Soukos

(part of the Autia setting)

General:

Only now many lesser and uncivilized races have made claims of power and superiority, however the mighty Soukos republic has always remained among the premier trading nations and in the eyes of Soukans, the peak of culture and beauty. The tales of this land are heavily romanticized, however there are kernels of truth in all the prose and hyperbole used. Once these lands were home to aetheric spirits that wished to create a land in their own image. Seeing the many tribes of the area they revealed themselves and said that they would protect the mortals, so long as they worshipped the spirits as gods. An agreement was struck and the majority of tribes agreed, with dissenters being slain as the new pantheon created many natural defenses to separate the newly named Soukos from the rest of Rinolsol. Quickly a unique and intricate culture of city states evolved and each mustered a fleet to begin trading. It was in this aspect that Soukos shined brightest as the aetheric connection to the lands made by the spirits led to a great many unique flora being made. Rare fruits and herbs could create many a concoction, and some of them served as potent stimulants allowing the Soukans to produce works of fine art at a pace far greater than even the other world powers of the time. However the independence of the city-states also led to a great deal of bickering and petty squabbles between each other. Recently this has changed as the waning power of the land, in both military might and trade due to relentless war has been put to better use by the glorious Dimitar the Benevolent, originating as a prince from the northern region of Macedinios. Dimitar quickly became a leader of great renown and it was with this prowess he soon launched an attack on the weakened city states, unifying them under one banner, one purpose. This purpose was for Soukos to regain her glory and control the trade of the world once again, with its drugs and rare materials coming into demand now more than ever.

People:

The Soukans are a slightly tanned race of seafarers and poets, being the original Sorgos humans. As such when they restarted contact and trade with their former colonies it was clear the maps of who were descendants of them was correct given the similar appearance and skin tone. Sorgos humans in general are generally hardier and slightly taller yet less naturally nimble then most Nantic humans and use this to their advantage with powerful spear walls or armor to reinforce their already powerful frames.

Other races in Soukos include Nantic, Jinsanic, Malsolian and limited amounts of Shaobon humans are foreign traders and expatriates with dwarves and elves seen as far more exotic foreigners yet they both have small quarters set aside for their population in the city-states.

Religion:

The Soukans exclusively worship a local pantheon of deities originating from the aether and uplifting the disparate tribes formerly inhabiting southern Rinolsol. From then on these entities have been worshipped as gods with the most powerful of them being seen as all members of a complicated divine family tree.

These gods include Zeupiter, leader of the gods and god of the sky, the weather, thunder, lightning and men with each of these aspects also being filled out by a lesser god. Next is Nepseidon, god of the water, the ocean, the sea, sea life, earthquakes and all horses that aren't under the dominion of deadicorn, Hadiese, god of death, law and the underworld, Apolion, god of the sun, prophecy and passion alongside his sister Dianartemis goddess of the moon, the hunt and wild animals. These five gods are the most widely worshipped with the other major gods being Demitere, goddess of farming and fertility, Aphrodinus, goddess of love and sex, Minervus, goddess of art and knowledge and Mares, god of war, rage and honor.

The gods often bestow blessings upon skilled warriors and weapons inside their shrines or should they be particularly loved in battle with cases of warriors suddenly becoming twice as deadly as they already were appearing countless time in Soukan myths due to this godly favor.

No other gods are recognized and worshipped by the Soukans however small temples to these gods appear in the merchant quarter and other districts of city-states where foreigners go.

The churches of Zeupiter, Nepseidon and Hadiese are fierce rivals and constantly battle to see who can make the largest temples with the most offerings. Currently Hadiese is nearing the status of becoming the most venerated god as the war and the death that will come with it comes closer with many warriors praying for their souls to arrive in Elysium, the heroes fields.

Magic:

Magical potential is extremely common among children due to constant prayer at temples resulting in the secondhand inhaling of magical substances such as aetherroot and other such magic incenses which are burned. As such magical is seen as a useful tool in battle with even the most basic of hoplites having some rudimentary performance enhancing abilities performed with magic.

