Agothos

Justice, Honor, Freedom!

A nation that dominates the western reaches of Polus, centered around the prosperous Enos sea. At the close of the Great War western polus was spared the worst of war's destruction due to the people's welcoming of aeliokos armies, but the people were left divided and few vestiges of their mythical republics of the Imperial Era remained. Over the centuries the surviving tribes and city-states would re-unite into a Third Republic. This new Agothos would be one of the few to contend directly with the 39 Shards, viewing itself as divinely blessed by the goddess of freedom Eleytheria and destined to bring her light to the ends of the world. Despite her lofty goals Agothos would never succeed in destroying her rival, and at times would be relegated to almost vassal status, but would act as a beacon of liberty in the darkness. In the end Agothos would be one of the most resilient and stalwart states to remain independent of the Shard's hegemony.

Name

Derived from Agos-thos, further derived from Agas-thos, meaning land of the Agos. Agas/Agos being seen as the peoples descended from the 1st age patriarch Agas.

Geography

Agothos spans a diverse range of regions, particularly if its historic satellite states are included, but is known for its central heartland of rich farmlands and urban city-states surrounded by vast frontiers of wilderness.

Physian Marches

A rolling, sunny land south of Eleythenia and bordered by the Chloros mountains to the east. Physia also serves as the frontier marchland to Gyag to the south, with the informal border set at the river Konagaleon and its wide canyon.

The land is dominated by high plains and hilly river valleys, with a notable lack of navigable rivers that keep inland areas relatively isolated. The area was once covered in a Great Forest, but with its disappearance only a few meager new growth forests line the valleys.

Due to its hilly terrain the region saw sporadic but fierce fighting in the Great War. Positional fighting for the valleys led to a number of fortresses and castles being built by either side, the ruins those not repurposed for building materials can still be found. Battlefields in the high country still bear the scars of magical cataclysms and groups of aggressive animals such as lions, jackals, and wild armored elephants make farming dangerous. The region was a high priority for resettlement in the early days of the 4th age, as it was thought it could be re-invigorated into a breadbasket for the burgeoning republic, but the terrain, magical scars, and Gya raids kept these efforts to a limited success. Some of the more dangerous magical scars were repaired at high cost, but today most inland communities must still focus on self sufficiency, with trade constrained to mostly luxury goods.

The sunny hills are good for grapes and olives, and Physian wines and ports are held in high regard in all the western lands. Antelope herds are a common source of meat and skins.

The coast of Physia, like much of southwest Polus, is mostly rocky sandstone cliff faces and narrow strips of barren beaches. Periodic harbors do dot the shoreline, some blasted into the cliffs by fighting in the Great War, but prevailing southward currents make trade from the coast to the Enos Sea costly. This has led to a series of small fishing villages remaining mostly isolated and self sufficient like their inland neighbors.

The region was organized as Methorion Physia with large autonomy given to local communities, but the frontier was disincorporated by the Treaty of Injunction. The shards, not wishing to extend control to such a remote region, created the Republic of Physia as an independent state with no particular terms or restrictions.

Pryell

The wide country separating the Agoloian heartlands from the fire marshes of Pyrkagia, Pyrell is known for old mixed forests, rolling hills, rich orchards, and long grass valleys filled with wild sheep. In northern reaches the land turns to taiga before opening to the vast sub-arctic tracts of Keld, while west of the Kapias mountains stretches into wide cold steppe-lands providing a natural buffer with the fire marshes. The area was a historic site of barbarian tribes and a rival kingdom to Agothos, but the mad old mage-king's domain collapsed in the second age and leaves only ruins of ancient watchtowers and hidden keeps. Pryell is famous for luxurious marble and fine aged cider, but most of all for its timber. The strength of the fleets of the Republic historically depended on the bountiful supplies of Pyrelli timber.

The region was over-cleared during the Great War but spared the worst of the fighting, though minor effects of magic damage linger to this day. After the war the forests regrew, and was effectively re-colonized by the early Republic of Agothos and integrated as the Thema Pryelli. Due to its strategic timber supply the theme as dissolved by the Treaty of Injunction and ruled by the 39 Shards as the march of Pyrellmarck, the northern-most buffer state between Free and Shard lands.

Rhemoan Frontier

The wild land between the Narhoa and Tanubal rivers, Rhemoan lies north of the low forested Chloros Mountains on the frontier with Gyag. A mixed forest region of rocky cliff lands, pine hills, oaken valleys, and marshy basins, the wilderness leaves little land for large cash crop estates but is rich in timber, stone, and salt. The frontier is also famous for its magic storms, due from the influence of Gyag, hauntings from the bitter fallen kingdoms of history, the scars of the Great War, or a combination thereof. While the misty forest nights of Rhemoan are often featured in arthenian ghost stories, the more common magical threats come from sudden rockslides, frequent dry lightning storms that cause forest fires, and packs of animals that spontaneously develop man-eating tendencies.

