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

[Reverend Norv]

Pending final OP approval, I’m willing to accept this. Welcome to the game!

[Nea Byzantia]

Pending final OP approval, I’m willing to accept this. Welcome to the game!

Thank you...My pleasure. I'm guessing the Phylesian relationship to some of its neighbors is less than cordial?

[Toaslandia]

What I mean by it being that large amount is that children are conscripted at a young age, and members of the military stay in it until death.

Still: even if every able-bodied, military age male could afford hoplite armor - which was not the case anywhere in Ancient Greece - that would still only total maybe thirty percent of your total population. The rest are children, women, very old, or invalids. Some of those may have some amount of military training, but nine-year-olds and toothless old men don’t count as soldiers. No society in history has ever been able to call seventy percent of its population for military service. It is demographically impossible.

Okay, changed it to 5,000. Is that good?

[Tasuirin]

Pending final OP approval, I’m willing to accept this. Welcome to the game!

Honestly, looks fine to me! I'll get onto adding you to the map later. ACCEPTED!

Excellent. ACCEPTED! I'll add you to the roster and map in the morning, as I suddenly realise I've been asleep in my chair for the past hour, and I need more sleep.

On another note, I'll probably start the IC tomorrow also, and after that, I'll give people two to three days to post before I start adding dragons ( ).

I just want to point out that the numbers on this app don't work. You can't raise 35,000 hoplites out of a total population of 50,000.

I didn't even notice this. The new totals are definitely better, though I'd be tempted to lower the number of professional cavalry. You can raise the numbers of levies to compensate if you'd like.

[Toaslandia]

Pending final OP approval, I’m willing to accept this. Welcome to the game!

Honestly, looks fine to me! I'll get onto adding you to the map later. ACCEPTED!

I just want to point out that the numbers on this app don't work. You can't raise 35,000 hoplites out of a total population of 50,000.

I didn't even notice this. The new totals are definitely better, though I'd be tempted to lower the number of professional cavalry. You can raise the numbers of levies to compensate if you'd like.

Ok, I lowered the cav down to half it's original size and added that half onto the levies.

[Tasuirin]

Honestly, looks fine to me! I'll get onto adding you to the map later. ACCEPTED!


I didn't even notice this. The new totals are definitely better, though I'd be tempted to lower the number of professional cavalry. You can raise the numbers of levies to compensate if you'd like.

Ok, I lowered the cav down to half it's original size and added that half onto the levies.

Excellent. Glad to have you here!

[Nea Byzantia]

Pending final OP approval, I’m willing to accept this. Welcome to the game!

Honestly, looks fine to me! I'll get onto adding you to the map later. ACCEPTED!

I just want to point out that the numbers on this app don't work. You can't raise 35,000 hoplites out of a total population of 50,000.

I didn't even notice this. The new totals are definitely better, though I'd be tempted to lower the number of professional cavalry. You can raise the numbers of levies to compensate if you'd like.

Thank you, much appreciated.

[Nea Byzantia]

OF IRON AND FIRE APPLICATION

NS NAME: Nea Byzantia
CITY NAME: Phylesia
POPULATION: 750,000 (250,000 in the city, 500,000 spread in the vast rural farmlands inland)
SYMBOL OF CITY: (Image)
LOCATION OF CITY: At the mouth of the lower bay near the Eastern Peninsula where Telenian culture originated

MAJOR COLOURS OF CITY: Gold and Red
GOVERNMENT TYPE:Absolute Monarchy (ruled by King Phanarios V)

(Image)
(King Phanarios V, in the 56th year of his reign)


CULTURE OF CITY: The descendants of an Ancient Empire that once dominated almost all of Rheas; speak their own language (a cousin of Telenian, but not quite Telenian; think Latin vs Greek), Very Aristocratic, vertical social structure, Agrarian society, strong distrust of Merchants and Bankers; seen by the other Telenian civilizations as "backwards" and "stuffy".

