Of Iron and Fire (Ancient/City-State/Fantasy, OOC, OPEN)

[Tasuirin]

OF IRON AND FIRE
OOC / IC / Map
OP: Tasuirin
Co-OP: Reverend Norv

It is an age of proud city states with mercantile trade routes running across the known world; the height of the Classical Era of Telen.

Telenian culture is considered the epitome of knowledge and wisdom, a civilisation of philosophers and technological advancement, riding the back of a military tradition that is second to none. The tide of civilisation laps the shore on the various coastlines in the Telenian sea. Great warrior-kings and philosopher-kings live at this time and fill the history books. Telen is at the highest height it has ever reached.

However, all is not as well as it may seem. Dragons, an old bane of the Telenians, are again stirring in the South, causing ships to go missing on even short journeys, burning animals and crops before they can be touched by those who would cultivate them.

You control a city-state on the Telenian sea, as its leader, either tyrannical or benevolent, either militaristic or philosophical. And, as the threat of dragons comes ever closer, you must decide how to deal with it - maybe fleeing, maybe offering sacrifices, maybe waiting for them to wipe out your rival cities, or perhaps even trying to tame them yourself to supplicate your growing influence and power.

With book or spear, with shield or sword, with your cloak upon your back and a city of hopeful citizens willing to carry out your every command, the choice of how you proceed lies in your hands.

A FEW NOTES...

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• This RP takes place in the classical era of a world similar in many respects to our own. Technology will remain fairly similar, with ironworking being commonplace, spears, swords, bows and arrows being the technology of the day, horseriding being a relatively new development, and with an emphasis on philosophy and culture.
• The major difference is that, in this world, dragons are a real and growing threat. You will be expected to formulate some kind of way to deal with them, and they will attack fleets and settlements. However, be wary in your response to the threat that you don't allow other cities a chance to overtake or overrun you.
• Standard RP etiquette applies, and while I shall be RP'ing most dragon attacks, I may delegate that at some point, and I will expect reasonable levels of carnage. These are fire-breathing flying lizards, not tiny firecrackers. RP as many cities as you feel comfortable with.
• I won't be accepting any more a priori (meaning any completely non-Telenian) cities until we get more people in the RP. That includes religion also, so most cities will have to conform to the Telenian pantheon from now on. I will accept forms of monolatrism, or patron deities of a certain city, but not more than that, and I expect most cities to either be fully Telenian in culture or a mix of Telenian and other cultures, which should be explained in the history section of the app.

APPLICATION

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Code: Select all

[box][align=center][b][size=150]O[/size][size=120]F [/size][size=150]I[/size][size=120]RON [/size][size=150]A[/size][size=120]ND [/size][size=150]F[/size][size=120]IRE [/size][size=150]A[/size][size=120]PPLICATION[/size][/b][/align]

[b]NS NAME:[/b]
[b]CITY NAME:[/b] (the name of your city.)
[b]POPULATION:[/b] (max. 1,000,000 at a stretch)
[b]SYMBOL OF CITY:[/b] (if any - describe or post image)
[b]LOCATION OF CITY:[/b] (describe or post image)

[b]MAJOR COLOURS OF CITY:[/b] (any colours will do. They will be the main colours of the military and nation itself. Specify if a certain shade.)
[b]GOVERNMENT TYPE:[/b] (what is the best way to describe the city's government?)
[b]CULTURE OF CITY:[/b] (what cultural traditions are unique to this city?)

[b]CIVIC SPECIALISATIONS:[/b] (if your city is extra advanced in a non-military manner, write here.)
[b]MILITARY SPECIALISATIONS:[/b] (what kind of troops or weapons does your city prefer? Does it prefer sea warfare or land?)
[b]COMPOSITION OF ARMY:[/b] (a large portion should be citizen soldiers, like levies, though smaller numbers of professional troops of some kind are acceptable also.)
[b]NUMBER OF SHIPS:[/b] (how many merchant and/or military ships does your city possess? It's difficult to give accurate estimates of how many a city would have, but sea-based cities would likely have more ships than ones which rely on land trade, so keep that in mind.)

[b]HISTORY OF CITY:[/b] (doesn't need to be too detailed, just get across the major events.)

#OIAF app - DO NOT DELETE[/box]

OP APPLICATION

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OF IRON AND FIRE APPLICATION

NS NAME: Tasuirin
CITY NAME: Thassalos
POPULATION: 400,000 citizens, 250,000 non-citizens (with less rights, and who live outside of the city)
SYMBOL OF CITY:

LOCATION OF CITY: Thassalos

MAJOR COLOURS OF CITY: Blue, white
GOVERNMENT TYPE: Aristocracy, ruled by nine families.
CULTURE OF CITY: Sacred nature of the number nine, belief that they are the 'centre of the known world'.

CIVIC SPECIALISATIONS: Large mercantile fleet, massive ports for trade.
MILITARY SPECIALISATIONS: Thassalos prefers naval warfare, and thus prefer marines to regular troops, though also have a decent corps of archers on their ships.
COMPOSITION OF ARMY: 80,000 men total.

• 50,000 sailors/rowers
• 20,000 citizen marines (mostly spearmen and peltasts)
• 5,000 professional spearmen
• 5,000 professional archers

NUMBER OF SHIPS: 200 military ships, 300 merchant ships not crewed by military

HISTORY OF CITY: Thassalos was founded on a major trading point near to the centre of the Telenian sea. It grew from a small trading post, playing host to nine traders who saw it as their duty to monitor the ships going through their strait, to a town, and later a city, where the nine original traders had founded their own families, and became the nine ruling families of Thassalos. The families were named after each trader, those being the families Plitos, Alios, Melanos, Abidos, Alkos, Seleos, Lasthanos, Akros and Panaros. Over time, Thassalos became a far more militaristic city. Being located at such an important trade centre, it had the resources and the manpower to make a massive military fleet. That it did, and it exerted considerable influence over surrounding cities for a long time afterwards.

#OIAF app - DO NOT DELETE

OF IRON AND FIRE APPLICATION

NS NAME: Tasuirin
CITY NAME: Erethios
POPULATION: 40,000
SYMBOL OF CITY:

LOCATION OF CITY: Erethios

MAJOR COLOURS OF CITY: Green and black
GOVERNMENT TYPE: Monarchy
CULTURE OF CITY: Belief in a patron deity of their own city, named Ereos, who defends the city from attacks.

CIVIC SPECIALISATIONS: Marvellous statues (mostly of Ereos), decent trade port.
MILITARY SPECIALISATIONS: Elite spearmen make up entirety of army. No military navy.
COMPOSITION OF ARMY: 2,000 elite spearmen
NUMBER OF SHIPS: 20 mercantile ships.