Rhemoans are considered hardy stock, and wear the ruggedness of their homeland as a point of pride. Rhemoani rangers are considered some of the best in the world, not only for their wilderness skills and physical endurance, but also for their cunning. Many a Gyag invasion has been prevented through a convenient tribal dispute, rumor of bad omens, or mysterious disappearance of a scouting patrol as it climbed into the hinterlands.

The region was nominally organized into the Thema Rhemoani. During the Treaty of Injunction the area was abandoned and left under the influence of the Rhemoani League.

Rovlyn

Theryl

A wide, mostly mountainous region north of the arthenian heartland, Theryl is considered the last civilized region before the frontier marches of the north. It borders the Megakrys range further to the northwest, and the unending arctic of Hyperborea to the northeast. Theryl itself is known for lush evergreen forests, hills rich in stone and minerals, grassy valleys suitable for highland sheep herds, clear mountain lakes, and white water rapids. Winters are hard, but the area has sunny, if mild, summers. Relatively isolated, the region acted as a haven during The Great War. While the influx of refugees caused unrest and strife, the area was relatively untouched from the magical damage seen elsewhere. When resettlement started, Theryl greatly grew in influence relative to previous eras due to its larger population, and the reformed Agothonian republic would be visibly more Therylian in culture than it had in the past.

Theryl has been populated since ancient times, and has been mined since its earliest inhabitants; chief exports include copper, iron, silver, marble, and timber. Due to its rugged terrain, however, the area is notoriously hard to conquer, control, or exploit. Many of the residents trace lineage back to the prehistoric settlers of the area, and low-scale tribal warfare between the various valley communities is not unheard of. Some Therylian tribes are related to barbarian groups living in the frontiers, and divided loyalty between tribal traditions and the larger arthenian culture favored by the upper crust is a frequent concern.

When under the republic the area was administered by the Thema Therylia and also acted as the regional capital for the northern frontier administrations. The Treaty of Injunction instituted a Shard puppet-state of Therylthos and heavily restricted mineral exports to the republic.

History

Resettlement

Formation of the Third Republic

First Shard War

Second Shard War

Third Shard War

Fourth Shard War

In AV 915 the Kingdom of Filon entered into a succession crisis. Basileus Theoxiphon intervened, attempting to support a bid for his adopted son to take the throne of Filon. The senate denounced the move, but made only token efforts to stop the sovereign. Regardless volunteers for the campaign were few and the mustering was plagued by poor organization and logistics. As the spring of AV916 began Theoxiphon crossed the border with some 30,000 troops, ostensibly made up solely of free companies hired from his own funds, but in actuality containing large contingent of army units simply forbidden to fly their usual banners. After a few weeks of campaigning, the 39 Shards sent an ultimatum to the Basileus - they considered the army a breach of Filon neutrality and would consider the previous peace signed by Basileus Herathal to be nullified if he did not withdraw. Seeing an opportunity to rally popular support for his war by re-contextualizing it as a crusade for liberty, Theoxiphon sent to the Senate a demand for reinforcements as he wheeled his army towards shard territory, planning to invade and drive towards the shard capital before the end of the year, winning a quick victory. Before he could reach the border, however, the shards declared war and engaged the Agothonians with a pre-staged army. At the battle of Valeford, Theoxiphon's army and his Filonian allies were quickly routed, and the Basileus was captured on the field.

In AV919,

Treaty of Injunction

The peace accord signed to end the Fourth Shard War, the Treaty of Injunction was designed to humiliate, burden, and weaken the republic for a future conquest, while quietly allowing the Shards to recover from the high costs of the later stages of the war without occupying forces. While the treaty was deliberately vague and lengthy, it's main stipulations were:

1. The republic accepted responsibility for starting the war.
2. Various indemnities and payments, including a large lump sum of gold amounting to almost three-quarters of the treasury that was rescued during the fall of Agolos.
3. Several themes of the republic were broken off to form buffer states and tributaries of the Shards, but the independence of the heartland was guaranteed.
4. Filon would become a formal vassal state of the Shards.
5. Free passage, protection, and myriad other rights for Shard-priests and other officials, including the ability to recruit soldiers from republic lands.
6. Limits on the republic's army, both in equipment and numbers.