CIVIC SPECIALISATIONS: Road-building, Hydraulics, Civil Engineering in general, Agriculture (known as the "Bread-basket of the region")

MILITARY SPECIALISATIONS: Land Warfare; very reliant on hoplite style infantry, with a decent amount of Cavalry provided by nomadic barbarian tribes incorporated into Imperial territory; very weak at sea

(Image)
(typical Phylesian citizen-hoplite)


COMPOSITION OF ARMY: Citizen Soldiers, Auxiliary Cavalry
NUMBER OF SHIPS: 62 galleys

HISTORY OF CITY: One of the ancient of the Old Telenian cities, Phylesia lies at the mouth of the Photias Bay; a region known for its fertile lands, and vast vineyards. Originally, Phylesia was the capital of the mighty Rhean Empire, a vast superpower which gave its name to the northern continent. Roads and settlements criss-crossed the continents, and the Emperors in Phylesia sent out colonies into the Sea. Gradually, the outer regions and colonies developed their own culture and ways of life; but the Imperial Center at Phylesia maintained its pedigree of Old Telenian culture.

However, all good things come to an end. Eventually, the Empire grew decadent and collapsed. The last of the Emperors was deposed some centuries ago, and Phylesia fell to the rapacious and oligarchic rule of the Kantakounid Family, who gradually transitioned from bankers to barons. The Kantakounids impoverished and robbed the farmers and landowners of the vineyards, and sold off most of the city's assets to the wealthy merchants of former colonies abroad. They lived like kings and built grandiose palaces, while their subjects out in the country starved. The city had become adump, a shadow of its former self.

Finally, after some 150 years of Kantakounid rule, the oppressed and heavily-indebted farmers rose up and installed Phanarios Pandelion as King of Phylesia. The King quashed the Kantakounid Oligarchs and seized all their wealth and assets. The Pandelion Dynasty has ruled the City ever since, exporting grain, olives and the famous Phylesian Red Wine to other cities. Due to previous experience of being ruled by rapacious Oligarchs, the Phylesian lands and assets are all owned by the King, and leased to the Farmers and wine-growers, who are allowed to keep most of their produce for themselves while the rest is given to the King to sell abroad. The City is also renowned for its very large and impressive defensive walls, the Phanarian Wall, built by King Phanarios III (grandfather of the current King). Since that time, Phylesia has been expanding its holdings inland, establishing settlements and connecting them via roads to the Capital. The Phylesian Monarchy also has a ban on usury (enforced religiously due to previous Oligarchic rule), and view foreign merchants in general, with suspicion, though it trades with them on a regular basis. The Pandelionid Kingdom of Phylesia is predominatly a land-power, and a major exporter of wine, olive oil and grain.

#OIAF app - DO NOT DELETE

Would it be too much of a stretch if King Phanarios V of Phylesia declared himself Emperor of Rheas as well?

Just because he styles himself Emperor because he rules the Old Imperial Capital, doesn't mean the other cities have to recognize him. Not like his family is related to the old Imperial House which died out centuries ago.

[St George Territory]

OF IRON AND FIRE APPLICATION

NS NAME: St. George Territory
CITY NAME: Xenos
POPULATION: 180,000 in the walls, 203,000 outside the walls.
SYMBOL OF CITY:

LOCATION OF CITY:

MAJOR COLOURS OF CITY: Black and white
GOVERNMENT TYPE: The head of the City-state of Xenos is the grand admiral of the Xenos navy, under that, a council of one hundred citizens is chosen at random to represent the citizenry, where they may put forward suggestions to the Admiral. The council holds terms of a single year, but may be extended in times of war; during those times the Admiral selects a member of the council to represent him while he is off fighting in the conflict, where the council will remain in power until the admiral is killed or returns home.
CULTURE OF CITY: Xenos- the bastard city of Telenia- comprised of the worst of the societies, banished and exiled, be they Telenian or Barbarian, they find their home in Xenos, as every man and woman is a foreigner to the land, even if they have lived in the city and can trace their roots back several generations. With that in mind, the only requirement for citizenship is that the person speaks the language and pays their taxes as is owed for being in the land of refuge.

