Akroans

Akroan society is divided in five classes: Lektoi, Stratians, Flame Speakers, Servants and Serfs.

Lektoi

At the apex of Akroan society are the lektoi, the large warrior class of Akros. Members of this class claim descent from the seven warriors who first established the Kolophon after the fall of the archons. Though the families now number more than seven, each one uses an animal associated with one of the seven warriors as its symbol, either the ram, lion, horse, boar, badger, bull, or hart. The ram, associated with Akros's first king, Elektes, is commonly used as a symbol for the lektoi as a whole and for Akroan strength, determination, and resilience. It is a popular theme in clothing, jewelry, and weapon ornamentation, and some lektoi even wear their hair braided into stylized ram horns.
Although the lektoi claim descent from heroes, membership in this noble class isn't strictly hereditary. Anyone can earn a place among them by claiming a victory in the annual Iroan Games. More commonly, members of lektoi families lose their place of privilege if they fail to fulfill their obligation to serve in the Akroan military.

Stratians

The Akroan military is formed of wandering bands of warriors (drawn from the lektoi families) known as stratians. Outside the walls of the Kolophon, the stratians camp in the forests and fields, hunt game for food, and train younger warriors as they go. Their tasks are to search for monsters that have strayed into Akroan territory and to protect travelers.
Stratian forces are divided into three types of duty and armed appropriately for the task before them:
Alamon. Rugged forces of wanderers patrol Akros's borders, defending against invasion or attack by monsters that dwell in the mountains, foothills, and badlands around Akroan territory. They are armed and armored for speed and agility, allowing them to move stealthily and strike unexpectedly.
Lukos. The most elite forces among the stratians, the so-called wolves contend with threats that the Alamon can't handle alone. After the guerrilla tactics of the Alamon have softened up a target, the heavily armored Lukos march to finish the task.
Oromai. The watchers are the guardians of the Kolophon who protect the fortress from invaders and maintain order within its walls.

Flame Speakers

Prominent spellcasters, the fl.amespeakers are reclusive priests of Purphoros who revere nature spirits and who inhabit fiery rifts in the mountains. The ancient practice is viewed as primitive but powerful, and Akroans of any background might risk making a pilgrimage into the mountains to hear a fiamespeaker's prophecies.

Servants and Serfs

Lektoi who complete their military service with honor often retire to the Kolophon or their family estates and go about the leisured life of aristocrats. Their households are run by a class of servants made up of lektoi who were unable or unwilling to undertake a military career. These servants lack citizenship's full privileges but retain a position of some honor thanks to their class. Below these servants, at the bottom of Akros's social hierarchy, are the serfs. Comprising the vast majority of Akros's population, the serfs largely reside outside the protection of the Kolophon, laboring to grow the staple crops that support Akros's citizens and its trade. A relatively small number of serfs are skilled artisans who manage to build a more prosperous life for themselves with their crafts. But even these wealthier serfs can't own the land they live on, and they enjoy few rights or legal protections.

Naming Traditions

Feminine names

Agathe, Alesta, Arissa, Brigone, Callaphe, Corisande, Hira, Hypatia, Iadorna, Ianthe, Lidia, Luphea, Nymosyne, Olexa, Polyxene, Psemilla, Rakleia, Sophronia, Telphe, Tikaia, Vala

Masculine names

Alkmenos, Basarios, Braulios, Drasus, Eocles, Hixus, Kaliaros, Kalogeros, Kanlos, Kleon, Kytheon, Lanathos, Lindos, Nyklos, Phrogas, Prokopios, Rhexenor, Ristos, Teraklos, Uremides, Verenes, Zenon

Family names

Family surnames are uncommon in the human poleis, and people with the same name must find ways to distinguish themselves from one another. Some attach their place of birth or residence to their own names. A merchant from Meletis named Brigone, for example, would be Brigone of Meletis. Others link their name to their trade, like Ristos the Learned, or Alesta the Hunter.

Encompassed species

• Human

Related Locations

• Akroan Holdings
• Akros