Kopen

Happiness
Kopen

Kopenism symbol
Total population
55,000+
Founder
Jonnas Moska
Regions with significant populations
Southern Ivili Clan
Provinces with significant populations
Duchy of Jijo (Flatstone)	1,100,000+

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.

First Kopen Uprising

The First Kopen Uprising is a period of political unrest in Stonish history that largely plagued the Umudin peninsula. Separatist movements had spawned out of a political opposition to the crown comprised of the regions peasantry and serfs, whom had been backed and funded by the local nobility and a coalition of disturbed landlords who had suffered from that years summertime famine, having struck after a lack of centralization combined with increased wartime taxes and expectations due to the nations failures during its invasion of Hoterallia leading to the drying up of crops in agriculturally dominant regions of Flatstone. Political loyalty had remained out of the question up to this point as loyalty to the state was dictated by the Geologist faith, which was widespread in Flatstone at the time.

Beliefs Pertaining to Kopenism

Kopenism is a faith largely centered around emotion. Kopenism is the idea that happiness is the key to salvation, and that because of this, happiness should be the only emotion. To kopenists, there is no such thing as fake happiness; as long as somebody appears to be happy enough, they are satisfactory. Those who have come down with illness, anger, sadness, boredom, or any other "insignificant" emotion are shunned and socially isolated until they are once again happy. However, for many, this unseen happiness never comes. This means that those that are unable to achieve happiness are permanently outcasted from the classist society of Kopenism; these people are known as the Dāgukosī. The Dāgukosī are the lowest of the low within the typical Kopenist society, and often possess little to no power or means of sustentation. Many are simply imprisoned and left to starve after prolonged "unhappiness."

Kopenism has no gods, only religious icons. Those that are considered to be the highest in Kopenist societies are those that have dedicated the most to contribute to the faiths advancement. Jonnas Moska, the founder of the religion, is often considered to be the one god of Kopenism due to his contribution to the religions rapid spread and foundation.

In cities dominated by the Kopenist faith, Kopenist followers are known to wear masks depicting themselves as happy. These masks are known as the Potemono, they traditionally include a white base with a black smile painted onto it and are expected to be identical in shape and size; they are not to possess any unique qualities pertaining to the individual that wears it. The Dāgukosī often have their masks altered to depict a frown rather than a smile after prolonged unhappiness, this is done as a way to separate the Dāgukosī from the upper class of the Kopenist society in public places such as city streets or shops.

Radical Beliefs of Kopenism

The most radical of Kopenist beliefs consist of racial purity and religious domination.

The Kopenists believe themselves to be the greatest, and that those that follow any other faiths are below Kopenism. This is likely one of the most significant reasons as to why there were so many Kopenist uprisings after the first one initially, as after the First Kopen Uprising, Geologists were expected to assimilate with the Kopenists throughout the eastern Umudin, which had come to be dominated by Kopenist followers during the first uprising. This lead to a long period of civil unrest and political outrage towards the crown and the southern Ivili Clan in the aftermath, culminating in the Second Kopen Uprising just a decade or so later.

Kopenist racial purity stems from the expectation that Kopenist society is to be perfect; Typically, Kopenists have been of southern Ivili ethnicity. This meant that Kopenist followers of northern Ivili and Taverkny origins were slowly and systematically demoted to Dāgukosī status, leading to a gradual decline in Kopenist following outside of the eastern Umudin. This also contributed to the city of Umudins population becoming mostly of the Geologist faith, as the city has a largely northern Ivili diaspora.

Kopenist Crimes Against Humanity

The Kopenist faith is most infamous for its numerous crimes against humanity, most notably of which are the Black Purge and the Sacking of Umudin.