Template:Location infoboxThe Copper Isles is an island nation in the Tortallan Universe. It is also known as the Kyprish Isles[1], or the Kyprin Isles.
Geography
Location and political borders
The Copper Isles is located on the Emerald Ocean. To the north lies the Yamani Islands, another island nation. To the west, across the sea, lies Jindazhen, to the southeast likes Carthak, to the west lies Tortall, and to the northwest lies Scanra.
The Copper Isles constitutes an archipelago of eight large islands situated on the Emerald Ocean. The main island is Kypriang, which is the location of the capital of Rajmuat and the lands of many important noble families. The major islands from north to south are: Lombyn, Ikang, Jerykun, Imahyn, Kypriang, Gempang, Tongkang and Malubesang. The Islands contain the Azure Sea, southeast of Lombyn.
The islands take up more space than originally thought, as it takes weeks to get from Lombyn Island to Malubesang.
Landforms and bodies of water
Depending on the island, there are mountains, volcanoes, jungles, rivers, and plains. This depends on the specific geography of the island and where it is located in relation to the others.
The Sea of Kypriang is located between Kypriang Island, Malubesang Island, and Tongkang Island. Rajmuat's harbor is located on the Sea of Kypriang. When Kyprioth was dethroned, he was relegated to the the Sea of Kypriang and the Azure Sea as a minor god.
Climate
The lowlands are hot and mostly consist of wet jungles, while the highlands are cold and rocky[1].
Politics
Government
The Copper Isles is an absolute monarchy, which means that the monarch wields considerable power throughout the realm, and may ignore its great nobles and councils to do what he or she feels is right. During the 400s HE and before then, the ruling family of the Copper Isles is House Rittevon. Because of the Luarin Conquest, the luarin are considered to be first class citizens and more powerful than the raka, who are considered to be second-class citizens.
In 463 HE, Dovasary Balitang took the throne. As Dovasary is a descendant of both House Rittevon and the ancient Haiming Dynasty, she is both luarin and raka. It is assumed that her reign will improve the conditions for the raka, and perhaps even end the slavery.
The Copper Isles is also a feudalist society, and the aristocracy wield considerable power throughout the realm, before and after the fall of House Rittevon in 463 HE.
Laws
Inheritance laws
Inheritance laws were extremely strict during the time of the full-blood luarin rulers. The nobles operated based on male-preference primogeniture, which means the firstborn male inherits all, even displacing older sisters. Before the reign of Dovasary Balitang, women were forbidden to rule unless all other male members of House Rittevon were deceased. Even then, the Rittevon woman would have to have a husband to rule with her, as women were forbidden from ruling without a man. When Queen Dovasary took the throne, she did away with male-preference primogeniture, as the raka of old had only warrior queens to rule them. It is assumed that they reverted back to the female-preference primogeniture of the Haiming Dynasty, if only for the royal family.
Before the Raka rebellion, the raka were considered by law to be second-class citizens. Many of them were enslaved by luarin nobility, although there were luarin slaves who were treated a lot better than the raka ones.
The Conqueror's Laws
Upon gaining power in the Isles, the new luarin rulers set about putting down raka rebellions. They imposed legislation known as the "Conqueror's Laws", which were still in effect up to 462 HE and presumably till the end of the full-blood luarin rulers of the Isles. A few people of the luarin nobility had petitioned the monarchs to repeal the Laws.
One law states that if any luarin nobleman or royal or his immediate family are murdered, then, by law, all raka of the lands that the luarin holds would be executed. Mequen Balitang, who firmly did not believe in the law, stated that the idea was that if a person of the luarin nobility was killed, the nearest raka must've helped the murderer. If the raka did not lay down his or her life in battle to save the luarin, then they were accounted to be guilty as well.
Queen Dovasary most likely got rid of the Conqueror's Laws upon her accession.
International relations
In 439 HE, House Rittevon made efforts to improve relations with Tortall by sending a royal princess, Josiane to wed Prince Jonathan[2]. That whole plan was ruined when Princess Josiane was killed by Alanna the Lioness after the princess attacked the other woman with an axe during the Coronation Day Battle. This did not improve relations with Tortall, and caused further bad blood between the two countries.
In 452 HE, the Copper Isles joined Ozorne Tasikhe, a few other renegade Carthakis, Scanra, and Uusoae of the Chaos Realms in an attack on Tortall. As they were accompanied by many types of Immortals, the war was known as the Immortals War. As a few Rittevon princes who were sons of King Oron were killed in the fighting, this did nothing to ameliorate relations with Tortall.
