Thermon
City of Dual Faces
Overview
Hidden among Aetolia’s rugged peaks, where the pine forests give way to sacred stone, lies Thermon—a city revered not only for its ancient flame, but for the truths it dares to remember. To the world, it is the sanctified seat of the Aetolian League, and an outpost of the Anthelian, home of the Sanctuary of Apollo Thermios. But beneath its stoic surface burns a deeper fire.
To outsiders, Thermon is a holy city of ritual and law, where warriors pledge loyalty by firelight and seers speak with Apollo’s voice. Its Temple of Apollo Thermios, all white columns and eternal flame, is a place of solemn dignity. Oaths are made there—and kept. Its priests, clad in pale robes, teach of prophecy, reason, and divine order.
But those with the eyes to see—and the memory to retain—know that Thermon harbors another truth.
Cultures & Customs
Values
Truth, memory, reason, and the sanctity of oath.
Customs
Trial by Flame: Legal disputes can be judged by ritual fire, overseen by the Anthelian.
The Emberfast: Annual day of reflection where all citizens eat only flame-cooked meals.
Art & Music
Murals and mosaics focused on historical narrative and divine lineage. Instrumentation includes lyres, slow choral hymns, and chime-rings crafted by blind smiths.
Language/Dialect
Elevated, formal Aetolic with emphasis on verbal precision; common speech is clear and measured.
Religion
Primary Deities:
- Apollo Thermios: Patron of flame, prophecy, and lawful harmony.
- Mnemosyne : Titaness of Memory; honored in secret rites beneath the city.
Sacred Sites:
- Temple of Apollo Thermios: White columns, eternal flame, and oracular chambers.
- The Hollow Archive : A subterranean vault said to hold the true memories of Hellas, guarded by the Mnemonic Veil.
- Path of Writ: A stone walkway etched with sacred maxims where member of the Aetolian League, meditate before judgment.
Government
- Structure: Governed by the Aetolian League.
- Justice: Based on layered codes of prophecy, historic precedent, and divine doctrine. Oathbreaking is punished with ritual exile.
- Politics: Thermon serves as a neutral arbiter for Aetolia; envoys from across Hellas often seek its verdicts.
Defences
Natural Defenses
Mountain ledges, narrow causeways, and flame-forged gates.
City Guard
Known as the Stelebound: armored magistrates who enforce divine and civic law.
Districts
City Structure:
Radial plan centered on the Temple of Apollo; outer districts rise in tiers with narrow stone paths and aqueducts.
- The Flamecourt: Center of ritual law and prophecy, anchored by the Temple of Apollo Thermios.
- Archive Hollow: Beneath the Flamecourt, home to the hidden Mnemonic Veil.
- The Stele Quarter: Residences of scholars, seers, and record-keepers.
- Emberwall: Warrior barracks, forges, and sacred training grounds.
Notable Locations
- Temple of Apollo Thermios: Central temple and seat of flame-prophecy.
- The Hollow Archive: Labyrinthine and sealed; only accessible by blood-oath or the Memnor's decree.
- Veilgate Library: Public archive with redacted prophecies and ritual scrolls.
- The Echo Plinth: An ancient stone that amplifies Speech.
Guilds and Factions
- The Anthelian: Enforcers of prophecy and order. Secretive hierarchy devoted to preserving stability and filtering divine truth.
- The Mnemonic Veil: Ancient cult of Mnemosyne. Record keepers, memory-binders, and secret chroniclers of forgotten history.
- The Stelebound: Warrior-judges bound to the city’s laws and tasked with enforcement.
- The Scrollwrights Guild: Artisans who inscribe sacred law, historical truth, and metaphysical contracts.
- The Aetolian Legue: Leaders of Thermon and Protectors of Law
Geography
Location:
Central highlands of Aetolia, nestled in a pine-ringed valley at the base of Mt. Anakeion.
Terrain
Rocky uplands, thermal springs, natural terraces carved into the mountainside.
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