Anyone seeking to further their knowledge of the magical arts travel to the Temple of Apolion in Delphus to receive a more in depth training and due to the scale of the establishment and the amount of battle mages the army in general has a great variety of these mages. The schools of Aether Manipulation, Energy Creation, Dimensional Magic, Summoning and Enchantment all have courses in the temple with a limited form of Necromancy being taught to worshippers of Hadiese. As such battle wizards and useful assets with at least one per regiment performing great feats such as bringing down the lightning of Zeupiter right into a crowd of fighters.

Military:

A Soukan force is one of great class and prowess, much like the rest of their glorious nation. In fact their constant boasting and singing irks possible allies. However this pride is made up for by the rigorous training and concoction a warrior receives to become a master of his chosen craft on the battlefield. Alongside this the siege engines and whimsical creatures brought along to battle are all great assets to even the playing field between the great firepower modern nations possess. Said siege engines are often brought to shrines of the Soukan pantheon to be blessed with unique properties and it is so that if an artillery piece survives long enough it can get a name of it's own with it's awesome power.

Soukan forces primarily consist of well trained and potion enchanted warriors and many are equipped with a 2-3 meter long spear known as a doru. They are drilled in several formations to fight in and are unparalleled by other nations standard infantry in single combat. Long ago that had been enough to win them the seas, however times have changed and with gunpowder weapons on the rise the Soukans have reluctantly adapted to using these so called “barbaric, ungraceful tools”. Through heavily modifying several of their earlier siege engines such as ballistae and rigorously blessing them at shrines to their gods they have developed weapons such as modified mortars that can fire off a swift and deadly bolt alongside flame spewing devices that release Soukan fire, a deadly alchemical weapon. They are backed up by the many fantastical creatures in the area such as minotaurs and Pegasi who have all been fitted and adapted into this army. However their primary flaw is their lack of desire to constantly train new recruits due to no pressing war concerns leading to a thinly an often spread army across the region.

As war is considered merely another art for the Soukans to perfect, it is therefore inevitable that strategy and fighting techniques are passed down from generation to generation alongside the constant addition of new warmachines to the army. Hoplites have and still remain the basic foot soldier of the city-states host and through battlefield experience each soldier chooses a specialized path to embark upon where their talents will shine brightest. This method of training has produced exemplary results however commonly results in infighting as rivals battle for the highest positions of power in their regiment. Some of these specialized troops include the Flamespitter Sarissas, Gladius Sailor Guard, Fonias-Pattern Repeater Crossbowmen and the Drakehead Ashtongues.

Released into the battle as well is a myriad of the exotic creatures populating the region, originally mutated from the aetheric radiation of the gods residing in the region such as bonded cyclopses taken from their home island of Sicilia, satyr skirmishers, centaur reavers, warsphinxes, manticores, battle hydras, Soukan harpies, possible the originators of the entire harpy race should the myths written centuries ago be true as they were made far before any other documentation of the harpy race and chimeras, the revolting results of procreation between these beasts. Alongside the rank and file are siege engines such as the trusty ballista, an ancient artillery piece commonly modified with magitech addons and the support of battle mages and oracles, a strange subclass of mage who are supreme advisors to the army due to their inherent gifts of foresight.

With the art of gunpowder being much more easy to learn than that of the blade and of magic, a few commoners have begun to take up arms as well, known as the Armatoloi. This levy is quite notorious for deviating greatly from the Soukan military tradition, with them preferring sneak attacks rather than direct combat. Their appearance reflects their fighting style, with them being armed to teeth with multiple guns and a sword, which is used only as a last resort. Despite them being looked down on by more established groups, the unorthodox and pragmatic methods of the Armatoloi brings undeniable results.

An Armatolos

Among the Armatoloi levy there exists elite bands of veterans known as the Evzones. These warriors are either wealthy enough to purchase higher quality weapons than the flintlocks, sabers and axes used by most Armatoloi or are veteran Armatoloi who have earned such weapons. These senior warriors commonly use gear like enchanted repeating rifles for their baseline weaponry and have perfected the Armatoloi doctrine of stealth based combat and guerilla warfare. Alongside their rifles they additionally wear khaki uniforms spun with silk from an Arachne (a giant spider monster with feminine traits native to Soukos) giving them great durability and marking them apart from others as they either lead a regiment of Armatoloi or serve in a regiment fully comprised of other Evzones. They carry with them cutting edge weaponry a step further than their levied comrades such as magitech mountain guns, weapons lacking the sheer damage in a single round a dragon killer ballista has but with a far quicker firing speed making it ideal for wiping out charging regiments and for moving around quickly. Due to their far higher quality equipment and training than the other Armalotoi many hoplites have ended up somewhat admiring the Evzones, and their track record as efficient warriors are one of the reasons the Armatoloi are still respected by the Soukans.

