræɔt]; Tuai: Talaoo [tælæɔ:]; Vata: Tharaoth [θaraoθ]; Saa: Folŏkŏr [ɸoɮɤ'kɤr]; Tuuma: T'uusaqan ['tʼu:sɑqɑn]) is the largest landmass of the Taraot continent, which also includes the Saa Archipelago, the Uhsaii Islands, and other smaller landmasses. It is also the largest landmass in the world of Talmer (Jial in Vikti). Taraot is considered the center for Hoiti (Northern) cultural world, which uses Vikti as a lingua franca and the Avitras Calendar as the standard method of timekeeping. The first settlers of Taraot arrived from the south-east between 17,000 and 12,000 B.A.C. (15,000 and 10,000 B.S.C.) and are now considered to be the ancestors of the Tuuma people.

Etymology

The Vikti word Taraot is derives from Old Vikti tara-ot "great turtle" referring to Tuuma shamanism and Avitras beliefs that the Great Turtle spirit granted the Wiqta people permission to live freely on its shell—the landmass itself.

Taraot is referred to as Folŏkŏr in the Saa language, meaning "Western rock". In Tuuma, it is called T'uusaqan "turtle land".

History

Prehistory and Antiquity

The first settlers of Taraot can be traced back to a small, seafaring society originating from Kaetsino. They arrived to the continent between 17,000 and 12,000 B.A.C. This society created settlements in Southwestern Taraot are now considered to be the ancestors of the Tuuma. 

This pre-Tuuma society lived in dispersed—but culturally connected—tribes across Southern Taraot for about 5,000 years. These tribes were autonomous familial groups which communicated via messengers on foot. During this time they maintained relative peace and it is speculated that they came together annually to inter-mate, exchanging sons with other tribes as husbands. These marriage gatherings were considered a fertility ritual and were held at specialized monuments as a tribute to the moon.

This period of stability was interrupted in 7,000 B.A.C. when sea nomads from the east coast of Amortunańm began to raid these pre-Tuuma tribes. Some tribes managed to maintain autonomy after being pushed north. Those that stayed in the south were forced to assimilate into multicultural tribes. These Southern Tribes sparred with one another for about 3,000 years before a distinct proto-Wiqta cultural identity emerged around the Vikti peninsula.

As the proto-Tuuma culture emerged in Northern Taraot and the Uhsaii islands, a period of volcanic eruptions began around 2,970 B.A.C. on the westernmost Saa island, lowering the global temperature. Proto-Wiqta society in the south associated these eruptions and subsequent volcanic winter with emerging Avitras beliefs of the serpent god, Jiaria. This resulted in a degree of unity among Wiqta city-states, as the Wiqta people sought to appease an angry god. The first written records in Taraot appeared in Old Vikti piahvaq epigraphs which recorded early Avitras tradition, beliefs, and rituals.

It is suspected that a Jiuvara Mountain culture emerged from mixed Tuuma-Wiqta heritage around 2,800 B.A.C. They occupied the northern half of the Jiuvara Mountain range and were characterized by animist beliefs. Through trade, some Jiuvara Mountain people came in regular contact with Avitras, converted, and then diverged from the Jiuvara Mountain animists. By 2,500 B.A.C. the Jiuvara Mountain culture dissolved into two distinct cultures—the Höt who practiced Avitras and moved further north, and Indao who practiced animism and moved east.

Taraot tribes by ethnicity, c. 2,000 B.A.C.

By 2,000 B.A.C, more than 70 major autonomous tribes existed across the mainland and its surrounding islands. During this time, trade and open borders were honored priorities. Turf wars were not common. 

In 1,828 B.A.C, northernmost Wiqta tribe of Kaion, led by Hiwayah Kaiontian, attacked the southernmost Tuuma territory of Tha' in an attempt to claim Lake Rogof. This was the first large-scale conflict on the continent in centuries and sparked the Kaion-Tha' War. The war would go on for another 80 years before Tha' and the surrounding Tuuma territories fell. Those in the area who could not escape to the seven remaining Tuuma territories were subject to ethnic cleansing and genocide, where adults were gathered and publicly executed. Children were stolen as a means of ethnic cleansing.

