Kazoot
From Rice Boy Wiki
The Kingdom of Kazoot is one of the major nations of Wusterim. It is inhabited by the New People species known as the Berrunt. Kazoot is located in the inlands of west-central Wusterim, along a large river which stretches to Gorrk and the Wustersea. Kazoot has only been briefly featured in Evan Dahm's work; Kazoot soldiers appear in The Tusks of Wusterim and it is the focus of "The Walls of Tulim-Kazoot" from Portraits of Overside: Warriors.
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Cities
The Kingdom is mainly composed of two cities: Garrun-Kazoot and Tulim-Kazoot. Garrun-Kazoot is located at the fork of a river just south of the swamps of Gorrk, while Tulim-Kazoot is located further south along the same river, nearer to the Border-Tusks of Taragi. Both are "large, ancient cities",[1] but Tulim-Kazoot is generally better-defended, due to its closer proximity to the other empires of Wusterim's history. It is encircled by three crenelated walls of varying defensive capability.
History
Kazoot was founded in Green 321, and has existed for over 2600 years, likely the longest of any political entity on Overside. Its birth coincided with the death of Taragi, and the two had many clashes before the fall of the Old Empire. As shown in The Tusks of Wusterim, Taragi's attempts to expand westward were met with fierce resistance from Kazoot, and eventually western Taragi crumbled.
In the later Blue Age, Kazoot came into conflict with the Territories of Zerruch from eastern Wusterim. Although the details are unclear, Zerruch eventually dissolved, leaving Kazoot victorious.
In the Red Age, Kazoot became the last and strongest empire in Wusterim. Due to the lack of any serious outside threats, Kazoot's defenses and military became more symbolic than pragmatic. According to one worldbuilding map, Kazoot's reign over Wusterim ceased in the early Red Age. However, it was still around in at least Red 330, the year in which "The Walls of Tulim-Kazoot" is set. A early sketch of Berrunt soldiers posted to Assetbar on 1 June 2009[2] was accompanied by a note reading the following:
"These live in Wusterim...after once ruling much of the western side of it they became isolated to the swamps, mostly-- far west"
This may indicate that in the later Red Age, Kazoot has fallen, and the Berrunt have begun to live in Gorrk. Without any other information, however, it is not clear whether this note is canon.
Military
Kazoot's military began as a strong force, although it eventually became another decorative feature of the Kingdom. Initially, soldiers of Kazoot were outfitted in leather armor, and some bore enormous longbows that were taller than the Berrunt themselves.[3]
Kazoot's military continued to favor powerful long-range weaponry, as at some point in their long history they developed flintlock rifles. Their use of projectile weaponry makes Kazoot unique, as no other New People have been seen using gunpowder or making guns. This may have contributed to their lasting dominance over Wusterim.
Notable among Kazoot's military is the Wall-Guard, a special force that is specifically tasked with defending the outer walls of Kazoot cities. They are recognizable by the armor they wear, which is made of gold and other precious metals (although this might be a later, decorative practice). They are armed with rifles and short daggers, and patrol the outside of their city's walls at every hour of the day.
Symbol
The symbol of Kazoot resembles as upside-down U with two inward-facing barbs. The motif of black lines ending in barbed points is also represented on doors and engraved into armor.[4] In the sketch from June 2009 (mentioned above), each line ended in two barbs, instead of one, possibly indicating a variant or early design of the symbol.
References
- ↑ Portraits of Overside: Warriors, "The Walls of Tulim-Kazoot"
- ↑ http://S.assetbar.com/one_asset?b=S%7E95c26ecd69f7d34fec33cde43e1873161&a=S%7E66
- ↑ http://www.rice-boy.com/shortstories.php?t=5
- ↑ Portraits of Overside: Warriors, "The Walls of Tulim-Kazoot"
