Uttokapi

[DISCLAIMER: This place is considered to be extremely isolated from the rest of the world. Because of this, it's unlikely that any races live in this place that are not explicitly mentioned, nor is there notable deviation from the culture that's described. For more details on making a PC from this place, please direct message Gray_Guard#8584 on Discord.]

Common Knowledge

Uttokapi is not a topic that is brought up lightly. Unlike the reclusive Cypden or even the mysterious and unconfirmed Omniteras, the prospect of dangerous sycophants to the god of monsters living under the waves is far more unsettling for the general populace. Thus, it sits in the mind of commoners somewhere in between a story to scare naughty children at night with and an ever-present danger that is never spoken of, but regularly implied.
Speculation varies wildly as to its alleged location and features. Some stories speak of men slowly turned into beasts of the sea. Others whisper of its position in fate as a dark reflection of the sky cities that once existed in great number before the Retribution. Some even attempt to pinpoint its origin to an old legend about a ruined city that was thrown into the sea by a powerful magician. All that's known is that most would sleep better at night if Uttokapi was nothing more than myth, and that it's bad luck to leave a child unsupervised on an Ilkatan beach.

The Truth

To break immersion for the sake of conveying proper info about this place, yes, Uttokapi is very real and not a myth. It's origin is best left for a different story and a different time, but the rest of this article will convey the actual goings-on of this incredibly secluded society, so if you don't want to know, don't read.

Society

Uttokapi was founded by a group of humanoids originally hailing from Ilkatu during the time of the Etani Kingdom and The War of Wing and Fang. These people claim to have been on the side of Legaku and his monsters, but were trapped in these ruins during the war. Still, Legaku did not abandon them, instead blessing the people with the adaptations necessary to survive down here. In the millennia to follow, much of the people of Uttokapi would continue to fervently worship Legaku, claiming that the terrors of the sea that would threaten them were righteous challenges sent by the god in order to keep them strong and thin. That being said, the general worship of such a chaotic god does not lead to great unity, so outside of threats to the entire city, the denizens have continuously been in-fighting and forming factions based off of strength and power.

Survival

While many of the denizens have some ability to breathe underwater, there are still many more that do not. Through means few are aware of, there is a large pocket of air that surrounds the city, and supposedly some of the oldest factions have kept secrets for drawing oxygen out of sea algae that sits at the surface of the ocean and channel it into the bubble. Their diet is primarily fish-based as no crops are capable of growth at the bottom of the sea without the use of druidic magic, a general rarity among the denizens. In addition, the city seems to agitate or attract a number of large sea beasts, and people have to continuously be on watch in order to fend off an attack.

Breaking the Surface

While not inherently a prison, the people of Uttokapi have developed an intense fear and distrust to all other civilizations and the surface world in general. On occasion there is need for resources that cannot be made in Uttokapi, and thus powerful factions may appoint a trusted member to break for the surface world and gather these supplies. They are directed to be quick and silent, but there have been incidents over the millennia where outsiders have discovered the city. Those that aren't killed or imprisoned are often sworn to secrecy by a Legaku priest. It is said that anyone to break such an oath is doomed to a painful and tortuous death in the jaws of a monster. Thus, even if there were people who came from the city and now live on the surface, they would rather cut out their own tongues than admit anything.

Something Brewing

While Uttokapi is all-too familiar with the strange and chaotic, residents in the last few decades may have noticed a shift in the air as some of the residents have become even more fractured and hostile toward each other. With tension building, it's only a matter of time for something to break.

Population: >100,000
Demographics: Exclusively Simic Hybrids, Locathah, Humans, Orcs, & Fallen Aasimars