Aeriscan League
The Aeriscan League bith a band of five bold city-states. Upon a sliver of verdant soil they claim, once a province fair yclept Aerisca Borealis of the mighty Rexan Empire. Beyond the coast, untamed wilds stretch south, cloaked in forests of hardwood and softwood, dense and deep. Yet along the sun-baked shores, where scrubby phrygana doth cling, fertile pockets for farming bloom, renowned for vineyards that yield grapes fine, the pride of Aerisca.
In Abria, a bustling port that serveth as the League's heart, dwelleth the Aeriscan Doge, a ruler wise and bold. There too conveneth the Council of Sixty, minds keen and voices strong, shaping the League's fate. Sixteen thousand souls call Abria home, a tapestry woven from Rexan, Eknoi, and Nar, their blood mingling like the rich Aeriscan wine. Elefni, Varim, Pyria, and Alios, the four brethren that complete the league's bond, stand shoulder to shoulder, their banners proud against the sky.
Structure
A republic born of salt and sea, held in the grip of a mighty Doge and his Council of Sixty. These are no common men, but scions of noble Rexan blood, their families driven from their homeland in the fiery storm of the Refugium, seeking solace in the wilds of Aerisca Borealis.
Within the walls of Abria, the League's jewel, the Doge reigns supreme, a sovereign elected by the Council to hold sway until his mortal coil is cast aside. From his lofty seat he commands his realm, issuing edicts and weaving the threads of policy. Yet beyond Abria's bustling harbor, four lesser city-states stand, each governed by Prefects chosen by the city's own noble and pious men. Though the Doge, in his dual role as Prefect of Abria, claims primacy, these governors hold no little sway within their own walls.
Mark, though, despite this autonomy, a silken cord of fealty binds all to the Doge. He is, in truth, the League's head, the one to whom all eyes turn in times of strife. Nay, more than that, upon his ascent he dons the mantle of Pontifex Maximus, chief shepherd of the Aeriscan church. Thus, not only does he command armies and ships, but his word weighs heavy in matters of soul and spirit.
Such is the intricate dance of power that governs the Aeriscan League, a tapestry woven from noble blood, salty air, and the whispers of the Ouranians. A republic, aye, but one tempered by tradition and the iron grip of those who have known exile and forged a new nation from the storm.
Culture
The gears of state are turned by noble blood, honed sharp and cunning by hardship. Within each office, ministers choose their men, not for merit, but for kinship and whispered favors. Even the Doge, that lofty sovereign, raises chosen few to stand at his side, their blood thicker than loyalty.
Of laws, speak not a whisper, for justice clings to the rich and powerful like gilded barnacles. Ator the Lawgiver, he may be patron, yet his scales offer scant shelter from the capricious bite of power. The common folk, they toil and sweat, their pockets ever lean, their backs bent under the burden of a thousand decrees, each more fickle than the wind. Should one dare stray from the narrow path of custom and creed, then shame, a serpent's tooth, shall be their only punishment.
Yet, mark thee well, for in the face of the Timendi horde, a flicker of unity stirs amongst the gilded halls. Even patrician noses must hold back sniffs of disdain when the undead gnaw at Aerisca's gate. The Doge, he knows his legitimacy hangs by the frayed cords of faith, woven of Ator's justice and Maya's mercy. Thus, he and his gilded flock must shield the commoners, lest the wrath of the Ouranic Gods, and the hunger of the Timendi, consume them all.
Serfdom's shadow creeps long from the days of Aerisca Borealis, when even the soil beneath a man's feet was not his own. No land owned, no right acknowledged, the state a hungry maw ever ready to swallow wealth. Yet, a spark of freedom flickers in the League's veins, for its heart beats with the rhythm of regional militias, unruly sons that dance to their own drums. Even so, the weight of endless taxes binds the peasantry like an iron collar, their sweat the ink that signs their perpetual debt.
Such is the tapestry of Aeriscan life, a grim weave of privilege and peril, duty and deceit. A republic, aye, but one where shadows dance behind gilded masks, and the whispers of rebellion mingle with the hymns of fear. Tread softly, traveler, for in Aerisca, the ground beneath your feet may shift as swift as the tides, and the whispers of change may rise louder than the tolling of the Doge's bell.
Assets
Ownership of this verdant realm doth not lie with mere mortals, but with the Holy Ouranic Church, its spires reaching high like celestial fingers. And who, pray tell, sits as the head of this pious flock? The Doge himself, that chosen one crowned with earthly power and anointed with the mantle of Pontifex Maximus. Thus, within his grasp lies not only the reins of state, but the dominion over every field and forest within the League's borders.
Such power, however, demandeth a hefty purse. For the gears of government grind not on prayers alone, but on the clinking of coin. And clink they do, for the League's coffers, though not overflowing, hold enough to sustain its needs. A sum of 195,000 decim, each month doth it pour forth, like a silvern river, to fill the reservoirs of the Aeriscan state. From the upkeep of the Doge's palace to the wages of the city watch, from the sails of the navy to the parchments of the scribes, all are fed by this golden stream.
So ponder well this curious dance of the divine and the mundane. For in the Aeriscan League, where the land is the Church's and the Church is the Doge's, power and piety intertwine like vines upon a temple wall. A tapestry woven of gold and faith, it hangs heavy in the Aeriscan air, a testament to the League's ambition and the ever-watchful gaze of the Ouranic Gods above.
