Elnathan
Hot springs are common in the hill country of the Antioch City-States. Many towns and even villages among the hills boast a mineral spring if not an actual bathing house. Only the area of Elnathan, though, has genuine Hyperborean bathing houses built by the empire and conscientiously maintained ever since. The elaborate tile mosaics (both on the walls and in the pools), the steam rooms, and pools of various temperatures set the Great Baths of Elnathan far above those of any other hot springs of the region.
Millennia ago, a pilgrim road was built from the far west to the holy city of Tircople, and one of its last stages ran through the area that is now occupied by the Antioch City-States. After the growth of Elnathan, the pilgrim road was changed to pass through the city, which allowed tired and dirty worshippers of Muir a chance to rest and purify themselves before the final difficult trek into the mountains. Today, the pilgrim road is gone over most of its length, but the roads to Elnathan are of course still maintained as part of the city-states’ systems. Modern travelers can easily get to the city itself to try the restorative properties of the mineral waters as well as other health benefits.
Under the Hyperborean Empire, Elnathan was a site where imperial merchants and officials in the area could go to relax. It was also a place for imperial soldiers to rest and relax during their long assignments far from home. It was an easy step from rest to recuperation, and the empire started sending injured soldiers (and sailors) here for treatments. Facilities were started to train more people to care for the affected personnel, which eventually developed into full-fledged colleges of healing. A single consolidated institution is active still, passing on thousands of years of accumulated knowledge. In addition, a line of healers began studying plants and herbal treatments from the local area, the Istaflumina region, and Jaati. They combined this research with the knowledge of Hyperborean specialists and expanded it even more. This Herbal House inside the Grand Academy of Life and Healing continues to collect information on plants in general and herbal remedies in particular from throughout the world, and those who know of it consider it one of the greatest repositories of plant information in Libynos, if not the whole world.
The highest authority in Elnathan is the podest (a title derived from the ancient Hyperborean word for “power”), who has nine elected consuls to advise her. The podest is most often nominated by the advisors but is voted on by the citizens. Given the podest’s supreme power in the government, a neutral party is often desired and so the position frequently goes to a foreigner who is less likely to favor one guild or political faction above others. (Notable people from Ur are often chosen, as are people of Ifthaaz, for different reasons.) The podest serves a one-year term, though the position can possibly be renewed.
Religious observance in Elnathan is largely focused around deities of healing. In fact, at one time a great temple of healing was built where each deity could have a chapel and they could all be worshipped together. Even such compatible priesthoods still had significant differences, though, and it was not too long before individual temples were again built and the one-time temple became another building for the grand academy. The people of Elnathan worship such deities as Bablukar, Lord of the Golden Sword; Ceres, goddess of midwives as well as healing and home; Solanus, who gives the healing light of the sun; and Zadastha, a deity of Jaati who also embraces healing.
Near the Great Baths outside the city of Elnathan are some chapels devoted to other deities who do not focus on healing. One is to the goddess Kamien, the patron of both springs and travel. Another is to Muir, goddess of virtue, that dates back to when the pilgrim road was first diverted to Elnathan. Enameled copper medals with the name of the goddess, and miniature versions of her holy sword symbol, are still sold in the area to travelers.
Settlement
Elnathan, City-State of
Type
City
Owning Organization
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