Keteatamdoo

These tents are mostly temporary, though some tribes prefer the safety of the city's outskirts, and remain there most of the year, only moving when threatened or when it gets too cold near the shore.   One large tent is always there, at the center of the claimed area, so that other tents know where to go. This is home to Keteat's sole permanent Crocution pack, the Stalwart Guardians, who hold a seat in the government of Keteat itself as well. This tent, known as the Guardians' Tipi, is what most people approaching the city from the south or west see first, a large yellow-orange tent, which actually has multiple smaller tents inside it, with the Stalwart Guardians themselves living either in one of the smaller tents within this large monument or a smaller tent right outside it.   These tents are said to be the best place to get a hard drink in Keteat, as the Crocutions often have competitions to see who can outdrink everyone else in the camps, and celebrate every victory and defeat with a night of drinking. For other drinks, one need only find other places in Keteat, which may have the widest selection of places to drink at in all of Totania.  

Brothels, Bars, and Other Hubs of Mischief

Satyrs make up a large portion of the population in Keteat, but few have been known to lead honest lives there. Instead, most Satyrs can be found either running or enjoying establishments like brothels, bars, and other places of that ilk. Debauchery is the way of life for most Satyrs, as befits their faith (which often goes unnamed due to the edicts of Keteat forbidding whatever God they may worship, likely a minor deity).   Some consider these establishments of debauchery to be temples for the Satyrs, but it may not be that serious for them. Satyrs are raised on the idea that they must live life to the fullest, and they do so with mischief and celebration of all kinds, spending most of their lives in the altered state of drunkness or otherwise intoxicated. These locations are open to anyone who visits, for all are one in the throes of merriment. Satyrs often try to lure visitors to the city into their locations, with some of these interactions being far more predatory, while others are more about sharing the joy of their celebrations and introducing it to those not yet aware of the "true faith".   Attempts have been made to ban these establishments, as they are said to "defile" the city, but those attempts do not last long, as the Satyrs can gather an abundance of political power when they need it (as they do when their venues are in danger). Felids in particular support these establishments, especially the bars, as Felid culture also has a heavy emphasis on intoxication as a way towards a form of enlightenment. Crocutions are more likely to frequent the brothels, as it's more consistent than what they can find when traveling the plains with their packs.   One of their more accepted locales in the city are the theaters, run entirely by Satyrs, often with baudy satires on all year round. Here, all can enjoy a good time without the need to, as many Minotaurs and Crocutions have called it, "debase onself" with substances.   The most famous Satyr theater is at the center of Keteat, known as "The Theater of Dual Rods" for a pair of pillars that uphold the stage, as well as a sign that hangs over the entrance to the theater featuring two phalluses. The most famous bar sits right outside of the theater, known as "The Endless Cup" for a challenge one can find there, with it said that the more drinks one can have, the less they have to pay, causing many to attempt the challenge and fail quickly, paying exorbitant amounts for very few drinks (strong as they may be). The most famous brothel is the world's largest, taking up three blocks of Keteat along the river. This brothel is known as "Witty Sisters", as its original name (one whose first name rhymed with that of the new location) was banned, and the Satyrs decided to rebrand it for their wit in writing to sate the puritan views of Keteat's leadership. Despite the name, it isn't wit that most visit the brothel for, but the physical endowments the location was once named for.  

Mino Pass

There are docks on the northern shore of Keteat, leading out to the waters of Mino Pass that separate Udai and the Key of Beasts. The waters north of Keteat are deep and difficult to traverse, which is what protects the city, but it makes it so the docks are often empty and the beaches too. Swimming in the Mino Pass is a death sentence, and few ships seek to traverse it, leaving Keteat cut off from much of the outside world. Still, some do, and the docks at least always have some boats owned by the various tribes so they can occasionally raid the mainland when resources grow scarce or it is unprotected.  

Artificial Jungle

While the streets of Keteat are mostly stone and dirt, a district of the city was created to make the Felids feel a bit more at home, with some small jungle trees (constantly trimmed to not grow too high in the skyline) for the Felids to gather around. There are no homes here, as it is instead a place of gathering and community, but it is a popular area for Felids to meet.   This jungle is dangerous, leading most Minotaur guards to avoid the area and simply patrol around it. One must enter at their own risk, but within it is said that a vast selection of drugs can be found, though the primary purpose is for spiritual gatherings, worship, and other calm practices that are otherwise difficult in a bustling city.  

