Hagea ((HA-gee-ah))

Synopsis

Hagea is the oldest of the five Sovereignties of Ashal and can trace its roots all the way back to the First Waking. Located on the largest island of an archipelago off the southwestern shores of the mainland, Hagea uses this isolation and relative safety to pursue the deeper mysteries of the arcane arts. Inside its walls are the foremost schools for magical theory and practice in the Academies Elementia, Necrosia, and Zodia.

Government

Hagea is ruled by a Triumvirate composed of a headmaster from each of the three Academies, those headmasters chosen by the cloister of each Academy’s masters. The terms of each Headmaster is in perpetuity unless they voluntarily step down from the position, or are removed by a majority vote of the masters in their Academy. The Triumvirate convenes in the Citizen’s Forum twice a year and is presented with the Senate’s policies by the Speaker, and those policies approved are then funded and enacted.
In keeping with the origins of Hagean tradition, where a camp leader would be elected every four seasons, a member of the Senate is elected by their Ward every four years. Consisting of 18 Wards, a week of voting is held in each wherein large urns are placed in front of each candidate. Every voter is given one white stone and the rest black in equal numbers to the candidates. Voters discretely drop a stone in the urn in front of each candidate; white stones serve as support while black stones serve as opposition. The Senate is overseen by a Speaker, voted in by the Senate in a rolling vote. While the Triumvirate has final say over all Hagean Policy, the day-to-day governance is overseen by the Senate.

Fashions and Aesthetics

Hageans prefer their clothing to be comfortable, flowing, loose, and appropriate for the seasons. Linens and wools are common, wool sweaters being popular amongst sailors, but by no means common-looking. Cleanliness is the mark of civility and reserved displays of personal wealth are considered elegant and sophisticated for Denizens and Citizens alike.
The Academies go one step further with the adornment of sashes to denote the Academy they belong to and the rank they currently hold within them: Academy Elementia with white sashes, Academy Necrosia with red sashes, and Academy Zodia with purple sashes. All sashes end in a golden frill or trim, and the appropriate Academy seal is embroidered at either end in golden thread. The rankings of an Academy follow as such: Novice, Adept, Master, and Headmaster. A Novice wears their sash around the waist, Adepts wear their sash over the left shoulder, Masters wear their sash over the right shoulder, and the Headmaster wears their sash over both shoulders like a stole.

Common Faiths

Hagea, despite the extreme focus of the Academies interest in the latent arcane energies that flow out from the volcano far to the south of the city is home to the largest assemblage of clerics devoted to Ashia and Illya. The twin gods share a grand temple located in the heart of The Wards district. The extremely vocal following oppose the right of the Academy Elementia to occupy the location in the city with the truest view of the volcano, however they lack the influence to do more than file their yearly petitions to have the building surrendered into the care of the faith. In an effort to appease the followers of the twin gods, the Senate has named the worship of Ashia and Illya as the only officially recognized faith within the walls.
Hagea, as the oldest standing settlement in Ashal serves as a common destination for pilgrimages made by clerics of Urias. Every year dozens if not hundreds of Urias faithful will make their way to see the place where the peoples of Ashal first came together in unity to build something bigger than themselves. No official temple waits to receive them upon their arrival but few are bothered by this, the entire city serves as a testament to their gods glory in their eyes and it is not an uncommon sight to find a small makeshift shrine to the Father of Civilization tucked away in alleys and out of the way alcoves.

Notable Figures and Organizations

Headmaster of Elementia: Daphne Catallus
Descended from an ancestral line of Elementia Masters, Headmaster Catallus is the 11th in her line to hold the title. Widely regarded as a true master of the elemental arts she has a devout following of students in great demand by the influential and wealthy.
Headmaster of Necrosia: Laertes Boros
Having first served as a nurse in the hospital, Laertes developed an affinity for the magics that could better help them understand the influences of magic and life. Focusing on the healing aspect of this tower's studies, Headmaster Laertes keeps a necromancer by his side in order to advise him on the necromantic side of matters. The advisor is not well-received by the average Denizen, but their magical prowess and expertise is never questioned.
Headmaster of Zodia: Rosencrantz Dyton
The most charismatic of the Headmasters, Rosencrantz takes a personal interest in every interaction they have. Rosencrantz is well known for hyper fixating on whatever it is they are doing at the time, be it researching the skies in the observatory, or learning about the new book a Novice member is writing.
Coastal Privateer: Captain Sasha Metellus
The most famous of privateers, Captain Sasha Metellus is suspected to have been several different people over the years. There is no definitive evidence to prove the theory one way or the other, but some have warrants out for their arrest while others have led diligent lives to both Ashia and Illya.
League of Corsairs:
A collective fleet of licensed privateers, they are the most active and well-known fleet in Hagean waters. Unofficially, they are considered the primary Hagean naval power, followed in second by Hageans own merchant fleet.

