Ezkaphecia

When the lion stalks the pool, or the well runs dry…This is opportunity. - Pheocian Adage

A defensive league of Pheocian city-state colonies.

Geography

Boundary Escarpments

The coastlands of Ezkaphecia are bounded on the west and north by a pair of long rocky cliffs. These cliffs have historically been the border of the Tannah civilzations with the wilds of Cisosgalia and Tsungel. The escarpments were integrated lines of Romalian forts, though most have fallen into ruin since the empire's fall.

The western Surjcheon Escarpment guards the frontier with the Centaur tribes of the Khâralt Hornwild, and the trade route to Khelendataz. It has seen persistent, but inconsistent, efforts by the Ezkaphecians to rebuild the Romalian fort line. Though often having to rely on the rugged terrain to prevent raiding across the escarpment, the forts of Tas-Sefir and Tas-Mamel at either end are prioritized and kept active. This includes manpower and funding levied from across the confederacy, including regular units of unique light cavalry (Ezkaphecian Chasers) and armored elephantry (War Terraces, often manned by Ranadil shooters) to counter Centaur threats.

The northern Tengnara Escarpment borders the less threatening Cisosgalian tableland, and is therefore less guarded. It it still isolated and relatively lawless, with caves and cliff-side settlements frequently sheltering gangs of outlaws and marginal nomads. The trade city of Tas-Qorsis sits both atop and below the Tengnara, with large cranes able to transfer people and merchandise to avoid the long trip around the escarpment.

Empyreal Archecedars

Though not a Great Forest, the Empyreal Archecedars is a forest in northern Ezkaphecia that splits the arable territory into two halves - a crowded coast and an isolated hinterland. Whether through a magical wound, or as an outgrowth of the celestial realms smaller than a Great Forest, the cedar trees of the forest are gargantuan, translucent, and luminescent. Tuonic settlers early in Ezkaphecian history, practicing Wistaljan orthophysic, were able to fully bring trees into physicality as high quality timber, though only with much time and effort. This led not only to the development of Ezkaphecian cedar as a major trade good and shipbuilding material, but also to the conversion of many of the the ruling Pheocian elites to Wistaljan. The common Pheocian's Qhashdean beliefs often treat the forest with more fear and superstition, as a holy forest that should remain undisturbed. So-called “guardian spirits,” also frequently ethereal and luminous, along with Ranadil tribes, also prevent settlement and effective logging of the region. These Ranadil often have a complicated relationship with Ezkaphecia, with a minor role in the confederal government and Pheocians highly valuing Ranadil mercenaries, but with frequent periods of cultural conflict to include intense and brutal raiding by both sides.

Wandering Hills

Like the Empyreal Archecedars in the north, the Wandering Hills split southern Ezkaphecia between a populous coastal plain and a resource-rich frontier. Outwardly mundane, the hills are heavily forested in the north and gradually fade to arid badlands that continue into Dagon-Sur. Those who travel through the hills soon learn, however, that they are not ordinary. Owing to a magical wound time moves inconsistently in them, sometimes slower and sometimes faster, sometimes by a little and sometimes by a lot. These effects are not predictable either by path taken and themselves shift over time. For this reason they are sometimes called the “missing hills,” with travelers or hunters sometimes disappearing for days or weeks, only to return claiming only a few hours have passed. Others never return, their families hoping the hills will one day return them same as the day they left.

Those that live near the hills also speak of another meaning to the name - that the hills themselves have moved over the centuries since the Great War. Legends say the hills were once part of the Surjcheon Escarpment but have separated and wandered slowly towards the coast, inch by inch. They add that this is not an unguided or meaningless process, though the ultimate goal and who directs it is a source of much speculation.

History

Ezkaphecia was founded by refugees of Hephecia after a dynastic struggle in Cyedon between two brothers. Rather than fight a protracted civil war, followers of the losing brother fled and founded Tyrla and [..:locations:Citilum]] around the same time. Concerned with the threat of Hephecian pursuers, the two cities soon established a defensive league that sought to prevent oligarchic hegemony by any one colony. In time both cities flourished and further colonies were founded and incorporated into the confederacy. Though neither Pheocian league would be able to break the other militarily the original dispute with Cyedon was not forgotten. Most Pheocians, even those of independent city-states, therefore see Ezkaphecians as rivals at best.

Government

For most of its history Ezkaphecia operated as a confederation of city states. Local governments retain sovereignty in their internal affairs and structures, but matters of trade, the common defense, and the navy used in both trade and war are determined by a republican government hosted in a special canal district of Tyrla.

• Akhon - A 9 seat senate. Appoints confederal offices like generalships, has the ability to pass legislation proposed to it from other bodies, and can issue calls to seat a Kohmun.
  • Stufets - 3 senior seats of the Akhon, acting as an executive council and supreme court.
• Heb - A 24 seat assembly that serves as the upper rung of the self-organizing trade unions and merchant guilds. How delegates are chosen is left to the guilds, and the body is the chief way to introduce legislation to the Akhon. The Heb also acts as a cabinet of sorts, with members responsible over specific areas of government and charged with law enforcement and regulatory duties.
• Kohmun - A democratic assembly called only when necessary by the Akhon, with a number of delegates assigned proportionally based on a province's contributions made to the confederation. The Kohmun can introduce legislation to be sent to the Akhon for approval, and can approve or censure actions that the Akhon sends to it for confirmation. Importantly an declaration of war must be confirmed by a Kohmun before new war taxes may be levied.

The Ranadil of the Empyreal Archecedars do not have formal citizenship within the confederation, but do have special rights granted by treaty. These rights the Ranadil do not always make use of, however, particularly during times of internal tribal strife or cultural unrest with the humans.

• A permanent non-voting 10th seat on the Akhon for an advisory envoy. Due to internal tribal politics this seat often goes unfilled.
• Voting delegates may be sent to each Kohmun with a fixed number of delegates, though this number rarely splits evenly with the makeup of Ranadil tribes.

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