The Exarchate of Korentis (/eksarkɪt ɘv korentɪs/ (Aeillan: /eksarkɪt ton korentɪs/))
Εξψαριτ τον Ξωρεντις
The Exarchate of Korentis is a sizable coastal Aeillan successor state with most of its population centers along the coast of the Yulan Ocean. It is one of the older states with its traditional capital, Korentis being often regarded as the Fourth City of the Old Empire. In the days shortly after the end of the Feloran Invasions, however, much of the power in the Korentine state was moved to the Feloran City of Antiokos, which even with much of the city cast into the sea, remained a far more developed city than Korentis itself. Korentis has since seen political conflict arising between the two centers of power, which have only increased in intensity as Antiokos has gone into slow decline.
Korentis essentially has two distinctive power structures. The nominal ruler of the Exarchate, the Exarch controls Korentis and the area around it. Conversely, the Tourmarch of Antiokos holds power over Antiokos and its surroundings. Historically, this meant that the Tourmarch was the de facto ruler of the Exarchate. In more recent years the struggle for power between the two meant a more equal contest between the two. Some fear, however, that the struggle between two power centers will mean, as was the case with Thibaia, that the connections between the Antiokos and Korentis will be rent asunder. Currently, the position of Exarch is held by adoptive succession with prominent family members or other notables being adopted by the regnant Exarch for adoption. The process is similar for Tourmarches of Antiokos, though in the case of the Tourmarch there is a greater emphasis on military skill and promotion from their army.
The history of Korentis has long been fraught with turmoil. Early in the history of the Exarchate, the state's power base was shattered in twain. The cities of Korentis and Antiokos were split between the Tourmarch and Exarch almost immediately. Since then the exarchate has only seen civil conflict or the tense peace between those wars. In the maelstrom, the Thibaian Divinity League carved itself from the far eastern territory of Korentis, and the opportunistic Nikeans have seized some Korentine lands to its west. As a result, the Exarchate is believed to be on its deathbed, to be broken completely.
Demography and Population
Korentis is a middling state in terms of population. According to the tax records of both Korentis and Antiokus, the state has a population of roughly 2,298,190 persons living in its territory. It is fairly urbanized, but not unusually so for an Aeillan state, with its state as an intermediary zone between the Ilos and Tyros River and their respective trade routes. Unusually for an Aeillan state, there are several relatively equivalent population centers instead of one major concentration.
The largest city in Korentis is Antiokos which according to the best available records has a population of roughly 72,200, second to this is the capital, Korentis with a population of 50,500, aside from the capital and Antiokus, the largest settlements include Haidari with 20,200 residents, Korydallos with 10,200, and Llion with 9,000. The bulk of Korentis' population is concentrated on the coastline with cities bordering the Artenesian border being some of the larger ones in the territory. The interior population is sparser, but still well above the density of other non-Aeillan realms.
Korentis is a human settlement with Ilosi and Tyroi humans being the largest ethnic groups, and Spartharoi being the third largest. Other human ethnicities are relatively rare, but healthy if small Gallacan and Hadar peoples can be found in Korentis. Unusually for an Aeillan state, Korentis has a rather large population of elves and half-elves holdovers from the Feloran invasion who were forcibly converted to the Pandroi religion during the Scouring of Aeilla. There are a small number of slaves in Korentis, roughly one in fifty who are often Gallacans or Hadar imported from the Iskandrian slave markets.
Territories
Korentis is a middling successor state in terms of territory. Though it had been traditionally significantly larger, Syros, Artenos, Thibaia, and even Nikea have all taken territory from Korentis throughout the Reforging Era. Still, Korentis maintains a fairly extensive territory with 129,980 square kilometers with a slightly east-west axial orientation. It takes 4 days to travel from north to south, 5 from west to east. It has open frontiers to its north, west, and east, and is bordered by the Yulan Ocean to its west. The core of Korentine territory is the southern Menaulatolia, an area which the Exarchate dominates almost fully.