Major Landmarks

Academy Elementia
The eldest of the towers, the Elemental Tower is wreathed top to bottom in ivy, sitting atop a well of elemental energy said to be linked to the Volcano itself. It is here that the first elementalists first started developing their skills and studying this form of magic.
Academy Necrosia
The second of the towers, the Necrosia Tower is wreathed in ivy only half-way up from its base. It is notable that particular sections that should be covered in ivy still remain bare. It is known for having both an avant-garde hospital in its lower levels, and extensive catacombs beneath the tower itself.
Academy Zodia
The newest of the towers, it is only a few centuries old. The tower has no growth on it, but boasts an impressive observatory at its top with the largest telescope in Ashal. Newest of the magical studies in Hagea, the knowledge gained here continues to break ground in further understanding Ashal and its place in the cosmos.
Citizens Forum
The meeting place of the ruling Triumvirate, Senate, and its Speaker to discuss matters of state. Central to the Forum is the Speaker’s Dais consisting of a double-sided podium. The Senate’s Round is 17 Lecterns fashioned in a semi-circle on one side, while on the other side of the Speaker’s Dais are the three seats of the Triumvirate.
The Markets
There are two markets: The Low Market and The High Market. The Low Market is located beside the harbour and consists of fresh foodstuffs and perishable goods such as fish, meats, cheese, etc. The High Market is nearer the heart of the city and focuses on crafts and numerous stalls of book traders, jewelers, and textile merchants.

Economy

The Academies serve as Hagea’s primary revenue stream through their service provisions. With capabilities few others in the world can master, the services of the Academies are in high demand and appropriately come at a high cost. There is a great amount of prestige in hiring an Academy member of Hagea, most commonly for magical tutoring or consultation.
Elsewhere in the archipelago the majority of trade goods are reagents grown on the islands or harvested from coastal fauna. The quality and quantity of book production is one of the finest in the known world exporting and Hagea turns a large profit by exporting their expertise. Foreign arcane tomes, exotic magical materials, and gold are highly sought after imports that the Sovereignty and its citizens are often prepared to pay generously to acquire.

Customs and Observed Holidays

Wealnwoe
A time of quiet reflection, the Wealnwoe is observed only by the faithful of Aisha and Illya, casting off the old and embracing the new. During the beginnings of spring, each participant writes their thoughts on what to leave in the past in order to progress into the future. This may be introspective or extrospective. The exact nature of Wealnwoe traditions vary but also surround this physical manifestation of writing and culminating in the destruction of the manuscript signifying renewed growth.
Scholastic Fair
Held during the first week of July of each year, the Scholastic Fair is a longstanding tradition where those in Academies of Adept rank or higher may showcase their current projects to peers, Denizens, and Citizens alike. It is a celebration of literature, exchanges of ideas, and serves as an opportunity to communicate and collaborate with one another. The Scholastic Fair does the majority of their sales of scrolls and books during this time, and it is the only time that Denizens may receive free or discounted access to any Academy service. The week is concluded with a full day of music, games, and prizes for best manuscript illuminations, most creative stories, and innovative projects, among other categories that vary village to village. Younger generations have been known to dress up as their fictional or historical heroes during this time.

External Relations

Freelands: When one speaks of “the uneducated masses,” it’s often the people of the Freelands that most readily spring to mind. It isn’t their fault for being born into ignorance but even the handful that may have learned to read would find little enough interest in a book or a lecture on the higher knowledges. It is every Hagean’s duty to try and dispel ignorance where they find it and the Freelands will make sure that duty is endless.

