Kingdom of the Amazons
Structure
The Amazon Kingdom is an elective, matriarchal and conservative monarchy.
The Queens, called Aures, is chosen every 10 years through physical and magical competitions, in a great event in which the 20 best candidates for the role participate. The Candidates are nominated by the previous queen, the first priestess, the commander of the army, the admiral of the fleet and the representatives of the most important castes.
Aures maintains power for the entire duration of her office, but makes use (to a greater or lesser extent) of the Council of Matriarchs, composed of non-elective positions (first priestess, generals, etc... ) and the ex-queens still alive.
Amazon society is divided into castes, of greater or lesser importance. The most important caste is clearly that of warriors, followed by the Priestesses; then the caste of wizards and navigators. Other very important guilds are those of Merchants, Artisans, Farmers and Hunters. At the bottom of Amazon society are the Slaves, often prisoners of war, without rights and with very little influence on society.
The family (Ashira) is very important for the Amazons, the Ashira word is the same as "consanguineous", that is, descended from a single progenitor, and includes all of her descendants. Often at the head of the Ashira there is one or more matriarchs, respected and venerable both for their age and for the prestige obtained. Sometimes an Ashira splits, taking the name of the parent Ashira and the name of the new matriarch. (When the Thorep Ashira split under Btleth, after her ousting from the family head, the new Ashira was called Thorep Btleth Ashira).
The role of males in society is subordinate to that of the family of birth, if the male is born in an Ashira, they are educated, both in the arts and in the professions, and are often used to establish marital alliances with other Ashira or are sent to do apprenticeship with the Ashira caste.
In Ashira of very low class it's not unusual to sell one of their male children to have money to invest in a female child.
It may happen that some Amazons bring their lovers into the Ashira as consorts and not as slaves, but often these "strangers" are not totally welcome in the Ashira. If they are married before the gods, even if they became widows they are still allowed to live within the Ashira.
All Ashiras of at least minimal importance have slaves, and the number and capabilities of the slaves are clear evidence of the Ashira's importance.
Culture
The island of Colchis is also called the "Island of the Pyramids", and was a burial place for the nobles and royalty of the Kingdom of Hegnor. The importance of this island is fundamental for the Amazon culture, keeping the customs of the lost kingdom alive, tracing one's Ashira back to ancient lineages and tombs, is a source of pride and rank for the families. Each Ashira has its own symbol/glyph that distinguishes it, the older the symbol the more it is generally respected.
Likewise, the style of dress is always based on the ancient one, and other cultures often see the Amazon culture as bland and stagnant. Many young Amazons, who decide to become adventurers or live abroad, bring new ideas, which are not always accepted by the community.
Boots and shoes are gradually replacing sandals and bandages, (warriors have realized the many advantages they offer in battle) but are seen as "a young girl's fashion".
Games and sports are very important, as they are the favorite pastime of Amazon society and are seen as a useful means of promoting physical vigor and prowess in battle. Tournaments of various skills are established annually, traced back to the anniversaries of the various deities, in which the prestige obtained by winning these tournaments is directly reflected on the fame and honor of the Ashira.
The prestige of one's Ashira is very important for Amazons, bringing dishonor to the Ashira is the greatest crime one can commit in the family. It's not shocking that "discredited" figures choose to go in exile or worse solutions.
History
After the fall of the The Ancient Myths, the Rodhian people slowly abandoned their old beliefs to embrace the new Gods. The High Priests of the Cults have lost credibility and powers, disappearing from public life.
The rulers of the kingdom continued the traditions, but without the power of the priests they gradually weakened. At the time of the Phan invasion the Kingdom of Hegnor practically no longer existed, and in 53 NE it quickly collapsed before the Invincible Fleet might.
The conquest of the continental territories by the empire dealt the final blow to the already failing structure of the kingdom, relegating it to the large islands of Kamamaya and Colchis.
The cause of the definitive fall of the kingdom occurs in 450 NE, with the seizure of power by the Black Khedir. The Khedir will try to restore the cult of the Ancient Myths and the Patriarchy, bringing women back to the role of slaves and concubines.
The oppression of women therefore gave rise to a rebellion in 472 NE which led to the fall of the Khedir's control of a large part of the Island of Colchis and the independence of the territories of the lands of Susaydis.
The island of Colchis will become a Matriarchy and the women who oppose the Khedir's rule will take the name of Amazons.
Religion
The Amazons worship the gods of Valenor, in stark contrast to their neighbors on Kamamaya. The priestesses of the various gods have a very important place in Colchis society, the two priestesses of the most important cults (Sardas and Danu) are also part of the Council of Matriarchs.
Other important cults are that of Arva, the Goddess of Sun and Light, Leida, The Most Harmonious, Goddess of Winds and Travellers and (not very openly) Sela, the Moon, Goddess of the Night.
There is a secret cult of the Black Pharaoh, Nyarlathothep, the God of Thousand Forms, where evidence of their secret activities has sometimes been found. It is whispered that there is a very important Ashira who is secretly a follower of the Ancient Myths.
Foreign Relations
The Amazons hate the followers of the Khedir who have tried to enslave them and have unleashed the horrors of darkness against them.
Instead, they are very close to the inhabitants of the Susaydis League who, like them, were oppressed by the Khedrim. They are the main business partner of Colchis.
They've never had much of a relationship with the Phan Empire, so they don't have the same hatred that the inhabitants of Susaydis show towards the empire, but they're not even on good terms with them.
Relations with the Kingdom of Arborea have been cold for a long time, as the elves would have wanted help from the powerful Amazon warriors against the Imperial attacks, but the Amazons had (and still have) their problems with the Darkness that spreads over their island. The recent opening of the Kingdom of Arborea to foreign trade has given a boost to the relations between the two peoples. Currently the Arborea Archmagi Council Mage is discussing about sending a military contingent to help the Amazons in the fight against the Darkness.
Agriculture & Industry
Part of the island of Colchis is desertic, and other parts are covered by a thick jungle, so agriculture is often unable to cover the food needs of the entire island. Furthermore, the farmlands are owned only in a small part by the Aures the majority is owned by the various Ashiras of the Farmer and Hunter caste and therefore the needs of the population and those of the economy sometimes do not match.
The Farmer and Hunter caste is made up of some Ashira who own most of the arable land and forests, but they resent the fact that their social position is too low for what they perceive to be their importance. This conflict has been brewing for a long time and could flare up openly at any time.
Trade & Transport
Colchis is an island that lies hundreds of leagues from the ports of the continent. For this reason, Amazons have always been used to very long sea journeys. With the advent of flying ships this situation did not change much, but at least allowed the opening of new markets.
The importance of the merchant caste has always been very high and will become increasingly so, especially after the decision of the Kingdom of Arborea to open its territory to merchants.
Founding Date
Type
Geopolitical, Kingdom
Capital
Predecessor Organization
Government System
Monarchy, Elective
Power Structure
Feudal state
Economic System
Mixed economy
Location
Official Languages
Related Professions
Controlled Territories
Neighboring Nations
Notable Members
Related Ethnicities
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