Isle Del Akai

Part I
Way back in the Era of Creation, even before Dragon-Dodger's time, there was a race of magical people called the Animages. These people lived on an island which they called Isle Del Akai, which was Kiillra for Red Island. The red referred to the multitude of red grass on the island.

These people were often attacked because their island was, like Catarika, very fertile and had a perfect climate. The Animages had a very interesting method of defense- they were able to turn into a specific animal or plant at will. Therefore, when they were about to be attacked, they would turn into animals and plants, giving the island a deserted look. When the enemies would arrive, they would fine an apparently trashed and deserted island that appeared dead, with only some stray animals and seabirds roaming the paths. Seeing this would turn them away, for half of the fun of battle was the attack and in their culture if there wasn't a victory then it wasn't worth gaining.

This helped the Animages keep their island. As the Era of Creation came to a close, the Animages slowly lost their power, for it was no longer necessary. Many of the natives of the island made their way into Kiillaana and their powers were forgotten and their pure blood lines mixed. However, one family stayed true to the island for quite a while and although they no longer had their powers they kept the island going until they slowly left. After Kiillaana established family names, this group became the Fay Family Crest. IDA at this point was for the most part deserted except for the Fay family that remained and a few merchants and fishermen that resided there for several hundred years. The names of these people were mainly names of animals just like the original natives. The natives had the name of the animal they turned into, such as Red Falcon, Panther, Wolf, etc.

When this island was rediscovered and claimed by Kiillaana, it had one city (modern-day Port Rose) and a population of about 2500. It was quiet, like most of the other islands, until a cultural movement spread throughout the world about 100 years before present day.

***I was a senior in high school taking American History when I read and studied the 1960's hippie movement to San Francisco. I liked the idea so much I put it in my world... but where?***

In Kiillaana and around the world, many people were studying the Lost Islands in school. Several people wanted to become more down-to-earth and natural, and after hearing about the beginnings of IDA decided to go there and try to recreate their lifestyle of being simple people who only ate what they grew or fished. These people tried to stand out by wearing very colorful clothing or altering clothing in specific ways. They became vegetarian but ate fish and seafood. They began to embrace a culture of self-sustaining and music.

These people, referred to as "hippies" by the rest of the world, took their ideals a step further and began to move to Isle Del Akai. Within a few years the population of IDA exploded and grew from 2500 to 400,000. Ten cities were established, all with names that expressed nature ideals. Within a very short time, these first-generation hippies established an identification system so that people could identify what city someone lived in. This system is kind of interesting and I'll explain it as best I can.

For every city in IDA, there is a special ear percing. Thre are three locations in the ear where the piercing is made, which varies city by city. The ear that is pierced matters too- some cities pierce the left ear and others pierce the right. In addition, some cities wear a gold ring and others wear a white gem. I'll even take the time to tell you how you can identify a native from all the cities.
Referring to the lovely picture I just drew, we can see the locations of the three piercings. Notice they are not in the earlobe, but rather the top of the ear. Ouch! Now it's time for a nice little table that will explain the locations and shape of the earring. You're probably wondering what happens if someone moves to another city in the island. Well so did the people that came up with the system. If someone is a NATIVE of a city on the island, meaning they were born there, they get the gold ring or the white gem (the piercing usually happens at age 8-10, sometimes earlier). If someone moves to another city on the island, or if someone "joins the fold", then they get their piercing when they establish residency. The difference, though, is that the ring is silver or the gem is blue. If someone was born in, say, Sunshine but moved to Port Rose, then they would get a special earring- a gold ring with a blue gem on it. A picture showing the earring has been provided :-)

Now that we've arrived at the present-day, I'm going to take a little time to talk about the 10 cities, some facts about them, etc. First off, every city has a special symbol and two city colors (which are also the school colors). Every flagpole has three flags on it: The Kiillaanian flag, the LI State Flag, and the city flag (the symbol in one color against the other color). I even have a map so you can tell where these cities are! Keep in mind that the colors I used for the boundaries are not the city colors. I just needed some contrasting colors to make clear boundaries. Some cities have more of a certain race than others, as many people are brand spanking new from their homelands, but that doesn't mean that everyone there is of that race. It just means that they settled with people who speak their language and can help them learn Kevian and the ways of Kiillaana.


