Antioch City-States
The Antioch City-States are a league of trade cities in the warm plains and hill country between the northern shore of the Sea of Baal and the Scythirian Mountains to the northeast. The city-states have negotiated treaties and other mutual arrangements addressing such matters as the availability of raw materials, transportation, and the distribution of finished goods. The object of the arrangements is to coordinate the cities’ mercantile activities and to minimize, as much as possible, the influence and control of outside countries or organizations. Internal conflicts are carefully concealed in order to better present a solid front to their trading partners and other outsiders.
For most of the Hyperborean era, these cities were a part of the empire and subject to its legal regime and trade policies. The empire’s dominion over Libynos was broken when the undead Imperatrix Trystecce of Tircople was slain by Daan in 2584 I.R. Attempts by the cities at independence thereafter were only briefly successful, as the then-ascendant Ammuyad Caliphate quickly swept in to take advantage of the power vacuum left by the end of Hyperborea. After about 150 years, organized resistance began to grow in the city-states. Taking advantage of two years of plague in the caliphate, the cities ousted the local governors and installed their own leaders and defensive forces. At last, the Antioch City-States were free of outside domination and quickly arranged terms for an alliance for mutual defense and profit.
For the past several hundred years, the city-states have been renowned as leaders in the expansion and innovation of trade, from the sourcing of raw materials to the processes of refinement, as well as the manufacture and transportation of finished goods. Most people in the region learn to figure well as children, and the merchants have developed advanced methods of accounting for expenses and income in trade to be sure they maximize their profits. A large percentage of the population is literate, which fosters better communication over long distances as well as accurate recording of contractual agreements between parties. The money flowing into the region has also enabled some of the wealthiest merchants to sponsor musicians, artists, and philosophers, so the arts are flourishing in the city-states in parallel with its many crafts and trades.
The territory of the Antioch City-States extends in the northwest to where the Desert Wall meets the Sea of Baal, and in the southeast to the near shore of the Palena River, which defines the border with Baalthaaz. In the north and the east it reaches into the foothills of the Scythirian Mountains where the cities of Kinnereth, Mirsin, Shilon, and Shiamun hold sway. Somewhere beyond those cities is the border with the dwarven kingdom of Shamash Kush; while the boundary line may be ill-defined amid the hills, the dwarves firmly let trespassers know when they cross into dwarven lands.
The roads between the city-states are well-maintained and well-patrolled to ensure the safe and swift transport of raw materials and finished goods. The ships of the trading league are solidly built and well-armed, with plenty of marines for protection against the privateers of Numeda or the aggressive navy of neighboring Baalthaaz. As a general matter, the merchants of Antioch prefer to trade with other free cities such as Endhome or Bard’s Gate but are willing to send their ships anywhere that is safe and profitable.
Most of the city-states are communal republics wherein the citizens of each city and its respective surroundings have sworn themselves to mutual defense. They also elect leaders or representatives to look after the business of the city-state, though this process takes several different forms throughout the region and sometimes wealthy families hold more power and influence than a strictly democratic system would suggest.
The primary religion of the Antioch City-States is the pantheon of the Hyperborean Empire, though some other deities of Libynos and even Foere also have a place. The desert religion of Mah-Barek, pressed strongly by the Ammuyad Caliphate during the period of its hegemony, continues to attract worshippers in the region. In particular, the low-key, charitable Church of Fatimashan is common, with its orphanages and hospitals in every major city and most towns. The more exuberant Church of Marwan is also accepted, though it has temples in few locations.
Region
Antioch City-States
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