CIVIC SPECIALISATIONS: The shipyards of Xenos are quite famed for its talent in the construction of ships.
MILITARY SPECIALISATIONS: Xenos prefers naval combat in all cases, even offering their services as mercenaries during times when fishing and whaling is slow.
COMPOSITION OF ARMY: 10,000 levies, 30,000 Sidonian tribal warriors, 50,000 sailors/oarsmen, 18,000 marines
NUMBER OF SHIPS: (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.) 70 merchant galleys, 110 warships, 40 fishing vessels

HISTORY OF CITY: Founded nearly one hundred years ago by an exile/philosopher from Rheas by the name of Irenaeus the Small, who took his family and several of his followers and their families southward. Upon reaching the bay that would eventually be the Bay of Irenaeus he spotted a snake and followed it to where Xenos would be founded. It was decided by Irenaeus and his followers that the land would be one for people of no nation, where they could find a home while in exile. Over the hundred years more and more exiles from both the Sidonian lands, Rheas and Pelegia came to call Xenos home, enjoying the freedom and the bountiful waters that surrounded them, while this freedom was greatly enjoyed, it was also greatly abused as pirates would as well call the land their home, raiding trade routes and returning with their ill-gotten goods. Beyond that, Xenos has routinely offered its navy to the highest bidder in fighting in foreign wars with men who have little else to lose but their lives.

#OIAF app - DO NOT DELETE

[Tasuirin]

Would it be too much of a stretch if King Phanarios V of Phylesia declared himself Emperor of Rheas as well?

Just because he styles himself Emperor because he rules the Old Imperial Capital, doesn't mean the other cities have to recognize him. Not like his family is related to the old Imperial House which died out centuries ago.

Eh... I would be able to accept that the king has aspirations of being Emperor of Rheas in the future, and that could be part of a plot for once the RP starts and the dragons start attacking, when most cities are distracted by the whole debacle, but at the beginning of the story, I wouldn't think that he'd be realistically able to style himself as emperor.

[Jade Confederacy]

BTW do we have access to faster ways of communications such as homing pigeons? Transit between the cities could take a while and I think it be best to set up a standard before the RP starts. Like a week for a ship to sail from Salenippos to Nomos or a days ride from Almaria to Thalmos

[The Imperial Reach]

Oh man, this looks good.

Question: does the city-state have to be Hellenic in theme?

[Markev]

This looks really impressive.

Is the only fantasy aspect the dragons? Or if I wanted to could I make a city-state ruled by a vampiric upper class?

[Nu-Amerika]

Big boi tag

[St George Territory]

Alright, I think my app is done

[Tasuirin]

BTW do we have access to faster ways of communications such as homing pigeons? Transit between the cities could take a while and I think it be best to set up a standard before the RP starts. Like a week for a ship to sail from Salenippos to Nomos or a days ride from Almaria to Thalmos

Homing pigeons would be allowed, however, I'd think they should be used sparingly. Runners and ships were quite common in the era also, whereas I think homing pigeons would be used mostly for really time-sensitive information.

As for travel times, given that a trireme could travel comfortably over long distances at around 5 knots (~9.26 km/h), and I'd say that the length of the map is approximately 1,481km, width being about 1,350km (give or take, this is just really rough mathematics), you can apply that to most of the distances on the map. As for running, not much technologically has allowed that to change, so the same could be done there. Unless, of course, we wanted to add an official road system, which could be fun.

Oh man, this looks good.

Question: does the city-state have to be Hellenic in theme?

The city state can have influences from other cultures, as some other city-states here have done, but to some extent, there should be a Hellenic influence there. To what extent, you can decide.

This looks really impressive.

Is the only fantasy aspect the dragons? Or if I wanted to could I make a city-state ruled by a vampiric upper class?

Eh... I'd prefer not to have vampires, to be honest. Very cruel, dictatorial and tyrannical leaders, perhaps, yeah. But actual vampires... I'd be wary of putting those in.

[Tasuirin]

OF IRON AND FIRE APPLICATION

NS NAME: St. George Territory
CITY NAME: Xenos

ACCEPTED. The idea of an exile city has a lot of possibility to add to political intrigue and general plottiness.

[Tasuirin]

Updated the OP. I don't think I've missed anyone, but if you notice that I have, give me a yell, and I'll try to get onto that.

