Ishalla
The birthplace of humanity and current world record holder for "Most Public Executions."
Demographics
Much of the population has extremely pale skin. Roughly 75% of the population has nearly all white skin. Around 14% have light brown or tan skin. 11% have brown skin, or much darker than average. Less than 1% have extremely dark skin, and are those born from outside the walls, mainly The Bull and those working with him from outside the walls.
Government
Bull's Army
The government is currently run by Bull and his army. They run the city as laid back as possible, never intervening unless to prevent an uprising or to protect the walls from outsiders and escapees. Aside from that, he is revered by a majority of the population as almost a god-like figure, just like every leader before him. He has other government officials do much of the dirty work for him, and they do much of what is asked of them. They generally keep an eye out by doing their best to show up at the various parties Bull is invited to, in his stead. They maintain a friendly relationship with many residents, especially wealthy ones. Any of them who pose a risk to the system by exposing Bull's other work is never seen again. Many officials pick a small region of Ishalla to maintain under Bull's control and keep good relations with. Under penalty of death, they are not allowed to intervene in other officials' business, so they keep to themselves, only reporting to Bull whenever asked. Posing as spies for Bull, they report any rumors or secrets being spread around their region, and any deemed as threats are responded to with increased militia in the area, posing as normal civilians. Where the officials do not reach, communities govern on their own time. A few poor regions are left without government supervision much of the time, so they make do with anyone who rises up to the challenge. These people however, are kept in secret. Their existence is believed to pose a threat to Bull's rule as the ideal single ruler of Ishalla.Taxation
Taxes are a flat rate across all roles in society, whether you are a higher up or a worker in the mines. These are deducted from any pay the individual earns. Tax fraud is not uncommon, but no laws have been made to go after it, much to the Officials' dismay. They are free to pursue those accused of tax fraud if they wish and they get paid for it.Defences
The Wall that defends the entirety of Ishalla is the city's only defense.
Industry & Trade
Industries are compensated by the government, mainly through taxes. Imports and exports only take place illegally, and are shut down within hours of being discovered and confirmed by Bull's troops. Nearly every denizen works, however higher ranking jobs of maintaining industries and being an Inventor are not seen as "work" and just a wealthy way of life. Food production and energy management are the ever-growing industries.
Infrastructure
Ishalla's design was doomed to fail from the start, as a society cut off from the outside world. Due to innovations in energy production and food production, Ishalla has managed to sustain itself while being cut off from much of the outside world. Ishalla is a well-sustained system, at the cost of surrounding areas and populations.
The richest and the Inventors were compensated by Bull for their work.
Food
Roughly half of all food is vegetarian in Ishalla, with meat being a much more expensive alternative to the greens much of the population can afford, and the other small percentage of food being either recycled or manufactured in labs. As Ishalla started realizing their population crisis, much of the livestock the Ishallans used for food was killed, sold off, and then steadily decreased over time, raising the price and creating a meat shortage in the city. Green food was found to be a much better alternative, and since it was quicker to harvest and required less room, it became the staple food for much of the population. Those who could afford meat faced little problems, and those with enough money managed to buy their own livestock to grow and afforded workers to take care of it for them. Manufactured and recycled foods became a growing snack rather than a staple food at first, but as better and tastier food was being developed, they were being sold at much cheaper prices than even greens, giving a massive boost to their popularity. Unfortunately their taste does not make up for their lack in essential vitamins in minerals, so they unfortunately never took off beyond just a snack food. That is still under development, however. Engineered meat is still in development, but it has so far gotten a few rich fans backing it.Water
Ishalla gets its water supply through a few remote rivers going through the poorer parts of the city, along with a less than stellar fishing business that required more money to get into than anyone was promised to make. Water is collected by families and kept safe in their homes, it is not considered a good to be sold, as nobody is allowed to own the rivers aside from the ruler.The Rivers
The two main rivers that flow through the city are the Hamlda and the Harlei. Both flow from a much larger river flowing toward the Western Ocean. The Hamlda is the largest of the two, growing to be nearly 400' wide in some of the largest open areas, large enough to allow boats to pass through and fish in it. The Harlei however rarely ever has any fish, and is never large enough to fit even a single boat into, however much smaller invertebrates swim through it, snagging in nets and fishing lines.
Show spoiler
The Harlei is named after the Eighth Demon, Harlei. It used to reside in Ishalla before the Migration, and the river was named after it as it represented the idea of change. The river itself seemed to move locations as it saw fit, sometimes having its bends mysteriously appear in other locations. Nobody ever sees it move, and even though Ishallans have taken up watch to maybe see its power, it seems to wait for even a blink to change locations. A quirky river, but not a very reliable one for a fisher.
