Palavos
Palavos is a polis devoted to learning, magic, and progress. It is the most populous city-state and home to progressive thinkers, pious thaumaturges, and wise oracles. Founded by the Great Draga Chief Krivarr, to this day it pursues the ideals of free thought, societal betterment, and reinvention over stagnation and totalitarianism.
The people of Palavos take pride in their city’s grand architecture, especially the great temples to the gods. They value philosophy and other intellectual pursuits, especially the practice of magic. Palavos's army is known for its discipline and its piety, and its navy is unparalleled. The city observes every one of the gods’ holy days in various ways, and most residents try to live as the gods demand.
Rich fields and the bounty of the sea support most people throughout Palavos. The people have reputations for being accomplished weavers, skilled sailors, and cunning merchants. Books and literacy are also common throughout the land, and the work of scribes, cartographers, musicians, and storytellers is well regarded. The people of Palavos believe themselves to be the inheritors of a heroic tradition, and each person owes it to themselves and to society to strive for greatness.
The Twelve
A council of philosophers called the Twelve serves as the ruling body of Palavos. They are elected by popular vote among the citizens of Palavos and serve for terms of four years at a time. They are supposed to govern by philosophical principles of justice and social order, and many of them do strive to uphold the highest ideals in their decisions. Others are more grimly realistic, and a few are deeply corrupt, serving only their own interests. The most senior member of the council is recognized as its leader, responsible for bringing the assembly to order and moderating its debate. Council Members at the time of the fall of Ithicus:- Leader: Perisophia, renowned philosopher and orator, a brass draga
- Mytemos (recently deceased at the start of the conflict), Agape, Karolos, Markos, Myrto (nonbinary), and Tasoula, all draga
- Dimos, a minotaur
- Chrysanthos and Pela, humans
- Xenofon, a satyr
- Zoi (Xoe), a centaur
Philosophers
Though they aren’t necessarily heroic, philosophers are highly valued in Palavos, which is renowned as the center of philosophical thought. They form a privileged class, often coming from wealthy families but also supported by stipends from the polis’s academies and their own students. Different philosophical schools hold political as well as intellectual power in the polis, with five schools of philosophy dominating Palavosian discourse.Thaumaturges
Palavosians view magic as one of the greatest art forms, and they call the most accomplished mages thaumaturges (“wonder workers”). Many Palavosian mages are trained at the elite academy of the Dekatia, but countless smaller schools and private tutors teach the magical arts. These lessons in magic typically include a well-rounded education in the sciences and philosophy. Some thaumaturges find their magical studies aligning with popular Meletian philosophies and choose the schools of magic they focus on based on such teachings.The Reverent Army
The hoplites of Palavos practice battlefield tactics in an environment saturated with religious devotion. The military force of the polis is called the Reverent Army, and aims as much to exalt the glory of the pantheon as to defend Palavos. The soldiers are clever and resourceful, believing their piety leads the gods to smile upon them. More likely, though, their extensive training in battlefield tactics and magic gives them an edge over other soldiers, with most Palavosian hoplites knowing at least a little magic. Ranks:- Polemarchos (Commander)
- Starategos (General)
- Taxiarhos (Brigadier)
- Syntagmatarkhis (Colonel)
- Tagmatarkhis (Battalion Leader)
- Lokhagos (Captain)
- Hoplite (Foot Soldier)
by Maya Selbie
Comments