There were some questions about the size of dragons, and their eventual spread over the region. I'm intending them to be quite large, maybe between Smaug-sized and GoT-sized, but I was also thinking that, as a feature of their species, they would continue to grow as their life drags on, never reaching a maximum size, so older dragons are always larger than younger ones. As for the spread, they will at some point inhabit the whole region, so while early-on, Sidonian cities will have more of a problem with them, by the later stages, there will be little difference. Everyone will be getting dragon attacks, it's just a matter of when.

I have a couple of things I want to sort out before I get the IC going. I have basic info about the religion noted on my phone, so I'll write that on the lore post. As well as that, I would like to get a map of where the historic "regions" of Telen are located (Telen-proper being, for the moment, pretty devoid of cities), and perhaps more information about the dragons, such as specifics of size. Once that has occurred, I'll start the IC up so that we can get on with actual roleplaying. Also, when the IC is up, I'll put an ad on the P2TM RP Advertisement thread.

For the moment, a bit of a wait, but hopefully not too long.

What do you think, added some details. I don't want to go too much into the Old Empire, cause I want to give others a chance to develop lore too.

I think it may be an idea to really downplay these inland settlements you speak of. At this point, Telen really is going through a phase of city-states, so it's doubtful that, at the moment, they would be more than just trading villages or collections of buildings.

Also, quick note for you, I placed you on the map where I interpreted your specifications. I'm not as sure with your app whether I got the right position, so please correct me if it was wrong. I don't require a map from you if you're mostly okay with anywhere, but it would help for specificity's sake if that is not the case.

Right. Got some work to do. Cheerio everyone, happy apping.

[Nu-Amerika]

*snip*

[Andsed]

OF IRON AND FIRE APPLICATION

NS NAME: Andsed
CITY NAME: Vison
POPULATION: 310,000
SYMBOL OF CITY:

LOCATION OF CITY:

MAJOR COLOURS OF CITY: Dark green and red.
GOVERNMENT TYPE: An oligarchy with a small council of military commanders and government officials controlling the city.
CULTURE OF CITY: Visonians have been taught to be dedicated completely to the state and that they had the duty to do everything they can to serve it. Their is no real nobility or class system as Visonian see it as a foolish way to restrict those with potential from helping the state. Instead people are judged on how much they benefit the city. Visonian worship the god Viska who is said to favor them as long as they dedicate themselves and their state to him.

CIVIC SPECIALISATIONS: A very dedicated workforce, decent ports.
MILITARY SPECIALISATIONS: The Visonian military on land is focused on using flanking maneuvers along with defensive tactics to win battles. Thus the army is comprised of the main body of hoplites supported by light infantry and Calvary used to flank with a small core of skirmishers supporting. The Visonian to not prefer to fight large naval battles so they try to avoid them. So they Visonian navy is comprised of fast moving naval vessels used to quickly transport the troops where they need to go.
COMPOSITION OF ARMY:
2,000 Visonian hoplites: the professional core of the army being well armored and well trained.
11,000 Visonian millita hoplites: the numbers of the army being civilian soldiers given basic training and equipment. Usually only 7,000 can be called up at a time but in emergency all 11,000 can.
3,000, Visonian infantry: this is a small core of fast moving decently trained men who have been give light armor and swords and shield to be fast moving flanking units. They while civilians soldiers are given decent training.
1,000 Visonian Calvary: Professional soldiers who make the small cavalry force in the army. Used for quick flanking movements being given decent training and decent equipment.
600 Visonian archers: A small well trained force used to support the other parts of the army. They are professional soldiers and are well equipped.
NUMBER OF SHIPS: 40 Merchant Ships and 50 warships
HISTORY OF CITY: Vison was founded by a man called Lycaon who had claimed to have gotten visions from a deity called Viska and has started his own religion. After some suspicion to arrive around his group Lyacon claimed to have a vision where Viska commanded him and his follwers to create a city in his name. So Lyacon and his followers gathered up their things and left leaving to where Vison would be founded.

They set up on a nice bit of coastline starting out as a small farming village and throughout the years has grown to the size it is today. All throughout this time the city has followed a policy of neutrality keeping diplomatic and economic ties to other cites but it tries to keep out of conflicts a policy which the city still follows.

