Konockau

Konockau (kah-nah-CKOW) is the name of a rocky peninsula between the Faslula and Pinakloosi Sea. It is also the name of one of the three Tütouzor Republic occupied territories on that peninsula, but it is generally used to refer to the entire peninsula. The terrain of the peninsula is rugged and steep, with high ridgelines and deep gorges along most of the ground. There are several small plains along the coast which are home to farms and cities, the largest of which are Scarnooseick and Stuiteick on the Faslula side and Bhwrnsekk on the Pinakloosi side. There is little productive arable land on the peninsula and the major cities all import foodstuffs by sea. The land has historically been home to fiercely independent fishing peoples who resisted foreign invasion successfully until the 13th century. In modern times, the peninsula is governed by three semi-autonomous territories of the Tütouzor Republic.

Etymology
The name derives from Konockax konock ("home") and au (a suffix for lands), literally "homeland"

Geography
The Konockau Peninsula was generated by uplift from the subversion of the Pinakloosi techtonic plate beneath the Faslula plate. This has brought up old rock layers to the surface, which generally slope upward from east to west. Along the west coast, there is a layer of white and pink sandstone which is 500 paces thick in some places. On the east coast, the sandstone layer is entirely below sea level and the next layer, a layer of dark-grey granite that is up to 2600 paces thick, is the layer that meets the sea. Above the granite is a cliff-forming layer of limestone, which is up to 100 paces thick, above that is a layer of volcanic basalt, up to 600 paces thick, and atop that is a layer of shale that is up to 1000 paces thick at the northern edge of the plateau. The central ridge of the peninsula, known as the Konockax Ridge, is highest at the northern end of the peninsula and grows gradually lower further south. The higher layers of rock are only present along the ridge for most of the peninsula, and only the granite layer is present for the southern quarter of the ridgeline.

The granite layer shows features indicative of past glaciation but this effect is not recent, as the peninsula has never been ice covered since its formation. Rather, the layer is the remnant of an ancient, glacially eroded mountain range that was submerged and buried in another epoch and has been re-exposed after uplift brought it back above sea level and erosion removed most of the covering rock.

The sandstone layer is uneven and shows signs of bending, mixing, and buckling in places. It was originally the top layer of the Pinakloosi plate, which was crushed under the bottom layer of the Faslula plate before breaking off of the Pinakloosi plate, and its odd features are remnants of the strains involved in this process.

Prehistory
Konockau has been home to the Konockax people since prehistoric times. During the prehistorical period, the peninsula was sparsely inhabited with most of the natives living along the coasts and and subsisting primarily off of fish and gathered plants. The interior of the peninsula, which has little plant life and sparse water supplies, was largely uninhabited.

Konockau fishing peoples lived in extended family groups and prized independence and mobility. They built relatively few permanent settlements and lived a nomadic or partially nomadic lifestyle. Some groups made summer homes inland, when the weather was warm food was relatively abundant in the valleys along the granite gorges, and then returned to the sea for the winter.

Early Historical Period
The Konockax people were fairly late to adopt a system of writing and most of what is known about them before the sixth century NE comes from foreign sources, which are sparing in detail. Early Noulaenic sources mention the peninsula primarily as a navigational point, though there are some references to sailors from Skiorsneuseick (the ancient name for Scarnooseick) as early as the third century NE. Little detail is provided about these ships, however, and the sources do not identify the location of the city to the peninsula. Historical sources mention several plans to invade the peninsula from across the Socarome Straight, but the only force that actually sailed for Konockau was destroyed in a storm in 356 NE.

Ancient Derheizh sources are similarly thin in their references to the island. The coastline was mapped by Derheizh explorers from the Gakrit Dynasty in the fifth century but the sailors were shipwrecked on the western side of the peninsula and their maps were not returned to the Beikabrou region until after the Gakrit Dynasty had collapsed. Derheizh sources also make some references to Konockax ports, including Scarnooseick and Stuiteick, but little detail is given.

A writing system based on a modified Noulaenic script was introduced to the peninsula some time in the fifth century NE and some Konockax language records exist from the sixth century onward. By this time, most of the major port cities had been founded and incorporated into city-state kingdoms and were engaged in some trade with other states around the Faslula and Pinakloosi. Sources from this period also make mention of a pan-Konockax alliance organization, known as the Guardians of Konockau, that saw to the mutual defense of the peninsula. Little information about this organization has survived, though several sources credit their success to the use of sorcery.

The Guardians gained control of the important trading hub of Karichaka on the island of Anatha in 514 NE when the city surrendered itself to the Guardians in order to resist Noulaenic Invasion. The flow of trade through the city to Konockax ports enriched the cities on the Faslula Coast and helped them grow considerably in size. Karichaka declared independence from the peninsula in 758 NE, however, and trade and other relations with the mainland subsequently soured.

The city-state kingdoms of the peninsula retained their independence and continued to expand, if slowly, through trade and export of Konockax mineral wealth. Konockau had deep reserves of copper, nickel, and tin, which are still being mined to this day.