Stables of the Ancients

The oldest structures in Keteat are the Centaur stables, dating back likely to the nomadic Centaur hunters who predate even the Orcs in Udai, having roamed and hunted from the Key of Beasts to the Dwarven Mountains in Elone, when the two continents and the island were connected by a land bridge.   These stables are places of community for Centaurs, where they can graze and meet with other Centaurs and rest when night comes. They are closest in comparison to inns in other cities, and those who ride on horses or other mounts often visit the stables with their pets or animals to feed them. They can mostly be found on the outskirts of the city, as Centaurs like the ability to leave the stables to roam the open fields as easily as possible. While Satyr bars and Crocution camps are best for drinking, and the artificial jungles are where strange drugs can be found, the stables are home to a drug unique to Centaurs, which is banned outside of the stables: an anesthetic hallucenogen known as Ketea (for its place of origin, Keteat).  

Perch of the Setting Sun and Other Holy Grounds

While there are multiple temples near Keteat (Tartarus' self-titled prison to the west on the Key of Beasts and the Gravesite of Irkalla across the waters of Mino Pass, Keteat itself has holy sites as well, particularly a point on the cliffside where people can climb to get a view of the sun as it sets over the western coast. This is known as the Perch of the Setting Sun, and it is a frequent spot for many to make a pilgrimage to during the later hours of the day.   It gets so many visitors that it often has to be blocked off at a certain point, so as not to have it hold too many people who could break off the perch and send it plummeting down the cliffside.   Other holy sites around the city are only for Irkalla and Tartarus, as all other divine worship is banned, though some temples to Minor Gods are allowed via the loophole that those sites are "primarily" for Irkalla or Tartarus, they just happen to also worship other Gods alongside them.  

Tunnels of the Shady Beach

Underneath the city, secret tunnels run, according to some rumors and legends, with access to all buildings in the city. These tunnels were carved in the mid-500s, around the time of the Grand Crowning, by a revolutionary who opposed the formation of the Beastman Triumvirate government in Keteatamdoo, which united the Minotaurs, Crocutions, and Felids under a joint leadership (which most beastmen knew heavily favored the Felid tyrant and Time Mage, known only as the Remnant of History.)   The true identity of the revolutionary, or group, responsible has been lost, known only as the Shady Beach because of communications found partially faded in the sand of the beaches off Keteat's shores, before the waves washed away all traces of his existence. The tunnels themselves have corridors that apparently date back long before Shady Beach or the Remnant, though they were only connected then into one network.   While there are stories of people living in there during the time of Remnant's reign, and even later, no one knows how to access it. Rumor has it that Shady Beach's methods of opening it were given only to those who needed it, and they were sworn to secrecy, only passing it on to those who required passage or haven in the tunnels. Now, there are rumors that the tunnels are used for nefarious purposes, though this may be a rumor spread by government officials to expose the part of the city that even they cannot access.  

Government

Keteatamdoo has had many different governments throughout the years, though one body has always remained in power (though it may, at times, be surpassed by other forms of governance).  

Council of Twenty-Three

This primary power in the city is the Council of Twenty-Three, a group of representatives from different tribes and herds of beastmen. Eighteen of these are Minotaur herds, two are Satyrs (though they are historically known not to attend), and then there are representatives from the Felids, Crocutions, and Centaurs of the city as well, though they don't have decisive power in the council and must gather support from others on the council to get their way.   The Council of Twenty-Three has that number because of the twenty surviving tribes and herds that stood against Bud the Hollow during the Beastman Genocide. While legends have the original number of tribes going as high as eighty-four herds and tribes of Minotaurs and Satyrs, only twenty remained by the end, and those twenty joined together with a united Felid, Crocution, and Centaur army to fight and, ultimately, flee to Keteat. While the Felids and Crocutions mostly left Keteat, some remained, taking three positions once belonging to now-extinct tribes.   These tribes are not as easy to distinguish now, as they have lived in Keteat for a long time; however, their cultural practices, holidays, and religions exhibit slight variations that enable residents of Keteat and scholars familiar with the tribes to easily identify which tribe a Minotaur or Satyr belongs to. Four other Satyr tribes survived the genocide, but they have since been assimilated into the other two tribes, and many of the clearer distinctions in Minotaur herds have disappeared.  