#OIAF app - DO NOT DELETE

[Tasuirin]

OF IRON AND FIRE APPLICATION

NS NAME: Andsed
CITY NAME: Vison
POPULATION: 310,000
SYMBOL OF CITY:

(Image)

LOCATION OF CITY:

(Image)

MAJOR COLOURS OF CITY: Dark green and red.
GOVERNMENT TYPE: An oligarchy with a small council of military commanders and government officials controlling the city.
CULTURE OF CITY: Visonians have been taught to be dedicated completely to the state and that they had the duty to do everything they can to serve it. Their is no real nobility or class system as Visonian see it as a foolish way to restrict those with potential from helping the state. Instead people are judged on how much they benefit the city. Visonian worship the god Viska who is said to favor them as long as they dedicate themselves and their state to him.

CIVIC SPECIALISATIONS: A very dedicated workforce, decent ports.
MILITARY SPECIALISATIONS: The Visonian military on land is focused on using flanking maneuvers along with defensive tactics to win battles. Thus the army is comprised of the main body of hoplites supported by light infantry and Calvary used to flank with a small core of skirmishers supporting. The Visonian to not prefer to fight large naval battles so they try to avoid them. So they Visonian navy is comprised of fast moving naval vessels used to quickly transport the troops where they need to go.
COMPOSITION OF ARMY:
2,000 Visonian hoplites: the professional core of the army being well armored and well trained.
11,000 Visonian millita hoplites: the numbers of the army being civilian soldiers given basic training and equipment. Usually only 7,000 can be called up at a time but in emergency all 11,000 can.
3,000, Visonian infantry: this is a small core of fast moving decently trained men who have been give light armor and swords and shield to be fast moving flanking units. They while civilians soldiers are given decent training.
1,000 Visonian Calvary: Professional soldiers who make the small cavalry force in the army. Used for quick flanking movements being given decent training and decent equipment.
600 Visonian archers: A small well trained force used to support the other parts of the army. They are professional soldiers and are well equipped.
NUMBER OF SHIPS: 40 Merchant Ships and 50 warships
HISTORY OF CITY: Vison was founded by a man called Lycaon who had claimed to have gotten visions from a deity called Viska and has started his own religion. After some suspicion to arrive around his group Lyacon claimed to have a vision where Viska commanded him and his follwers to create a city in his name. So Lyacon and his followers gathered up their things and left leaving to where Vison would be founded.

They set up on a nice bit of coastline starting out as a small farming village and throughout the years has grown to the size it is today. All throughout this time the city has followed a policy of neutrality keeping diplomatic and economic ties to other cites but it tries to keep out of conflicts a policy which the city still follows.

#OIAF app - DO NOT DELETE

Looks pretty good. ACCEPTED!

Mind if I edit the symbol a bit? Not much of a fan of Scrontch's design of eagles, and it feels very early-modern to me. Other than that, though, I have no problems.

[Andsed]

OF IRON AND FIRE APPLICATION

NS NAME: Andsed
CITY NAME: Vison
POPULATION: 310,000
SYMBOL OF CITY:

(Image)

LOCATION OF CITY:

(Image)

MAJOR COLOURS OF CITY: Dark green and red.
GOVERNMENT TYPE: An oligarchy with a small council of military commanders and government officials controlling the city.
CULTURE OF CITY: Visonians have been taught to be dedicated completely to the state and that they had the duty to do everything they can to serve it. Their is no real nobility or class system as Visonian see it as a foolish way to restrict those with potential from helping the state. Instead people are judged on how much they benefit the city. Visonian worship the god Viska who is said to favor them as long as they dedicate themselves and their state to him.