In 463 HE, unrest throughout the Isles caused Tortall to back the raka rebellion secretly by sending money and darkings to Alianne of Pirate's Swoop, the adoptive granddaughter of Tortall's spymaster, and the daughter of Tortall's second-in-command spymaster. Once Queen Dovasary took the throne, Tortall officially offered their alliance and sent a delegation to welcome her.
Known rulers of the Isles
There are three known dynasties of the Isles. The list of rulers in each dynasty is non-exhaustive, especially for the Haiming and Rittevon dynasties.
- Haiming Dynasty, the raka warrior queens
- Rittevon Dynasty, the luarin rulers from the successful Luarin Conquest
- Rittevon of Lenman
- Hanoren I Rittevon, king sometime after King Rittevon
- Oron Rittevon
- Hazarin Rittevon
- Dunevon Rittevon
- Imajane and Rubinyan, co-rulers
- Balitang Dynasty, both Haiming and Rittevon bloodlines
Noble houses
- Adona
- Asembat
- Balitang
- Engan
- Fajering
- Fonfala
- Haiming, mostly all deceased except for one branch
- Ibadun
- Jimajen
- Kaydet
- Mantawu
- Mayano
- Murtebo
- Nomru
- Obeliten
- Obemaek
- Rittevon
- Temaida—raka lesser nobility
- Tomang
- Wesedi
- Yendrugi
Economy
Main source of wealth
The Copper Isles is a mercantile society and participates and benefits from the slave trade. The rulers and nobles are quite wealthy, due to the flora and fauna that they gain money from in the Isles. Quite a few of the nobles make their money from the sunset butterfly trade. The butterflies are used to enhance magical powers and are prized for this.
Economic unrest of the 460s
From 462 to 463 HE, there is economic unrest, as money is needed to put slave uprisings down on various islands. To pay for the soldiers, the prince and princess regents had to heavily tax some of their wealthier nobles to afford the army. This angered the nobles, who were mostly luarin who would otherwise support House Rittevon. This caused many of them to join up with the raka conspirators.
When it came to light that Imajane Rittevon and Rubinyan Jimajen had murdered King Dunevon, Tortall and Maren withdrew their trade form the islands, and refused to trade with king-killers.
Culture
Known cites, towns, and villages
- Rajmuat, the capital
- Dimari, trading town on Lombyn
- Ambririp, port city on north Imahyn Island
- Yimosuat, town on Gempang Island
- Galodon, town near Rajmuat on Kypriang Island. Near Kanodang prison
- Fajurat, port city on south end of Malubesang Island
- Inti, raka village on Lombyn Island
- Pohon, raka village on Lombyn
Religion
The patron god of the Copper Isles before the Luarin Conquest of 174 HE was the trickster god Kyprioth. Other gods of the raka pantheon were the Jaguar Goddess and Gunapi the Sunrose. During the rule of House Rittevon, the patron gods were Mithros and the Great Mother Goddess. The Mithran priests spread the story that Mithros and the Great Mother had defeated Kyprioth and the other gods in a great and divine war, thus they were the true gods of the Isles.
Kyprioth had one of his priestesses give a prophecy to give hope to the raka. After the ascension of Queen Dovasary, the Isles reverted back to their old pantheon, with Kyprioth the trickster as their patron god. As it was considered unorthodox to build statues or likenesses of him, Queen Dovasary would not have Kyprioth statues put up in front of her palace.
Language
The people of the Copper Isles speak a language known as Kyprish. Both the luarin and the raka speak the language. Common is also spoken in the Copper Isles, although not as much.
Architecture
One of the greatest showcases of the pre-Rittevon architecture of the raka is the Grey Palace in Rajmuat. Many different buildings take advantage of the wind, and they are spacious so more air can get in. Gardens are ubiquitous and show the wealth of the Kyprish rulers.
After the Rittevon family took power, they built outer walls and other castle-like buildings in the Eastern manner, to keep people from attacking them. The luarin nobility built castles around the Isles, instead of the spacious palatial estates of the raka nobility, or added onto the old palaces.
Clothing
Because of the heat in Rajmuat, people there wear loose clothing. The nobility wear clothing styles from the Eastern Lands that are adapted for the heat. The clothes are looser and made of airier fabrics. Female servants and slaves wear sarongs.
Courtly dress
The prince and princess regents wore fine, loose fabrics in the style of the Eastern Lands. The fabrics were usually a brilliant color, such as Prince Rubinyan's deep blue tunic with dragon figures. It was the fashion to wear an abundance of expensive jewelry, and both regents had trouble with showing restraint in their wealth.
