Kairos

Official flag of the city of Kairos

Kairos, officially the United Principality of Kairos, is one of the three major sovereign city-states of the archipelago. It is ruled by an anocracy infamous for its strict control of individual freedoms and extensive bureaucratic systems.

## History

*Main article: Kairosian Timeline*

The island of Kairos was settled shortly after the Cataclysm by several groups, all vying for control. It wasn't until 500 AK that the island was united underneath a single monarch and consolidated itself into the United Kingdom of Kairos, the predecessor to modern Kairos. Over the course of several centuries, power slowly shifted into the hands of the king's court, until the kingdom was reorganized into the United Principality of Kairos.

### Planar Proclamation

In the early 2370s, around the end of season 5, it was discovered that the boundaries between planes were dangerously thin, and interplanar travel was only worsening it. Shortly after this discovery, New Gork inexplicably broke away from the continent and ascended into the skies and Kanara sank into the sea. Meanwhile, Freeport's internal struggles were only worsening. In the wake of this, Princeps Bucephalus enacted the Planar Proclamation, colloquially also known as Planarbition, placing strict regulations on magic of all forms within Kairos, with a particular emphasis on planar, transmutation, and divination magics. In 2381, the Kairosian government ended the Planar Proclamation following the Battle for Gaia's Cradle and the pacification of The One In Waiting. The ending of the Planar Proclamation brought much change to the city, including the warming up of relationships between the state and the adventurer's guild, as well as the slow dissolution of the Spellrunners.

#### Spellrunners

While the proclamation was intended as a protective measure, some resented it, and worked against it. These people who practice magic outside the law or deal in the black market of magic items and arcane contraband came to be known as "spellrunners." Quincee Taverns were concealed areas that allow for the free practice of magic outside the law. The name originally came from the phrase "quiet casting," which was shortened to the acronym QC before developing into the name Quincee. Those wishing to enter a Quincee Tavern ask the gatekeeper if they can see Quincee, and are prompted for Quincee's family name, a password unique to each tavern.

### Kairosian Expiditionary Force

Since the late 2390s, various stockpiles and docks have been taken via eminent domain for use by the state, under the pretense of the "Kairos Expeditionary Force". Not much is publicly known about the Force, but it appears to be a massive endeavor.

## Government

Kairos is governed by three distinct branches: the Senate, the Clergy, and the Office of the Princeps. Power is divided between these branches with varying levels of checks and balances in place. Originally, the princeps was the weakest of the three, acting as mainly a figurehead of the city-state. With the ascendance of Lord Princeps Cornelius Tannius Rejuvenatus in 2320 AK, toward the close of season 2, power slowly shifted hands into the office of the princeps, which came to rival the Senate and Clergy in terms of political power.

### Senate

Staffed primarily by prominent noble family houses, the Senate is by far the largest branch of government in terms of political officials. It's responsible for the creation and passing of new laws and measures for the principality. The Senate meets within the Spire, a legislative complex in the Landing. The Senate is led by a Speaker of the Assembly, the Logothi Consul, who mediates discussion and acts as a spokesperson for the body.

### Clergy

The Clergy serves two purposes, as caretakers of the Olympic temples in Alembas and as the overseeing council of the Protectorate, the Kairosian city guard. Officers of the Protectorate are tasked with enforcing city law and peacekeeping duties within the districts. Each temple in Alembas is led by a High Archon, who also sits on the Protectorate's overseeing council.

#### Protectorate

The Protectorate is the city guard of Kairos, tasked with the general enforcement of laws and peacekeeping duties within the districts of the city.

##### Organization

The Protectorate is led by the Hierophant, who is often, but not always, a member of the Clergy, and who is appointed by the overseeing clerical council. Below the Hierophant are ten Sentinels who are in charge of the individual praecinctai. Within each praecinctum, the rank and file of the Protectorate is comprised of Guardians, Vigil Guardians, Siblings, and Initiates. Initiates are trainees, often assigned to a district far from where they grew up. Siblings are full officers and guards, often sent to patrol the city. Vigil Guardians are armed leaders of patrols and raids, divided further by skill and experience into Vigil Guardians Second Class and Vigil Guardians First Class. Finally, Guardians comprise the managerial and administrative staff of their praecinctum, organized into various councils and subcommittees.

##### Law Enforcement and Debtors

The primary form of law enforcement used by the Protectorate is a form of extreme deterrence, where a single infraction can lead to tens or even hundreds of additional charges being added to the initial incident due to the extensive list of laws and codes established by Kairos. Charges can range from "unlawful use of magic" to "wasting an officer's time" to "offensive smells." A single infraction, coupled by the extensive list of additional charges, can lead to jail time and/or excessive fines that an individual may not be able to pay back. As a result, those who are unable to pay back their fines completely are deemed debtors and sent to the Debtors' District to slowly pay off their dues. An individual can spend anywhere between a few years to their entire lifetime paying for their crimes.