Fishing Outside the Wall
Fishing is a slowly dying business in Ishalla. With strict permits and laws, constant military supervision, and a hefty starting fee to make a boat as well as get a crew and pay for permits, it was unpopular to begin with. It attracted the attention of adventurers and wealthy Ishallans however, and those who had the money got their hands on the only legal way to get outside the walls for a limited time. When it was first introduced and allowed with government permission, the surrounding waters of the ocean were already becoming heavily polluted thanks to the runoff from Ishalla's factories and industrial district, which sat closest to the ocean so the waste can be easily removed from inside the walls. No restrictions were put in place to protect the environment, seen as more of a "not our problem" situation, so the waters steadily became near inhospitable for any aquatic life, forcing fishers to go further out into the waters. Eventually this became a task only the obscenely rich could afford, and fish became a much rarer food source because of the city's waste management. This is kept hidden from public view.Our prosperous, wonderful, godly city! Oh, its walls and its sheen! I bask in the clean light! If only my love was as glorious as our Inventors, those who have brought us wisdom that guides us into an endlessly bright era!
Energy
The main sources of energy for the city consist of a combination of solar, wind, and hydroelectric plants. These are somewhat crude, but their amount makes up for the little energy they provide. Aside from that, nearly every home is outfitted with some sort of solar panels. The energy was relatively cheap to create, and nearly every family could afford at least one panel. Otherwise, they had to work extra time in the mines in hopes that they bring back any sort of fuel their machines could utilize.
Show spoiler
An old, illegal form of energy was that of using demons as an power source in homes, as a sort of early burglar's alarm in a lot of homes. This was done back when demons were in large supply as they resided in Ishalla with the humans.
Transport
Vehicles are viewed as hot commodities for the rich, seen as gifts from the minds of their beloved Inventors. Much of the city walked, as lived close to where they worked, if they worked. Bridges were common, as many mines dug through the heart of many communities. To protect their visual delicacy, bridges are constantly created to hide the dirt and not allow any smog to reach the main living areas.Safety
The need to feel safe is an unusual thought in Ishalla. The Wall represents their safety and sovereignty to the denizens and outsiders. Beyond that, owning any sort of weaponry is prohibited, however because of the ban on them, any sort of weaponry is viewed as a valuable exotic good. They get smuggled in from the outside through the mines as they start expanding outward underneath the Wall. Much of the population feels very safe, surrounded by their loving officials and little to no outsider intervention.Architecture
Much of the housing is made of stone. Wood is difficult to come by, as many of the trees were long since cut down and growing trees takes too long. Instead, wood is saved for created boats, and the rich keep them for aesthetic purposes. It is viewed as a waste of space and materials when instead, that plot of land could be a new house or mine. Homes are generally designed with huge rocks acting as pillars and supports for the lowest sections, and are later built upwards if space allows. Designed in mainly four-sided shapes, but not quite square-like. Generally houses will be multi-layered, but very rarely going above 5-7 stories.The walls are polished smooth, and the inside is left as-is, or carved out to suit the inhabitants' needs. Windows are designed fairly crudely, with little effort being made to create windows for poorer workers as opposed to the higher ups. Often times, bridges are created between houses, made from thin layers of rock or tough rope, often times made by the family that lives there. Flags are strewn on thin ropes hanging from open windows or cracks in the rocks, sometimes signifying a family that lives there, or simply for aesthetic reasons. From a distance, houses look like light gray pillars sticking out of the ground. Houses will have a slight tilt in their roofs, going off to either side of the house. Generally they lead off to a side with no open window, as that may lead to disaster during a rainy day.
I met one brave enough to color its home. It was a disaster. The pure stone simply... Defaced in such a barbaric manner...
Geography
Ishalla's ground is roughly half flat and half hilltops, although many of the hilltops have been leveled for even land. It used to be mainly a forested area, however many of the trees were cut down as the population started expanding and seeking to claim more territory for themselves. Now, only a few trees remain, on the lands of the rich and in Bull's private garden in Ishalla. Much of the ground has been dug up, creating gashes in the earth which serve as entrances to the many mines littered throughout the city.
Ishalla has roughly 30% of its border sit near a body of water, the main ones being an ocean and a river.
Ishalla has two main rivers running through it, the Hamlda and Harlei, both used to various degrees for fishing.
There is a single lake, protected by the government from fishing and pollution. It serves as a natural getaway and peaceful place to take a break in, however very few are allowed to visit it. It belongs to the current ruler of Ishalla and will probably remain as a permanent clean water source. The ruler's residence is found here.
Natural Resources
Natural stone is found and transported above from the caves. A staple building material. Abundance of stone and edible greens.
Alternative Name(s)
The Home
Type
National Territory
Population
~35 million
Related Ethnicities
Inhabitant Demonym
Ishallan, Ishallan Human
Owner/Ruler
Owning Organization
Characters in Location
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