Kuduk

The Tribal Federation of Kuduk
Flag
Motto: "Unity in Diversity."
Anthem: Haashi ("Our Song")
Status	Universally Recognized
Largest	Naryan
Official languages	Kuduk (all dialects)
Recognised national languages	Kuduk (all dialects)
Ethnic groups	98.3% Kemonomimi (Yaki), 1.7% Nekomimi
Religion	Traditional Kuduk beliefs (99.7%) Others (0.3%)
Government	Constitutional Federative Oligarchy
• Elder of the Anana	Masha "Spotted Robin"
• Elder of the Kunik	Ogoro "Yellow Pine"
• Elder of the Anik	N'evde "Wise Wolf"
• Elder of the Hey	Itkun "Rolling Hatchet"
• Chief of the Yevaks	Kara "Strong Boar"
• Chief of the Manirak	Saaba "Rising Feather"
• Shaman	Iriko "Loving Hawk"
Legislature	The Elder's Council
Independent
• First Unification of the Realm	1870 C.E.
• Establishment of a Constitution	1928
Population
• 2022 estimate	900,000
GDP (PPP)	2022 estimate
• Total	$1,109,700,000
• Per capita	$1,233
Gini (2022)	10.6 low
SDI (2022)	0.41228 low
Currency	Kupon(s) (KPN)
Mains electricity	120V, 60Hz
Driving side	both Right and Left
Calling code	422
ISO 3166 code	KDK; KD
Internet TLD	.kdk

The Tribal Federation of Kuduk, or commonly referred to as Kuduk, is an island nation located in Northeastern Novaris consisting of the islands of Heiki, Sagut, and Kakut. The Isles are politically and culturally comprised of six major tribes and several smaller ones. A majority of the tribes have an Elder, Chief, or a Shaman as their official representative. Kuduk's largest and most economically important city is Naryan. Älemsi Negdel is the closest sovereign state to Kuduk, but the isles currently share no borders with any state.

The Kuduk Isles were inhabited as early as the Bronze Age. The first settlers took on a nomadic lifestyle, grazing yak, sheep, goats, and cattle. The first known sedentary polities to arise during this time were the early Wheat Chiefdoms. Within the first few years of the early settlements in Kuduk, the Great Kuduk Migrations took place, which dispersed the early Kuduk peoples across the Isles. In 1200 BCE, many of the previous Wheat Chiefdoms were replaced by a meritocratic system of government that had an Elder at its helm. It was roughly around this time period that the modern tribal borders of Kuduk began to take shape. With newfound interconnectivity, several faiths and local beliefs spread across the Isles, sewing the seeds of what would eventually become modern Kuduk Beliefs. As faiths around the Isles began to meld into one another, a figure known as the Shaman rose to power. Following several conflicts between the tribes known as the Blood Feud Wars, the Shaman forbade use of weaponry and violence within the Isles. This act officially ended the Blood Feuds between the Tribes. Throughout this period, the Shaman gained more and more power, until Kuduk came to recognize the position as legitimately as the Elders and Chiefs. In 1453, the Kuduk Spirit Wars began. The Spirit Wars were a series of battles in which tribal armies would shout obscenities at each other in order to "taint the enemies' spirits." The Spirit Wars officially ended in 1673, after the Great Blizzard of 1673. In fear of being colonized by the MBE, "Taku" Meritäch, the then-Elder of the Hey, proposed that the tribes should form a union as a sort of "Council" that convenes for issues facing the entirety of Kuduk. In 1870, the tribes gathered together and formed a union, officially uniting the Isles under one banner for the first time in history.

The main religious and spiritual beliefs within Kuduk are oftentimes referred to as Kuduk Mythology. Experts are currently debating if the mythology should be considered polytheistic or atheistic in nature as deities in the Kuduk Mythology often have limited powers. Two prominent spirits in Kuduk Mythology are the Hvista, the winter spirit, and Nüm, the summer spirit. A popular oral story that contains the two spirits as major characters is called The Torchbearer. It tells the story of a human called Nüm who brings a blessed torch all the way to the highest mountain in the Isles and rescues the Hvista from a curse she placed on herself. Depending on which tribe is telling the story, the ending may vary, but the most popular interpretation is that when Nüm lifted the curse, he died in the process. The Hvista pitied him and so she resurrected him as a spirit. Other popular spiritual figures include the Uniguks, the spirits of identity who wear a custom-made mask which represents their personalities. Oftentimes these spirits are payed their respects via idols, totems, or rituals.