HISTORY OF CITY: Persecuted cultists escaped from a previous city, setting up on an isthmus, around a river. The river divides the entire isthmus, and lets them control access to a major inland sea. They set up there, soon growing into a city, where they could worship their patron deity in peace. They became renowned for spearmen, and given the terrain of their nation, controlling land access on both sides of their city, they are at a major defensive advantage against attack.

#OIAF app - DO NOT DELETE

ACCEPTED CITIES

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NAME	SYMBOL	PLAYER
Almaria		Jade Confederacy
Damnos		Ruskland-Preuben
Erethios		Tasuirin
Erlend		Toaslandia
Gylead		Nu-Amerika
Kamox		The Frozen Forest
(Magna Getae)		Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States
Masroi		Kowloon-California
Nomos		Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States
Phylesia		Nea Byzantia
Propylea		Reverend Norv
Salenippos		Robo-Nixon
Sypria		Farahdeen
Thalmos		The Hoosier Alliance
Thassalos		Tasuirin
Vison		Andsed
Xenos		St George Territory

[Tasuirin]

MAPS AND LANDMASSES

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There are three main landmasses of Telen, those being Rheas, Pelagia and Sidonia.

RHEAS
Rheas is the original continent of Telenian culture, and is sometimes known as 'the Old Continent'. It is a large continent, stretching from the warm waters of the Telenian sea along the southern coast, to unknown cooler to arctic climes further north. While perhaps the birthplace of Telenian culture and civilisation, it is not its most successful region, with still many uncivilised and barbarous tribes across the continent once you travel inland from the more civilised coastal regions.

PELAGIA
Pelagia, while not the birthplace of Telenian culture, is most definitely where the culture has been most successful. Between large islands many leagues across to smaller islands with just one or two settlements on them, Pelagia is home to a diverse range of Telenian peoples and cities. The climate is almost always a warm temperate, with an abundance of agricultural and trade opportunities.

SIDONIA
Sidonia is the untamed land to the south of Pelagia. The warmest landmass in Telen, it is often seen as a harsher, more isolated and less civilised landmass than either of the other two. Around the coasts, specifically the northern coast, are a series of Telenian cities, with a few interspersed throughout the rest of the continent. However, the main portion of the landmass is far isolated from Telenian ideals. Very few Telenians know for certain what lies beyond the continent to the South, with some believing that a mystical Land of Dragons lies beyond its southern shores, other believing that the continent itself is said land.

DRAGONS OF TELEN

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The term 'dragon' is a family designation for large, flying, often winged, reptiles, usually those which breathe fire, within Telen. While the majority of the population of Telen do believe in the existence of dragons, the most recent dragon activity was over 500 years ago, before written history was commonplace, and as such many simply doubt their existence. According to legend, a coalition of Telenian cities banded together to drive the dragons back, many folk-heroes of the Telenians being created in the process. They have not disturbed Telenian society since then, leading to the lack of belief in their existence. However, they are returning to Telen now, for one reason or another.

Most of the dragons of Telen are called Wyverns in other mythologies, and have two limbs dedicated just to flying and two to walking, similar to birdlike configuration of limbs. While most dragons share this configuration, there are also Wyrm-like dragons, which have largely lost the use of their now-vestigial lower limbs in favour of a much more snake-like configuration, retaining the use of their winged upper limbs.

For the most part, dragons are perceived as monstrous and animalistic. They are voracious carnivores, unable to process raw meats of any kind, and so must roast or burn the flesh of any animals they wish to consume before doing so. They are also viciously territorial. Once a dragon has set up in a region, it is unlikely they will leave unprovoked, and will attack settlements, individuals or ships that pass through what it considers its own territory, as well as other dragons. Even territorial squabbles between dragons can be deadly for onlookers, as they have a tendency to burn the land around them during said battles. The re-emergence of dragons in Telen indicates terrible things for the people of the region.

Dragons continue to grow throughout their whole lives, meaning that older dragons are always larger than younger ones. On average, younger dragons can be approximately 25m in length between the ages of 15 and 30 years, but dragons have been seen around 100m in length, these ones estimated as being approximately 250 years of age, some of the oldest dragons to ever exist. They have excellent senses of smell over long distances, and given that each dragon has its own specific scent, it can usually tell when another dragon is in its territory, as well as if said dragon has ever been encountered by them before or if they are new arrivals.

Mother dragons expel their young from their territory at around 15 years of age, after they have both attained self-reliance and no longer need the protection of their kin. After this point, it is unlikely that kin-dragons will ever meet again, and it is expected for the children to immediately find their own land. If they do not find their own land after three years, most dragons simply die of exhaustion, hunger or constant encroaching on other dragons' territory. As such, many young dragons are encountered simply by virtue of them trying to carve out their own territory.

Mythology states that they are an emanation of the Gerkos, used by the gods to defeat their enemies in the various competing pantheons of the other people of ancient Rhea. But then, through the trickery of Skiros and the determination of Mathon to curb the power of the Rhean Empire, they were unleashed on Earth against Telen, and have since become brutish and cruel beasts, untamed and uncontrolled by men. The truth or falsehood of this is not known.

GODS OF THE TELENIAN PANTHEON

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The Telenian Pantheon is comprised of eleven deities, with most of the deities being primordial beings, often considered to have been around since the beginning of the universe in Telenian mythology. While some city-states revere additional deities, some even choosing to worship deities completely separate and not connected whatsoever to the pantheon, these are the deities which are generally universal throughout Telenian society.

