Kopen

Happiness
Kopen

Kopenism symbol
Total population
55,000+
Founder
Jonnas Moska
Regions with significant populations
Southern Ivili Clan
Provinces with significant populations
Umudin (Flatstone)	53,000+
Languages
Southern Ivili

Kopenism, literally meaning "Happiness", is a heretical faith occupying a small portion of the Sotiko archipelago within the nation of Flatstone. The religion was founded in the early fourteenth century by the late Jonnas Moska during his youth. His religion, modeled off of the idea that all emotions besides happiness are blasphemy and subsequently require cleansing, was quick to gain popularity during the First Stonish Invasion of Hoterallia when the population of the eastern Umudin were starving, desperate, and looking for guidance. Jonnas Moska declared himself the savior of the region and embarked on a holy war against the Geologist faith and the Stonish crown that endorsed it. However, his inability to capture the city of Umudin during said holy war resulted in his death and the destruction of his insurrection.

Nevertheless, the man dying wasn't enough to kill his ideas. The Kopenist faith had overwhelmed the Geologist population of the eastern Umudin, taking its place as the dominant faith in the region, drastically shifting the lifestyle and culture of the eastern Umudin and shaping the Duchy of Jijo within the confines of the Southern Ivili Clan. The Kopenist movement would spark a series of uprisings throughout Flatstone during the medieval and colonial periods until the religion was inevitably assimilated.

War in Hoterallia

The Stonish decision to invade Hoterallia is considered to be the direct cause of Kopenisms creation, as the incompetence of the Stonish army at the time and it's failure to overwhelm Hoterallia resulted in its destruction; their failures weighing down the Stonish economy as it struggled to recooperate its forces and prepare for a counteroffensive that would never actually come. Starvation grew notably rampant throughout the Southern Ivili clan as for years the southern regions of the archipelago had served as the agricultural base of the Stonish economy, providing food in the form of crops and fish for the local populations. However, upwards of 5,000 Southern Ivilians were lost during the fighting in Hoterallia, rendering many of the towns reliant on farming without their farmers. Additionally, many were taken from their rural farms to work in cities, particularly participating in the manufacturing of weaponry and the construction of ships. The deficit of the able-bodied population rendered the region unable to support itself, let alone the entirety of the nation.

Rise of Jonnas Moska

Jonnas Moska would take his stand in 1319 after rallying the support of numerous powerful nobles and landowners that had been affected by the reckless Stonish war effort in Hoterallia, utilizing the wealth and power that they still possessed to challenge the Southern Ivili clan and the crown altogether. However, he lacked the manpower and weaponry to stand up to the armies of the Southern Ivili clan, which had plenty of experience putting down rebellions due to the numerous that had taken place in the centuries prior. Jonnas would inevitably be defeated by the Southern Ivili clan in 1325 after multiple years of infighting in the region, putting an end to the First Kopen Uprising.