Island of Zib

[Zib]

Motto:- We Are Paradise
National Anthem:-N/A[/center]

BACKGROUND

Zib, as it is called by its people, was an uninhabited island that became home for exiled individuals accused of piracy. These men and women had no hope of leaving the island due to their lack of navigational equipment and tools. A drive to survive caused these men and women to adapt to their surroundings and over a relatively short period of time their society flourished into a semi-tribal state. Using the knowledge that they had learned from their times as individuals who were part of modern (at the time) and civilized nations the early Zibians were able to create simple laws along the lines of "Do unto others" as well as the concept of private versus public property, simple mathematics, and food preservation. A governmental body dedicated to the eldest among them was instituted alongside a hereditary position called the "Cipiton" now occupied by Cas Dzi. The word "Cipiton" is most likely a devolved pronunciation of "Captain" calling back to their seafaring ancestors who operated under he guidance of a Captain. The elders and the Cipiton talk among themselves to best decide which direction the Zibians will follow, although usually the Cipiton's plan is followed even at the disagreement of the elders as up until this point no Cipiton has led to the downfall of the Zibian people.

Recently re-discovered by the modern nations of the world the Zibians are slowly being shown the way into the international arena with some speculating that the coasts around Zib may be home to untapped natural resources such as oil, gold, diamonds, and ores. Although these are purely speculation as the Zibian elders and the Cipiton have made it abundantly clear that no degradation of their island's scenic landscape will be disturbed by foreign hands. Zib is an extremely poor island nation with a small population lending it very little in the way of political power. Even as Zib is economically weak the people live relatively well as they have become extremely resourceful without other nations to aid them. There are virtually no Zibians without a hut or tent like structure to call home, and it is considered contemptible to let a neighbor starve.

Government Type:- How does your country work
Population:-:- 6,000
Capital City:-Zib (6,000)
Demonym:- Zibian

ECONOMY

Currency:- Bead
National Asset Worth:-5,000,000 Beads (Roughly 50,000.00 USD)
GDP:- N/A
GDP Per Captia:- N/A
Unemployment Rate:- 0%
Main Industries:- Fishing, Pearls, Trinkets

PEOPLE

Ethnicity:- Various European
Languages:- Zibian-English (Difficult to understand for most English speakers)
Religions:- Unnamed Ancestor Worship
Average Life Expectancy:- 50

GOVERNMENT

Head of State:- Cipiton Cas Dzi
Head of Government:- Cipiton Cas Dzi
Name of Legislative Body:- "The Old Ones" "The Elders"

[Zib]

Customs & Beliefs

Religious Origin & Afterlife

The Zibians believe that when they die their souls take the form of a entity called a "Soul Fish" which is depicted on their flag in the traditional art style of the Zibians. This belief stems from their ancestors who wanted nothing more to escape the island but where unable to do so under their own power. To them the ocean was freedom and the land was a prison. This belief has eroded to a degree so that now the Zibians of today do not see their island as a prison but as home and the oceans are still revered as the greatest freedom.

Scarification & Sharrs

Ritual scarification is extremely common among the Zibian people as all have a pair of three scars below their jaw bones to the direct south of their ears on the neck. These scars are made with careful attention to detail and are symbolic of the gills of a fish. There are some that take this further, attempting to show their worth and favor of their ancestors. These men or women, although normally men, go out hours before sunrise and chum the waters around them. Armed with whatever they bring with them the Zibian attempts to kill the sharks that come to the chum. This more than often ends in the death of the Zibian as very few men or women are capable of killing these apex predators with such primitive gear (especially when there is more than one shark present). Those that do survive and kill at least one of the sharks take the fish onto shore where they call together all with in earshot to witness their deed. The shark is carved up for a feast in the honor of the Zibian and the jaws with the teeth still intact are put upon a wooden altar called a Sea Shrine. These sea Shrines are normally located at a high tide mark on the shoreline of the island. The Zibian being honored will be treated for their wounds as best of their ability. If they survive the Zibian will be given scale like scars down the tops of their arms and the top of the legs down to the top of the foot. The honored Zibian's teeth will be filed into points symbolic of the shark they have slain. These champions of the Zibian people will be looked upon in their communities as cultural leaders, however they lack any legislative or executive power, and are called Sharrs. For example if the sitting Cipion was a Sharr as well his name would be Cipion-Sharr Cas Dzi where as a normal Zibian would be known as Sharr Mort Uhi if the person's name was Mor Uhi. It is an honorary prefix.

The Cipion

The Cipion is thought to be a devolved pronunciation of the word Captain. This would be unsurprising given the leadership of their ancestors were lead and guided by Captains of the sea. Unlike the legislative body of the Elders or the Old Ones, the Cipion is a singular hereditary title. The Cipion can trace his or her lineage to the fabled First Cipion, the man elected from his peers to lead the exiles in their quest for survival. Mutiny against the Cipion is considered a paramount crime that will be punished with death by sharks, or more clearly put ... death by being eaten alive by sharks in the morning hours of the next day. The Zibians believe that any one who mutinies against the Cipion will be cursed to become bound to the island never to swim among the school of the ancestral Soul Fish in their grand exploration. The Cipion's authority is over how, if ever, the Zibians will deal with foreigners or new arrivals as well with dictating the direction of the Zibian people. While the Cipion does not create new laws since that is the area of the Elders, they do in effect push the Elders in a direction. That is they hold enormous referent power over the Elders who normally only convene officially to decided on a dilemma that the Cipion has that he or she has decided is in need of wise men and women to solve.

The Old Ones

The least difficult to understand traditional organization of the Zibian people is the Council of Elders also known as The Old Ones or simply "Elders". A Zibian is considered to be an elder when they have visibly gray hair from at least two paces. No Zibian can be denied their place within the council as it is a birth right for all. The council rarely convenes of its own accord. Normally convened by popular petition or the directive of the Cipion. These Zibians on the council determine what laws should be created or disbanded and take their roles seriously as they will be judged by their ancestors for acting out of greed, spite, laziness, and so on. Elder Sharrs co-chair the council with the eldest of the Elders. It is not uncommon for meetings of The Old Ones to take multiple days to reach a conclusion as it takes a simple majority to pass but as these are the eldest among them health concerns do arise such as mid-day sleeping sessions. Participation is completely voluntary as no Zibian is required to attend council meetings regardless of age.

[Zib]

Technology

When the first marooned individuals first began to set up their civilization they knew only what they had been taught or seen in their lifetime. None of those marooned were the intellectual types, so advancement of technology functionally ceased from the first day of Zib's founding. However many of those trapped on the island were resourceful and used what materials they had around them as substitute materials. Through trial and error they began to make elevators made with wood and rope, with wooden gears and cogs. Their rudimentary rafts became simple, but effective, canoes and other small watercraft they used for shallow sea fishing. Their civilization has notably degraded from the technology used during the world's Golden Age of Piracy but what few structures and devices the Zibians have been able to scrap together from their natural and mostly unrefined materials have become more than sufficient to guarantee of the survival of the Zibian people.

Medical Technology

This technology is minimal. Treatments from injuries come from harvested plants and animals. The Zibian doctors do what they can for their ill neighbors but with so little in the way of refined medicine there are only so many answers. Sterilization of medical environments is a common practice, even if it is only washing away blood with water and washing of hands.

Military Technology

Military technology is at a Stone Age point with their inability to mine ores or refine them, the Zibians are left with simple weapons life spears, knives, clubs, and darts.