Adoloto

Created by Jackson W. (gray_guard on Discord)

"With this land, treacherous and filled with the endless potential of creation, Adyn decided to pull back the curtain and show us how they shaped the world from nothing. Perhaps it was meant to show the great lengths they went to make everything else. Perhaps they wanted to leave a blank canvas for their children and their subjects to make their own. Either way, Adoloto should be regarded with two inescapable truths; it is greater than any kingdom or ministry to inhabit it, and that to plunge one's hand into its true depths is to plunge one's hand into the very lifeblood of reality." -Chief Velsvat Sollow V
Adoloto is a vast expanse of swamps, everglades, and bogs with a history seeped in religious devotion to the land itself. Originally thought to be uninhabitable, the people who would rise to thrive in these lands would develop a strong need for collaboration, ingenuity, and deduction in order to discover the true beauty and power that the land can bestow. Much of the political, religious, and economic institutions of Adoloto are heavily colored by these fundamental struggles, and many Adolotians are raised with a deeply-seeded pride for their homeland.

Geography

The land of Adoloto is consumed mostly by swamp and marshland that is difficult to traverse, even harder to navigate and map, and filled with all sorts of hostile wildlife from strangling vines to monstrous predators. As a result, the majority of the country's population lives in the land bordering the other nations as it is easier to cultivate and build than in the swamp. The major exception however is Svat Piterden, holy city of the Aco Ministry, which sits directly in the center of the Ouro Lake. Most routes that involve travel north or south across the country stick primarily to the rivers that flow out from the lake, allowing for the best navigators to voyage from the Adolotian channel across from the island of Ardyn all the way to the sprawling city of Bol'diya without consulting anything more than the flow of water and the ever-burning torches set as markers along the way.
Aside from the hilly countryside north of the Lakes of Adyn's Tears, Adoloto is incredibly flat with little change in elevation. With the vast amounts of standing water, there is little chance for subterranean life to persist as well, save for the deepest depths of the swamp ground that occasionally surge into underground caves and caverns far below the surface.

Landmarks

Aside from the major rivers, there are an incalculable number of smaller channels and waterways that are navigable by smaller vessels, to the point where the only maps of the swamp considered to be accurate are ones made by locals of the surrounding area, or the fiercely guarded Great Chart curated by the Navigators Guild over centuries. Those seeking great danger or those unlucky to stumble into it may find themselves in the dense canopies of the Revelation Woods or the Siqueret Forest, both said to hold some of the largest remaining pools of Ius, the primordial substance that all matter is derived from. Considered to be too powerful and dangerous to those unfamiliar with it, the Aco Ministry dedicates great resources to ensuring they remain under watchful eyes at all times.
Perhaps one of the most fascinating places that is seldom explored is the island of Ardyn. Whereas Adoloto is seemingly a fairly primitive landscape that has grown into a vast yet homogenous network of water channels and forests, the island of Ardyn contains dozens of different and unique microbiomes all miraculously existing near and around each other; the wildlife as well possesses the uncanny ability to adapt to multiple environments in search of food. This led the Aco Ministry to declare the island as a holy site of Adyn, and has limited humanoid interference in the island as much as possible. While expeditions are made for both religious and scientific reasons, their time is always brief and constrained.

Towns

While a great deal of the Adolotian populace is spread across the grasslands and found in isolated corners of the swamp, the majority can be found in the 4 major cities and their surrounding towns.

Bol'diya

Nearest to Myrsin, it is the largest city and the hub of artisanal trade and commerce. Here, many of the countries largest guilds have their headquarters, making it also the hub for much of social and political discourse when the Parliament of Chiefs is not in session. Having been rebuilt on multiple occasions over Adoloto's history, the city is constantly looking for new ways to expand outwards and upwards, with buildings constantly changing hands between guilds, individuals, and the Ministry.

Umnest

Nearest to Moratash, it is the smallest of the cities in terms of population. However, its close proximity to the Adyn's Tears gives miles and miles of fertile ground that produces the greatest bounty of crops in the entire country. In addition, much of the labor is augmented by a long-held practice of the arcane, as spellcraft is studied to be applied practically for the betterment of everyday work. Moreover, some of Adoloto's greatest arcanists and artificers gather at the University of Jaesau, often employing some of the barren countryside for their more volatile experiments.

Kamenblok

Nearest to Djartha, it is characterized by its excavation and processing of Talnp rock and bog iron. Being the largest city so deep into the swamp, it sits atop the swamp on massive wooden pillars said to be ancient tree trunks from the deepest parts of the Siqueret Forest. Much of the city's industrial strength was built to dredge up as much useful minerals from the surrounding swamp to be smelted and shipped to smiths and metallurgists across the country.