Navy:

Navywise, the Soukans have kept mostly to their original ship designs with the neo-trireme serving as their transport across the sea. With reliance on rowers removed for automated engines allowing for more consistent sailing it has become possible to vastly increase the size of these ships and shove the former rowing ports chock-full of cannons and other such weaponry. Lastly use of small airships and planes have been seeing widespread use as troop carriers, with Soukan Skyslicers being useful in bombing raids and to observe the surrounding terrain. Alongside this the exerevnitis, or explorer in Common Nantic as they call their airships has served as an extremely useful transport dropping a regiment of troopers directly onto the combat zone or wherever they are needed granting a powerful level of maneuverability to the Soukans. As mentioned several times, neo-triremes are the primary vessel of the Soukan Navy with the automated portion of the battleship/trade ships replacing the many holes for rows to stick out in the lower decks with a cannon in each. This has led to an extremely devastating broadside belowdecks as the amount of cannons crammed into the boat is staggering. Abovedecks however dragonkiller ballistae are employed as rotating turrets to fire and destroy the hulls of ships or do substantial damage to the armored portion of enemy ships. Alongside this, Skyslicers and Exerevnitis airships fly ahead of the main force performing quick attacks before fleeing.

History:

The ancient realms of Soukos are known as the city-states, called such for being independently acting realms for the most part throughout history. Across the rocky coasts of Soukos through the small whitewashed fishing villages and peaceful hamlets arise these gargantuan realms each with a unique and storied history. Due to this each city-state has a unique trait that embodies itself in the mannerisms and manufacturing of that land. Typically these cities are located on the coast and visitors travelling there for the first time would be met with buildings resembling seeming to stretch into the sky at impossible angles, great temples to the local pantheon and a crowded harbor being filled with neo-triremes, merchant boats and all sorts of smaller crafts in a cramped merchants quarter. And this is just the port, the many districts of these city-states stretch inland with many a wonder being found to anyone travelling through. Due to this scale, even the small and relatively minor city-states have extremely dense populations of at least 100,000 due to centuries of growing and a constant influx of merchants and travelers coming to seek their fortune. The size and unique traits of these cities result in massive armies being formed and used as a city-states personal militia rather than a national army being sent out to fulfill the cities own purposes rather than assist in a greater endeavor. This has led to a lack of understanding between say, Crætians and Cornithians to use two major regions as an example and many, many civil wars. The shocking level of pettiness and spite between supposed "paragons of order" has often lasted for many generations with periods of halt from some new ruler or revolutionary technology allowing the disunity to be stopped with one specific faction rising to the top and dominating the others. These have either led to another, larger civil war or a golden age for the republic with the last one of note being just before the Eldrian Empire had reached its peak where the areas now known as the Nantic States were all explored and thoroughly mapped out, resulting in the modern day map of Autia being made alongside many settlements being established and trade being made with the then tribal locals. This "age of expansion" was put to an end with all forces being recalled to the homeland as the city-states had engaged in yet another civil war, this time kickstarted by Sparathus against Athíens. In the two centuries it took to resolve this conflict the former colonized portions of Autia developed their own cultural identities resulting in the modern day Sorgos humans inhabiting those parts in places like Aesnaria, Brazilistan, Voluntas Pact etc. These ages are also periods of great change with formerly small city-states rising to power, recently the land subject to this transformation has been Macedinios having birthed Dimitar. Through his impeccable leadership and usage of tactics adapted from his homeland such as the phalanx he assimilated several neighboring city-states and seemingly overnight successfully invaded Thïbesse, a feat of such magnitude quickly made many other major city-states swear fealty to him and lead to a new age of prosperity following the unification of the realms. It has been two hundred years since that time and Soukos has restarted contact with its former colonies, trade has increased by almost double and the land has slowly pushed against the northern border aiming to find the ideal time to strike again and take all of Rinosol during the upcoming war.