Korentis is a semi-humid province with relatively open access to the sea. Seeing regular precipitation from the Yulan Ocean during its storm season, but comparatively light precipitation most other times of the year. There is a fairly large amount of Arable land in Korentis, particularly in the southern Menaulatolia, particularly near the small rivers close to the coast. Vegetation is fairly lush with forests being fairly common in uncultivated areas, though almost the entirety of Korentine territory has been thoroughly tamed.
Military
Military power in Korentis is starkly divided between the two power centers, however, some things remain common between the two. Korentine and Antiokan both maintain fairly sizable armies, which are both fairly well equipped, both have access to good, reliable armor. The Korentines and Antiokans both lack much modern gunpowder weaponry as a lack of good local gunsmiths, and an unwillingness of allied forces to hand such a powerful tool to their allies means that they are limited to only fairly primitive designs with the exception of cannon, which are fairly modern, if not on the bleeding edge.
The Exarch of Korentis maintains a fairly sizable force of Penandroi, a full tagma (2,400 soldiers) or Penandroi, and a small cadre (less than 100) of Hetairoi, as well as about twice as many Akritae. These troops generally are experienced and even the lowest quality of the Akritae fight as professionals as a result of the relative instability of the region. Similarly, the Exarch can call upon 26 war galleys for use in naval conflict, with a modest corps of marines to protect them. Recently, Terruk Mercenaries have been seen in Korentine territory, and many think this is a preamble to launch a coup against the Tourmarch.
The Tourmarch of Antiokas maintains a similar force of soldiers, they have access to a full tagma of Penandroi, two Tagmae of Akritae. Like their Korentine counterparts, frequent raids and skirmishes have hardened Antiokan soldiers making even the Akritae relatively professional. They maintain a small fleet of 22 war galleys. Their marine force has been whittled down in recent years, as the Antiokans have been fighting the Artenesians on a regular basis. Unlike the Korentines however, Antiokus has focused on armaments and is wooing Cyrenica to purchase a large number of muskets for military use.
Technological Level
The Exarchate of Korentis, despite being a coastal territory is behind Artenos and Nikea, and only roughly approximately the same level as Thibaia. Infrastructure technology is fairly advanced in comparison to magic items are more common than is the Aeillan norm. However, manufactories are rare at best, and gunpowder weapons are similarly uncommon. Similarly, there is a dearth of skilled smiths and shipwrights in Korentis that can produce metalwork and modern ships for the Korentine power centers, limiting their ability to develop economically and project power.
Religion
The official state religion of the Exarchate of Korentis is Pandroi, the traditional religion of the Aeillan peoples dating back nearly to the fall of the Yulan-Ti. Nominally, the Korentine Exarchate has a unified deific patron in the form of Gaio. However, the competing power centers have established their own local cults with Korentis being more in favor of Maia, whereas the Antiokans favoring Kategothea. Generally, the populace practices Penandroi with few outsiders living in the major cities practicing minority faiths. Religious disharmony is rife, and the ongoing civil conflict has only made matters worse.
Foreign Relations
Korentis, as a whole is relatively neutral in foreign affairs with most of their energies concentrated on the internal power struggle between Antiokan and Korentine power centers being the key focus. As a result, both power centers have sought allies in other Aeillan states to help them seize power from their opposing party covertly. Similarly, the Korentine and Antiokan powers have courted outsiders from as far away as Felora and Guandao to likewise get support for their cause.
The Exarch of Korentis, currently under the rulership of a reformist, anti-slavery, pro-principate Exarch has sought out the assistance of the coastal powers to help cut the Antiokans down to size, to that end it has sought out the covert support of Artenos, Nikea, Thibaia, and to a lesser extent Syros. The Korentines have also courted the Dotharans and Sarendians, as well as hiring mercenaries from the Terruk to help assist in the quest of the Korentines to weaken permanently the power of Antiokos.