Svat Piterden

Found in the center of Adoloto, it is the country's capital, religious epicenter, and 2nd only to Bol'diya in terms of population. The city is broken into two main sections: Piterden vulgar, where much of commerce, practical trades, and housing is kept, and Piterden proper, the historical section that holds institutions of higher education, housing for the elite within the guilds, and grand theaters and museums dedicated to the arts. The city prides itself on keeping all destruction far removed from the city proper, and even the most petty acts of violence within that section of the city are punished severely. At the center of the city proper lies the Stake of Adyn, a massive tower cathedral purposefully built on a part of swampland that sinks down into the bog every year, allowing every generation make a new contribution on top of the previous. It's said that the true height of the tower would scrape the very sky, and there are even rumors of the oldest section of the tower breaking into a massive cavern directly below it.

Culture

Adoloto prides itself on any and all creative pursuits, praising those who can create something that is original, beautiful, and useful. Artisan work is valued immensely, and much of the economic and political structure of the country is built around the different guilds and associations that unify skilled workers with whatever problem needs solving. Given the harsh and difficult environment that living in a swamp brings, a great deal of comradery and trust is expected between neighbors, though this sense of shared hardships can create rifts with those who live in more manageable landscapes and those who grew up in cities that have conquered these fundamental challenges.

Government

Originally a full theocracy, Adoloto underwent a revolution following Ryt's Crusade in 2345. Recognizing that the needs of the people needed to be taken into greater consideration than the rhetoric of the Aco Ministry, Itet Yakob called the first Council of Chiefs in 2347. From there they would establish the parliamentary system that would contain representatives from all major and minor guilds that were once regulated directly by the Ministry. Seats are distributed to each guild based on their total members, though additional seats may be temporarily given for grand contributions that a guild makes to society. How each guild elects their Chiefs varies, with most relying on some form of seniority and merit, though some employ voting and election.
The Itet and his Chief Velsvats would remain as permanent seats in the Parliament, though as time has continued and more seats have been added, their swaying power has proportionally diminished. Every 5 years the Council of Chiefs elects a new Councilhead who has the power to create committees that draft policy for regulation and process as well as enforce policy as the Head of State. However, the Itet retains the power to veto any motion made by these committees, resulting in a full vote from the Council to resolve the matter.

Religion

The Aco Ministry is the oldest standing institution in the region, acting as the cultural and political core for centuries. While it acknowledges and respects the other gods, it views Adyn as the greatest and most important god of the pantheon, and that the ultimate purpose of the other gods is to assist Adyn in their efforts to create and shape the world. Originally created by the first Itet Aco, the Ministry grew exponentially within the country and has expanded far beyond it; even the word "Acolyte" is derived from Aco, originally meaning "little Aco". Their main tenants are all in service to adding to Adyn's creation, and never diminishing it. This leads to a religion that encourages family, cooperation, and productivity above all else, with sloth, gluttony, and cowardice to be avoided and discouraged fervently.
The Ministry is a heavily structured institution that seeks to promote those who are spiritually and intellectually in tune with Adyn's teachings. Each church of the Ministry is led by a Minst, who is ordained either by a previous Minst who mentors them or is appointed by a Svat from the greater congregation. Svats are responsible for maintaining multiple churches in a given area, and are appointed upon the death or retirement of the previous Svat. Velsvats are often tasked with oversight over a specific activity of the Ministry, be it proselytizing to other countries, working with guilds that maintain close relations with the Ministry, or training Holy Knights of Aco. Chief Velsvats are personally selected by the Itet to assist them in the management of the entire Ministry, whereas the Itet themself are often chosen through whatever means the last Itet specified for their successor and mysterious 'trials of faith' that only a select few in the Ministry even know of.

Non-Urban Population

While the vast majority of denizens in Adoloto remain in towns or cities and are more than likely a part of a certain guild, there are those that find themselve outside of these systems entirely. For some it's by choice, as the lesser-known groups living out in the swamp often operate outside of the country's ability to interfere or tax; their only knowledge of the outside world is whose head is currently on the occasional coin that passes through. For others however, they find themselves seeking life outside of guilds due to excommunication, as the punishment for serious crimes often involve sentencing from the guilds they are a part of in addition or in place of federal sentencing.