Sikshouph Period
The Sikshouph Derheizh Empire based in Beikabrou began to exert influence in the northern part of the peninsula in 1273 when the imperial goverment commissioned a project to replace the snow-logged Beishu Road into Beishmu with a lower and more southerly route. Derheizh scouts and engineers subsequently planned and built the Tirtucog road to Tirtiucagh on the west coast of the peninsula. During the project, the empire essentially took control of the land around the route from the local governments. They invaded and seized the eastern port city of Kuétyucog in 1278 to assist with construction of the project and seized control of Tirtiucagh as well in 1283.

Local resistance to these seizures was fierce and the Konockax, led by the Guardians, attempted to sabotage the road project and restore local control to the seized kingdoms. The Tirtucog Road was finished in 1293, however, and the numerically and technologically superior Sikshouphs military continued to push the resistance back. The Beishu Road had been abandoned by this time, and the Tirtucog Road was the empire's only route to the Pinakloosi Sea and territories surrounding it. In order to protect its interests on the road, the empire eventually elected to perform a complete invasion of the peninsula to quash further rebellions. Bhwrnsekk was captured in 1304 NE, Stuiteick in 1308 NE, and Scarnooseick in 1333 NE. The fortress city of Barzapreet, near the crestline of the ridge, was constructed in 1341 NE to further cement control of the peninsula and roads were built to the major cities to support troop movements and orders.

Local resistance was never eliminated and the Sikshouphs empire continued to have trouble maintaining its garrison and control of its roads in the region. The expense of the continued occupation was great and the decline of the empire's influence in the west reduced the strategic and financial importance of maintaining a clear route to the west. The empire withdrew from Konockau and the neighboring Suroubeish territory entirely in 1421 to refocus its efforts on maintaining control of Beikabrou. Barzapreet continued to exist as an enclave of Derheizh speaking peoples, which persisted as an enclave until the region was invaded by the Tutouzor Republic and Barzapreet was once more garrisoned as a fortress city for an Beikabrou empire.

Free Cities Period
The departure of the Derheizh saw a return to self-governance in the region and the cities moved to restore their former independent city-state governments. The cities were poor as the departing Sikshroofs forces took most of the moveable material wealth with them as they departed. Mining was once more in the hands of the local kingdoms, however, and they soon restarted their economy through export.

The Derheizh road network throughout the peninsula substantially reduced the isolation of the free cities, however, and larger cities gradually began to exert greater influence and control over neighboring smaller cities. Bhwrnsekk besieged and conquered Tirtiucagh in 1560 NE, giving them control of most of the northwest coast, and Stuiteick and Scarnooseick divided control of the eastern half of the peninsula during the sixteenth century as well. War broke out between the two cities in 1605 NE, and a state of warfare persisted nearly continuously for the following seventy years. Scarnooseick was ultimately successful and sacked and looted Stuiteick in 1675. The entire region was significantly impoverished and had suffered severe population loss during this conflict, however.

Kingdom of Lérnsernau Period
With united control of the eastern and southern half of the peninsula, the kingdom of Scarnooseick renamed itself the Kingdom of Lérnsernau. This kingdom fought the neighboring Kingdom of Bhwrnsekk for control of the whole peninsula from 1680-1702, but the heavy defenses along the high road passes led to a state of stalemate and eventually the two states signed an armistice in 1702 and then a mutual defense treaty in 1712.

Lérnsernau worked to rebuild the peninsula's economy and population in the 18th century, with some success on both fronts. Mining was restored to full capacity and refineries and smithworks were built up within the cities to allow the production of finished metals, alloys, and tools. Goods were traded to the east for foods, which allowed the population to exceed what could be supported by the peninsula's land itself.

Beginning in the 19th century, known global surface deposits of gold ore began to run empty, and silver deposits were mostly mined to exhaustion in the 20th century as well. The lack of new material production combined with precious metal and coin hoarding has led to a lengthy period of deflation in precious metal coins. Gold coins, which were once used a common means of exchange, have become increasingly rare and are generally only used to store value and transfer large amounts of funds. Silver coins, likewise have become increasingly rare and high in value. This has increased the demand for lower metal coins, particularly copper and copper alloy coins, in order to meet the global demand for currency used in exchange. This has been advantageous to the Konockax economy, and the value of the Lérnsernau copper exports increased considerably from the 19th century on, and has continued to increase to the present day. The kingdom began to directly mint Noulaenic style coinage following the collapse of the Second Noulaenic Empire in Malaena in 2024, minting both Saenmi and Darami denominations.

The increasing value of copper export greatly enriched the royal court and a small group of businessmen who controlled the mines and refineries. The kingdom and wealthy elite spent lavishly on enhancements to the cities defense and architecture, building the cities up along footprints that mirrored Derheizh planning styles, with multiple layers of defensive walls, broad, straight avenues and large open rotundas. The architecture of the buildings, however, was maintained in a style that aesthetically mirrored older native Konockax styles, with round-topped doors and windows, heavily sloped or conic roofs, and cylindrical towers and pillars. Decorative touches were relatively spartan, in keeping with older Konockax construction which was rarely adorned.

