Iokeihiko is a small tropical island with no neighboring landmasses in the Ebweidic Ocean. This island figures into the histories, legends, and myths of many cultures worldwide. It is said to be the birthplace of Echtoan religion, the sight of several failed cities, and despite being home to the oldest written language, contains precious few texts. It is thought to be the final location of the famed First Voyage. Historians often dispute who may have inhabited the island, for how long, and when.
Today, Io is ruled by a community of representatives from around the world. Issues with trafficking have halted all commercial tourism has been banned from the island for the past sixty years.
Etymology
Iokeihiko ‘isle of the gods’ or ‘within dwells the gods’. The sight was so common to modern culture that the term 'Io' became eponymous with the planet itself.
Geographically
Iokeihiko (EYE-oh-kay-HE-ko), also called Io (EYE-oh), is a large island with no visible neighbors in sight. It is tropical in climate. Io is characterized by tall mountains and cliffs on the left side of the island, a large reef on the right side of the island, and a huge mountain near the center of the island. It’s many peaks and valleys make travel difficult, as well as the humid climate and dense forests. Lush and green from the edge of the beach to the highest peak, Io is a rich habitat for a variety of unusual wildlife. The greenery in Io is sustained by a large river as well as a substantial rainy season. There are many locations worth noting. Tautahi The highest peak in Io, it is also said to be the home of Axwil Tav. Due to this belief, the peak is revered as a holy place. To climb to the top is a long and treacherous journey, one of the most difficult climbs in the world. Before tourism became illegal on the island it was a destination for famed climbers as one of the Five Great Peaks. Mvura The largest river in Io with many offshoots. Mvura wraps around the island and Tuatahi at a slow and gentle pace. In many areas, it is less than five feet deep. Near the Waibre the Mvura curves into the island and falls into an underground cave. Some modern scientists claim the bizarre path of the river and the huge variation in its speed and depth led to early man’s fascination with this small island. Notably, in the early works of Urupa, he states that “the river made them seek the divine”.
Makomos The Makomo mountain range consists of four peaks. From highest to lowest, they are called Piri, Makumi, Cheea, and Shanu. Piri is a huge mountain which combines with Cheea to form a solid line of cliffs on that side of the island. Waibre The great waterfall that runs from the top of Tautahi to the estuary between Io proper and the Chikomo Ruins. Waibre is a sloping river which falls about 3000 feet before reaching the ground in a kind of mist. It is a thin fall, only about twenty feet across. The pool it falls into is calm, forming another small river which goes about a mile before dropping another 12 feet into a deep, warm, calm pool. Utac Komo A legendary cave that part of the Mvura feeds into. It has ancient paintings, and “deep inside and deep below it is said beats the heart of the sea, the monster-God Lothes Kol”. Matatoru Forest The smaller of the two great forests on Io, Matatoru spans from Chikomo to the Makomos. Less dense than the Zali, it attracts a wider variety of plants and day-time creatures. Paths in the Matatoru are well marked and well-traveled, but the scant protection it provides makes it prime territory for criminal activity; namely the foraging of historic artifacts and the endangered plant Marama. Zali Forest Dense and enormous, the Zali is notorious to travelers. The Zali stops suddenly at the edges, as if once a war was raged against it. It is massive, and left uncontrolled would certainly engulf the entire island. Controlled burns are used to keep it from overwhelming Rima and Tatuga. Tavicon Ion An ancient beach that has withstood years of abuse by the ocean, the Tavicon is wide, dead and desert-like. The Tavicon stretches across almost the entire southern side of the ocean and up towards Chikomo. The animals that inhabit the Tavicon are dangerous nocturnal predators, making it a natural defense against traffickers.
Religion
Although there are hundreds of religious beliefs among the people of Io, many find their lineage lies somewhere on that small island Iokeihiko.
History
Humans and uembians have been present on the island since the end of the Age of Intikilla. It is probable that there were 'Crede on the island long before that, although natural destructive forces such as Kol's Melancholy have wiped out much of the island's ancient history. The history of Iokeihiko is divided into three periods; Preclassical, Classical, and Onaƙa.
Knowledge of the preclassical period is based overwhelmingly on enduring mythology, folktales, religious history, and cultural practice. Texts in early Tohu Hanga are rare, and crafts and tools from this period are few. The island's recent protection status has allowed little scientific expedition.
The classical period is associated with much of the structure on Iokeihiko. Every city save Chikomo dates from this period. It is considered the foundation of human and uembian society on Iokeihiko. Relics of this period are generally pieces of jewelry, early writing tools, and remnants of protoglyphs (circa 4500 A.I.). Lasting structures remaining in cities are compromised in terms of historical discovery; they have been used by the island's occupants and constantly refurbished, repaired, or otherwise altered.
At some point the Uncrossable Era gave rise to Iokeihiko's Onaƙa period. The cities of Iokeihiko failed and for centuries the island lay in desolate ruin. The population dwindled and the language changed dramatically, giving rise to a well-documented class system. Other surviving texts from this time period focus on social code, the domestication of animals and animal husbandry, maps, and agriculture. There is little art from the period leading some scholars to believe that some kind of natural disaster created near impossible living conditions for the island's inhabitants. Those interested in occult history take special notice of the Barra Hanga, a deviation from the island's parent language used only to write the mysterious 'barra texts' thought to serve some religious significance.
Modern Io
Over time various groups have arrived to claim this tiny island as their homeland. Turbulent weather and sea water has made difficult the process of aging relics and years of pirating and disturbing Io’s ruins make claims even more suspect. Most claims of ownership come from human and uembian descendants. History supports both claims, though stories differ vastly. The Deerless have, from time to time, attempted to lay claim to the land as well. This is seen as the least likely, as residents of Marcwith were not seafaring until the introduction of Hwoxin people. Arguably, humans were traveling the open ocean long enough for them to be present on Marcwith prior to Hwoxin introduction, which would support their claim. Uembian claims are perhaps the most intriguing, as their settlements were the closest to Io and they were able to sail, though there is no proof of their ability to sail open sea for long periods. The island is currently protected by its few inhabitants. These caretakers have no traditional government, but are rather representatives of the world’s other nations who are charged with the task of preventing piracy, maintaining wildlife, and preserving peace. Because the island is off-limits to tourists, their lives are solitary. This poses significant threat when traffickers come to steal valuable relics and marama, often killing to achieve their ends. A greater military presence on the island has been long and hotly debated, often threatening to erupt into violence.