Drákon League

The Drákon League is a federation of ancient city-states on the Dragonshome Islands. The league is composed of three primary city-states and a number of vassal city-states:

The smaller city-state of Froúrio is the smallest and most recently founded of the city-states, located on a small island to the west of Megálo nisí. Froúrio is unique as a vassal state of the league, jointly controlled by three primary city-states. It is the home of Akadimía, the academy responsible for training future archons, adminstrators, engineers and warriors that act as leaders throughout the League.

Structure

The league is composed of three primary city-states:

Each city-state shares a code of laws across the league, including citizenship. The key governing entities within the city-states are:

Assembly (all citizens from each City-State elected by the Council)
City Archons are elected from by each city-states Assembly
Council of Elders (composed of all former Archons)

The military is accountable to each city-state’s council, but can be deployed by the head of state with approval of Assembly.

Culture

The league is racially diverse and tolerant. Half-bloods and less common ethnicity abound in this ancient kingdom. Being a Scion (blood of the ancient races) is a revered and honored characteristic within the League.

Assets

The southern islands are critical source of high quality gems used in most bloodline magic rituals. The entire island chain is rich with metal and gemstone deposits.

History

The league is a product of the history of tribal conflicts between the Drákon Tribes and Families. Over the history of the Dragonshome Islands these conflicts had escalated and led to the exile of at least two of the main tribes. As the tribes unified into major-city states on each of the islands, inter-island conflicts began to escalate and reached a point where the city-states were under a constant threat of attack, yields of major crops and herds had dropped precipitously, and material resources were funneled away from the average citizen and into the hands of the war efforts. The League was founded to bring an end to these conflicts. The establishment of the League also ensured that elements of common culture, such as racial tolerance, democratic rule, and rejection of the old religions could be elevated over points of conflict. The structure of the league was explicitly chosen to allow each city-state to maintain its own local traditions. After the establishment of the league, culture flourished across the city-states. Individual citizens had significantly more leisure time to devote to aspects of philosophy, drama, and craftsmenship. Trade outside of the league increased dramatically and with that the overall prosperity of all of the city-states. The formation of the league also allowed the cities to act as a unified force when needed. Over recent history, several external nation-states have attempted to exert hegemony over the entire middle sea region. The unified forces of the League has repeatedly helped to blunt or turn back those efforts.

Demography and Population

The Citizen population of each of the major city-states is concentrated in the cities. However the bulk of the Resident and Slave populations are distributed across the islands engaged in agriculture, herding, fishing and mining activities.

Territories

The League spans the entirety of the Dragonshome Islands. Only the southernmost volcanic islands are uninhabited or unclaimed by any city-state. These islands however are subject to land or mining-right claims from the various families across the city-states. The vassal state of Froúrio on the western island of Froúrio nisí is a joint protectorship of the league, though its politics have been largely dominated by Asteriápolis.

Military

The League is primarily a naval power, with each city-state maintaining its own fleet or contributing to the fleet of the primary naval power Asteriápolis. Each city is also responsible for maintaining, training and equipping a land based force. With the recent founding of the Drákonian Akadimía, more emphasis is being placed on developing forms of magical combat, including consistent strategies and tactics across the city-states. This development has led to a significant escalation in the military power of the Drákon League leaving it largely unrivaled in the Middle Seas region.

Religion

The League subscribes to no official religion. Part of the established doctrine of the city-states is that while the gods once existed before the coming of the Younger Races, they have withdrawn from the world and are not active participants. Day to day spiritual activity focuses more on the spirits of the world and the role they play in maintaining the balance of life and magic throughout the world.

Agriculture & Industry

A strong shipbuilding and mining industry exists across the league, but varies significantly by each city-state. Agriculture is sufficient to support the local island populations, but as the population grows more frequently relies on trade goods (such as livestock) from outside the League. The safety and security of these trade routes is now a primary concern for the League.

Trade & Transport

The primary means of transport between the island chains is by ship. Across the islands, foot based traffic walks across a well maintained set of trails and roadways that connect outlying settlements with the major city-states. As the horse and griffon are tightly controlled by the Holy Empire of Humanité, native reptile species are used as beasts of burden and transport. Flying reptiles are rare, but are also used as mounts for military forces and the most elite of the citizens.

Education

General education of the Citizen is the responsibility of each city-state, and is often delegated to the individual households via tutors cultivated and supported within each house. A strong culture of philosophy and scholorship exists across all of the League and has led to many independent teachers as well. Education can also be obtained by Resident on a paid basis. Formal education of Slaves are forbidden with the exception of skills and knowledge necessary to perform their designated responsibilities. For more on the training of magically gifted leaders, engineers and soldiers, see Akadimía.

Mythology & Lore

Dragons are considered the defenders of the nation and the islands, and are revered. Dragons have been thought to have gone extinct shortly after the coming of the Younger Races. The League has no formal religion or religious pantheon, but instead has a strong spiritual tie to the land, its fauna, and in some cases, honored ancestors.

Ethics

One of the distinguishing elements of the League from other nation-states is the relatively dominant (or at least equal) roles that women play in society. Readily available magic has allowed for control of fertility, leaving issues of patrimony as moot. Most of the families in the league are matrilineal.

Founding Date

3920

Type

Geopolitical, Magocracy

Capital

Asteriápolis

Alternative Names

Drákon Confederacy, The League

Predecessor Organization

Drákos Tribes and Families

Training Level

Professional

Veterancy Level

Veteran

Government System

Democracy, Direct

Power Structure

Federation

Economic System

Market economy

Currency

Drachma. Denominations are Gold, Silver, Copper, and Tin, and each trades at roughly 10:1 with gold being the most valuable, tin being the least. Silver is the most commonly used currency for day-to-day transactions.

Major Exports

The primary exports vary by city. These include:

Finished Marble products (Megálo nisí)
Metalworks, particularly made of soft metals such as gold, silver, copper, bronze and tin. (Megálo nisí)
Honeyed wine (Nótio nisí)
Seafood, particularly from southern seas (Vóreio nisí)
Goat products (meat, cheese, fur) Nótio nisí
Softwood timber (Nótio nisí)
Citrus fruits, breadfruit, olives, soybean products (Vóreio nisí)

Most bovine and porcine products, as well as grain are used within the islands and are not exported. Similarly raw ore is generally processed within the islands, and not exported. Historically cultural exports were a strong component of trade, but with the rise of the Holy Empire of Humanité, this has largely ceased. Note: Exports of moon gems is prohibited.

Major Imports

The city-states import raw materials such as:

Hardwood timber for shipbuilding
Herd animals and animal products unsuited for the smaller confines of the islands
Luxury goods such as amber, wines and spirits

Hardwoods are imported largely from the Norjord, logged in the Myrkviðr Forest. Native and herd animals (from Rus and Holy Empire of Humanité) such as hard cheeses, cold water seafood, meats and pelts. Finally, luxuries such as wines from Burgandy, spirits from the Varangian Steppes. A strong illicit trade exists with merchants within the Venúék kingdom for exotic sea creatures, pearls and coral, and other hard to come by goods.

Legislative Body

Within each city-state, all citizens can vote in the Assembly to elect an Archon. However, all former Archons are members of a special counsel that guides a city state’s politics and guide its alliances with other city-states. Not surprisingly, those elected Archons have the wealth and power necessary to campaign for the positions and then use their positions to extend their families wealth further. For more information see Constitution of Asteriápolis

Judicial Body

Juries selected from the citizen's Assembly.

Subsidiary Organizations

Official Languages

Drákonic

Related Ranks & Titles

Controlled Territories

Neighboring Nations

Notable Members

Dorothea Logopolous