• IMLUS/HIMLUS/IMULAS: The god of the sky, rain, lightning, thunder and storms, as well as the chief god of the pantheon. Imlus is generally considered the first of the gods, in rank as well as in chronology, forming the sky before any other creations could be formed. He is the husband of Gera, and brother of Miros.
• GERA/GEDA/GEVADA: The goddess of life, birth, love, fertility and overpopulation, often depicted as the wife of Imlus. Gera is shown to be kind and somewhat coddling to those under her care, with overpopulation either being her curse or an overbearing gift from her.
• MATHON/MATON: The god of death, balance and mathematics. Mathon is not necessarily seen as an evil deity, despite his status as god of death, instead being a god who represents the balance of population, often seen as the antithesis of Gera's often overly plentiful gift of birth. While Telenians tend not to see death as the gift of Mathon, they do see the prosperity that comes from a lack of overpopulation as his gift. He is the husband of Mira.
• MIRA/MIRSA: The goddess of the sea, trade winds, greed, betrayal and the safe travel of sailors. Mira is often seen as the facilitator of ocean travel through Telen, as the provider of winds, currents and the plentiful bounty of the ocean. However, she is also seen as somewhat of a greedy god. Her betrayal is seen as when the calm sea gives way to great waves which swallow ships whole, often interpreted as Mira, envious of the treasures of mortals, swallowing the ships, killing the crew and taking the treasure for herself. The sister of Imlus and often seen as the wife of Mathon, due to her provision of food and supplies, and her vengeful, deathly tendencies.
• OPHIN/OFIN/OPHINA: The goddess of agriculture, plentiful bounties of the earth, humility, the slaughterhouse, and duty despite personal loss. Ophin is the goddess responsible for farming and animals bred for slaughter, though this also leads into the human equivalent - raising someone up to tear them down later, and being humble, even as far as in death. Ophin has been credited with some of humanity's greatest advancements, but also many of their failures. She is the sister of Kunis.
• SKIRO/SKIROS/SKRINOS: The god of writing and the written word, trickery, inspiration, cunning and lies. Skiro is the trickster god of the pantheon. He is most often associated with misleading knowledge, but also the skilled writing required to bring inspiration from writing. He is a teller of tall tales, often entertaining and enjoyable, sometimes terrifying, but for the most part harmless. He is the antithesis of Vizenos, and often considered a brother of Imlus.
• KUNIS/KUNS/KUNA: The goddess of craft, carpentry, mining, blacksmithing, metalwork, tools, rockfalls and mortal cruelty. Often considered as an inspiration of humanity, Kunis is credited with many technological advancements and techniques of labour, though also as the inspiration of terrible and cruel deeds, those being the inspirations and crafts of humanity that exhibit a darker side. She is the sister of Ophin and wife of Gerkos.
• GERKOS/GEROS/KERKOS: The god of war, in all of its glory and cruelty, as well as the hunt. He is a great warrior, being god of war in its most basic and pure sense, and the patron of warriors rather than armies and generals, granting glory to individual heroes on the battlefield. While appreciating glory and honour, Gerkos has no issue with acts of pure cruelty and evil within war. He is the husband of Kunis, and is the creator of the dragons.
• VIZENOS/VISOS/VIZIOS: The god of knowledge, wisdom, rational thought and understanding of the world. Vizenos was once a human, the wisest philosopher in the world, named Viro, whose philosophizing made him famous across Telen. When he was in his old age, he was visited by Skiro, who wished to trick and misinform him. However, Vizenos won a debate with Skiro, who, as a reward, allowed him a place in the pantheon.
• KYVER/VASILOS/'THE EMPEROR': Kyver was an emperor of the Rhean Empire, though depending on who you ask, it could be a different Emperor, or even relating to a separate set of values. Some deem him the god of might and legitimate authority, while others deem him the god of kindness and justice, both of these showing him in subservience to Imlus, and through his power and piety, he ascended to godhood.
• IRPHOS/HIRPHOS/IRPHUS: God of strategy, war as a craft, armies and the facilitation of conquest across the Telenian world. As opposed to Gerkos' far more brutish form of war, Irphos represents a much more refined form of war, honourable and just in conflict. He was once a great general, who fought dragons throughout his life. Eventually, he defeated them and stopped them from destroying the world, confining them mostly to Sidonia, though the gods, particularly Gerkos, refused to acknowledge his heroism. As such, he led an army to the heavens to challenge Gerkos. He won against the war god, becoming a deity, with his army all becoming demigods/spirits of some form.

[Tasuirin]

Final post reservation. Just in case.

[Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States]

OF IRON AND FIRE APPLICATION

NS NAME: Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States
CITY NAME: Nomos
POPULATION: 300.000
SYMBOL OF CITY:

LOCATION OF CITY:

MAJOR COLOURS OF CITY: Bright red, yellow
GOVERNMENT TYPE: Republican Bureaucratic Meritocracy. The city-state of Nomos has an incredibly complex system of laws, lotteries and elections to decide who holds what position, nigh impossible to understand for outsiders. The whole of the government is flipped every year, as there is nothing the Nomoidians fear more than slipping into autocracy.
CULTURE OF CITY: The citizens of Nomos believe they live in the most perfect state imaginable; they hold reason above all else, and believe all problems will eventually be solved by logic. They think lesser of all other civilisations for not having their method of governance. There is a stark division between citizens on one hand, who all own a plot of land and a home, and slaves on the other, who have no rights whatsoever.

CIVIC SPECIALISATIONS: The city of Nomos has a very advanced legal infrastructure, and an advanced bureaucracy.
MILITARY SPECIALISATIONS: The Nomoidians dislike the sea and sea-faring in general, seeing it as a source of sin among the general populace. They focus on land warfare, with a particular focus on pitched battles.
COMPOSITION OF ARMY: Every free citizen trains to be part of the citizen militia, called upon whenever the city is in mortal peril. Feeling that it is sinful to risk their own citizens, however, the city mainly fights the few conflicts it has with mercenaries, the citizen soldiers always being held in reserve. This has gained them a cowardly reputation.
NUMBER OF SHIPS: The city has no trade fleets of its own, as the citizens believe seafaring leads to a sinful life. The docks are managed by the most honest citizens, who are safe from taking over sea-farers sinful ways.

HISTORY OF CITY: Nomos is a relatively young city, having only excited for sixty years. It was conceived as a civic experiment by Herodotus, a great philosopher who wrote much about what the perfect state was supposed to look like. After being evicted from most city-states for trying to incite revolution, he eventually decided to found his own city-state. With some 20.000 followers, raised from all over the known world, he settled on an abandoned island. With some preparation he raised the laws of the city on great stone tablets in the central square of the city, and ruled the city as a philosopher king for the first seven years. After he died, the position of philosopher king was abolished according to his wishes, and replaced with a hugely complex system of laws, positions and checks. The city, averse to foreign ideals, has become somewhat isolated, not really bothered by what happens in the world at large. The city is more aimed at inwards perfection, although it seems incapable of reflection. It thinks little of the slavery within its borders, as well as the inequality between man and woman. Following the ideas of Herodotus, they believe to have already achieved perfection, and happily share this happy news with all who would listen.

#OIAF app - DO NOT DELETE

[Tasuirin]

OF IRON AND FIRE APPLICATION

NS NAME: Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States
CITY NAME: Nomos
...

ACCEPTED! I'll add you to the map later today.

