Aresene

"Come back with your shield or on it."
-Aresenian to their spouse before they march to war

There are always people drawn to war, looking to show their strength or win glory. To reflect this, there are always gods of war. The Polisian god Ares is one such god. Still, brutal and violent as he is, he is still the patron of an entire city. This is Aresene, a city of warriors who gleefully march into battle under the flag of the speared bull.

Culture

If asked what defines the Aresenian culture more than anything, anyone in Polisia would say it is battle. Aresenians would say this proudly, while those of other city-states would take a far different tone. Their society as a whole is seen as an elaborate ritual in praise to Ares.
Almost paradoxically, Aresene is the only Polisian city-state that lacks a professional military. This is, however, due to the fact that all Aresenians are trained to fight from a young age. It is an old Polisian joke that when their king calls them to war, the city stands empty. While this is an exaggeration, a portion of the city's population is called to serve the city at all times. They spend this time fighting or training for a fight.
Young citizens are raised in communal barracks for their training. This training is incredibly brutal, even designed to remove weakness from their society. Many children do not survive and those that do become accomplished fighters. Thus, even Aresenian farmers and weavers are perfectly capable of fighting as trained soldiers.
Practically all Aresenians carry a weapon on them at all times. This is more to honor Ares than to defend themselves, although they will use it for this purpose without hesitation. Fights between Aresenians are common for any purpose from legitimate disputes to simple fun. Even so, they treat drawing weapons on one another very seriously and it rarely happens.
This emphasis on martial might doesn't mean that magic is neglected. Indeed, it is considered a very valuable weapon of war. Those children that show particular intelligence are trained as mages. Naturally, almost all of these are evokers, and war mages, however a select few become abjurers. These mages are shown a great deal of respect as they can fight in ways few others can.

Demographics

As with the rest of Polisia, Aresenians are predominantly human. There is a comparatively large population of minotaurs, as well, as Aresenians value their strength. There are rarely Aresenian half-nymphs, as few Aresenians travel far enough into the wilds to encounter nymphs.
Few travelers make their way here compared to other places in Polisia. People travel to Pasedonis for trade, Thetera to learn, and Eratheon to visit, but Aresene has no such draw. The only people who travel there regularly are merchants the city depends on, almost all from elsewhere in Polisia.

Government

Primarily, Aresene is a monarchy, traditionally ruled by a king, although queens are not unheard-of. The line of succession usually goes to the oldest, but this can change based on merit. The power of the king is nearly absolute among the Aresenian populace.
The king is beholden to the people in a very real sense, however. A panel of priests of Ares watch the ruler, looking for signs of weakness. If they believe the king is too weak to rule, they find another candidate and they fight to the death. This rarely occurs, but power has passed this way.

Defences

It is said one would have to be mad to attack Aresene, and this is hard to argue. The geography means that attacks can usually come from only the north and south. These directions are also heavily protected by walls and garrisons. Even if invaders get further in, the flat roofs and narrow streets make defense easy.
The city's main defense, however, is its people. Although only a portion of the population is active in the city's service at any one time, every man, woman, and child in the city is trained enough to protect the city and wants nothing more than to honor Ares in glorious battle. Naturally, few invaders are willing to engage in such a battle.

Industry & Trade

While all Aresenians are effectively soldiers, they also have other jobs they do to keep their society running. A warrior may be a farmer, weaver, smith, or even a merchant. Because of this split focus, few Aresenian craftsmen are able to attain the level of mastery of those in other places who can focus on such things full-time.
Traders can make a surprising amount of coin trading with Aresene for raw materials or practical works. Conversely, many Aresenians work as mercenaries and guards. More Polisian adventurers come from Aresene than anywhere else in the islands.

Infrastructure

Aresene is clearly designed for security more than anything else. It is built in a valley and surrounded by high walls. The first thing any visitor sees upon entry are barracks and guardposts, always fully staffed and often very awash with activity. On the other side of these are training grounds, where adults keep their skills sharp and children learn to be Aresenian.
If one were to go through such austere surroundings, they might be very surprised by what they see. Homes are surprisingly comfortable, and the markets and taverns lively. Most visitors rarely go beyond this part of town, as few of their needs can be met elsewhere.
In the very center of town are the royal palace, Cathedral of Warrior Ares, and the homes of the high-ranking priests and the greatest warriors and mages. There is also a magical academy here, but this is more a place for military training than scholarship and study. These streets are heavily patrolled and generally closed to all but pilgrims paying homage to Ares.

History

As with the other city-states of Polisia, the legendary founder of the city is its patron god: in this case, Ares, god of war. When he walked the land, he found the perfect place for a battle and stuck his sword in the ground. A terrible dragon then rose from the wound left in the land.
The god of war battled the beast with his bare hands, and after days of fighting, finally slew it. When the beast was dead, he planted its teeth in the ground, which grew into an army of warriors. Ares claimed that place would be their home, but only for the strongest of them.
The warriors fought one another until two remained. These were Spartathios and Cadenthenon, equal in skill. They fought until they could fight no more. As they both collapsed, they saw that a city had sprung up around them. Laughing with pleasure, Ares declared that they would both be kings of this new city.
Traditionally, Aresene would be ruled by two kings. Fitting for a city patronized by the god of war, they distinguished themselves in battle. Most were against their fellow Polisians, particularly the Theterans. However, it is known that their greatest battles were fought against foreign invaders from Sakkal.
The foundations of Aresene were changed by the War of the Apple that tore through all of Polisia. During the Enotitia Games, the Apple of Discord held the leaders of every city-state under its sway. The Games became a bloodbath, but Aklistion, one of the kings of Aresene ended up with it.
He returned to his palace, but he was still far from safe. While the armies of the rest of Polisia were mustering, Thelistis, his fellow king attacked the palace with an army of his own. Civil war had a terrible cost and nearly tore Aresene apart, but Thelistis finally ended up with the prize.
He didn't get to enjoy it for long, however. Athiope the Swift, hero and Aresenian native killed him and took the Apple. Immune to its power, she sold it to the consul of Thetera, taking the War of the Apple with it and leaving Aresene in shambles.
Many Aresenians were still under the power of the Apple, but many more wanted nothing more than to stay and rebuild their homes and lives. Aresene never had two kings again, and the throne was always watched by the temple of Ares. Since then, wars have come and gone, but never changed Aresene in such a way.

Architecture

Aresene primarily uses local stone, which gives it a duller, grayer look than most of Polisia. These buildings also mostly lack the sloped roofs of their counterparts in other city-states. Instead they are mostly flat so that they may double as makeshift archery platforms in the event of an invasion.
The innermost buildings are made of grand and ornate white marble. It is common for these to have large open-air courtyards, most often used to stage duels and host spectators. The largest of these is in the Cathedral, where these battles are used as a holy sacrifice to Ares.

Type

City

Population

Approx. 30,000

Inhabitant Demonym

Aresenian

Owning Organization

Polisia