Food and Art

The selection of cuisine in Adoloto is strained due to their environment, yet they attempt to make the most of it. More traditional crops and livestock are grown and maintained in the grasslands, but a large source of food for all Adolotians are the various fish found throughout the swamplands, as well as any kind of berry or plant that can easily grow in the marsh. In the last few centuries, merchants from other regions have established popular trade routes delivering spices and other garnishes to better accentuate the limited selection many Adolotians face.
Art of all kinds is appreciated and promoted under various guilds. Masons are encouraged to refine their techniques into sculptures, tinkerers can spend years refining a new clockwork toy, and so on. That said, this does lend to more material and tangible art being more commonplace compared to works of fiction, poetry, or song. Ultimately though, Adoloto's passion and love for creative works has led to it becoming a haven for aspiring artists of all creeds, so long as such art does not oppose the core tenants of the Aco Ministry.

Misc

Perhaps in response to the Aco concept of The Project, one of the most popular traditions in Adoloto is known as The Legacy, a collective art piece, garden, book, or craft that is passed down throughout a family. It is expected that every person contributes to at least one Legacy in some meaningful way, with many spending their whole life slowly working on their contribution. Those who actively refuse to contribute or seek out to create their own Legacy can be seen as rejecting their family entirely, a great insult that is not to be taken lightly.
Another strange quirk of Adoloto is the quiet ignorance of less-favorable jobs, typically those involving violence or destruction of some kind. While these jobs still exist, they are often regulated by other more productive guilds, encouraging those who pursue these unsavory professions to also have a more constructive skillset. Hunters are often leatherworkers, bodyguards are often masons, and so on.

History

Adoloto's history is best understood through the movement and development of the Aco Ministry, as much of the country's greatest achievements and missteps were ordered or influenced by the Itet and their advisors.

~100-400 Formation of the Swamp

The land that would become Adoloto was barren and uninhabitable, a muddy expanse of flat, semi-solid ground that would swallow people up in a matter of seconds and had large pools of liquid that could melt anything it touched. However, it is said that Pryreon, demigoddess of nature and survival, decided to repurpose the land with life capable of digging deep into the unstable ground, and absorbing the strange pools to reveal great spiraling springs of water. Over time these trees and plants would transform the landscape into something more stable and habitable, creating the Adolotian Swamp.

419 The Holy Oloto Kingdom

Following Pryreon's blessing upon the land, there would be more and more who would gradually settle closer and closer to the swamp, either driven away from other lands by conflict or arriving with a sense of divine purpose. In those early days, the tribes and groups that had established themselves outside of the swamp's vicinity would often exile people to march straight into the swamp and never turn back. This would result in two exiled brothers, Eco and Ester, managing to return one day after many moons claiming to received great blessings from Adyn. Now calling themselves Aco and Piter respectively, they displayed their great wisdom and indomitable might to the Oloto people, convincing them to journey with them into the swamp and establish the Holy Oloto Kingdom in the center of Ouruo lake.
The Kingdom would be led by the Itet of the Aco Ministry, said to have inherited the wisdom of Aco, and protected by the King and his loyal Masonknights, said to embody the strength of Piter. The Holy City of Svat Piterden would be established with the Stake of Adyn's first floors built rapidly by the Masonknights under the designs of the Chief Velsvats. It is said that a great deal of "The Land's Lifeblood", or Ius as it is known today, was harnessed by Aco's secret wisdom to perform miracles of creation and wonder.

1397 The Great Unification

Under the rule of King Nikoli, the Masonknights began to push the boundaries of their kingdom well beyond the edges of the swamp. While small pieces of land were already in use for the purposes of farming and excavation, this push massively extended their forces, conscripting many citizens as soldiers and many many more to create the supply lines to sustain it. They even went as far as integrating the independent peoples of Crucible into their Kingdom given the site's deep ties to Adyn. In addition, Nikoli deeply angered Itet Benjmyn when he abandoned his wife, unlawfully divorcing her and demanded that Benjmyn bless the new marriage with another woman. This controversy, alongside the poor treatment of the Kingdom's citizens by the Masonknights, led to the Itet denouncing the King and stoking the fires of a revolt by the people.
After the King and his closest Knights were desposed, the Itet and the Aco Ministry absorbed the duties of the king, and vowed to unify the people, the land, and the ministry under the mouthpiece of Adyn, resulting in the dissolution of the Holy Kingdom of Oloto and the establishment of Adoloto, now a true Theocracy. While the expansion was halted and the conscripted soldiers were allowed to return home, the Itet opted to maintain the land that was claimed in the King's name. The only exception was the island of Crucible, as by 1403 Andyne forced the Knights of Aco to retreat from the city.

