Pithios

**Pithios, City of Marble**

Pithian culture is historically (centuries ago) very war-oriented, but presently is led by a conglomerate of scholars, philosophers, artists, artisans, and generals. They have absorbed elements of Mymnite, Ashaki, and Ras Amali culture as the Seven Sages continue to adopt new cutoms, but still remain culturally distinct from the other cities.

Year 0

The Seven Sages of Pithios send an expedition to the Veiled Yonder to discover the fabled Elven libraries.

Year 8

The mad explorer returns from the Veiled Yonder with the Ivory Scepter. Rumors of the Elven libraries also spread during this time.

Year 10

The veil drops. The Seven Sages gather immediately to launch investigations into the effects this will have on the Near Realm.

Year 17

Xenomedes is banished after he is discovered casting forbidden magic in a ritual to extend his own lifespan. The Tower of Xenomedes is sealed from all except those who appeal to the Seven Sages of Pithios directly.

Year 22

The Temple of the Oracle opens a sister school in Pithios, a gesture of goodwill between Ras Amal and the Leonin people.

Year 30

Xenomedes raises a great tower for the study of arcane magic.

Year 41

A mage named Xenomedes attains a higher enlightenment in the magic arts, showing spells that have not been seen in generations. He is admitted to the Seven Sages of Pithios.

Year 55

The great philosopher Hera dies. Her pupils each start teaching their own branch interpretations of her great work.

Year 79

The last of the Great Works are created in the decade long exhibition of Pithios’s greatest craftsmen. It is a lyre with the power to conjure illusions.

Year 89

The first of the Great Works are created in the 10 year festival of creation. It is a prosthetic arm of such articulate craftsmanship that it almost entirely replaces the lost limb in function and utility.

Year 92

A movement within the city calls for a return to the warlike ways of the Leonin people before the Seven Sages of Pithios were appointed. It is rebuffed, but as compromise, the first of the war games takes place, and is held every four years hence. Younger Mymnite athletes, warriors, and scholars often join in.

Year 108

Hera is appointed to the Seven Sages of Pithios after her treatise On the Harmony of Asymmetry, crying out for diversity in rulership and society just as diversity in music creates a pleasing harmony, and illustrating this through many historical accounts.

Year 161

The system of lottery for city labor is first introduced. Now anyone present in Pithios, including the Seven Sages of Pithios, can be selected to spend time working the fields, pumping the bellows, or scribing copies of books and essays.

Year 215

Pithios surrenders to Ashaki forces, on the condition that the city itself is spared any wanton destruction.

Year 271

The first Seven Sages of Pithios are appointed after the restless peace of Pithios threatens to collapse under the warlike nature of their society. This ushers in an era of self-improvement and enlightenment.

Year 321

With the Mymnites driven away, the Leonin raise the city of Pithios.

Year 325

The Leonin come into conflict with the Valley of the Bull who don’t like their presence on the plains. The Leonin scatter Mymnite forces on the battlefield.

Year 380

The Dragonborn, without the support of the Tekton, depart for the mountains. The Leonin are instrumental in driving them away from the plains.

Year 416

The Great Calamity takes place, much written record is destroyed. The stranded dragonborn forces continue their campaign in the hopes that they can overwhelm the forces of the continent. The Tekton vanish without a trace.  The magical barrier rises around the Veiled Yonder.

Year ???

The Dragonborn, under the yoke of the Tekton march against all the cities of the continent, with a great assault on Xanadu.

Year ???

The nomadic scholars known as the Leonin join the Xanadu Coalition.

Year ???

The Seven Treatises are scribed into stone, the foundation of what would eventually be law in Pithios.

Year ???

Myth: Athoth, the Great Scribe, is tasked by the other gods to write the tale of all the races of the world. His tale is so rich that the creatures take a life of their own, and he is moved to leave the rest of the volume blank, so that they may finish their tale of their own accord. The gods depart the world.

Taboos: Eating the meat of an animal that is to be sacrificed is punishable by exile. Mistreating or deliberately destroying written accounts of any sort is shameful. Resurrecting the dead or extending one’s own lifespan through magic is forbidden.

Customs: A Leonin child is brought up with a primary and secondary occupation, based on their natural inclinations and preferences. Those descended from the warrior clans who protected the Leonin before Pithios was founded can tap into more bestial power, and train as warriors.

Funerals: Leonin dead are thrown into a charnal pit, which the young will sit and watch as they come to terms with the natural processes of death and dying. As one’s story ends, they are celebrated through accounts of their deeds, and through recitation or demonstration of their own works.

Religion: One’s life must enrich the lives of others by pursuing greatness in craft and higher thought. This enhances the tale that Athoth tells the other gods. When the Great Scribe’s next tale is told, it will be even greater.

Industry: Pithios is filled with capable craftsmen of every sort, and surrounded by livestock and fertile farms. Their finest products are their paper and pencils, but their glassworks provide useful fine tools for many trades.

Spell casting: There are wizards and a few clerics in Pithios. With a lifetime of study, a prodigy scholar in the city can cast third level spells. This happens once a generation at most. More commonly, cantrips and first level spells are taught almost as trades, or to aid in a given trade.

Outside perception:

In general: The widespread tales regarding the Leonin of Pithios take two shapes. The first and more common is their present affinity for creating fair laws and solving issues of ethics. The second is their historical role in the defeat of the Dragonborn.

Mymna: The Valley of the Bull suffered an embarassing defeat at Leonin hands, but they insist that a rematch would go differently. Through the centuries this has faded to a tense rivalry with no true hostility. Mymnites acknowledge the strength of Pithios.

Ashak: The Ashaki think of the Leonin people as elitist and deceitful, since they rely on overly-constructed arguments rather than simply stating what is right or wrong. They do respect their role in pushing back the Dragonborn, but those Leonin were a fierce tribe of warriors, far removed from the toga-clad philosophers of today.

Ras Amal: The Leonin are widely respected as scholars in Ras Amal, even if they do pursue lesser magic. The sister school to the Temple of the Oracle in Pithios is a monument of friendship between the two cities.

Lonlala: The Law of Pithios most closely resembles the ethical values of Lonlala, but even then it is a far cry away from adhering to the First Law in any meaningful capacity. Some Leonin scholars understand the First Law and in their dealings with the Owlin they do their best to adhere to it.

Erura: The Merfolk have never had true dealings with Pithios, but are familiar with their role in defeating the Dragonborn. Desiring a closer relationship with the Merfolk for their high pursuit of art and performance, Pithios has recently exchanged a few emissaries with Erura.

The Lepora Plains: The oral history of the Harengon is fascinating to many scholars of Pithios. Pithios protects and patrols the northern portion of the Lepora Plains, and the Harengon are often employed to deliver messages or parcels along the roads.