Part of Asiri Asa. The Epata people are proud, known for being renowned artists and thinkers. Once a commanding empire, a long succession of poor leadership and the rising power of Troe to the north saw much of their land conquered and re-purposed. Their traditions are old and prevailing, including the spectacular lengths they go to in their worship of the seven gods. Girls and boys born into the Echtoa priesthood begin limb-removal surgeries at sixteen to show their devotion to the divine and their commitment to remain peaceful, rejection of vanity, and rejection of the physical body. They are born to be served physically and serve only spiritually. They believe that through rejection of the human body they can achieve higher communication with their Gods. The eventual removal of the forearms and calves also provides these religious leaders a reason to be catered to – they are the ruling class of Epata. Every generation of new leaders, both those born into the career and those who train for it, contains a group of males and females chosen for their superior qualities and beauty to forgo the limb-removal procedure and become priests in the Cult of Giagara. Within this group, males and females are studied, groomed, and bred with each other in effort to produce the best lover for King Giagara when he returns to Io. Where the priests are revered and feared, the Giagara Cult is admired and loved. In a culture that often sanctifies those in the religious lifestyle, many of the Giagara Cult have come to have been known for being symbols of fertility, fidelity, and chastity. Despite these rigid beliefs in Epatan culture, they are still known as one of the most open cultures sexually. Homosexual relationships for women and men were not looked down on, and sexual relationships of up to three people were uncommon, but accepted.
Though part of Epata, those from the mainland refer to a small island off the coast with distrust and dislike. Islanders are generally not treated with respect and are barred from certain areas of life; they cannot be priests, they cannot be in the temple of Gaiagara, and they cannot achieve any position of power. Mostly made of clothing merchants, sailors, and fisherman, Epata relies of the island more than the island relies on the mainland. Thus, Islanders can become consorts, and they do not have to maintain ports between the two. Courtesans are both male and female, and aren’t always sexual in nature. With rampant distrust, the kinship a ‘simple local’ can provide is almost invaluable. Later, an impressive bridge is built between the mainland and the island, which would be one of Io’s great wonders. Though this bridge is in Epata and often attributed to them, it was actually conceived by architects from Troe and built by laborers from Troe and their slaves from Redgrah and Erah. Epata is ruled by an archduke, who is elected by a council. Council members are elected by citizens in coordinating territories. Generally, the emperor’s heir will be elected by the council. Usually more powerful than the elected council or archduke is the Hed – the monarch of the Echtoa priests. The Hed is chosen by the divine, usually through his deeds and actions, and alerted of his position through omens and signs. The readers of these omens are seers – specialized priests who understand the secret ways the Gods still speak in Io. Although Epata separated from them long ago, they still consider Taipepre to be the one true ‘throne of man’. Their relationship with Troe is testy – they are treated well but indignant – they still consider Troe to be full of barbarians. “The sea goes on forever, and is green. The city is an angry block of stone in the desert. A train connects the two, but that’s it.” – a quote about Lagosta, the ‘palace city’. Lagosta is made almost entirely of grey stone and is the largest in the area, impressive and imposing to outsiders. The city’s streets are narrow with no directional sense, some curve, some end abruptly, it is easy to get lost. The white temples stand out brilliantly against the grey, and the lushness of the island is a start contrast to Lagosta, which sits directly opposite to it. The people of Epata are of average or slightly taller statue, larger boned and lean, with medium toned skin. Typically they have medium to dark toned hair that is thick and curly, and deep green or brown eyes. A trait that is valued but uncommon in Epata is light colored eyes – light green or amber. Epatans also value birthmarks. Their language is syllabic, and many of their words are long, similar, and seem overly complicated to other cultures
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