Cities:

Macedinios:

The youngest city-state to gain the major status and northernmost of them all, Macedinios is famed for the skill of its sarissamen and is attributed to inventing the phalanx military formation. Some regional units of note from these parts would include the Flamespitter Sarissamen and their flaming spear which can fire magical beams of pure heat capable of melting a hole in a steel sheet and the Amazons who inhabit those lands.

Cornithus:

A city-state constantly at the forefront of innovation, seeking only to further the arts which results in stunning pieces of clothing and armor coming from the land. However the Soukans consider war an art too and in this front the city isn't lacking as it manufactures the great ballistae, repeating bolt throwers, sanctified missile launchers and other artillery pieces used by the Soukans. Covering the coast of the city on white lighthouses are the fabled dragonkiller ballistae, named such for piercing and destroying the skull of a world dragon when they were first unveiled in an attempted Sartyrian raid on the land. The most famous unit from this land are the Gladius Sailor Guard, well trained soldiers and sailors who patrol the coast and stop any piracy occuring and in some cases even facing against beasts like a rogue cyclops.

Crætus:

The land of beasts as it is known to most is located on an island and filled to the brim with great mutated monsters roaming and terrorizing villages. With the assistance of Centaur Reavers and Satyr Skirmishers, two units of great renown from this region these beasts can be subdued and serve as the warbeasts used in a greater Soukan army. These include the Bonded Cyclopses, Warsphinxes, Manticores, Battle Hydras, Centaur Reavers, Satyr Skirmishers and Soukan Harpies, the last three being friendly and assisting the Soukans capture these beasts.

Athíens:

By far the most populous of all the city-states, Athíens is first visible from miles away because of their great lighthouse (which also serves as a potent beam weapon like the Harlan Tower but this is kept a secret) as a sprawling mass of spires, balconies, airships flying around and weapons being tested, overall a shockingly vast scene. In fact by this point the city has reached such size and age it could be reasonably be called a megacity, a term coined by a scholar from one of the many universities dotting the realm. While the size may be impressive Athíens itself it famous for being the most pious of all the city-states, setting up a great hill filled with temples to every god on the Soukan pantheon be it major or minor. These shrines serve great use outside of prayer as well for Cornithus often sends massive weapons shipments over which are brought inside a temple and blessed with a trait belonging to the god, granting in most cases enough strength to blow an iron beast of Yr in half. Typically each blessed artillery piece has one or two blessings but in some rare cases a weapon can rise to such notoriety and age that it gains the blessings of all the gods on temple hill receiving the title "everchosen", the most recent of which being an ashtongue of great renown. These weapons are then interred in shrines to be brought out in times of great need. Some famous regiments from these parts include the Fonias-Pattern Repeater Crossbowman who use their crossbows to fire a volley bolts that can pierce a mans heart in a single shot and the Ashtongues, a recent invention consisting of a drake shaped mouth letting loose a stream of Soukan fire. This fire is said to be able to burn even under a river with a current going through and has been mounted to the prows of ships allowing them to burn through almost everything in front of them alongside a newly formed regiment using smaller versions as some sort of "flamethrower" as they call it.

Delphus:

A city-state slightly inland from the coast and resembling more of a long series of farmland than one of the densely packed standard city-states with its vast population with them instead being more dispersed out across the small villages making this region up. The primary attraction of this land is the massive Temple of Apolion, god of the sun and prophecy and one of the major gods of the Soukans (I'll make a list of their major gods after this, won't be as long as this one but I'll also make a currency they use and such) with even Athíenans grudgingly admitting they have the superior temple. This temple serves as a great school of all those Soukans who seek to hone the inherent magical power gained through secondhand exposure to aetherroot alongside the home of the oracles, a subclass of mage with powerful divination powers. Both these battle mages and oracles are the famed regiments from this land capable of performing great feats such as trapping the enemy in an illusion so powerful they kill themselves off before ever reaching the hoplites or a key, if vague insight allowing the Soukans to win a battle through this prophecy. Aside from the temple, Delphus is a relatively quiet and peaceful place famed for the quality of the food and woolen crafts grown there which are often sold in markets all across the republic.

