Studies of a Stranded Scholar, Part II

That was very dangerous. Almost life-threatening. I would never do it again. Unless of course it would impede scientific progress - then I would not hesitate a second. Anyway...

Day 505 - They are still not suspecting a thing

So I've made it out of the Tsaesci nation and into the Ka Po'Tun empire. This place is drastically different than the Tsaesci; for starters, there are no forests. It's just open plains, everywhere. What few trees there are are small and usually off to the side somewhere. But it's not a desert; no there is grass and bushes, and even some lakes here and there. I would best compare it to the Colovian highlands between Cyrodiil and Hammerfell.

I've yet to assimilate into a proper Ka Po'Tun tribe, but I've been able to observe them from a distance. Many would most likely associate the Ka Po'Tun with the Khajiit, but they are not actually related. While Ka Po'Tun may look like feline people, they are in fact more reptilian in appearance. Their scales are simply colored orange, white and black, and their general shape is very reminiscent of Elsweyr tigers. When Uriel V invaded, the Ka Po'Tun wore battle armor adorned with feather and fur lining taken from prey they've hunted - so the assumption that the Ka Po'Tun were feline is not unjustified.

Ka Po'Tun culture is very martial in nature. Every male is expected to become an expert warrior just a decade following their birth. The Ka Po'Tun leader is someone we all know and love: Tosh Raka, the Tiger-Dragon. According to Ka Po'Tun legend, Tosh Raka was once a simple warrior who decided to battle an Akaviri dragon. A difficult task, but Tosh Raka succeeded, and then Mantled the dragon, becoming the greatest Ka Po'Tun warrior that ever lived - and subsequently, their leader. Tosh Raka is the single ultimate authority in the Ka Po'Tun empire, and has warped the nation into his vision over milennia.

Now, Tosh Raka himself does not participate in the Ka Po'Tun's many wars. Instead, he remains in their well-hid palace with all the female Ka Po'Tun. According to Tosh Raka, because he is their emperor, it is in his right to mate with every female, and apparently every modern Ka Po'Tun is his child. Make of that what you wish. From what I can gather, there are splinter groups of Ka Po'Tun, mostly lead by women, but most of the time the lesser Ka Po'Tun wouldn't dare to question the word of their Tiger-Dragon-God-Emperor - mainly because he is a Tiger-Dragon-God-Emperor.

For many centuries the Ka Po'Tun have waged wars against the Tsaesci for... some reason. I know not what Tosh Raka's deal is with the Tsaesci, but they have to be exterminated to please him. It has never really succeeded because Ka Po'Tun train to become expert hit-and-run warriors that fight well on open fields, whereas Tsaesci is mostly rainforest. In combat, Ka Po'Tun favor spears over swords or blunts, but there are archers. In other situations, Ka Po'Tun would use their mighty claws to defeat their opponent. Their tails are also used as proficient weapons, mostly to disarm the enemy.

When it comes to government, the Ka Po'Tun is lead by Tosh Raka and... that's it. There is no other chain of command. Every Ka Po'Tun finds his own shelter, hunts his own food, makes his own weapons and defeats his own enemies. Ka Po'Tun apparently have excellent idetic memory, and if they are defeated but survive a battle, they will remember that opponent for a lifetime, not resting until he or she has been destroyed. Tosh Raka can seemingly communicate with all of his children at any time over any distance, which is why Ka Po'Tun armies are extremely well-organized despite the lack of commanders.

Ka Po'Tun religion is based around - what else - worship of Tosh Raka, the Tiger-Dragon. It seems Tosh Raka is the kind of megalomaniac who would warp every aspect of his culture to fit his own vision. I've explored many ancient ruins in Ka Po'Tun lands, but none are inhabited. It is my understanding that Tosh Raka transformed a once civilized people into the wild beasts with only a semblance of civilization that they are today. Even though every Ka Po'Tun is a perfectly sentient and sapient being, nobody seems to talk. On occassion, Tosh Raka will execute insubordinate warriors. From what I can gather, this is not seen as a bad thing, because to the Ka Po'Tun, even witnessing Tosh Raka once in their lifetime is like becoming High King of Skyrim - wonderful, painful and frightening at the same time.

On my next study, I will journey to the frozen wastes of the north and investigate the fabled Snow-Demons of Kamal.

Just another story I whipped up. Please, tell me your thoughts; I love thoughts.