Post by browman on Feb 16, 2013 2:06:57 GMT
Delos is a group of city states located in the Delosian peninsula, directly east of Raudia and Beria.
As most of the peninsula is very hilly not enough crops can be grown to feed the population of the city states, thus most cities in the region are located on or near the coast and engage in aggressive trading with nations both near and far providing some of the finest wines in the world, silver, gold and other metals from the Antochian mines and exotic slaves from other trading partners, in exchange for food. This had led to Delosian settlements being established, particularly on islands near wealthy trading partners, delosian quarters are also found in many of the largest coastal cities in the region with representatives of the most powerful merchant houses.
People
The vast majority of the city states population (90%+) is made up of humans while the nobility are natural lycanthropes, the largest populations are werebears and wereboars, but some weretigers, weresharks and werebats have entered the population. Mixed breed shifters with ¼ to 1/16 wereblood are more common than true lycanthropes though to be a true noble one must be able to fully transform. Generally non-human or lycanthropes are restricted to a specific quarter of cities are forbidden from holding public offices or being officers in the militia of the state. Elthan is the one noticeable exception to this rule have a larger and freer non-human population.
Military
The majority of Delosian troops are levies of commoners recruited when a war is declared. These troops are responsible for arming themselves with most having a spear, buckler, and some kind of armour. Poorer levies arm themselves with slings or short bows and act as light infantry. These levies are organized based on the equipment they have and divided into 4 groups, the light infantry, medium infantry who fight in a hoplite or phalanx formation and lack metal armour, heavy infantry with the same formations as the medium infantry but metal armour and cavalry, the smallest and richest branch. Delosian cavalry are mostly light cavalry for scouting but some of the southern cities field armoured or heavy cavalry. All the cities field a small core of professional soldiers some of whom fight in the standard hoplite method but many wield 2 handed swords or axes and are used to break the spears of the enemy hoplites. Most generals are either nobles or their weaker blooded kin and once battle has been joined lead the fighting with a core of their brethren often seeking out their rival on the battlefield. Most senior officers are shifters.
Economy
The economy of the region is based almost entirely on trade, exchanging local wine, metals and goods and slaves from far lands in exchange for foodstuffs for the homeland. Approximately 40% of the population are slaves. Most noble families have trading houses that they lead and send cousins and 2nd and 3rd sons to co-ordinate and negotiate in foreign lands. It is this practice that has led to many of the various werebloods entering the genepools of the nobility as family members in far lands seek out local “nobility” to maintain pure wereblooded descendants. This trade has led to the creation of the network of Delosian colonies spread throughout the nearby lands. All delosian ships have professional naval infantry on them to deal with raiders and pirates who would claim their cargos. For economic reasons many cities sponsor hunter fleets that search and destroy pirate hideouts, gaining goodwill with potential trading partners and protecting existing trade routes. Of course sometimes lone rival ships disappear in an area where a hunt is on.
Magic
The mages of Delos are nearly one and all elementalists who greatly specialize in their fields. Many of the air and water mages travel far and wide with the trading vessels. Crathen is home to a college of mages known as the Thaumaturgy, claimed by many Delosans to be the greatest elementalist college on the globe. Delosian militaries make use of mages to attempt to break enemy phalanxes through the use of wide area spells or using them to buff their elite guards around their generals. Naval campaigns always pay top dollar for powerful fire wizards for their ship wrecking powers.
Government
Most of Delos is run by oligarchies of noblemen. All key positions within the city will be controlled by member of the 5-10 most important families. Many of the positions will be held by high shifters who are distant relatives of these families.
Most city states in Delos are about a 2 day forced march in radius with the city in approximate centre.
City states are frequently at war with each other, but most wars last a week with a single battle over control of some village near the border of the two states. The second, and far longer and nastier type of war is over economic rights to areas. These wars have been known to last for several years with multiple battles, naval battles, sieges and raids attempting to force the other side to make economic concessions such as rights to trade in a certain region.