Sparathus:

Being a rare example of a landlocked city-state, the great halls and arenas of Sparathus are primarily connected to the outside world through the Eurotasse river and long ago they were the most powerful of all the city-states through their lust for expansion. This lust came to use when the Soukans spread out throughout Autia as the Sorgos countries formerly consisted of tribesmen ruthlessly and forcefully banished from their lands and put into bondage as slaves for the Sparathans. These slaves would be taken back home and put to work as the helots, the term used for the lower class in Sparta as aside from performing most manual labor as the Sparathans pursued more martial professions. Alongside that a tithe was always extracted of fifty young men from the helots per every two months to participate as gladiators in the massive arenas known as colosseums the Sparathans built. While all city-states in Soukos have at least one collosseum the Sparathans took great enjoyment from the deadly battles occuring in the pits as wild beasts were released and gladiators made to fight each other. In the time of Dimitar he demanded the Sparathans to cease the tithe and use the helots for something outside of free entertainment however in order to avoid a civil war between the easily angered people of Sparathus, in exchange for the helots receiving a degree of freedom they shared a massive debt they had to work off to their overlords. As such in the modern time not much has changed with the slave class simply becoming a brutally oppressed lower class made from the families of the former helots. Regimentwise, Sparathus has a great deal of (in)famous regiments due to its vast military history and being the original city-state to employ the hoplite as standard foot infantry. Some of their greatest regiments include the Black Blades, unparalleled swordfighters wielding enchanted obsidian blades with such strength that even a slice from the sword of a Sartyrian Steelcutter could not break it and Steelcutter in question soon losing his head. Alongside this the Bronze Boar Riders are extremely tough cavalry riding the massive bronze boars, descendants of the giant Erymanthian Boar captured by the first hoplite Heraeclesse and the national hero of Sparathus as part of his ten great tasks. The boar was brought back home and through several alluring female boars a whole new generation of boars far exceeding the standard size a boar should grow to being born. These boars had tusks of bronze like their father and were adapted into the greater military. Lastly, any gladiators who go past their first month in the colosseum without being slaughtered gain their freedom through forced service in the army, using their combat experience against warbeasts to serve as potent shock troops.

Thïbesse:

A city state obsessed with all forms of transportation, Thïbesse is a well ordered city split into several districts with machines such as chariots and trains constantly driving around heading to whatever destination they seek. In fact, several buildings are in towers only accessible by flying up to that height allowing the engineers at the top to sketch concepts for future airships in peace. As a byproduct of its love for transportation, historically Thïbesse has produced among the finest charioteers in the world with its pegasus and holy eagle chariots being famed for their ability to swoop over their enemies and fire down. The most famous pegasus chariot rider was the hero Bellepheron who is known for slaying the deadliest chimera ever to live before tragically falling off his chariot to his death. This story, immortalized in myth has brought the pegasus outside the negative stigma most horses are seen with due to its clear divinity and lack of connection to deadicorn. Alongside this the holy eagle chariots serve as incredibly versatile scouts by surveying the nearby terrain and dismounting to launch an ambush on a raiding party. That is not to say that Thïbesse hasn't modernized either in the current era, as it has developed two noteworthy devices that allow for flight without the training of an animal. Firstly there is the Soukan Skyslicer, a beautifully crafted fighter plane with far more speed than most other fighters can hope to achieve, typically employed in fast bombing raids as they sail by destroying the enemy garrison and leave in a flash. In exchange for being manufacturable and not needing a rider, the Skyslicer takes far more specialized training to use in order to pilot and use the many levers attacked to it and release the bombs in the correct area in order to not hit an ally behind you.

Naftio:

This port city-state serves as one of the biggest trading hubs of Soukos. Originally funded by Naftis, patron demigod of sailing and home to the Gorgons, it is now managed entirely by merchant guilds, adhering to money more than Soukan law. Here, seeing ships and peoples from all around the world of all factions(pirates included), from Nantics and Eritroans to even Kangoos and Mousterians is commonplace. This city has something for everyone, as long as you can pay. Want to leave Rinolsol for some reason? All you gotta do is give money to the right people. Perhaps you may want to buy special foreign weapons, or even a tank maybe. In spite of how corrupt this city appears to be, you can find opportunities at any corner. Even though it is now mostly known as a trading city, it still has a strong naval tradition rivaling Cornithus. Its quality ships and hardened sailors are the true strength of this city.

