Aphios, the Enduring

"Take pride for being alive."

— Common Aphiosan Saying

Aphios is a city state of formidable endurance, hence their title. They have continuously dealt with an inhospitable land and intolerant neighbours, and yet have survived every endeavour, every hardship thrown at them.

The city state sits on the Roskum River, the fastest fleuve in the realm, beginning in the Iron Mountains and ending in a flat expanse near the sea as a continuous expanse of swamps and open water. Other regions where the river does not touch are dominated by hilly bogs, of which the people toil for peat to export and sell.

Almost as famous as their strength and tenacity is their feud with neighbouring Velencei, a nation which every so often seeks to gain advantage from each other during good times, and destroy each other during bad.

As a testament to their strife, the patron god of the citizens there is Ilmater, the persevering god. They say his grace is given not by pity, but by respect to the citizens for having overcome their plights with heads held high. Indeed, Aphiosans have not only managed to survive but rather thrive in their inhospitable land, living up to their creed.

Government

Aphios is leaded by several noble houses, each tracing back their lineage to a champion of Ilmater who fought alongside him. They each lead their own territory around the city state, and convene once every month to decide on laws for the city to abide to. Each house leads their territory how they see fit, but if the other rulers find they are misusing their powers or putting others at risk, they can decide to annex their territory and award it to another house who would govern it better.

Although a large amount of noble houses exist in Aphios, the following are noteworthy due to their position, territories, noble standing, or some combination of the three:

House Spinola
A noble House overseeing territory in the eastern hills, exporting coal and peat. Due to their control over the hills, they are the sole exporter of coal to other realms, reaping a decent profit from the endeavors.

House Hirsch
A noble house to the east of Aphios proper, exporting both peat and fruit. They have recently become the topic of conversation for having a magic burst on their lands, which resulted in the death of several countrymen and the daughter of the heads of the house, Miss Kora Hirsch. the source of the magic burst has yet to be confirmed (I have sent out students to investigate), but current theories suspect clerical magic is to be the cause. Perhaps Ilmater chose to smite some evildoings in the region? Such would be the norm to their traditions, but is purely personal speculation on my part. I hope the root cause is discovered before my next volume is published, as it would be an interesting footnote to investigate.

House Rainflower
A house on the south eastern side of Axios proper, controlling most of the land in the region. Indeed, they are one of the most powerful families in the Aphios citystate, having a heavy say in the dealings of the city due to their position.

House Solari

House Jouverelli

House Lamalle

House Wynmaker

House Sullard

House Alirisey

House Eestmorn

History

Long ago in Aphios, there was a war between good and evil, when chaotic beings emerged and began torturing and slaughtering the people who chose to eke out their lives in the land. The god Ilmater, disgusted by what had occurred and spurred to action, had chosen champions from the land to fight for the people there who clung to life in such an arduous place, and together they won the battle. The god granted each of the champions divine gifts in exchange for their bravery, courage and for having defended their land and people. These champions became the nobles of Aphios, their bloodline noble families. Although their descendants might not be as virtuous as their ancestors were, they still persist and rule over the city state.

Geography

Aphios is situation along the Roskum River, a fast fleuve filled with rapids and sharp boulders at the first half of its run due to the durable igneous geology below most of the river bed and the drastic drops it sustains from its source up the mountains before crashing down below to the Sea. The second half of its run is characterized by flat lands similar to Abens or Velencei, where the river floods the land. With this, the banks of the river along its path to the sea is dotted with swamps and open water wetlands that are perpetually flooded for most of the year, save the winter when it is frozen solid. 

The soil profile of Aphios is varies, from pencil thin over hard granite to deep gleyed mud over bedrock, to deep layers of spongy peat. The peat seems to be a persistent fixture in the history of the region as coal, the eventual end result to all peat, is found abundantly in the hills surrounding the lands, which the inhabitants mine and sell across the Sea. These soils, although good for peat, is very poor for agriculture and traditional animal husbandry. This is why the Aphiosans raise other animals in its stead, raising them in the open water found around the land: giant crayfish, various species of water fowls, and domesticated giant river otters to herd them along the water ways. 

Natural Resources

Whilst the harshness of Aphios's location makes it unable to reliably grow traditional exports, its unique position also offers it ressources that are not found anywhere else in the realm to such quantity or quality. A good example of this is their peat; of anywhere in the Sea it is of the highest quality, and the sheer quantity of it compared to other cities makes it the cheapest and highest quality choice when purchasing some. The land around Aphios lends to other exports as well, such as water fowl, domesticated giant river otters, and certain species of freshwater fish cultivated in their swamps that are not found anywhere else. Indeed, Aphiosans have managed to thrive in their inhospitable land, living up to their creed.

Alternative Name(s)

The Enduring

Inhabitant Demonym

Aphiosans

Location under

The Aeliph Sea

Included Locations

• Roskum River