I'll start at the bottom and work my way up.
Port Rose:
Ah yes, Port Rose, the oldest city. The symbol is a rose (duh...) and the colors are light red and baby blue. Port Rose is home to the ferry dock which sends ferries to Kesly and also over to mainland Kiillaana. It's not visible from the map, but Laminqua is about two hours away by ferry (about 35 miles) to the east. It is also home to the Port Rose Fish Market where some of the best fish and seafood, especially oysters, are harvested. It is a big town with lots of coastline, although most of it is rocky but many can be found leaning over the rock walls with crab and lobster pots. Eagle Rivers (and Jag & Winterwood Lightfoot) come(s) from this city.

Heartslove:
The symbol of Heartslove is a heart and the colors are pink and purple. This city has some good beaches where swimming and body surfing in the water is common and fun. Heartslove is the only city to house farm animals, specifically cows and chickens. Like I said earlier, the meat is not eaten but the milk is turned into cheese and butter which many islanders enjoy. The chickens are kept for their eggs and many use their feathers and down for various things around the home. The main ethnicity here is Raellian.

Sunshine:
The other Raellian quarters of the island, Sunshine is one of two cities that is landlocked. Because of this, Sunshine is a land of crops. Many fruits, vegetables, and other produce comes from here. The main attraction of Sunshine however is Mingao's Organic Park, a large garden of terraced crops with an amusement park intertwined within. Mr. Mingao, a Raellian native, is very rich and owns this awesome park and has several great rides to entertain young and old alike. He has successfully mixed simple farming with family fun. A trademark of the park is the one-of-a-kind Flower Soda, a soda in a special bottle that whistles when tipped that comes in two flavors: rose and sunflower. Sunshine's symbol is a sun and the colors are yellow and orange.

Cotton:
Cotton's symbol is a triangle and its colors are green and white. More famous than its endless cotton fields is the Fay family which resides here. Cotton is a quiet town of textile mills and tie-dying. Almost all organic clothing comes from Cotton.

Carrot:
Carrot's colors are orange and green and the symbol is a carrot. It is home to many farms and gardens where delicious, fresh produce is always for sale during Monday Market. The coastlines are beautiful and the food amazing. Most of the people here are Tellish, since war-torn Taigana is the closest country to LI (behind the Raellians of course).

Harmony:
Ah Harmony... the other landlocked city. The colors are crimson and sage and the symbol is four arrows pointing to the middle. Harmony is famous for its culture festival that happens every year and is a city of many people. Like Sunshine, lots of crops are grown here.

Magic:
Magic is famous internationally for its surfing. The waves that crash along the western coastline are amazing and attract many tourists willing to tame the surf. The Half Moon Surfing Competition happens every year and is a lot of fun. Magic's symbol is a moon and the colors are blue and red.

Lovely:
Lovely is known for its surfing and its rocky beaches that are home to the best tidepools. A subset of Kesly Coastal, the Lovely Marine Lab, is here and many college students can be found doing studies here. The colors are white and red and the symbol is a circle.

Starry:
Starry's colors are black and gold and the mascot is a star. It is famous for its music festivals which go on all year and entertain thousands. It is also very famous for surfing and has just as good of waves as Magic. Starry is also home to a small but famous hair salon dedicated to the art of dreadlocks. People from all over the world come here to get their hair dreaded.

Wheatfield:
Last but not least is Wheatfield, the home of wheat, rice, and soy farms. The symbol is a bundle of wheat and its colors are tan and burnt orange. The surfing is excellent here as well and is the place to be for beginners. The quietness of the city and the open meadows make it a great spot to have a picnic or watch the sunset.

Whew! I got all ten of them! Now onto something unique: the changing of names.

Since the people here embrace nature, they have "hippie" names like Eagle Rivers. Names like Blackbear, Hazel, Winterwood, Moonbeam, Olive, Music, Sunny, Seachild, and Falcon are all common and acceptable names. You won't find anyone named Sodapop, Motorscooters, Big Girl, He Who Snores, or Bubblegum here.That's a different culture. The last names are also "hippie" in nature, although that can go either way.

Natives don't have to worry about a thing. It's those who join the fold that have a choice. Everyone keeps their given name, no matter what. However, the newcomers have the option of changing their first name to something of nature, although they certainly don't have to. If they plan to establish a family, they can obtain a new last name. They can either be "adopted" by marrying a native or, if the newcomers are a married couple, become "adopted" by a family with an established family line. They also can create their own last name that is symbolic of them. Their children will all have this new last name and it will go on from there. Does that make sense? It's a mouthfull I know...

The people of the island are by no means prohibited from leaving! It's not some super-strict clan thing. It's just a way of life. Eagle Rivers left for college as well as many others. It's less common but possible to find a Red Islander living somewhere least expected. Like any state, people move.

I had so much fun with this island and in just two years it's taken off! If I could live anywhere it would be this island :-)