Kuduk is classified as an LDC with a lower income subsistence economy. Because of the nation's reliance on day-to-day local trade, economic growth is fairly slow. Despite the low HDI rating, Kuduk ranked among the highest in international measurements of human rights, civil rights, freedom of the press, and freedom of ethnic and religious minorities. Contemporary issues facing Kuduk include high rates of illiteracy, lack of public education, and poverty.

Etymology

The nation's name of Kuduk originates from the traditional name given to the Isles by the early tribes. Although the exact meaning has been lost to time, many linguists agree that the Ku- prefix of the word in old Kuduk refers to the wilderness and that the root word duk means land or island. Several other interpretations and theories behind the meaning of the name claim that the Ku prefix is meant to mean western, referring to the Isles' western position on the global map.

Geography

General Geography

Located at the Northeast corner of Novaris, Kuduk is the third most northern state in Novaris, followed by Cryria and Älemsi Negdel. Early volcanoes originally formed the Islands, but Kuduk's Volcanic activity has ceased to be active since before the first arrival of people.

Being an isolated island chain, Kuduk shares no borders with any other state. The waters surrounding Kuduk are described as abnormally rocky due to the Island's volcanic origins. During the winter and parts of fall, Kuduk's waters can harbor icebergs that range from 1 to 75 meters (3 to 250 feet) in size, the largest recorded iceberg near Kuduk, named Machanoah by locals, was roughly 168 meters (551 feet) in total length.

Kuduk is roughly 79,000 square kilometers in size and has a population density of around 11.5 people per square kilometer, officially categorizing the nation as mostly sparsely populated areas.

According to the Köppen Climate Categories, Kuduk is mostly classified as a Tundra with a small chunk at its southernmost point being classified as Subarctic.

Regions

Northern Arctic Peninsula

The Northern Arctic Peninsula contains the tribes of the Tunda, the Bakabuk, the Altayuk, and the Alakanuk. The peninsula is known for being made up exclusively of tundra plains and for being the location where Machanoah was initially discovered. Villages are sparsely populated, with many people living within handcrafted igloos.

Animals such as the Rotantic Fox and Polar Bears live in large numbers within this region; these animals are oftentimes hunted for their warm pelts which act as natural insulators. Many hunters pay their respects to the animal after it has been killed through rituals, prayers, and meditation. For more information regarding the cultural practices of the peninsula tribes, see the Culture section

One notable feature of the peninsula is the Yokuk River, which serves as the home for several villages in the region.

Western Woodlands

The Western Woodlands is home to the Anana and the Hey, both of which are part of the six major tribes of Kuduk. Geographically, the region is comprised of the western quarter of both Sagut and Kakut. Like its name suggests, the Western Woodlands are comprised of thick woods with abundant greenery that is especially prevalent during the spring and summer. The region is also home to the very economically important Anana-Hey Strait, which acts as an entryway and exit for fishing vessels wishing to enter or leave the Great Lake of Shiva.

This region is mostly dominated by lush woodlands, with the exception of the northern area of the Hey tribe, which is considered tundra.

Eastern Woodlands

Misty Waterfall and kayak

The Eastern Woodlands region contains the tribes of the Yik, the Assimirak, the Chariak, the Chisak, the Nunak, the Nukak, the Kichinuk, the Ulanuk, the Achi, the Akta, the Häk, the Aleuk, the Nenuk, the Öranuk, and the Arakuk. The Eastern Woodlands are the second largest region in Kuduk and have a geographical landscape that is very similar to the Western Woodlands.

This region also contains Kuduk's greatest amount of diversity in terms of both flora and fauna, with nearly every other animals around the Isles being found within this region. Several rivers have formed deltas and large channels leading to the eastern coast. This region is densely packed with trees and other vegetation, causing many of the local tribes to stay decentralized due to the difficulty of transport around the region. The largest contiguous forest in the Eastern Woodlands, which is also the largest forest in Kuduk, is the Tonguk Forest. It is theorized that the sparsely populated Tonguk Forest is likely home to several undiscovered species of birds, bears, foxes, and deer.

Culture

Traditions and Holidays

(WIP)

Several indigenous holidays celebrate and thank the fallen animals that were killed in order to keep the villagers warm.