[The Hoosier Alliance]

OF IRON AND FIRE APPLICATION

NS NAME: The Hoosier Alliance
CITY NAME: Thalmos
POPULATION: 515,000
SYMBOL OF CITY:

LOCATION OF CITY:

MAJOR COLOURS OF CITY: Dark red and black
GOVERNMENT TYPE: The Thalmos government is a military autocracy. The Marshal is the head of the government and military, and enjoys absolute power over all aspects of the city state, except religion. Marshals are succeeded by their highest ranking general, and generals are selected based on merit and achievement. Thalmos has an effective bureaucracy that enables the city state the run smoothly day to day.
CULTURE OF CITY: Thalmos is highly militarized and religious. Thalmosians see democracies as weak and consider them as squabbling states populated with fools. Most aspects of society are there to support the military and/or religious foundations of the city state. It is a very traditional city, with a patriarchal government, military, and religion. Many traditions are also focused around the family. Extended families live together, either in the same house, or in the same neighborhood. The eldest male of any family is considered the patriarch. Slavery exists and is mainly limited to servitude and mining, though there is nothing limiting their use in any aspect. There are a number of castes dominating Thalmos, with the warrior caste being the dominate one. Headed by the Marshal, the warrior caste is made of officers, soldiers, and their families. Sons born into the warrior caste are expected to join the military, while daughters are expected to bear and raise sons for the army. The second highest caste would be the priests, who exist almost independently from the Thalmos government and military. Those born into the caste are expected to become priests or priestesses. They monitor blasphemy within the city, plan religious events and ceremonies, advise the Marshal, and see to the religious aspects of the citizens of Thalmos. The third caste is made of the wealthy, such as business owners, slave traders, mine owners, merchants, and the like. They more rights and privileges than commoners, most of which have been bought with the gold they've made. The fourth caste is made up of commoners, such as farmers, miners, merchant sailors, bureaucrats, etc. They have few rights and make up the majority of the city state. The lowest ranking caste would be the slaves, for obvious reasons, as well as foreigners and immigrants.

CIVIC SPECIALISATIONS: Thalmos has an iron working industry that is second to none, considered by many to be one of, if not the, best in the known world. They work hard to produce some of the finest weapons, tools, and other iron products that are sold around the known world.
MILITARY SPECIALISATIONS: The Thalmos military is focused almost completely on it's land army, specifically it's infantry. Thalmos spearmen and swordsmen are some of the best in the world, with their cavalry being capable, and their archers having little training or equipment, as bows are considered cowards weapons. The navy is very small, mostly made up marine filled boarding ships. Merchant ships outnumber military ships by a decent margin. Slaves are used as oarsmen.
COMPOSITION OF ARMY: Total: 45,000
10,000 heavy spearmen
8,000 light spearmen
10,000 swordsmen
2,500 heavy cavalry
1,000 light cavalry
5,000 spear levies
3,500 archers
5,000 marines
NUMBER OF SHIPS: 35 military ships (mostly filled with melee wielding marines), 65 merchant ships

HISTORY OF CITY: Thalmosians worship the God King Thal. As their religion dictates, Thal was once a man and the greatest warrior the world has ever seen. Nearly two centuries ago, Thal lead a small army for a fledgling Rheas city state against a powerful coalition. In a series of pitched battles, Thal won the war with superior infantry and tactics, besieging and burning all four of the cities states to the ground and salting the earth when he was done. He expected to return as a hero to his city state, but he was betrayed. The king of the city state feared he would use his newfound popularity and army to take control, so the king had an army of loyal citizens and mercenaries attack Thal and his army. Thal, being warned beforehand by sympathetic people in the city state, set up defenses between the Var and Netoic rivers. Nearly a week long series of battles followed, with Thal coming out victoriously. He returned to the citystate, and army at his back, and beheaded the traitorous king and sacked the city. He took the families of his loyal soldiers, as well as those who had supported him, and created a new militaristic city state on top of his fortifications. Legend has it, he ascended to Godhood after the Gods of Rheas, impressed with his work, offered him immortality and the title of God King of Man after he laid the final brick of his new city. Following his ascension, his new worshippers named the city in his honor, Thalmos, and continued his tradition of a strong, loyal military and citizenry.

More recently, the city state has fought and won a number of wars, with goals of acquiring slaves, gold, or land. They have been known to launch raids into neighboring territories, mostly on land, though a few on the sea. They have made few military alliances in their history, but their newest Marshal has been looking for better relations with those with power on the sea.

#OIAF app - DO NOT DELETE

[Tasuirin]

I had this whole app done, but my damn laptop restarted for no reason. Just gonna post what I got....big WIP.

Oof. I think most NS'ers know the feeling. Let me know when you're done.

[Reverend Norv]

Here we go: a frontier garrison state in the midst of cultural fusion with its barbarian neighbors. I've done some world-building here that suggests the southern continent is called Sidonia, and that its interior is inhabited by non-Telenian barbarians with a liking for horses and raiding coastal cities. Hope that doesn't overstep my bounds.

OF IRON AND FIRE APPLICATION

NS NAME: Norv

CITY NAME: Propylea

POPULATION: 300,000 urban, with another 400,000 Sidonians living in the rural hinterland.

SYMBOL OF CITY: A grey tower, usually on an off-white field representing undyed horsehair.

LOCATION OF CITY: At the mouth of the Alpeus River, the main artery of trade and colonization into the wild hinterland of the southern continent of Sidonia.

* * *

MAJOR COLOURS OF CITY: The primary color of Propylea is a kind of pale off-white beige, the color of undyed wool or horsehair. It is intended to represent both Sidonia's tradition of equestrianism and Propylea's commitment to military vigilance, which leaves no time for luxuries like dyed textiles. The latter is, of course, more a cultural aspiration than an economic reality.

GOVERNMENT TYPE: The government of Propylea is highly militarized and roughly republican in character, somewhat awkwardly hybridized with the longstanding tribal authorities of the Sidonian interior. It has three main branches.

1. The legislative branch is bicameral.
   
   • The primary house is the Citizen Assembly, in which every citizen household has one vote (though in order to vote, a representative of the household must actually appear in the Assembly). The Citizen Assembly meets ten times a year in the Hall of the People, though it may meet more often during emergencies, and it has the sole authority to make law, levy taxes, declare offensive war, and make peace. As of the last census, it has over six thousand members.
     
   • Approximately sixty percent of Propylaea's 350,000 urban residents are citizens, meaning that their families pay to equip their military-age male members for service in the city's heavy infantry. Each citizen household has one vote in the Assembly. A household is defined based on inheritance rights - the number of people you mention in your will constitutes your household. Therefore, richer families - where inheritance is usually distributed more widely - include fewer household-votes, and poorer families - where inheritance usually goes only to direct offspring - are overrepresented.
     