~1900-2000 The Century War

While Svat Piterden was one of the few cities to escape the war mostly intact, the deep shame and humiliation of the Ministry's inaction against the encroaching forces resulted in much of the events during the war to be erased and lost to time. However, the following has been made quietly known over the centuries of questioning:
Adoloto attempted to ignore the conflict for as long as possible, thinking that they would remain safe inside of their borders. Even when it became clear that other armies began to seize forts and bordering settlements, the Ministry prioritized the protection of Svat Piterden over the rest of the country. It was only after years of slow concessions of land that opposing forces were all but at the city's doorstep that drastic measures were taken. Using the combined strength and wisdom of the founders, and the purest Ius of the swamp, did the Itet and his Velsvats sacrifice themselves to summon an army from every river, creek, and bog of the swamp. With this magnificent display of the land's power, the foreign armies were repelled swiftly down the northern river which ran gold with the army of Ius, acting as one of the final decisive events of the war.

~2000-2280 Disappearance of Adyn

Following the Century War and Adyn's great work to rebuild and repopulate the war, they disappear, no longer communicating of the most devout of their grace. This causes a panic within the Ministry, and the newly appointed Itet Daanzel set a new goal for his people: to search the continent and beyond to discover any trace of their missing god. The Surveyor's guild was hastily established, and over the next few decades Adoloto turned itself into a powerful naval force, one equipped for constant simultaneous expeditions across the world. Around 2100 the first Surveyors discovered the new island of Anamore, though their search would continue across the seas and rivers of Edari.

2250-2345 Itet Ryt and Ryt's Crusade

Succeeding Itet Daanzel was Ryt Androvich, a Halfling man who dedicated to respark the hope in finding Adyn, a notion that had diminished over the centuries since the war. However, in 2280 a shocking discovery was reported to the Itet: Surveyors who ventured to Anamore discovered that the natives held the inherent belief that their island housed a sleeping god, one that could very well be Adyn. This news sent shockwaves through the Ministry, and a movement began to unearth Adyn and free them from the island. Fearing an impulsive misstep, Ryt sent out several more Surveyor expeditions to confirm while he began to amass the resources necessary. Adoloto's fleet was expanded and transformed into true vessels of war. An entire generation was raised on the dogma of reclaiming the lost god, and after decades of bringing their ambitions to a fever pitch, Itet Ryt ordered a Divinely-mandated invasion of Anamore in what would be known as Ryt's Crusade. The Anamorians were taken captive, interrogated, and tortured. Any opposition was swiftly eradicated by their superior man power and naval artillery. Thousands of able-bodied Adolotians raided the island and began to tear apart everything looking for some sign of their god.
But there was none to be found.
Very quickly news of Adoloto's actions would reach other nations, who condemned the crusade, shut off vital trade routes, and threatened retaliation. This, combined with intense backlash from Ministry figureheads who believed the violence was heretical, caused Ryt to recall his forces after barely more than a year. Itet Ryt was excommunicated, the entire movement pinned solely on him, and Itet Jakob would succeed him, putting forward the plans to limit the Ministry's power over the country's resources with the first Council of Chiefs.

2755 Loss of Crucible

During the Century War, Adoloto regained control over the island of Crucible. However, in a surprise invasion of Adoloto's borders via the country hillside, the country scrambled to assemble troops to oppose them. In the chaos however, Councilhead Pyotr failed to recognize Myrsin's true objective: Crucible. By the time their distraction forces had retreated, the island was already taken over completely, and it has yet to be reclaimed.

3099 Current Itet Succession

The current Itet, a young Half-Elf named Itet Khody, succeeded the previous Itet. As of today he is 144 years old, and has held the position longer than any Itet in the past millennia.

3205 Councilhead reelected

The current Councilhead, a burly Lizardfolk of the Carpenter Guild named Sturn Gogth, was re-elected as Councilhead by the Firm Hand Party of the Council, consisting of the Mason's, Carpenter's, and Smith's guilds.

Capital
Svat Piterden

Leader(s)
Itet Khody & Councilhead Sturn

Government System
Guild-backed Aristocracy

National Animal
Two-Headed Alligator

Patron God
Adyn, god of Creation

Demonym
Adolotians

Population
Approximately 2 million

Primary Demographics
Human, Elf, Halfling, Dragonborn, Lizardfolk, Goblin, Hobgoblin, Bugbear

Major Imports
Precious Metals, Oil

Major Exports
Lumber, Rubber, Textiles