Jotama

'jo-TAH-muh' (with a soft 'j,' as in the middle of 'treasure')
/ʒəʊ.ˈta.mə/

Jotama, the country where they used paper cranes as currency – or so the urban legend went. The reality was not far off… While no cranes were ever in circulation as currency, it is true that the Jotamans traded in origami; elegantly patterned paper folded according to the confidential government method. And paper cranes were widespread, the unofficial national symbol, rampant in every gift shop in sight.

While in theory, Jotama operated as a constitutional monarchy, in reality the royal family were little more than figureheads. Instead, the Privy Council was the de facto government, with representatives from each sixteenth of the capital, Orlema. Much of Jotama's trade was centred around the arts, with generous grants for particularly promising projects.

The government effectively collapsed after the Jotama-Din Talin Resource War. Essential infrastructure soon followed, as the country fell into disorganisation.

In the blink of an eye,
I was lost.
I said goodbye,
In the blink of an eye.

– Chorus of 'Blink of an Eye', the chart-topping song of 2075

The capital, Orlema, was split into sixteen districts, each designed by one of the leading architects of the day, leading to its nickname of the City of a Thousand Cities. Soaring gothic monoliths rubbed shoulders with sprawling concrete jungles, making it one of the most visited cities in the world. And in the streets, in the cafés, the lifeblood of the country flowed – art. At its peak, Orlema was the hub of the arts, the place to go for an aspiring poet, musician or painter. In more recent times, its focus was film, producing many of the biggest blockbusters of the modern era.

Bausana: 68%

Evidentiality: 13%

Three Goddesses: 22%

Cuan: 6%

Dearr: 8%

Talamh: 8%

The Time Being: 35%

Other: 8%

No faith declared: 1%

Of which Spoilt Ballots: 0%

– Published results on faith from the final 'Royal Census of Jotama' (2075)

The Jotama-Din Talin Resource War put a halt to all government funding to the arts, stopping many projects in their tracks. The industry stumbled along, finally succumbing to the humidity wave of 2093. The various museums of Orlema were used as refuges in this time due to their improved climate control facilities. Many artworks were lost or stolen in this time, including arguably the most famous painting in history, 'The Stranger' by Kastor Yevich.

Jotama had a strong faction of conservationists on the Council, leading to some of the best preserved natural landscapes anywhere in the world. Across the expanse of the country, it ranged from sunny beaches to breath-taking mountain ranges to impenetrable woods. Some criticised the government's lack of development of rural areas, which often still had dirt roads and unreliable internet access. Many smaller towns struggled to cope with incoming tourism. Now, this has left much of Jotama as dangerous and difficult to traverse, with many of the paths quickly disappearing as they are reclaimed by nature.

Jotama's language is a notoriously difficult one for most non-native speakers to learn. With a complex grammatical system and an extensive, nuanced vocabulary, many adult learners are quick to give up on picking up the language. Most agree, though, that the phonetics of the language are particularly enchanting, consisting of many fricatives and a range of vowel sounds. Both 'threamh'ta' and 'oreom'da' mean 'to think,' though the former suggests more careful consideration while the latter implies instinctual decision-making.

– From 'Languages of the World' by J. Finch

Jotamese names tend to be multisyllabic, with deep and subtle meanings in both surnames and first names. Parents often consult these meanings before giving their child a name, reflecting the expectations they place on that child. Surnames, too, hold this weight, almost like a generational expectation developed over the lifetime of many families. Often, they are quite difficult to pronounce, due to the high number of long fricatives chained together.