   • The secondary house is the Council of the Operum, which is made up of the representatives of the fifty wealthiest families in Propylea, and of the representatives of the fifty Sidonian tribes who have joined with the city in federation. This balances the underrepresentation of the wealthy in the Citizen Assembly, and allows the tribal chiefs a powerful voice without subjecting them to elections. The Council of the Operum cannot set any kind of substantive policy, but it has exclusive power of the purse; state revenues cannot be used for any reason without its consent. Therefore, any policy set by the Citizen Assembly must be approved by the Council of the Operum in order to receive funding.
2. Each year, the Citizen Assembly elects three archons; they serve as Propylea's chief administrator ("Archon of the City"), commander-in-chief ("Archon of the Army"), and treasurer/foreign minister ("Archon of the Operum"). Each archon has executive authority over all state employees in his field. Candidates for the archonate must have distinguished themselves in battle, and are chosen by a plurality on the first ballot; successful archons therefore require the name-recognition provided by charisma and military fame. In Propylea, a year is identified by the name of the man who was Archon of the City during it.
   
   
3. The Archerius of Thestos is the chief priest of the Sidonian traditional religion, which has been adopted and somewhat adapted by the Telenians of Propylea as well. This is the monotheistic Temple of Thestos, the god of unlimited spaces (like the sea and sky) and creator of the universe. The Archerius also exercises judicial review; he can strike down any government action as sacrilegious and therefore illegal. Moreover, he appoints all judges to the Twelve Elder Courts that try all cases; judges must be priests, and they exercise both prosecutorial and judicial authority. The Archerius is chosen by a vote of the priests of the Temple, without outside interference; the main check on his power is his reliance upon state funds from the Council of the Operum.
   
   • Two institutions of the Temple of Thestos operate independently, outside the authority of the Archerius. One is the Pankusis of the Tribes, a peculiar priestly council rooted in the fact that Thestos was a Sidonian god before he was a Telenian god. The Pankusis is chosen by the tribal chiefs, and is responsible for defending the rights of Sidonians and other non-citizens. It can strike down any government policy that sacrilegiously targets these groups for mistreatment.
   • The other independent institution of the Temple is the Roeh of the Crag, a virgin priestess who is supposedly gifted with prophetic powers and who communicates omens and direct messages from Thestos when she meditates atop the Crag of Lawasis on the night of the full moon. When the Roeh dies, her powers pass to one of her handmaidens. While she has no formal political power - uniquely among the priests of the Temple, the Roeh has no judicial duties - her prophesies exercise immense influence over the Citizen Assembly, and are often directly political.
4. Non-citizens are divided into two groups. Those who live within the walls of Propylea but cannot afford the equipment of the thorakitai are referred to simply as non-citizens and have have few rights. The tribes of the vast Sidonian interior, on the other hand, are bound to the city by a complex web of treaties that allow them to chose their own chiefs, but require them to pay tribute and provide warriors to Propylea. In return, the city is bound to protect these suntithemi and to provide for their welfare. Chiefs remain largely sovereign within their territories, but are constantly at war with tribes further from the coast who have not allied themselves with Propylea.

CULTURE OF CITY:

Propylea is not a typical Telenian city-state, and indeed many denizens of Nomos and Thassalos wonder whether these stern mainlanders are even truly Telenian at all. Propylea began anomalously, as a collective investment by many southern city-states in ending the raiding of the powerful Sidonian tribes. From the start, therefore, it had a heterogeneous culture with influences from all over the region, which required a high tolerance for dissent and disagreement. This is why, while never among the first rank of Telenian cultural centers, Propylea has long been less of a backwater than is sometimes thought: its diverse origin makes it fertile ground for new ideas. But Propylea also, unlike other cities, has a singular purpose larger than itself: it is civilization's first line of defense against the hordes of Sidonian horsemen. These conflicting influences produced a culture that was eclectic in its self-expression, but disciplined in its institutions; vigilant toward outsiders, but forgiving of internal diversity; committed to a warrior identity, but defined in defensive rather than imperial terms. The attendant sense of constant threat, of having no time for luxuries or leisure, is also deeply rooted in the Propylean psyche.

This culture has changed drastically in the last eighty years, as fifty of the tribes of the Sidonian interior - mostly those living in the Alpeus River valley - have become bound by treaty to Propylea. This has made Propylea somewhat more than a city-state; it is now a city-state with a vast, half-incorporated hinterland populated by a non-Telenian population that outnumbers the citizens of Propylea itself. It has also produced an extraordinary fusion culture: most Propyleans now speak Sidonian, just as their Sidonian suntithemi speak Telenian - and each language has absorbed hundreds of borrow-words from the other. Propylea boasts perhaps the most powerful cavalry force in the Telenian world, because it has incorporated the Sidonian tribes' ancient affinity for horsemanship and horse-breeding. Most stunningly of all, Propylea has actually converted to the worship of the Sidonian god Thestos, abandoning Telen's ancient polytheism for a new monotheistic faith that has rapidly meshed with the city's stern and self-denying idea of itself. No longer purely or simply Telenian, even as it serves as the defender of Telen's southern frontier, the return of the dragons finds Propylea in a moment of dramatic cultural transition.

* * *

CIVIC SPECIALISATIONS: Propylea's status as Telen's southern guardian means that it is mostly exceptional for its military accomplishments. But its civil society does stand out in a few ways. Having more territory to control than the typical city-state, for example, Propylea has come to excel at the construction of roads, bridges, and ferries. And its heterogeneous beginning, together with its more recent cultural fusion with its Sidonian neighbors, has made Propylea reluctant to police the thoughts of its citizens. This military pragmatism - pay your taxes, show up for training, and you'll be left alone - makes the frontier city a magnet for cranks, prophets, and the occasional genius who have been driven from more ideologically rigid societies all over Telen.

MILITARY SPECIALISATIONS:

Propylea is one of Telen's great military powers, though its might has historically only been directed against the Sidonian tribes of the southern interior. The core of its forces remains the heavy infantry of the city, or thorakitai; every citizen family must pay to equip its military-age male members, and to send them for training one day per week, and one month per year. Propylea's whole educational system is set up to prepare citizens for service in the thorakitai; alongside literacy and rhetoric, it emphasizes discipline, physical toughness, and teamwork. The city's infantry are uniformly equipped with mail-and-leather cuirasses, oval shields of wood and leather reinforced with iron, nine-foot thrusting spears, and short stabbing swords. They are trained to fight in tight formation but in relatively small units. This, together with their professionalism and discipline, allows for a greater degree of tactical flexibility on the battlefield than would be possible in vast phalanxes - a necessity in combat with Sidonian irregulars over broken ground.