By 1,500 B.A.C., Emperor Tavatsiar Haritanots had led the civilization of Kaion, now known as Taion, to expand its territory throughout southwestern Taraot and absorbed any surrounding Wiqta tribes to become the mainland's first empire. Skirmishes over borderlands was constant but made little progress until Taion conquered the civilization of Iqritosum. In response to this new threat from the west, 6 civilizations in southcentral Taraot conjoined their armies to defend their lands.

Over the next 100 years, the aforementioned 6 civilizations had come to form one nation unified by their opposition towards the Taion empire. This new national identity was called as Ziorviazik "Vine" to refer to an interconnected network of cooperating people groups, while also referencing the grapes which were important to the region's cuisine. Not only were they different from Taion in the language they spoke (Taion spoke Early Vata, while Ziorviazik spoke Middle Vikti), but their values and way of life has completely diverged. Ziorviazik preserved a relatively communal way of life; it was not focused on expanding its territory, but rather on improving the quality of life within its borders. Taion was more focused on expanding westwards to exploit the marshlands' fertile soil and northwards to exploit the forests' lumber.

Politics

Countries

Countries in Taraot

There are eight countries in mainland Taraot: Aiaipa, Ako Suokai, Höt, Imtairoth, Jiarijik, Ofthonon, Taracorro, and Uaitiaba Kiodisi. Four additional countries occupy its surrounding islands: Aáco-Xijiucio, Llari, Saa, and Uhsaii. Jiarijik is the most populous country on the continent, while Imtairoth is the largest in size. Aáco-Xijiucio is the smallest in both population and size; it is located on Jiariapaia Island and is the continent's only micronation.

There are two disputed territories in Taraot: Harytlamall and Ötröi.

Demographics

Language

There are two living language groups native to mainland Taraot: the Wiqta languages and Tuuma. The Wiqta languages include Vikti, Höt, Tuai and Vata and are part of the larger Wiqta-Nomadic language family. Wiqta speakers make up a majority of the continent's population. The Tuuma language is part of the Otoq language family. While low in number of speakers, more than 80% of Tuuma speakers speak it as their first language as it is a protected language in Uhsaii. Mainland dialects, however, are considered threatened due to past and ongoing Wiqta movements to ban the language in schools.

The surrounding islands of the Saa Archipelago are home to Saa, and Gyssan. The Saa language is spoken in the country of Saa, and is part of the Abalone-Saa language family. Gyssan is the sole official language of Llari, and is part of the Gyssan-Bell language family.

Notable pockets of linguistic diversity exist in major cities across the continent. Vafa, Ofthonon is home to Little Buel Nin, where many 1st and 2nd generation residents speak Buel Nin as their first language. As a major business hub, Iftata Urita, Imtairoth is very linguistically diverse. Elene is taught as a second language in many Iftata Urita military schools and academies. While much of Ötröi speaks Tuai as its first language, the Jiarijik-occupied region is home to a sizable population of Saa speakers, as is the southwestern half of nearby Taaka Island. Taracorro is also relatively linguistically diverse, with Jiariapaia Island featuring both an Elene-speaking neighborhood and a Saa-speaking neighborhood.

Ethnic Groups

Areas where an ethnic group makes up the majority (>50%) of the population.

Mainland Taraot is home to five major ethnic groups. The Wiqta people are the largest and most widespread ethnic group in Taraot—about 81% of the population identifies as Wiqta (~98.58 million). The Höt people are the second largest ethnic group and make up about 7% of the population (~8.5 million). The Saa and Tuuma peoples both make up about 4% of the population (~4.9 million and ~4.7 million, respectively). Lastly, the Indao people make up about 3% of the population (~3.6 million).

Just over 1% of the population are classified as other. Notable minority ethnicities include the Buel Nin, Gyssan, and Elene peoples.