Tierra Del Leon
Tierra Del Leon is the central country in Mekkan, and the trading capital of the world. The country is divided into a savannah and desert, with the desert being much more hostile. Due to large amounts of metals and gems found in the country, much of the flora and fauna has adapted to utilise the metal.
Overview
Tierra Del Leon is the country in which the Kito'an preside, the country is well known for it's trading due to its central position on the major continent. The country is particularly large, however much of it is covered in desert, rendering it useless for settlements. Some people do live in the desert, however the settlements there tend to result in stronger fighters and often some of the best criminals.
Monarchy
The Kito'an monarchy dates back to early history, when the Nekorin family took charge of the Kito'an people crowning the first king in 107, this king was known as King Aus I and was the first in a long line. The royal family has been recorded throughout history resulting in the documenting of many dark moments, the worst of which being the buildup to the War of Capitals.
Notable Monarchs
'''King Aus I: '''This was the first ruler of Tierra Del Leon, sharing the soul of Erin's younger brother. He began to unite the Kito'an people and formed the beginnings of the great city of Mau Hedj.
'''King Audan: '''He is notorious for being a cruel and corrupt leader, known for murdering the Lord President of the Vampires for political gain, his daughter helped bring him down and took the throne in his stead.
'''Queen Ari I: '''The Queen who liberated the Kito'an people from the command of King Audan, her name is spoken highly of as a bastion of kindness and honesty.
'''Queen Gallia: '''Spoken of in tragic tales, Queen Gallia lived much of her life under the abusive and controlling Lord Ferra, eventually freed from his grasp after suffering trauma and loss. Her life free from Ferra's control was spent in hiding, even then her losses continued as her daughter went missing and eventually committed suicide after being found.
'''Queen Alexandria II: '''Known for abandoning her people in favour of a demon cult, her name is excluded from history due to her terrible ways. She eventually abdicated to become the leader of a demon cult, taking a demonic form.
'''King Audon I: '''The founder of the Battle Tigers, King Audon I took over from his father during the War of the Gold Fang. He was trained by the Desert Faction who realised that his father King Aeva II was unfit to rule due to his irresponsible ways.
Culture
Kito'an culture is a mix of Spanish and Egyptian themes, they utilise plenty of metals in their weapons. The Kito'an currency is called Rins, with the Nekorins on them, these are made of a secret alloy that only people chosen by Belle know of. Kito'an cuisine is very fish based, and rather than typical alcohol, they consume plenty of milk based alcohol.
They have two main cities, Mau Hedj, which is situated in the Savanna and houses the fortune gate and Mau Kem, which is situated in the Desert and is much more criminally active.
Currency
The Kito'an currency is called Rins, these are each coins with an image of the Lucky Bell on one side, and a member of the Nekorin family on the other (stylised as Kito'an).
The currency has the following coins:
1 Rin coin: The lowest value but most common, it has an image of Aus Nekorin on it.
5 Rin coin: The second lowest value, it has an image of Eira and Lissan Nekorin on it.
10 Rin coin: One of the middle two in value, it has an image of Fortuna on it, stylised as a Nekorin.
20 Rin coin: the second of the middle values, it has an image of Lily and Ryder on it.
50 Rin coin: the second highest value, it has an image of Erin's parents on it.
100 Rin coin: the highest value, it has a picture of Erin on it.
There are also several commemorative coins with Nekorins in different poses for the events being celebrated.
Cuisine
Hawawshi
Pita stuffed with minced meat and spiced with onions, pepper, parsley, and occasionally chilies. In many Kito'an restaurants, the meat is swapped for fish in some cases.
Kushari
Made of rice, macaroni, and lentils mixed together, topped with a spiced tomato sauce and garlic vinegar, and garnished with chickpeas and crispy fried onions.
Sayadeya
A seafood dish made with white fish, traditionally bass, bluefish, or mullet, cooked with rice and an onion/tomato sauce then baked in a tagine or similar earthenware.