Major City States
Antochi, known for its silver and iron mines
Elthan, known for its liberal attitude toward non-humans
Crathen, known for its mage college
Hurras
Diotes
Trethor
Important colonies
Syrtan
Tebis
As most of the peninsula is very hilly not enough crops can be grown to feed the population of the city states, thus most cities in the region are located on or near the coast and engage in aggressive trading with nations both near and far providing some of the finest wines in the world, silver, gold and other metals from the Antochian mines and exotic slaves from other trading partners, in exchange for food. This had led to Delosian settlements being established, particularly on islands near wealthy trading partners, delosian quarters are also found in many of the largest coastal cities in the region with representatives of the most powerful merchant houses.
People
The vast majority of the city states population (90%+) is made up of humans while the nobility are natural lycanthropes, the largest populations are werebears and wereboars, but some weretigers, weresharks and werebats have entered the population. Mixed breed shifters with ¼ to 1/16 wereblood are more common than true lycanthropes though to be a true noble one must be able to fully transform. Generally non-human or lycanthropes are restricted to a specific quarter of cities are forbidden from holding public offices or being officers in the militia of the state. Elthan is the one noticeable exception to this rule have a larger and freer non-human population.
Military
The majority of Delosian troops are levies of commoners recruited when a war is declared. These troops are responsible for arming themselves with most having a spear, buckler, and some kind of armour. Poorer levies arm themselves with slings or short bows and act as light infantry. These levies are organized based on the equipment they have and divided into 4 groups, the light infantry, medium infantry who fight in a hoplite or phalanx formation and lack metal armour, heavy infantry with the same formations as the medium infantry but metal armour and cavalry, the smallest and richest branch. Delosian cavalry are mostly light cavalry for scouting but some of the southern cities field armoured or heavy cavalry. All the cities field a small core of professional soldiers some of whom fight in the standard hoplite method but many wield 2 handed swords or axes and are used to break the spears of the enemy hoplites. Most generals are either nobles or their weaker blooded kin and once battle has been joined lead the fighting with a core of their brethren often seeking out their rival on the battlefield. Most senior officers are shifters.
Economy
The economy of the region is based almost entirely on trade, exchanging local wine, metals and goods and slaves from far lands in exchange for foodstuffs for the homeland. Approximately 40% of the population are slaves. Most noble families have trading houses that they lead and send cousins and 2nd and 3rd sons to co-ordinate and negotiate in foreign lands. It is this practice that has led to many of the various werebloods entering the genepools of the nobility as family members in far lands seek out local “nobility” to maintain pure wereblooded descendants. This trade has led to the creation of the network of Delosian colonies spread throughout the nearby lands. All delosian ships have professional naval infantry on them to deal with raiders and pirates who would claim their cargos. For economic reasons many cities sponsor hunter fleets that search and destroy pirate hideouts, gaining goodwill with potential trading partners and protecting existing trade routes. Of course sometimes lone rival ships disappear in an area where a hunt is on.
Magic
The mages of Delos are nearly one and all elementalists who greatly specialize in their fields. Many of the air and water mages travel far and wide with the trading vessels. Crathen is home to a college of mages known as the Thaumaturgy, claimed by many Delosans to be the greatest elementalist college on the globe. Delosian militaries make use of mages to attempt to break enemy phalanxes through the use of wide area spells or using them to buff their elite guards around their generals. Naval campaigns always pay top dollar for powerful fire wizards for their ship wrecking powers.
Government
Most of Delos is run by oligarchies of noblemen. All key positions within the city will be controlled by member of the 5-10 most important families. Many of the positions will be held by high shifters who are distant relatives of these families.
Most city states in Delos are about a 2 day forced march in radius with the city in approximate centre.
City states are frequently at war with each other, but most wars last a week with a single battle over control of some village near the border of the two states. The second, and far longer and nastier type of war is over economic rights to areas. These wars have been known to last for several years with multiple battles, naval battles, sieges and raids attempting to force the other side to make economic concessions such as rights to trade in a certain region.
Major City States
Antochi, known for its silver and iron mines
Elthan, known for its liberal attitude toward non-humans
Crathen, known for its mage college
Hurras
Diotes
Trethor
Important colonies
Syrtan
Tebis