Carcassim: The very model for the dangers of ambition left unchecked. History claims that the Empress of Carcassim was once a student of Hagea who left to find the corpse of a dead city. If such a tale is to be believed, then Hagea owes Ashal a sincere apology for not doing more to stamp out the abomination before she was beyond its reach. Without the strict and just guidance of the Academy, the Carcassimi study of Necromancy has never known any form of checks or balances and has festered into something obscene. That said, many in the Academies would give their left arm to learn a tenth of their secrets if they were sure they wouldn’t be found out.

Steinholt: The people of Steinholdt are admirable for their dedication to crafts though sadly, perhaps only one in ten of them will ever turn their minds to life’s higher mysteries. That is not to say they are not useful, every wagon needs a horse to pull it along. Someone needs to mine the ore the Hagean artificers craft wonders from out of the ground after all.

Erule: Eruleans may be the only other civilization in Ashal to realize there is more to life than the base struggle for survival. It’s impressive to see that in a city as young as a few centuries. Their penchant for buying, and more importantly selling, books and artifacts that others lack the good sense to keep from the midden heap is invaluable. It truly makes them ideal friends to old Hagea, even if they are more preoccupied by the silver than the scholastic pursuits. Perhaps even more so because of that.

Salvoss: The Salvossi are all wild, brutish, and duplicitous, though little more could be expected of Fae-friends. Their grasp of the arcane is only what their vile neighbours allow them and is up-jumped by their proximity to the wealth of resources the Senvirae holds. Better to live in ignorance than to shackle one’s mind in dark pacts with the Fae. Still, Hagea must put on a polite smile so that it might gain access to those same resources through trade.

Martiality

The forces of Hagea come in three forms: City Guard, Academy Spellcasters, and Coastal Privateers.
The City Guard serve in the capital with small contingents in varying towns and hamlets, employing 5-10% of the Sovereignty’s population. They are responsible for keeping the peace and security on all Hagean soil.
The Academy Spellcasters are Adepts and Masters that are rarely called upon, but bring their extensive magical capabilities against larger threats. This can amount to what is generally viewed as arcane artillery, and when called upon the Academy Spellcasters are often protected by City Guard who act as a bulwark against the immediate threat.
Coastal Privateers stem from the perpetual threat of piracy on open waters. Licenses are granted by the Senate to a captain and their vessel to act in the interest of Hagea, therefore limiting the impact of piracy while simultaneously limiting the need for a standing fleet of their own.

Culture

Hagean culture is more lax in comparison to much of Ashal. Intricately tied to the ideologies of practicing magic, hurriedness is considered a guarantee to doing something poorly; this ideology is called “In Perfection” …that perfection is the art of imperfection. Many in Ashal consider this approach to life boring, but it has led to Hageans having a greater focus in abstract and specialized pursuits such as high quality paper production, writing implements, and extravagant art. The ideology of “In Perfection” reaches outward due to Hagea being, boasting a proud naval tradition with focus on fishing and trading fleets, while piracy and privateering are typically state funded.
There are two levels of societal standing and responsibility in Hagea: Denizens and Citizens. Denizens constitute the majority of the people and are granted citizenship simply by living within Hagean territory. Becoming a Citizen is achievable in a few ways: Academy members that achieve the rank of Adept, City Guard that serve for 10 years or more, recognized service to the city and awarded by the Triumvirate, or being voted as a Senate member granting immediate recognition. The primary difference between Denizens and Citizens is Citizenship allows for free or extremely discounted rates to state services, and those that are members of the Academies have the right to petition for state funding for a project.