Mycinia:

The lands of Soukos are warm, quite warm indeed. Spring in the nation is famously described as seemingly always being under a clear blue sky as described in the texts of visiting writers. This is not even counting the warm winds blown from both Ignis and Tismo which pass through southern Rinolsol in the summer, causing the heat to become almost unbearable at times to the Nantic merchants who stop by during these times, much to the amusement of the locals who have grown accustomed to such heat in the generations their families have lived in the republic. When questioned about the heat, the Soukans simply respond that their gods willed such warmth to touch the land with the discussion left at that. If this is so, then the gaze of the gods would be most directly upon the great city-state of Mycinia, and if you were to gaze upon its regal citizens you'd believe it too. Being the oldest out of any of the Soukan city-states, the Sublime Dominion of Mycinia (its formal and complete title) commands a great deal of respect amongst the major city-states. Its age is such that before Soukos was devoted to its current pantheon and was divided into scattered tribal societies, Mycinia was the capital of the Mycinian people who were undisputedly the mightiest among the tribes at the time. They were civilized beyond the capabilities of their peers as shown with them having settled down and established a capital with their metallurgy and subsequent use of bronze being second to none. They even razed the capital of their greatest rival, the Trajons to the ground in a great war. The ruins from this massive city still dot the northern half of the island of Myenos and the land surrounding them grew feral and filled with wildlife, eventually being repopulated and becoming the modern city-state of Crætus. This unique culture would not be lost following the arrival of the Soukan gods and rather than let the divine spirits shape their society they merely added it to their own. This act of defiance was performed with such steadiness, that the gods took note of it and as is their fickle nature instead rewarded it by naming their Wanax or as Autians call it, king, their messenger and he was uplifted to demigod status becoming the first ruler of an individual city-state to unite the whole republic. During this period and even after the death of their Wanax in battle, Mycinia never once forgot their martial lifestyle and it currently is tied with Sparathus for the city-state producing the most warriors with Sparathus only being slightly ahead at the moment. Its most famous regiment are the Kataphraktoi, warriors fully bedecked in blessed plate who wield great tower shields with both a spear and sword in battle. They form both an elite armored form of infantry or in some cases cavalry, as some of them choose instead to mount the massive Cerberi that lurk within the caves near their city and appear as bloodthirsty three-headed dogs and ride these beasts into battle. One final note about their military is that unlike the hoplites of other city-states, the warriors provided by Mycinia are frenzied skirmishers who wear boar tusk helmets and wield figure-of-eight shields alongside battleaxes and swords, often both at the same time. These warriors are noted to have a seemingly unshakeable resolve in battle and while they may appear primitive compared to their hoplite counterparts, subtle enchantments are present all across their wargear which when in action makes them more than a match for those soldiers.

Economy:

As the soil is more suited to growing magical crops only growable in these lands rather than much food crops, the economy of Soukos is mostly trade based with these luxury goods being sold alongside assorted works of art, wine and olives. Otherwise all food is imported into the city-states and sold in the vast markets located within the merchant districts. A good portion of the magical plants they sell are also kept by mages to consume in battle and raise their already powerful magical abilities to an even higher level for a period of time. The drachma is the accepted currency all throughout Soukos following the removal of unique currencies for each city-state.

Among the primary exports of the Soukan republic, the chief among them is clearly aetherroot. A thin pale root which can be ground into powder and consumed for a boost to ones comprehension of the world, mental processes and ability to comprehend aetheric occurrences this ability is highly in demand within circles of magi leading to a vast market around the product. Along with this are a variety of medicinal supplements, tonics and fine art produced by the artisans of the city-states. Many a noble seeks to purchase a quality piece in an auction house to place in their own home and serve as a sign that they are a patron of fine art

Concerning the Wandering Elves:

The men of Soukos, following their initial meetings welcome the strange elves into Rinolsol for, trade, discussion and many other things. The first encounter with the elven fleet would come from a member of the Gladius Sailor Guard patrolling the coasts of the republic in his hippocampus chariot. The mists of the coast left him unprepared for suddenly seeing a great fleet of foreign ships and nearly sent the fish-tailed horses running the chariot a-fleeing out of fear. The rider did not allow them to flee, for his duty was to establish communication with a foreign fleet should one appear and the elves aboard hastily assured him of their good will after seeing the state of his horses. After their purpose was conveyed, the rider brought them to the nearest city-state harbor of Athiens with mild apprehension; for it was the Sartyrians who had once led a failed raid upon his home of Cornithus long ago. These scruples were ignored for the moment and the elven fleet made harbor and their chosen ambassadors were sent to make clear their purpose in these waters. The sweet voices of the elves pleased the senators whom they were brought to much, and the elves managed to reason to them that unlike previous engagements, they came as friends. Since that time, the coasts of Soukos have been opened for the elves to travel as they wish. Yet as is the nature of the land, the individual city-states possess their own sets of beliefs on these new visitors and choose to note a specific aspect of the elven character over others. These individual interpretations of the visitors are generally held with greater value by the citizens of these grand cities than the statements of the greater government, for the loyalty of a Soukan is foremost to his own home. I will now list some of these beliefs below:

As mentioned earlier, Cornithus remains the city-state harboring the most ill will towards the elves. This is because of the aforementioned massive Sartyrian raid that was repelled at the cost of practically all of the old city aside from the most important buildings (saved through prior magical warding placed on them of course) being burnt down. The past grievances caused by this ancient sack have not been forgotten by the populace, and as such they continue to see elves as naught but malicious and cruel creatures. While required to allow these foreign ships in their harbor, it is not a task undertaken with great joy and is undertaken much slower than usual.

The people of Athiens on the other hand care very little for past issues with the elves and generally are most concerned with the economic benefits gained through trade with the elves. The homelands of the Sartyrians and Nicsenoreans are both down south (at least, one was down south in the case of the Sartyrians before Ignis moved over to the Autian coast) and as such possess many exotic and valuable resources due to the magical nature of those far-flung lands. Ivory and the ever valuable whale oil that practically all nations rely on nowadays comes in droves from these parts, given the abundance of giant whales and walruses living near Nicsenor. This is not even mentioning the magical devices from these parts, which while rarer than what comes from other nations like Alkor and Soukos itself exceed the creations of those nations in both craftmanship and power. Only a fool would shirk these benefits and refuse to open trade.

I will now speak of the city-state of Delphus. The City of Seers as some call it had foretold the arrival of a mysterious people earlier that day, though their oracles were unable to divine much more until these visitors were seen in the flesh. After the elven emissaries were brought before the Soukan senate, the senators representing Delphus quickly sent a report via messenger sphinx back home which spoke of the otherworldly grace of these new visitors. Grace enough to soothe the minds of the notoriously argumentative senate and have them hear the words of the ambassadors. With their interest piqued, an invitation was extended to these elves welcoming all who were willing to visit the great temple of Apolion and speak with the high oracle himself about matters unspecified to the scribe who wrote the message. Later that week, a party of elves were seen entering the city and entered the temple. What occurred inside is unknown to most, but the elves had left as honored guests. Shortly after this event, a trade had sprung up between the visiting elves. This trade would not be one of physical items however, it was a trade of magic. For the people of Delphus were fascinated by the magic of the elves, of which the aforementioned meeting was meant to gauge and had offered to send some of their own mages to learn from the elves in exchange for sharing some of their own secrets and insights into the arcane arts.

It is known that Naftio does have somewhat of a vested interest in these events as many elven items have gone up for sale in its markets and guildhouses.

Miscellaneous:

There are those among the Armatoloi who desert their levy and become bandits. Commonly known as Klephts, they usually reside in the mountains, keeping watch for any wealthy looking caravans. Bringing the Armatoloi's philosophy of pragmatism over tradition to its logical conclusion, the Klephts can function both as brigands and as mercenaries, depending on which is the most profitable. There aren't really any requirements on becoming a klepht. Even though most of them were originally Armatoloi, as long as you know how to shoot and are willing to get your hands dirty you are pretty much welcome to the team. Tolerant to a fault, they have no issues recruiting foreigners like Nantic people, Goblins and even Grasshopper folk. With them being a stubborn stain to the beauty of Soukos, the Klephts have contributed greatly to the Armatoloi's terrible reputation.