Noblewomen wore bright colors, so that the Throne Hall was an ornate mass of color and brilliance, especially during that Balitangs' return.
History
Pre-Rittevon history
Traditionally, warrior Queens held the throne in the Copper Islands, and they were admired and respected for both their beauty and their skill. At that time, the native raka were living in tribes.
In the decades before 174 of the Human Era the Kyprin Isles were locked in strife. Rival branches of the royal house traded the throne on a number of occasions. In turn the crown lost control over the warring houses of the raka nobility. During this time the Copper Isles exported more slaves than they imported: victors sold their enemies into the Eastern and Southern Lands, only to enter slavery in their own turn after the next battle.
Queen Imiary VI of the house Haiming made repeated attempts to negotiate peace, but her efforts failed. She was overthrown after 12 years of rule. Her successor and murderer, Queen Dilsubai of Haiming, favored those nobles who supported her, an imprisoned her rivals. The glorious days of the warrior queens were over.
The Luarin Conquest
On the main land, the luarin saw the disorder on the Isles as well as their wealth. Rittevon of Lenman, younger son of a lesser noble house in Maren, found opportunity in this disorder. He raised allies and funds among the realms of Tusaine, Galla, Tortall, Maren, Sarain and Barzun. For his army he summoned younger sons, adventurers, and mercenaries. Rittevon of Lenman and his chief ally, Ludas Jimajen, placed their souls in pawn of gold to afford well trained battle mages, educated in the University of Carthak.
Their first assault took place on April 5, 174 HE. For the next seven years, fights took place all over the Islands. Lesser raka nobles and different clans offered allegiance to the conquerors. They became lesser nobility, allowed to retain lands, freedom, and lives, but were taxed into poverty after their strongholds were destroyed. For the greatest raka nobles, there was just the choice between slavery or death.
House Rittevon
On Midsummer's Day 181 HE, the first Rittevon King was crowned. The domination over the raka people continued. The new luarin nobles settled into their new houses and fiefdoms. More luarin arrived to settle and do business. A multitude of part-raka servants and slaves were produced.
The raka declared their failure due to the fault of their patron god Kyprioth. Priests taught that the Great Mother Goddess and Mithros had overthrown him. Soon, after the last battle of the luarin conquest, an ancient priestess gave voice to the banished god, Kyprioth. His promise was passed to almost every raka, not depending on their rank. The prophecy told that the efforts to erase the royal Haiming line had failed and that the One Who Is Promised will come. She would be a queen twice-royal and attended by the Clever One, the Wise One, the Strong One, the Warrior, and the crows. Thus the raka rebellion came into existence, although they had to wait and work in secret for decades before their time finally came.
Fulfillment of the Kyprish Prophecy
The prophecy was fulfilled in 463. HE, when Dovasary Balitang led a revolution to overturn the ruling luarin and was finally crowned. Her mother, Sarugani Temaida, was a descendent of a hidden branch of the old Haiming line, while her father Mequen Balitang was part of the Rittevon family. Following Dove's ascent to the throne, slavery in the isles continued; however, she gave those raka who were part of the rebellion a cash payment, which could be used to buy a slave's freedom — either their own or a child's.[3]
Appearances
The isles play a major role in the Trickster Series (Trickster's Choice and Trickster's Queen), as both novels are set there. The isles and members of the ruling Rittevon House also appeared in or were mentioned in The Song of the Lioness quartet and The Immortals quartet. Tamora Pierce is planning books centered around Alianne of Pirate's Swoop, Dovasary Balitang and Dove's "choice of a consort" as well as around Aly's children, especially Ochobai Crow.[4] Those books will probably be set at least partly in the Copper Isles.
Trivia
The spoken language of Kyprish contains many words from the South-East Asian language known as Malay (Bahasa Melayu or Malay Language), and also contains many borrow-words from the Creole spoken in the region. Tamora Pierce first based the Kyprish wildlife on Southern and Central America, but later reoriented towards Indonesia in regard to the raka and their culture.[5]
Notes and references
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Terrier, Glossary (p. 576; Random House paperback)
- ↑ Lioness Rampant (Scholastic paperback)
- ↑ Random Buzz; "Slavery and the Balitangs, post-Trickster's Queen"; April 23, 2009
- ↑ Random Buzz; "Books"; April 2009
- ↑ Sheroes-Central; "questions for tammy"; March 13, 2003