Corax

Corax
Capital	Mirtai
Ruler	Many rokoas
Government	Elders (rokoas)
Demonym	Coraxian
Adjective	Coraxian
Languages	Strix, Common
Religions	Irreligious or common pantheon, especially Pharasma, Gozreh, and Sarenrae

Corax (pronounced CORE-axe) is a remote island in the Sea of Khoros, home to the strix. Largely content to remain in their close-knit communities, it it highly unusual to find strix elsewhere in the world.

Geography, flora, and fauna

Corax is a craggy, rather inhospitable island within the Sea of Khoros. Storms regularly batter the rough shores, occasionally crushing to pieces ships that venture near the island. The rocks along the coast jut sharply upwards, making for difficult climbing. There are very few places to set a ship to shore safely.

Little vegetation grows on the coasts of this rocky outcropping in the sea. Few plants are capable of gaining a foothold on the rugged coasts, though inland grasses, shrubs, and trees find purchase to grow in groves sheltered from the storms that pass the island.

Aside from sea birds, relatively little animal life can be found on Corax. In the surrounding waters, however, a number of different kinds of creatures thrive. Crabs in particular abound, in a large number of sizes and shapes. While most are mundane in nature, those who explore these coasts must be careful to watch out for their larger, magical cousins, the reefclaw. While an individual reefclaw does not generally pose much threat, they are intelligent and will coordinate attacks in a group. Occasionally a reefclaw will grow massively in size, up to ten feet in length, and with the intelligence to match the strength of its formidable claws. Though not particularly common, some bunyips live in alcoves along the coast, hunting whatever they can find.

While not common compared to the other crabs that can be found, some gem crabs live in the waters around Corax, drawn by the abnormally large concentration of shipwrecks. Other than the bunyips, who are not picky in the slightest, most other creatures find the flesh of gem crabs to be highly unpleasant.

Various sizes of euryptids also dwell off the coast, scavenging anything they can find.

History

It is unknown how long the strix have lived on Corax. Ancient strix legends tell of a war that forced the strix to retreat from the Greenwall of Hellea to their present abode, though most of the details have since been lost to time.

Demographics

The population of Corax is almost entirely strix, though some individuals of other ancestries join the island’s inhabitants from time to time.

Culture

Religion

Most Coraxians are irreligious, only passingly paying homage to various deities. A form of agnosticism that views gods as inherently unknowable and incomprehensible is widespread. The minority of Coraxians that are religiously devout tend to follow Gozreh, Pharasma, or Sarenrae - neutral or lawful aligned deities are favored by the strix.

Traditions

The strix organize themselves largely along familial lines - it is uncommon for most strix to live far from where they were raised. When introducing themselves, it is typical to include the names of close family as well - with the small population of Corax, it is not improbable that their new acquaintance will be familiar with at least one family member already.

Society

It is highly unusual for the strix of Corax to leave the island, as the closely-knit nature of their communities means that few are willing to leave their families behind. Those that do depart are often outcasts or have a mission to help their communities. As such, many Coraxians have only a marginal understanding about the world at large, though there are exceptions of course.

Languages

Effectively all inhabitants of Corax speak the racial language Strix, and many understand Common as well. Other languages are less common, but it is not particularly unusual to find a Coraxian who knows Hellean, Jotun, or other languages spoken around the Sea of Khoros.

Food and cuisine

The inhabitants of Corax are heavily dependent on the sea for their food. Large nets set up around the island’s shores trap large amounts of fish and other edible marine creatures, and kelp, seaweed, and sea mosses are eaten as vegetables. Farms on the interior of the island supplement the Coraxian diet by providing fruits and vegetables that grow well on the rocky landscape.

Architecture and urbanization

Most settlements on Corax are built on top of or within the ruins of ancient structures. Very similar in appearance to the buildings of the Manukinoan city of Vegavis, the ruins of Corax are much less intact and well maintained than the city of the syrinx. The strix have repurposed and reconstructed these ruins into cities and towns that better suit their needs, beautiful in a jarring way.

Government

The strix of Corax are led by rokoas, elder women who are simultaneously spiritual, religious, and social leaders. Should the need arise, the rokoas can also organize and lead the strix in battle. Most who become rokoas are nominated by a past rokoa, and successors are carefully trained and instructed in all the necessary skills and knowledge.

Rokoas lead their communities, which is usually a village or neighborhood. There is no permanent government above that level in Corax, though in times of crisis the rokoas will sometimes come together to nominate a leader from among their number.

Though they ensure all inhabitants of their island have a fair trial and compassionate treatment, crimes committed by outsiders to Corax are often treated rather harshly. The strix of the island value the integrity of their communities highly and look very negatively upon foreigners who would seek to upset it.

Economy

Corax is relatively disconnected from major trade routes, and as such is highly self-sufficient. The strix of the island are able to produce most of what they require themselves, relying on the sea for many resources. A culture of frugality and reuse helps greatly with this as well.

Relations

Despite the pirates that frequent the island of Meklaw to the southwest, Corax sees few of these brigands. As relatively little trade visits Corax the pirates have few opportunities for plunder, and the island’s strict enforcement of laws towards outsiders provides further discouragement.