Pulpo a la Gallega
boiled octopus with paprika, sea salt, and olive oil.
Seafood Paella
White rice, green beans, Fish, white beans, snails, and seasoning such as saffron and rosemary.
Flora and Fauna
Flora
Tierra Del Leon is home to several unique plants with interesting properties stemming from the metal rich terrain, plants such as Chromelons, Goldberry bushes and Titamarind thrive and are popular in Kito'an cuisine. Much to the disgust of the Kito'an people, the citrus fruit Nekobane also seems to thrive in Tierra Del Leon.
Chromelons
Chromelons are a type of melon found growing around the savannah, they have tough reflective skin which is notoriously hard to break, however the insides are said to be very sweet and juicy. Due to the hot and dry climate, many Kito'an have used Chromelons as a source of liquid while adventuring or trying to survive.
Goldberry bushes
Goldberry bushes are more rare, bearing small golden berries as fruit, these are mostly eaten by native Austrich's and Plated Tigers, however some Kito'an make use of these berries for both culinary and decorative purposes. It is not uncommon to see Goldberry bushes being used as an ornamental plant in the gardens of Kito'an homes.
Titamarind
Titamarind is a very tough species of fruit bearing tree that grows in the savannah, the pulp of the fruit is used in many Kito'an dishes, often as part of deserts, sauces, curries and occasionally tea, on rare occasions the unripe pulp is used to add a heavy kick to Kito'an dishes.
Kitobane
Kitobane is a relatively low metal species of citrus fruit that grows in Tierra Del Leon, they were named by a member of the Kihana family who noticed the Kito'an people avoiding these plants and getting aggressive when offered them. The fruit can be quite sour, however has some sweet tones and is often added to food outside of Tierra Del Leon, doing so to a Kito'an dish may result in claw induced injuries.
Fauna
The Fauna of Tierra Del Leon is by some considered to be some of the more interesting and dangerous the world has to offer, while the savannah is relatively safe given the proper precautions, the desert is considerably more dangerous. Some species live harmoniously with the Kito'an people, such as plated tigers, while others are incredibly dangerous or even hostile.
Plated tigers
Plated tigers are a species of tigers covered in metal plates that change with the metal they eat, most commonly this includes steel however a mix is used for different situations, such as Felitanium being used for the Battle Tigers and Royal Guard.
Steelhorn Rhinos
Steelhorn Rhinos have notably tough skin and horns of pure steel, when calm they will happily wander and ignore people, however when they are aggravated they will charge and try to impale people on their horns. They are sometimes hunted for sport, though this practice is illegal.
Purple-Tusks
Purple-Tusks are an elephant-like species with tusks formed of a rare purple gem that is known to boost the magical capabilities. The rarity of their tusks makes them prime targets for hunting which has resulted in their numbers dwindling, however many Kito'an groups are very active in protecting the species. They have tough purple tinted hides.
Austrich
The Austrich is a flightless golden bird, notorious to outsiders for the golden eggs it lays, though they are not at all notable to the Kito'an people due to the common nature of most metals. Their eggs have been found for sale in other countries via shady markets.
Silvertail Hyenas
Silvertail Hyenas are pack animals with tails made of silver, the ends of their tails typically have a spiked ball shaped feature that they often use to attack. The species can be dangerous to adventurers when a pack is present, however in numbers or with a display of power they can be scared off. Some have managed to tame these creatures; it is not uncommon for these tamers to partake in some questionable practices with them.
NucleAnts
NucleAnts are a very dangerous species that feeds off radioactive metals, they are considered useful as they help to prevent a dangerous buildup however can be dangerous to unwary adventurers who may step on a nest. Luckily nests are not very common, however due to the spread of metals there are some areas that are particularly dense with them.
Ferromites
Ferromites are a pestilential species in Tierra Del Leon as they will seek out metal and devour it, the utter destruction of Ferromites when found is considered a high priority due to the high metal content in Kito'an structures.