Herd Leader

A voice of the council, the Herd Leader is a senior member of the Council of Twenty-Three, who has the experience to speak for them and the trust of a majority of the members to represent their will to the people and in diplomatic endeavors. While most world leaders care only to speak to the Herd Leader, seeing them as the de-facto head of Keteat, they hold little power on their own, and cannot make legislation or deals unless a split-second decision is needed to secure a deal or make a decision on law.   The Herd Leader need not always be the most powerful warrior. However, there is another criterion they must meet, in addition to being on the council and being a Minotaur: they must be a parent, as Minotaur fertility has been an issue for a long time, and it is important that the person who represents them as a leader can produce children. It is often a man, as this allows Minotaur women to seek out the Herd Leader for a child when they cannot find a suitable, fertile partner. The few times a woman has been Herd Leader, this has slowed the process by which Minotaur children have been made, as she can only carry one child at a time (or twins, triplets, etc in some rare cases). The Herd Leader takes after the Father of Beasts in being a father figure to those in the herd and, when needed, being a father to as many children as he can (though the position may date back to before him, as no one is entirely certain when Minotaur fertility declined to the drastic level it now sits at).   Due to their role in helping give birth to the next generation of Minotaurs, they cannot be too old despite the experience needed, and a Satyr cannot hold this position, though many Satyrs have sought it out due to the traditional love for parties, lovemaking, and liquor that is so common among them.  

King of Keteat

Keteatamdoo has rarely been a monarchy, but there have been times where the city is overthrown and one figure stands above all as King of Keteat (though this kingship is taken from the Korvian term, which is gender-neutral and based on strength, meaning there is no familial succession that comes with the title).   The King has only once dismantled the Council of Twenty-Three, in an attempt to take full control of the city, while usually anyone who claims the title has instead sat at the head of the council, using it as a form of legitimacy, becoming the Herd Leader with more power.   Of course, what most Kings of Keteat have sought is not just the power, but the role of Herd Leader without needing to earn the trust and experience it requires. Endless partners, as many as they desire, all but throwing themselves at the Herd Leader... at least that was the dream of many former Kings, though in practice they have not been that popular without needing to use force.  

Beastman Triumvirate

There was a time in the 500s when the Beastmen saw the danger they were in from all over the world: a powerful Korvian King had taken over mainland Udai, the World Court was gaining more power, and they would soon be targetted by both (with other threats likely to find them soon after). It was a Felid leader, the Remnant of History, who suggested an alliance.   Keteat was ruled, up until its dissolution in 560, by the three major Beastman species of the Key of Beasts. The Remnant led the Felids, the Herd Leader led the Minotaurs, and a powerful warrior known as Odrukh of the Jaded Executioners led the Crocutions. In 550, the other two leaders were killed and the Remnant seized power, becoming King of Keteat, though still keeping the "Beastman Triumvirate" in power officially to prevent too much dissent.   The Beastman Triumvirate was overthrown by the Army of the Revolution, particularly its leader Shatt Gunn and his allies Klung the Just and Pretender. Many find it strange that the city once founded to escape Orcs and Korvians was then saved by them, but they did not stay to do anything more than liberate the city, and it was the Council of Twenty-Three responsible for actually officially dissolving the Triumvirate and returning themselves to power.  

Population

Minotaurs make up the majority population of Keteat, closely followed by Satyrs, though Satyrs generally don't like participating in Beastman politics and so are not well-represented in the city.   One can find other Beastmen living there, mostly those who primarily reside elsewhere on the Key of Beasts. Felid, Crocution, and Centaur enclaves exist on the outskirts of Keteat, with the Crocution and Centaur populations living mostly on the west near the plains where non-city-dwelling groups live, while Felids usually live around the eastern cliff beneath the jungle. Debates have sprung up from historians about whether these populations first came about before the migration into those lands outside Keteat, and that those who left did so from these neighborhoods, or if the neighborhoods were first settled by Felids, Crocutions, and Centaurs who moved back to Keteat from those lands.   Korvians and Avians have been chased out of Keteat by the Crocution population, as Crocutions have a fear and hatred of magic which is inherent to the two birdlike species. One is not likely to find many Korvians or Avians in Keteat, though they were among the original settlers.   Some small groups of Mammen and other Beastmen live in Keteat, though Lizardfolk are usually discriminated against if they enter the city, as there is superstition that they bring trouble wherever they go due to the Poisonous Swamps of Zherar being plagued by so many dangers.