Sakeligaq (sa.ke.li.ɣaq)

In recent years and in response to numerous challenges, the Kylitak tribes of the island of Kitlineq have chosen to confederate with each other and form a council of elders to guide the tribes in their dealings with the outside world. The town of Sakeligaq was constructed as a meeting place for this purpose - it is on the shores of Paninnaq, a place which none of the tribes considered their own specific territory. Sakeligaq means "The Place of Wisdom" in Kitlin, and it is here that the chosen representatives of each tribe debate how the Kylitak will proceed.

During most of the year, Sakeligaq is empty, save for the few who remain there to care for the town during the long and dark winter. It is during the month around midsummer, when the lake is thawed and the sun shines longest, that the elders gather to meet and debate. This is a time of celebration for the Kylitak, and they hold great feasts, athletic competitions, and religious ceremonies such as marriages and memorial services while the elders deliberate in the great hall, a massive structure constructed largely of whalebone.

In the winter, the town takes on a eerie, deserted quality. The caretakers rarely emerge from the buildings - tunnels connect them to one another, and they only exit the buildings during the short daylight hours, and not always then. In the shadows of the long night, strange creatures emerge from the woods beyond the lake, and those outside in the dark are not safe from them. The town is stocked with supplies to carry the caretakers through the winter, and the wise among them choose to stay indoors and stay safe.

Demographics

The town has a highly variable population, with less than a dozen people residing there year-round. During the high summer, it explodes to several thousand people, mostly representing the Kylitak, along with representatives of the Utari who live on the west coast of the island.

Government

The town is very loosely governed, with a single chief caretaker appointed to make and enforce any rules. They are given the title of Qilauk, or "Guardian of the Hearth", and their authority in Sakeligaq is virtually unlimited. They are appointed annually during the summer meeting of the council.

Type

Capital

Location under

Kitlineq