From its slow cultural fusion with its Sidonian neighbors, Propylea has also acquired a very un-Telenian appreciation for cavalry forces. Most Propylean cavalry are in fact Sidonian tribesmen, drawn from the allied suntithemi. Lightly armored, they fight as skirmishers and flankers, using javelins and recurved bows and long slashing swords. Typically, they will pin down the enemy, guard the flanks, and ensure that the thorakitai can safely close to deliver the killing blow. In recent years, innovative military thinkers have combined the armor and discipline of the thorakitai with the horsemanship of the tribesmen, creating a new and still small force of heavy cavalry; these units are used to charge the enemy in tight formation using long thrusting spears, and are intended to punch holes in enemy formations for the thorakitai to exploit.

Propylea is not a major naval power, and in fact most of its ships are intended for shallow-draft operations on the Alpeus River rather than the open ocean - though they are mostly seaworthy. But what makes many more established Telenian powers most nervous about this frontier state is its combination of experience and innovation. For more than a century, Propylea has waged constant war against the tribes of the interior. This has given it a depth of combat experience and institutional expertise unsurpassed in Telen. But as a young society in the midst of cultural change, Propylea is also willing to experiment in ways that most other city-states are not. While not expert in siege warfare or naval battle, no one doubts that Propylea's veteran commanders and engineers could, in time, figure out new and innovative ways to approach either. That military dynamism, more than anything else, is what makes Propylea a foe to be feared.

COMPOSITION OF ARMY: 24,000 thorakitai - seven percent of the urban population, including all men 19-40 - of whom only 3,500 are generally called to serve at any given moment; 20,000 Sidonian tribal horsemen; 2,000 heavy cavalry; 5,000 oarsmen, mostly urban non-citizens or slaves.

NUMBER OF SHIPS: 40 merchant ships, 30 military barges (mostly seaworthy, but primarily intended to sail on the Alpeus River), 15 ocean-going triremes.

* * *

HISTORY OF CITY:

165 years ago, the Sidonian tribes of the southern interior had recently mastered horsemanship and iron-working. These two advances allowed them to wreak havoc on surrounding Telenian cities. Their raiding devastated trade and actually sacked several city-states. As a result, nineteen southern cities pooled their resources to found Propylea at the mouth of the Alpeus River: the easiest route deep into the wild heart of Sidonia. They sent their warriors, their outcasts, their criminals: anyone who could fight and who wouldn't be missed at home. And they built a city so close to the Sidonian tribal heartland, so obviously aggressive, that it would be the natural first target for the tribes' raiding for generations to come. Propylea was founded as a first line of defense - a diversion, a bastion, and a human shield.

For eighty years, Propylea developed under wildly anomalous circumstances. Constant warfare with the tribes, who fought by no civilized rules, gave rise to a militarized society and a ruthless pragmatism that diverged sharply from the Telenian ideal of martial glory. The need to build a coherent society out of a wildly heterogenous population produced a carefully balanced republican government that pleased no one, but that prevented dangerous unrest. As the generations passed, and Propylea's precarious situation stabilized, the city began to draw on its unlikely success for its collective identity: the cast-off refuse of Telen, through discipline and self-denial, had become the mighty shield that kept civilization safe.

This culture began to change eighty years ago, when the Archon of the Operum Andronikos began to negotiate treaties with nearby Sidonian tribes. The number of these suntithemi gradually swelled until the number of Sidonians pledged to defend Propylea and to pay it tribute actually exceeded the number of Telenians living in the city. As ties between the two communities grew stronger, children of both groups began to learn the other's language. The suntithemi internalized something of Propylea's stern social discipline, and the Telenians found themselves riding horses and drinking mare's milk like their neighbors. Thanks to the efforts of a prophet known as the Great Roeh, Propylea even converted to the monotheistic faith of the Sidonian god Thestos, and wove Thestan and tribal institutions into the government of the city. Today, this political and cultural fusion has left Propylea in theoretical control of a large swathe of the Alpeus River valley, and it has produced a burst of remarkable military innovation and cultural creativity. But it has also made Propylea a semi-barbarized outlier in the Telenian world: a border-guard city that became a little too comfortable with the people it was supposed to be guarding against.

#OIAF app - DO NOT DELETE

[Tasuirin]

Here we go: a frontier garrison state in the midst of cultural fusion with its barbarian neighbors. I've done some world-building here that suggests the southern continent is called Sidonia, and that its interior is inhabited by non-Telenian barbarians with a liking for horses and raiding coastal cities. Hope that doesn't overstep my bounds.

OF IRON AND FIRE APPLICATION

(Image)

NS NAME: Norv
CITY NAME: Propylea

I really like that lore. I will implement it into the main lore! Additionally, your app is indeed ACCEPTED!

Will update the map as soon as possible. Will post when I've done so.

EDIT: Wow, that was quicker than expected. Regardless, I'll be making some more maps for the RP, so watch out for those.

[Tasuirin]

Between now and the start of the RP, I intend to get things such as religion, basic history of the region and other similar things done. Specifically on the religion front, I intend to make it very open to syncretism/local cults etc., and somewhat along the lines of the Ancient Greek pantheon. Does anyone have any requests they'd like for me to put into the main pantheon (as opposed to the extended pantheons of regions). Also, if there is lore anyone wants/needs to see for the RP, I can try to get it sorted soon.

I'll probably start the IC when the lore is finished, as other players can come in during the course of the RP with very little issue.

[Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States]

Between now and the start of the RP, I intend to get things such as religion, basic history of the region and other similar things done. Specifically on the religion front, I intend to make it very open to syncretism/local cults etc., and somewhat along the lines of the Ancient Greek pantheon. Does anyone have any requests they'd like for me to put into the main pantheon (as opposed to the extended pantheons of regions). Also, if there is lore anyone wants/needs to see for the RP, I can try to get it sorted soon.

I'll probably start the IC when the lore is finished, as other players can come in during the course of the RP with very little issue.

The Ancient Greeks had a very interesting view of the natural world, as one of constant rebirth. Gods are seen as part of the natural world, constrained by the same limitations, as opposed to the Hebrew God who is above nature itself. It would be nice to see that reflected.

[Tasuirin]

Between now and the start of the RP, I intend to get things such as religion, basic history of the region and other similar things done. Specifically on the religion front, I intend to make it very open to syncretism/local cults etc., and somewhat along the lines of the Ancient Greek pantheon. Does anyone have any requests they'd like for me to put into the main pantheon (as opposed to the extended pantheons of regions). Also, if there is lore anyone wants/needs to see for the RP, I can try to get it sorted soon.