CIVIC SPECIALISATIONS: A very dedicated workforce, decent ports.
MILITARY SPECIALISATIONS: The Visonian military on land is focused on using flanking maneuvers along with defensive tactics to win battles. Thus the army is comprised of the main body of hoplites supported by light infantry and Calvary used to flank with a small core of skirmishers supporting. The Visonian to not prefer to fight large naval battles so they try to avoid them. So they Visonian navy is comprised of fast moving naval vessels used to quickly transport the troops where they need to go.
COMPOSITION OF ARMY:
2,000 Visonian hoplites: the professional core of the army being well armored and well trained.
11,000 Visonian millita hoplites: the numbers of the army being civilian soldiers given basic training and equipment. Usually only 7,000 can be called up at a time but in emergency all 11,000 can.
3,000, Visonian infantry: this is a small core of fast moving decently trained men who have been give light armor and swords and shield to be fast moving flanking units. They while civilians soldiers are given decent training.
1,000 Visonian Calvary: Professional soldiers who make the small cavalry force in the army. Used for quick flanking movements being given decent training and decent equipment.
600 Visonian archers: A small well trained force used to support the other parts of the army. They are professional soldiers and are well equipped.
NUMBER OF SHIPS: 40 Merchant Ships and 50 warships
HISTORY OF CITY: Vison was founded by a man called Lycaon who had claimed to have gotten visions from a deity called Viska and has started his own religion. After some suspicion to arrive around his group Lyacon claimed to have a vision where Viska commanded him and his follwers to create a city in his name. So Lyacon and his followers gathered up their things and left leaving to where Vison would be founded.

They set up on a nice bit of coastline starting out as a small farming village and throughout the years has grown to the size it is today. All throughout this time the city has followed a policy of neutrality keeping diplomatic and economic ties to other cites but it tries to keep out of conflicts a policy which the city still follows.

#OIAF app - DO NOT DELETE

Looks pretty good. ACCEPTED!

Mind if I edit the symbol a bit? Not much of a fan of Scrontch's design of eagles, and it feels very early-modern to me. Other than that, though, I have no problems.

I don´t mind at all. Thanks for letting me in.

[St George Territory]

OF IRON AND FIRE APPLICATION

NS NAME: St. George Territory
CITY NAME: Xenos

ACCEPTED. The idea of an exile city has a lot of possibility to add to political intrigue and general plottiness.

Exactly what I was thinking, a lot of revenge stories possibly.

Hope you don't mind that I made a possible map for the trade routes. Yellow being sea routes, and orange being land, obviously.

[Jade Confederacy]

Exactly what I was thinking, a lot of revenge stories possibly.

Hope you don't mind that I made a possible map for the trade routes. Yellow being sea routes, and orange being land, obviously.

Erethios, in theory, has the best position since it gets to monopolize an entire inland sea, but since its so isolated, it will probably be considered the boonies of the RP. Im betting that its the first one to get wiped by dragons

[The Imperial Reach]

OF IRON AND FIRE APPLICATION

NS NAME: The Imperial Reach
CITY NAME: Tahkt-i-Soh
POPULATION: 900,000
SYMBOL OF CITY:

LOCATION OF CITY: X marks the spot.

MAJOR COLOURS OF CITY: Black and red
GOVERNMENT TYPE: Matriarchal theocratic absolute monarchy - The city is ruled by the queen, referred to as the "Banshada", who exerts total military, administrative, and religious control over the city.
CULTURE OF CITY: The people of Tahkt-i-Soh are not originally from Telen; their ancestors come from great steppes to the north and a great plateau to the far east of Telen. The two peoples met at where Tahkt-i-Soh now stands and merged together to create the current inhabitants of the city: the Hazedans. Their traditions and culture thus come primarily from two distinct cultures outside of Telen itself while hints of Telenian cultural influence has begun to seep into the city much to the chagrin of the Banshada and her court, who are staunchly xenophobic. The Hazedans are a deeply religiously people who believe in a singular goddess, Ahazadash, from whom the current Banshada and her predecessors claim lineage from (ensuring their divine right to rule) and consider the Banshada to be both the descendant and incarnation of Ahazadash herself. They are a very hedonistic people, being fairly open-minded when it comes to debauchery of all kinds. They are a mostly matriarchal society, with all leadership positions requiring women to fill their roles from priestesses of temples to military commanders to the local sheriff to teachers and of course the monarch. Other professions can be equally filled by both men or women. More zealous Hazedans tend to take the inherit matriarchal nature of their society much further to outright misandry, believing men are inferior and should be entirely subservient to women - though this is only a small minority limited to the priesthood. They are a highly militaristic society, holding great respect for the concepts of honor and glory in battle. Warriors who die on the field of battle are said to be greatly rewarded in the afterlife by Ahazadash, who carries them off to a great hall in her flaming chariot and provides them endless whores, drink, and music. Hazedans also practice a certain degree of meritocracy in their everyday lives, and those who do not often quickly become pariahs and outcasts. Most Hazedans are quite xenophobic, believing the Telenian peoples to be inferior in all aspects - though this hasn't stopped some Telenian culture from gaining root in the city. Fire is considered incredibly holy; the dead are always burned on great pyres, and there is a giant torch in the center of the city which is said to never burn out. All temples have smaller recreations of the Great Torch within them, and fire sources of any kind are considered shrines; especially the Sun. Equestrianism, hunting, wrestling, and archery are taught to all children regardless of sex, and all are used extensively in the military. Vigilantism is encouraged by the city guard.

