Eshemos

(note this article is on the continent of Eshemos, for the deity click here)

## Creation

After the sundering of the world which followed the grand celestial war, little is known to us about the early days of Eshemos. It is said that the island was the first land to be settled after the fall of Baaos. Legend says that Eshemos created the land in order to create his following and to create his final vision, life. First among the creations was the Dragons, second came the Elves, Dwarves, and finally Men.

## People

The land of Eshemos houses many people, most numerous are men, who have conquered nature to create vast cities and impressive monuments. The long lived elves dwell in the Tavorial forest, creating beauty from the woods of the trees, so great is the style and elegance of the elves, that all proud men wear elven swords as a symbol of status. Last come the hardy mountain folk, the Dwarves. Digging under the mountains of the Sundersavian range, the Savian dwarves hold a vast empire of gold and silver, but above all mithrill, the legendary material that only the Dwarves are able to forge into arms of legend.

## Organization

Unique to Eshemos is the strucuture of power present on the contient. Unlike Exarea for example, which is ruled by a single empire, Eshemos has no empire nor leader of any kind. Unlike Zoltaria, there is no unifying system of belief, almost all people follow Eshemos, but the Church does not dictate life. Instead, Eshemos is made up of several important Poleis or city states. Each city state is different in size and in power, but many follow the same organization, passed down from the city of Eshopolis in the 4th century (of men). Each of the city states has a patron deity, which usually dictates what is important to the city. For example, the city of Savia has the patron goddess Savia, the goddess of wisdom, therefor the city is much more advanced then its fellow city states in part, because it values wisdom, just like Savia. Each city has four main bodies which intersect to form the "state", the four parts of a polis are the religious system, the social/political system, the legal system, and the military.

### Religious practices

The cities of Eshemos all hold one thing in common, their devotion to the gods. As such, they have a detailed religious structure that all cities follow. It should be noted that despite having patrons, all cities celebrate all gods, just because Savia is patron of the city does not mean that the city of Savia does not celebrate the god Malos. The lowest level of the religious hierarchy is the Hierei or priesthood. These are the most common level, and are the church leaders. They might be chosen by lot in some cities, or by birth in others. Duties of the Hierei include leading services and festivals, as well as collecting tithes, and being the link from the people to the divine. Next is the Paladins, while not an official level in the rankings, paladins have been given an unoffical ranking by people inside the church. The paladins act as the defenders of the faith, and are its hammer and shield against the forces of Chaos. They are a militant group formed around the 8 century, during the Chaos scare. Above the paladins come the Hierophants, these are hierei who have proven themselves devoted to their god, and as such are promoted. The job of the hierophants is to be the leaders in the largest ceremonies as well the person who sacrifices to the gods. If anyone other then a hierophant makes a sacrifice of an animal, there could be great costs to pay. Lastly, each city has the position of the Archon Basileus (simply Basileus in many places) which is the official head of the poleis churches. The Basileus has many important roles, such as appointing the Hierophants, and making the grand sacrifices, as well as leading the most important of the ceremonies and celebrations. The Basileus is elected from the Hierophants, and serves till death.

### Social/Political system

#### General government

The social and political systems of Eshemos have been inherently linked to one another since the creation of the first constitution in the 4th century. The laws which followed are clear about who may hold each office. The majority of political power rests in the assembly, which is a mass of all citizens, who have the right to vote on laws. The assembly is filled once a month, where members are selected by lot, 100 members per tribe. The second most powerful body in the government is the Senate, which numbers half of the assembly. The senate is chosen by lot every 5 years from the local elite, requirements vary across the poleis, and gives the power to create laws and taxes. Below the Assembly and Senate come the Demarches and the generals. The Demarches act as small judges and tax collectors (only within their deme). There is one demarche per deme, and four demes to a tribe. The demarchs are selected by lot every week, and no one may serve twice until every person has served once. The generals are elected military leaders. there is one general elected from each tribe. The generals lead their own tribe in battle, and are the second highest military authority. Each general stays in power for one year, excepting dire situations, where generals may maintain power as long as needed. there is no term limit for generals, and many are elected till their death or extreme age.

#### Archons

Separate from the main body of elected government is the council of archons. there are four archons, each representing a different part of poleis life. First is the archon imperatus, which is a direct descendent from a god, and the kings of old. The imperatus holds some power, as the imperatus can bring laws to the senate or assembly, though the laws still need to be voted in. Next, is the Archon Basileus who is the head of the faith. They are chosen from among the church and hold much power within the church, they have little power in the wider world. Third is the Polemarch, or archon of war. the polemarch is elected only in times of war, and is chosen from among all who have served as generals. When elected the polemarch becomes the absolute voice in all military matters for the duration of the war and the polemarch must retire after the war is over or peace is secured. Last is the archon dikastis, or supreme judge. The archon dikastis holds all judicial power in the city, and can rule on any case. however, if a dikastis overrules a demarches verdict, then the assembly can veto the new verdict. The dikastis is brought any court case that cannot be settled by the demes, cases such as murder or treason. The dikastis is elected by the tribes from a pool of 5 candidates selected by the senate. The dikastis is elected every 10 years.

### The legal system

For many city states of Eshemos there are few reasons to take someone to the court. Most basic arguments can be settled personally, usually between the families. If a judge is needed, then the case will first be brought to the demarche, who will reside as judge. In the event that a case takes place outside of one deme, then a replacement demarche will be found, one who is not a member of either parties deme. If the case deals with capital offenses for example, treason or murder, then the case will be brought before the Archon Dikastis to judge. In rare cases, the council of archons may convene and act as a group of judges in matters of great sensitivity. All verdicts may be brought into question by appealing to the DIkastis for a demarche verdict, or to the assembly in matters of a dikastis ruling. A verdict handed down from the council of archons is final, and no one may contest it.

### Military

Most poleis maintain a standing military for defense. Most militaries are made up of legions, with each tribe responsible for one legion, or two legions in times of dire need. A legion is typically made up of 4,000 soldiers at full strength. Each legion is led by a general, who is supported by 8 colonels, who in turn each lead a regiment. Each regiment is composed of 500 men, with the 500 men divided into 10 companies of 50. Each company is led by a captain, and each company is broken into 5 units of 10 men, each led by a sergeant. Auxiliaries may include cavalry or war mages. Cavalry usually have their own companies, and even regiments at times. The cavalry are the middle class of the poleis, those who have enough money to feed and care for a horse. War mages are harder to come by, and usually only one or two will be present in any army. They are commissioned by the city, and serve no loyalties. War mages are the most destructive force that can be unleashed upon a battle field, their spells are like dragon fire, destroying everything in its path.

## Coinage

The land of Eshemos, unlike others has created an Intrinsic (based on metal content) coin system. The coin system has developed over many years, though the current iteration has been around for at least one century. The coins of different poleis may hold different images, yet each coin maintains the same value. The coin system is based on silver, as it is the most common of the precious metals. There are six coins in the system, The copper coin, the Soloni, the Eagle, the Basilikon, and the Drakos. The copper coin is not used often, and it takes 16 copper coins to equal one Soloni, which holds a weight of half a gram of silver. It takes four Soloni to equal one Eagle, which contains two grams of silver, and is the most common coin accepted. It takes 6 Eagles to equal one Basilikon, which has 12 grams of silver. Finally, it takes 12 Basilikon to equal one golden Drakos. Few people have ever seen a Drakos, therefore it is fairly difficult to exchange a Drakos for silver.

## Notable Poleis

Eshopolis

Savia

Malokos