History

The elemental energy at the tip of the panhandle drew many Berkane to the site of what would become Hagea, at the tip of a panhandle off Ashal that rests closest to The Volcano to the south of the continent, a site believed to be a significant place of power for Ahsia and Illya. Settled first by those Berkane as small but stable permanent encampment sometime during the First Waking, Hagea is renowned as the oldest settlement in Ashal and has served as a beacon to arcanists for generations. It was during the Third Waking when the world saw the emergence of Herial bloodlines that Hagea began to take the form we recognize today. The encampment slowly became a true city with its walls and towers being raised from the stone of the earth itself. This had a dramatic effect not only on the geography of the Sovereignty but on its culture as well. The study of the arcane elemental powers that flowed through the leylines was formalized and the Academy Elementia founded. Building around the commerce that these studies generated both directly and peripherally, The city grew over the centuries. As new schools of arcane practice began to be discovered two new academies were founded dedicated to their study: the Academy Necrosia during the Sixth Waking and the Academy Zodia in the waning years of the Eighth Waking.
Hagea shares a complicated history with The Senvirae forest to its north, its fae inhabitants, and by extension, the Sovereignty of Salvoss that lies nestled deep inside its oppressive canopy. As the studies of the arcane continued to progress and expand, the Academy’s need for reagents grew as well. The Senvirae forest is extremely rich in these regards and Hagea had begun to send more and more contractors out to gather and bring back all they could. The Fae that made home in those woods saw this as a caustic trespass and after a time, Hagean caravans began to go missing, never to be seen again. Tensions continued to escalate as the Academies began sending escorts of heavily armed guards and arcanists to protect the caravan. Just as things appeared to be on the brink of all out war, the world bore witness to the 5th Waking as the Volcano to the south erupted violently. Massive tremors rocked the continent of Ashal and landbridge that connected the Hagean peninsula to the southern reaches of the Senvirae fell into the sea transforming it into the shattered archipelago it is today. By the time all parties had recovered from the devastation of the Waking, tensions had settled. Hagea could no longer raid the Senvirae with enough ease to risk agitating the Fae there and without the constant agitation of trespassers, the Fae Courts faded back into mystery.

Geography

The ancient city of Hagea sits on the southernmost and largest of the Shattered Isles. The Archipelago is the only land mass off the coast of the rest of Ashal that is not completely swallowed by the dense and churning mists of the Smoking Sea. Centuries ago, the islands had all been one and had been connected to the mainland as part of the Senvirae forest, forming a pan handle. The Sundering of the 5th Waking saw most of the land surrounding the city fall into the sea leaving it in its now relatively isolated location. The Sundering broke not only the land but also severed the connection to whatever magics supported the famed trees of the Senvirae and over the centuries since, the vegetation surrounding Hagea has changed considerably. Though rich in vines, ivy, and shrubs, the Hagean Archipelago is not able to sustain the ancient trees that predate the sundering nor any considerable farming efforts. However, while life ashore waned, the waters surrounding the islands appear to have drunk in the magics lost to the surface and are now home to bioluminescent coral reefs. These reefs team with life of both mundane and magically infused natures.
Hagea is built along the cliffs of its island home, its highest points looking south out over the Smoking Seas and reaches all the way down to the natural harbour at the water’s edge. Like other Sovereignties, it enjoys the safety of tall and sturdy stone walls. Hagea’s have the distinction of being entirely seamless, having been raised from the ground itself by powerful earth Berkane elementalists of antiquity.
Within its great walls, the city is divided into four distinct sections: The Wards, The Denizenry, the Senate, and the Campus.
Upon arriving at the docks of Hagea one would find themselves in The Wards, the largest of the four districts and home to the vast majority of Hagea’s commercial operations. Divided into eighteen wards this area of the city is bustling during business hours with all manner of trade and services taking place. However, come nightfall most citizens retire to their homes in the Denizenry leaving the streets occupied mainly by visitors to the city and those Hagean’s who operate business that cater to them such as taverns, inns, and hostels.
Further into the city the neatly clustered shops give way to tightly packed yet orderly row houses of The Denizenry, the district of the city in which a majority of Hagean citizens reside. The houses here all appear to be carved out of the stone the city is built upon and only those built in the last few centuries bear any marks from craftsman’s tools.
Further still into the city the roads open up into yawning laneways lined with grand domed buildings of white stone inlaid with gold. This district, aptly named the Senate, is the seat of Hagea’s democratically elected government and the weighty bureaucracy that supports and facilitates its actions in the city.
The three towering spires of the Academies Elementia, Necrosis, and Zodia make up the final and oldest district of the city referred to as the Campus. Perched on the highest point of the city the Academy Elementia is the oldest building in the oldest city of Ashal, built there by the berkane arcanists of the first waking, drawn there by the latent elemental energies that emanate from the volcano. Over the centuries, as new schools of arcane practice emerged, Other towers were constructed and dedicated to their study and understanding. To this day, The Campus of Hagea remains the foremost repository of arcane knowledge in Ashal.