I'll probably start the IC when the lore is finished, as other players can come in during the course of the RP with very little issue.

The Ancient Greeks had a very interesting view of the natural world, as one of constant rebirth. Gods are seen as part of the natural world, constrained by the same limitations, as opposed to the Hebrew God who is above nature itself. It would be nice to see that reflected.

I'd agree, that was an interesting worldview. I'll see if I can reflect that kind of thing.

[Reverend Norv]

The Ancient Greeks had a very interesting view of the natural world, as one of constant rebirth. Gods are seen as part of the natural world, constrained by the same limitations, as opposed to the Hebrew God who is above nature itself. It would be nice to see that reflected.

I'd agree, that was an interesting worldview. I'll see if I can reflect that kind of thing.

The Temple of Thestos would likely be seen as blasphemous, then, not because it's local and syncretic, but because it rejects a naturalistic view of the divine in favor of a transcendent and unknowable one.

[Benuty]

This certainly has my interest.

[The Imperial Warglorian Empire]

-Embarrasing historical error-

[Reverend Norv]

Looks awesome

So when you say classical, do you have a specific century in mind? 1200s? 1300s? 1500s?

Cause the difference could be between iron plated knights or early cannon

Classical Greece - like 400-500 BC.

That's why we're all talking about city-states, philosophers, and maritime trade powers.

[Tasuirin]

I'd agree, that was an interesting worldview. I'll see if I can reflect that kind of thing.

The Temple of Thestos would likely be seen as blasphemous, then, not because it's local and syncretic, but because it rejects a naturalistic view of the divine in favor of a transcendent and unknowable one.

That is an interesting subversion of the traditional worldview. Would this have come from lots of philosophical musings within the city's history, or as part of the mixing of Sidonian and Telenian traditions?

Looks awesome

So when you say classical, do you have a specific century in mind? 1200s? 1300s? 1500s?

Cause the difference could be between iron plated knights or early cannon

Classical Greece - like 400-500 BC.

That's why we're all talking about city-states, philosophers, and maritime trade powers.

This is correct. While a gunpowder-era fantasy does sound amazing, this RP is set in the era of hoplites, triremes and great philosophers.

[The Imperial Warglorian Empire]

Looks awesome

So when you say classical, do you have a specific century in mind? 1200s? 1300s? 1500s?

Cause the difference could be between iron plated knights or early cannon

Classical Greece - like 400-500 BC.

That's why we're all talking about city-states, philosophers, and maritime trade powers.

Oh sorry, got my time era names wrong

I thought you were talking about like around the 1300s or something, I don't know why but I call that the Classical Era for some reason

Anyways, Brain fart

[The Imperial Warglorian Empire]

The Temple of Thestos would likely be seen as blasphemous, then, not because it's local and syncretic, but because it rejects a naturalistic view of the divine in favor of a transcendent and unknowable one.

That is an interesting subversion of the traditional worldview. Would this have come from lots of philosophical musings within the city's history, or as part of the mixing of Sidonian and Telenian traditions?

Classical Greece - like 400-500 BC.

That's why we're all talking about city-states, philosophers, and maritime trade powers.

This is correct. While a gunpowder-era fantasy does sound amazing, this RP is set in the era of hoplites, triremes and great philosophers.

Yeah, once again, I got super confused

Sorry, it's 11 where I am, just got back to my home after a flight, all that

Also I do legit sometimes call the 1400s-1600s the Classical Age, not sure why

[The Imperial Warglorian Empire]

Also partly because when I saw "irl but with dragons" I automatically thought Game of Thrones, especially since i've been rewatching some of it too lately

[Reverend Norv]

The Temple of Thestos would likely be seen as blasphemous, then, not because it's local and syncretic, but because it rejects a naturalistic view of the divine in favor of a transcendent and unknowable one.

That is an interesting subversion of the traditional worldview. Would this have come from lots of philosophical musings within the city's history, or as part of the mixing of Sidonian and Telenian traditions?

Mostly as an adaptation of Sidonian traditions. Thestos is, as I mentioned in my app, originally a Sidonian god. While the Telenians of Propylea have rendered that wild and mystical monotheism a bit more rational and systematic since adopting it, they are still essentially converts to a non-Telenian religion that does not share the core worldview of their original civilization. Propylea's religious conversion is by far its biggest departure from the rest of the Telenian world.

[Tasuirin]

That is an interesting subversion of the traditional worldview. Would this have come from lots of philosophical musings within the city's history, or as part of the mixing of Sidonian and Telenian traditions?


This is correct. While a gunpowder-era fantasy does sound amazing, this RP is set in the era of hoplites, triremes and great philosophers.

Yeah, once again, I got super confused

Sorry, it's 11 where I am, just got back to my home after a flight, all that

Also I do legit sometimes call the 1400s-1600s the Classical Age, not sure why

That's fair, not a worry. It's late here too, I really should be asleep. But yeah, not a worry at all.

That is an interesting subversion of the traditional worldview. Would this have come from lots of philosophical musings within the city's history, or as part of the mixing of Sidonian and Telenian traditions?

Mostly as an adaptation of Sidonian traditions. Thestos is, as I mentioned in my app, originally a Sidonian god. While the Telenians of Propylea have rendered that wild and mystical monotheism a bit more rational and systematic since adopting it, they are still essentially converts to a non-Telenian religion that does not share the core worldview of their original civilization. Propylea's religious conversion is by far its biggest departure from the rest of the Telenian world.

This whole religion thing's gonna be fun!

[The Hoosier Alliance]

I should have my app done today

[Robo-Nixon]

OF IRON AND FIRE APPLICATION

NS NAME: Robo-Nixon
CITY NAME: Salenippos
POPULATION: 720,000
SYMBOL OF CITY:

LOCATION OF CITY:

MAJOR COLOURS OF CITY: Deep red, maroon and blood-red in particular, a symbol of the warring culture and history of Salenippos and wealth acquired by the City.
GOVERNMENT TYPE: The political system of Salenippos is traditionally explained as an autocracy ruled by Tyrants whose legitimacy comes from support by the military, personal wealth and, sometimes, the ancestry of the would-be Tyrant (a ruler with, for instance, a grandfather who is remembered as an effective Tyrant would be a traditional candidate). While this is true, the City State differs from others with a similar political system in that there is room on the floor for public debate and open criticism of leadership by the social elite. Depending on the personality of the ruling Tyrant and current degree of unity within the state, oligarchical tendencies arise as Tyrants are derived from a narrow circle of old and wealthy families.The emergence of a new Tyrant upon the death (or, on rare occasions, deposition) of another often comes with some blood spill. Civil wars have been fought in the past but usually, succession conflicts are limited to mob fighting on city streets or simply the peaceful acceptance of a new Tyrant by the elite class and citizens alike. While the Tyrant is free to make any decisions and introduce new laws by decree as he pleases, it is customary for him to call a Citizen's Assembly in the least once a year, during which any citizen is free to speak to the Tyrant about their concerns or submit citizen petitions.