The senate voted overwhelmingly in support and sought to highlight that it recognized the right of the republic's independence, something the Shards did not grant to any other nation. Those still fighting saw the vote as a betrayal, and pointed out that the vote took place under duress during a siege, though war weariness was wide-spread enough that protestations were few and no unit disobeyed the order to lay down arms.

Government

Third Republic

Formed in AV746 by a federation of disparate Arthenian city-states and their colonies through a process primarily led by the Agolos League through both diplomacy and conquest, the third republic sought to reclaim the glory of the first Republic of Agothos from the 2nd Age. Like its fore bearer the third republic used the term Basileus (Sovereign, or King) for its head of state but used the title Politeia Agothos, borrowing the term for king-less local governments that were common in Agothos. While also correctly described as a constitutional monarchy, the king served fixed terms and government titles ideally could not be inherited but only earned through merit. Unlike foreign kings the powers of the Basileus were strictly bound by law and popular expectations, and the office was seen more as a protector of the nation's laws than an absolute ruler, who otherwise were described by the title Tyrannis. Like the first republic, the system was designed around a struggle between the Synkletos (Senate) and the Basileus, seeking a balance between oligarchy and populism. Unlike the ancient republic, the Basileus would not be chosen from lottery, instead relying on more intricate constitutional arrangements to ensure a Basileus friendly to the Synkletos was not chosen.

Structure

The third republic balanced power between the Basileus, the popular leader of the citizenry, and the Synkletos, the expression of oligarchy or elite class interests.

For most of its history, the Basileus (or king) would be elected by a four month process filled with pomp and tradition called the Chierotones. Provinces would each put forth two candidates to a national contest run by the outgoing Basileus or his chosen regent. Provinces would vary in their candidate selection process, but many involved popular voting. Through tests of martial prowess, intellect, and cunning candidates were disqualified until only two remained. These two were then put to a national popular vote. At the end of the election, a traditional ceremony was held where the Senate passed a symbolic vote to make the loser of the popular vote king. The winner of the election was then crowned by a priestess of Eleytheria, symbolically arrested the senatorial king, then pardoned him. Tradition held that many cast would their vote for Basileus based on who they believed the elites would be more upset at seeing mocked in this way. Any male citizen over 15 years of age could stand as candidate for Basileus, and every male citizen could participate in the popular votes for Basileus regardless of their eligibility to vote in senatorial or other local elections. The process was designed to produce populist individuals who were independent from the senate. The Basileus usually served for at least ten years, after which the senate could call for a new election on the first month of any year afterward, or by inaction allow another year of service. A Basileus legally could not stand for re-election, but could serve non-consecutive terms.

Senators served five year terms and could be re-elected for an unlimited number of terms. Reelection was common, with most senators serving continuously until old age made the travel requirements burdensome. Eligibility to vote in senatorial elections was only granted to male land-owning citizens, though military or religious service also granted the senatorial vote in some provinces.

Parties, Ideology, and Politics

Political Divisions

Historical Themes

basic information about provinces, provincial map

Foreign Relations

Military

Emancipation

A rare but important military concept in Agothonian cultures is an emancipation. It provides an ethical and quasi-legal way for a group to overthrow a tyrannical, corrupt, or grossly incompetent government. An emancipation stipulates that non-military solutions must be exhausted, and that the public that is to be effected must be given a week's notice. Some governments simply resign at this point. If not, a military coup may then be performed, but protracted conflict or bloodthirsty actions can invalidate the act. After the fighting the victorious group (even if it is the old government) is expected to form a civilian assembly to rewrite any charters, treaties, or laws. All old decrees, laws, and government property are forfeit and void during the process and must be re-instated. Any military units are expected to support the transitional assembly for up to 3 months, at which point they must disarm, leave the region, or be re-organized by the successor civilian government.

In practice emancipations rarely follow all these stipulations, especially when the old government succeeds in holding onto power. Since even after surviving a government is usually seen a completely illegitimate by both it's people and other governments around it actual emancipations rarely occur. Simple rumors of an emancipation are usually enough to get a government to work seriously on fulfilling the demands of any of its critics.

Emancipations rely heavily on the people's trust for the rebel military unit - if the people suspect an emancipation is self-serving they will rush to defend the government. This contributes to the rarity of the event, and makes those that do occur disproportionally done by Rangers. Free companies and other militias have been known to succeed at emancipations, but this is the exception.

Economy

basic economy info

Income and Human Development

Science, Magic and Technology

Demographics

general ethnicities

Language

Religion

Education

Health

Crime and Law Enforcement

Culture

Popular Culture

High Culture

Food

Sports