History
Yet, ambition, a serpent ever lurking in the human heart, stirred within Qadshat's walls. It locked horns with Rexa, an empire thirsting for dominion over the Central Sea's bounty. Wars thundered across the years, until in 946 AR, Rexa's iron fist crushed the Nar, claiming their soil as the province Aerisca Borealis. Blessed by Ikatrus, from its fertile soil, Rexan hands coaxed forth olives, pomegranates, and grapes, their sweet nectar a balm for the colder lands of the empire.
As Rexa bloated on Aerisca's bounty, its elite wallowed in decadence. Emperor Nefastius, a man consumed by the insatiable hunger for eternal life, delved into forbidden arcana, seeking a Third Age ritual whispered of by dragons. In Rexa, his opulent capital, he enacted his madness. Life, like sap from a severed vine, drained from the land, sucked into Nefastius in a monstrous vortex. He emerged, no longer man, but lich, a skeletal husk pulsating with unholy power.
News of his blasphemy, a poisoned arrow, flew across the land. Loyal legions rose in rebellion, but Nefastius unleashed his necromancy, raising an army of the undead, the Timendi, to quell all dissent. Those spared the blade fared no better, herded like cattle to feed the insatiable hunger of Nefastius and his vampiric lords.
Yet, amidst the ashes of Rexa, hope flickered. Hundreds, fleeing the lich-emperor's grasp, found refuge in Aerisca. Here, refugees and natives forged a bond, the Aeriscan League, the last flicker of Rexan civilization in a world teetering on the brink of an age of darkness. They braced for the inevitable onslaught, expecting Nefastius to unleash his undead horde across the sea.
But the lich, it seemed, held a different ambition. He retreated into an abyss of arcane study, his mind lost in the depths of Nexra's forbidden whispers. With him gone, the Timendi devolved, their bickering echoes trapped within the 'Deadlands', their realm of un-life crumbling amidst their struggle for power.
Thus, the League found respite, a fragile peace bought with time. For a century, they toiled, their coffers fat from trade, their muscles hardened by expectation. They built imposing ramparts around their city-states, trained seasoned militias, and honed their naval prowess. Their scholars delved into ancient texts, seeking forgotten magic and knowledge to counter the undead threat. They knew the veil between life and un-death was thin, and the day might come when the Timendi, or perhaps Nefastius himself, shall renew their hunger for Aerisca's soul.
But beyond the preparations and vigilance, whispers spread amongst taverns and market squares. Some say Nefastius has ascended beyond lichdom to become a demigod of undeath, poised to unleash an unimaginable horror upon the world. Others mutter of ancient prophecies, foretelling a savior who will rise from the ashes of Rexa, wielding a divine blade to cleanse the land of the undead.
Whatever the truth may be, one thing remains certain: in the grim tapestry of Aerisca's fate, the threads of war and magic are tightly woven. Whether the League stands or falls, their story will be etched in the annals of history, a testament to the indomitable spirit of those who dared to defy the tide of darkness.
Demography and Population
Territories
Military
The League maintains a professional military force of 2,000 soldiers and sailors during peacetime. In the event of invasion, this force issupplemented by milita levied by each city-state.
Technological Level
While much knowledge was lost with the fall of the Rexan Empire, the Aeriscan League is still one of the most advanced of the Human nations. However, the level of technological and scientific knowledge possesed by the Aeriscans is still quite primative compared to the technological marvels of neigborhing Karad or distant Xian. Technologies of note known to the League include the stirrup, horse collars, plows, the two-field system of crop rotation, watermills, architectural pendentives, underground waterducts, and Eknoi fire.
Religion
The Ouranic Church is recognized as the state religion; however, the Aeriscan League is content to continue the long-standing Rexan tolerance for religious pluralism within its borders. Other faiths, including worship of the gods of the Nar pantheon and others, are free to build temples and shrines for their followers. However, religious conversion between faith groups is generally frowned upon outside of the context of an interfaith betrothal.
Foreign Relations
Trade & Transport
The League possesses a burgeoning economy with many natural resources available for exploitation. However, the massive demographic and economic shock of the Refugium has yet to fully subside, leaving much of these resources untapped. As such, the League is dependent on a high level of taxation to fund affairs of state. Income tax is collected quarterly, on each equinox or solstice, at a rate of 25%, to be paid in currency or crops. Additionally, the League levies a 5% tax on all sales. Due to its priorities as a merchant republic, import/export duties are low, only being assessed as 1% of a cargo's total value. Due to the lack of infrastructure maintenance in much of the League's land after the fall of the Rexan Empire, much of the responsibility for tax collection is farmed out to publicans who are given rectorship of a particular area or region.
Mare Salvat
Maps
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Aersican League Political Map
The basic currency minted by the League is a silver coin known as the decim. Also minted are coins in platinum (duxon), gold (auron), electrum (quintim), and copper (cypron). The values of the currency based on the decim are given in the table below:
| 1 Duxon | 50 Decim |
| 1 Auron | 10 Decim |
| 1 Quintim | 5 Decim |
| 1 Decim | 10 Cypron |
Legislative power nominally lies within The Sinédrio. However, in reality, the majority governmental laws and regulations are decreed by the Doge through exercise of his executive power.
Supreme judicial power lies within the Doge as Pontifex Maximus. Priests of Ator serve as regional inquisitors of their assigned paroecia.