Salenippos possesses a relatively large bureaucracy that maintains an efficient system of taxation, judiciary, and public order. It also carries out public censuses, counting the population by citizens, non-citizens and slaves. Citizens, the propertied class, who are either born to this class or purchased citizenship during their lifetime, make up just over 50% of the population and make up the vast majority of the inhabitants of Salenippos (the City) itself. Landowning citizens are taxed on their produce, merchants are taxes on the profit they make from goods and so on, but citizen households that volunteer at least one soldier to the army/navy are free from paying taxes. Non-citizens, which tend to work in rural areas on land owned by citizens, pay no taxes but may be conscripted to military service or civic service at any time. Additionally, non-citizens cannot be represented in courts and lack other rights of citizens. Slaves, being property to citizens, have no rights of their own but are not taxed (as they do not usually receive income) and cannot be conscripted.
CULTURE OF CITY: A great deal of self-pride exists among citizens of Salenippos, who see themselves as part of the center of Telenian culture and a powerhouse of Pelagia. While the laziness of Salenippeans are often exaggerated, there may be some truth to the concept as the favorable agricultural conditions have washed away the memories of poor harvests, resulting in citizens not being very hardened compared to some parts of the world where living happens under harsh conditions. Because of this, the concept of leisure, sports and feasting have a significant place in the soul of the Salenippeans, particularly wealthy citizens. The relatively high degree of freedom of speech and good intellectual environment has spawned a number of names among philosophy and art from Salenippos, such as the tragedian Medios and moral philosopher Kleopater. Additionally, Salenippos is considered freely open to foreign merchants, as long as they pay tolls and docking fees, which has brought in some later cultural influences from other trading powers.

CIVIC SPECIALISATIONS: The Salenippean system of taxation is very efficient, and with a significant level of output in terms of primary and secondary goods, the State possesses a huge amount of resources. In addition, Salenippos has many tributaries among smaller states, towns and cities on the island of Tharoneia which generates additional revenue to pay for infrastructure and military power.
MILITARY SPECIALISATIONS: Salenippos boasts both a large land army and strong navy worthy one such important trading hub. Because of a considerable pool of manpower from willing citizens and disposable non-citizens, Salenippos has primarily focused on being able to field large military forces, which has proved highly successful when fighting wars against smaller powers. The army is short of discipline, especially among non-citizen soldiers, which is one result of the conscription policies. Equipment quality varies from army units, of which there are four types:
-Citizen phalanx: the main battle line of the Salenippean army consists of units of phalangists who provide their own equipment, which includes an 14ft pike, small bronze-covered circular shield, bronze and leather armor (breastplate, helmet with cheekplates, greaves) and secondary short sword. These are commanded by generals appointed by the Tyrant and field approximately 200 men per phalanx.
-Archers: Salenippeans are known to practice archery and equip most of their non-citizen recruits with bow and arrow. These soldiers are of relatively low quality, receiving training in archery mostly, and possess only short swords to defend themselves in close combat. Units of archers tend to be between 100 and 200 men large.
-Light cavalry: Making expert use of reconnaissance in war, Salenippos fields cavalry contingents that scout ahead for the armies, serve as rearguards and protect army flanks in battle. These cavalry units are fielded by citizens that can provide a horse, and these wear light armor and are armed with either short swords or spear, and wooden shield, possibly short throwing spears as well. Cavalry contingents are 50 men large.
-Light infantry (Kapris): Kapris, or swordsmen also provide an essential part of the Salenippean army, consisting of non-citizens, who are lightly protected and armed with sword and shield. These are often placed in reserve and used in close combat to break opposing phalanxes, and often tasked with supporting roles and siege duties if appropriate. A Kapris stands 100 men strong.

Overall, the army is strong in quantity (having large manpower pools to draw from), but it should also be noted that the Salenippean army is skilled at siege warfare, employing engineers to construct siege weapons and tasking non-citizen conscripts to starve settlements into submission. Salenippos's navy is a strong force large enough to deter threats in the region, and utilizes light infantry marines and archers as marines.
COMPOSITION OF ARMY: Total size of military (excluding additional manpower through non-citizen conscription): 73,000 men
-Citizen phalanx: 16,000 men
-Archers: 21,000 men
-Light cavalry: 3,000 men
-Light infantry (Kapris): 12,000 men
-Sailors/rowers: 15,000 men
-Marines: 6,000 men
NUMBER OF SHIPS: 160 merchant ships, 90 military ships

HISTORY OF CITY: It is likely that Salenippos began much like it is likely to end, from the astonishing ambition of a Tyrant. The Tyrant of Peanopolis, an old city state in Rheas, sent out his oldest son, failed coup-maker, to start his own settlement on the promisingly prosperous southern region of Tharoneia. Saleon, the Tyrant's son, had thousands of slaves and mercenary warriors transported across the sea, nearly halted by storm and typhus epidemic, but reached his destination nonetheless. He ordered for the construction of a city around a hill positioned between the ocean and a small lake, a suitable position, and had citizens from Peanopolis transported there to inhabit the city once its skeleton structure had been completed. Established within a generation, it would grow to become a significant trading hub at the heart of the southern reach of Pelagia and show its dominance over the cities that had grown and would grow on the same island of Tharoneia. Its Tyrants have waged numerous wars, not limited to Tharoneia, with destructive intent, taking slaves and razing cities to the ground to outmaneuver rivals in trade.

One of Salenippos traditional enemies is Thassalos, which has had an important trade influence over Tharoneia that Salenippos has always seen as unjustfull. A number of wars have been waged between the two, always ending in stalemate, with Thassalosian (do tell me if there's another demonym) invasions of Tharoneia proving unsuccessful and Salenippean naval excursions to the north ending in military disaster. The more recent conflicts have taken shape in proxy wars, which Salenippos handles by brutally putting down any resistance to its nominal dominance over Tharoneian city states and the payment of tributes. Its current Tyrant, Cherrhos, has so far vehemently opposed friendship with Thassalos, although currently, no actual state of war exists.

#OIAF app - DO NOT DELETE

[Tasuirin]

OF IRON AND FIRE APPLICATION

NS NAME: Robo-Nixon
CITY NAME: Salenippos

ACCEPTED. I'll add you to the roster later on. Looking good, though.