A popular rebellion in 1954 briefly upset the order in the region as workers seized the mines and demanded better pay and treatment. They were joined by protesters and rebels in the cities who demanded more equity from the royal court. Several of the mine owners were attacked and executed in their mansions by insurgents during the unrest. The royal court under King Karog reached a deal with the rebelling miners that saw the mines nationalized with guarantees of higher pay for the miners and made promises to the residents of the cities to increase grain rations and invest in infrastructure for poorer neighborhoods. The unrest was put down with little bloodshed in Scarnooseick and Stuiteick in 1957 but Kuétyucog and several smaller cities had to be pacified by force, leading to the death of many of the rebels.

Lérnsernau fell into civil war in 2020 when King Riscatayck died suddenly while his son, Spunayck, was away from the kingdom on a diplomatic mission to the Tütouzor Republic. Riscatayck's brother, Péceksh, seized the throne in Scarnooseick with assent from the assent of the royal courtiers. Spunayck rushed back to Konockau and was able to gain support for his claim in Stuiteick, where he set up a rival court.

The subsequent civil war was long an only limited engagements were fought in the hills between the rival capitals for several years. The Tütouzor Republic, which had expanded its interests in the west by reclaiming Suroubeish and rebuilding ties with the states west of the Palusz Range, saw in the civil war an opportunity to gain control of the valuable Tirtucog Road, which still provided the easiest over-land route between the Pinakloosi Sea and the Faslula Sea. The republic publicly supported the claims of the Stuiteick faction but secretly provided gold and arms to Scarnooseick through intermediaries. With this aid, the southern kingdom pushed the Stuiteick faction to the brink of defeat. Fearing execution if defeated, the Stuiteick King, Spunayck's son King Spirayck, agreed to the Tütouzor occupation of his lands as a condition for preserving his throne in 2030. The northeastern territory was then renamed Konockau Territory and made a semi-autonomous territory of the republic, locally ruled by the Konockax kings in Stuiteick but subservient to Tütouzor. Full control of the roads and ports was ceded to the republic as part of the treaty.

Tütouzor Occupation Period
After the creation of Konockau territory, Tütouzor quickly moved to secure the western half of the road by force, capturing Tirtiucagh in 2032 and Bhwrnsekk in 2033. The republic created a new territory out of the old Kingdom of Bhwrnsekk, named Taetpiaarao, which was governed in a similar fashion to Konockau province.

Lérnsernau refused to recognize the legitimacy of the Tütouzor puppet states and insisted that treaties made with the kings of Stuiteick were invalid as the kings of Stuiteick were illegitimate. They made several unsuccessful attempts to drive the republic out of Konockax territory over the following years. Tütouzor used these attacks to justify the invasion of Lérnsernau, sending a hugely superior force into the kingdom that laid siege to Scarnooseick until the city surrendered to Tütouzor control in 2039.

Tütouzor fortified positions along the roads and ports but did little to take control of the remainder of the country, allowing the local kingdoms to effectively continue ruling over their subjects. After the wars ended, mining and export resumed once more and the republic allowed these activities to remain under the control of the local governments, subject to hefty taxes on exports through the ports. This encouraged export along the roads and redirected much of the production of Konockau towards Tütouzor territory.

The republic kept the peace in the region and ensured a steady flow of goods along the roads. Continued deflation of gold and silver currencies extended the trend of rising demand for copper, which continued to drive the Konockax economy. Rising prices for iron in the 24th century also drove up demand for bronze goods, which were also produced in great quantity on the peninsula. The economy prospered during this period and the cities continued to grow and improve their infrastructures. By the late 24th century, the cities had grown to such a size that the peninsula was only able to produce about half of the food it consumed.

Rebellion
In 2388, the three territories of Konockau united in rebellion against the Tütouzor Republic, led by the Queen of Lérnsernau, Queen Seinia. The rebels seized control of the major cities and many of the pass defenses, but they were unable to prevent most of the Tütouzor garrisons from escaping and regrouping in the north. The retreating forces burned many of the Konockax fields as they fled and were quickly able to encircle Kuétyucog, which they recaptured in 2389. Their allies instituted a naval blockade of the remaining ports, cutting off the Konockax from their critical food imports. They then encircled Stuiteick in 2390, laying it to siege and attempting to starve the city into surrender.

Konockax defenses currently hold along the Tirtucog Road east of Kuétseek Pass and in the hills between Stuiteick and Scarnooseick, though dwindling grain stores threaten to force the rebels into surrender. The rebels hold out some hope of either relief or a peaceful resolution as the Tütouzor Republic was recently forced into an unrelated conflict in the east with the Imariani Empire.