CIVIC SPECIALISATIONS: Tahkt-i-Soh is known for being culture rich; especially in calligraphy, poetry, and music. It is said brew some of the finest beers in the world. The city makes extensive use canals in order to connect the two rivers it was built between.
MILITARY SPECIALISATIONS: The Hazedan specialize in cavalry and archery. Standard, front-line soldiers are equipped with short swords, oval shields, daggers, throwing knives, and either spears or javelins. Archers are equipped with bows, arrows, short swords, daggers, and throwing knives. Cavalry are either equipped with spears, oval shields, daggers, and short swords or bows, arrows, daggers, and short swords. Archers and Cavalry Archers are typically dominated by women while standard warriors and regular cavalry are typically dominated by men. The Hazedans, despite having access to two rivers, do not have any sort of naval presence whatsoever.
COMPOSITION OF ARMY: Tahkt-i-Soh has no standing army; all citizens are soldiers and vice-versa, and can be conscripted at the will of the Banshada so long as they are "Fit for Service", the requirements for which are as followed:

• No younger than 16 years of age
• No older than 60 years of age
• Not crippled, sickly, insane, incompetent, incapable, or pregnant
• Not a member of the priesthood or city watch
• Must be a citizen
• Cannot be a mercenary (if you're a merc they'll just hire you instead)

Being a warlike people, the lack of a standing army doesn't affect them much as they are all taught the skills of war at a young age.
NUMBER OF SHIPS: All ships are of a mercantile nature and are designed specifically to pass through rivers and open ocean alike, though their numbers are few as land trade is the primary method of commerce.

HISTORY OF CITY: Tahkt-i-Soh is a relatively old city, founded by the descendants of the Hazedans on a majortrade route. The site of the city was originally a Telenian trade post that was sacked by the proto-Hazedans, before they settled the area and began to urbanize. The city developed slowly as the proto-Hazedans had grown used to their nomadic lives before settling down but the city being on a major trade route helped it to thrive nonetheless. Local Telenian warlords, upset with the destruction of the original trade post, would often harass the relatively peaceful proto-Hazedans to the point of constant provocation. The proto-Hazedans quickly militarized and fought off the Telenian petty kings for several decades until the city was finally sacked, resulting in large-scale looting and rape and forcing the proto-Hazedans to launch an invasion of their various adversaries over a period of a hundred years which saw the enemy cities sacked and pillage, the round beneath them salted heavily as they were burned and raze, their religious leaders sacrificed to Ahazadash, and their people sold into slavery. They've since developed a hatred for Telenians due to this animosity. The Hazedans would further militarize in order to protect their trade routes and establish new ones, creating an intricate system of cavalry patrols to protect said trade routes from pirates and bandits. The city has also fended off three major invasions by barbarian tribes and nomads from the north seeking to loot the riches of Telen for themselves, a feat owed primarily to their martial traditions and heavily reinforced walls. The strength of Hazedan warriors has ensured the security of their trade routes, ushering in an age of great prosperity in the city which has led to a population boom and the development of a powerful economy. Despite their animosity toward Telenians, Tahkt-i-Soh is welcoming to Telenian traders and their presence is the primary source of Telenian cultural influence in the city. The city's status as a trade hub is thanks in part due to the diversity of it's markets; bringing goods from the west, north, and east to the outskirts of Telen proper.

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