Conversely, the Tourmarch of Antiokos, a staunch traditionalist firmly committed to upholding the status quo, having invested heavily into slavery, has aligned itself with the more conservative inland powers of Aeilla including Iskandris, Apepsos, and Spathos for covert support. It has also been entreating the Regnum Cyrenica for help in developing his territory to better fend the incursion of Korentine usurpers off and seeking out money from Soren and various warlords in Gaundao. In recent years, Antiokos has become more isolated as reformist powers have increasingly surrounded the eastern power center.
Agriculture & Industry
The Exarchate of Korentis is largely an agrarian state with about 93% of the population working as farmers or farm adjacent. The land across both power centers is managed in a similar fashion with relatively decentralized land management local communities are given land grants to manage on a local level with some favoring enclosure and some favoring communal management, or more rarely a rentier system. Crops are gathered according to tax records and as long as the productivity is in line with expectations, the power centers are content to allow them to manage themselves, stepping in only to award land to Akritae, or in the event that yields are insufficient in which case it becomes managed more directly.
There are some skilled tradespeople and craftspeople, though they remain a relatively small minority of the population. These people tend to produce to meet the needs of their community, however, a small productive surplus is generated and traded with a small, but slowly growing merchant class who generally brings trade to and from the outside. There are also a number of soldiers and educated scribes who secure and maintain the workings of the state, and an idle nobility who do some high-level management but do not work otherwise. Lastly, there is a small population of slaves, often educated Hadars and Gallacans that work as house slaves.
Trade & Transport
Korentis maintains a small, but slowly growing, semi-hereditary mercantile class that conducts trade in the region. Most trade is conducted via the coastal Qua'adar to Gallaca trade route or along the southern maritime Guangdao to Erigan trade circuit. In the far east and west, transport to and from the borders of Thibaia and Nikea link Korentis into the Ilosi and Tyros riverine trade routes. Some trade comes into Felora, but Antiokos is denied this trade, for several reasons.
In Korentine markets, one can find a variety of fairly mundane goods with the wares most needed by farmers being by far the most common market staples. In more limited amounts, exotic spices, jewelry, and other luxury items can be found for the right price. Magic is limited to common items and services, except in Antiokus where there remains a veritable cottage industry of adventurers plumbing the depths of dangerous Antiokan elven dungeons to extract artifacts from the Feloran invasion.
While slavery is legal in Korentis, slaves are, at most, rarely seen in the Korentine marketplace, with most trafficking of enslaved persons being the province of wealthy merchants and nobles on a private, contractual basis. Slave convoys are routinely raided by Nikean and Artenesian ships, and the slaves are liberated. Indeed this has been devastating to the economy of Antiokos especially, though to a much lesser extent even Korentis has been impacted.
Infrastructure
Korentis maintains an oddball mixture of Feloran and Imperial infrastructure. During the days of the empire, the Aeillans laid down a fairly extensive road network, particularly along the coast to connect the many population centers in the region. Aqueducts were also constructed, though only shortly before the invasion. The Felorans conversely laid down an extensive transport network of their own in the form of a network of canals and irrigation systems. Both were used by the military forces of Aeilla and Felora to rapidly transit the region, and such transport networks continue to see use to this day. In major population centers, one can expect plumbing and streetlights as well, though outside of major population centers life is a bit less fantastical.
Founding Date
AE 371, Independent AE 1
Type
Geopolitical, Principality
Capital
Alternative Names
Antiokus
Demonym
Korentine, Tikoi
Leader Title
Head of State
Head of Government
Government System
Oligarchy
Power Structure
Semi-autonomous area
Economic System
Mixed economy
Currency
Imperial Denarios, Imperial Oros, Artenisian Talent
Official State Religion
Location
Official Languages
Related Ranks & Titles
Neighboring Nations
Related Ethnicities