With the heavy intricacies of Kairosian law—particularly, the sheer number of things that are illegal—it's impractical for every infraction to be prosecuted, and so many are overlooked. This has resulted in a system where the charges and punishments can vary drastically based on the mood and temperament of the arresting Sibling, as well as on the identity of the perpetrator. Members of the Clergy are often let off with a slap on the wrist, while members of the nobility, forming the political group often in opposition to the Clergy, are either heavily fined, or let off easy due to their power within the city. Residents of Terminus face more objective charges, while adventurers, foreigners, and individuals who anger the Protectorate are often given extensive charges and fines. Of the permanent residents of the city, those in the Free District have to be the most cautious around Siblings, as they have neither connections, wealth, nor power to protect them.

For the first time in centuries, however, the Kairosian laws are on their way to relaxing. Leadership has called for the repeal of the landmark case ***Truth v. Dare***, which was one of the central laws that allowed for the cascade of charges a person was able to receive upon one infraction.

### Princeps

The pre-Cornelian princeps was considered to be a figurehead position within the city government, with no official duties other than the appointment of military leaders and judicial magistrates. The post-Cornelian princeps now oversees a significant executive branch, with the assistance of their Consort and other officials in the princeps' inner circle.

The Office of the Princeps is also the only branch that holds an election for the position. Since the founding of Kairos, these have been free elections that allowed for any citizen of Kairos to run. Despite this, elections have been swayed by various noble houses and members of the Clergy towards favorable candidates. After the ascendance of Princeps Cornelius, restrictions and regulations have been placed on the election to control who is allowed to run.

#### Inquisitores

In addition to the princeps' executive duties, the office also controls the Inquisitores, a secret police force within Kairos. The Inquisitores publicly operate within Kairos, occasionally making high profile arrests or investigations, but also do clandestine work within and outside the walls of Kairos, much to the distaste of the other islands of the archipelago.

##### Faction

*Main article: Inquisitores (Faction)*

While they don't hire just anyone, the Inquisitores always have an eye out for promising individuals.

## Armed Forces

The Aegii is Kairos' primary fighting force. It is divided into two distinct branches, the Copae and Classis. Both branches work to protect Kairos and its colonies from foreign threats. They are overseen by the princeps, who appoints praetors to lead each branch.

### Copae

The Copae is the primary land-based branch of the Aegii. It is responsible for the patrol of occupied territories, land-based combat, and the garrison of military installations. There are several unique units, such as the Rothguarian Guard, an elite half-orc unit. The Copae is led by the Praetorus Copae, appointed by the princeps.

### Classis

The Classis is the primary seafaring branch of the Aegii. It is responsible for sea-based combat, patrolling trade routes, and anti-piracy duties. There are several unique fleets and squadrons stationed at various ports. It is led by the Praetorus Classis, appointed by the princeps.

## Geography

The city is divided into several districts across the island. Each district is protected by its own branch of the Protectorate, and separated by large canals, but connected via stone bridges made from the rubble of the former walls.

### Alembas

Alembas is a large hill in the center of the main island where the main temples that honor the Olympian gods can be found. It also serves as the headquarters for Kairosian clergy. Since 2320 AK, following season 2, more temples have been added that practice the worship of other deities outside of the Olympic pantheon.

Alembas is not officially part of any praecinctum, but does see regular patrols of Siblings.

### Debtors' District

Located southwest of Alembas, the Debtors' District contains the infrastructure of the judicial system—a courthouse and jail, as well as the housing complexes built for the city's numerous debtors, who have been issued fines beyond what they're able to pay and must now work off the debt. The district is heavily guarded both by members of the Protectorate and Arcanists from the Scoli Arcanum.

Debtors are sent to work in the nearby mines and olive plantations. A number of plantations are on the main island, just north of the Debtors' District and west of Alembas, but there are more located on the smaller islands of Poseinas and Athenas just south of Kairos proper. The Crags, a semi-collapsed mountainous island west of Kairos contains mines infested with dangerous creatures and pockets of poisonous gas, and is connected to the main island by the Folly, a large marble bridge with a foundation made of wrecked ships. Just east of Athenas is the Cistern, the smallest of these four islands, which contains the base camp for the underwater mines surrounding it.

The Debtors' District is its own praecinctum, while Poseinas, Athenas, and the portion of the main island with plantations form a second, and the Crags and the Cistern make up a third.

Almost the entirety of the district was razed to the ground during the Battle for Gaia's Cradle. The majority of the district was converted into farmland and temporary airship berths for use by the Kairosian Expeditionary Force.

### Free District

One of the three largest districts of Kairos proper, and certainly the densest, the Free District houses the majority of lower class citizens and some small businesses. It's located in the northwestern region of the main island. The area is heavily policed by the Protectorate, and neighborhoods are often controlled by homeowner associations, which organize their own patrols to enforce their policies in their areas. Life here is perpetually stressful, with residents walking on eggshells to avoid being arrested for a crime or fined by the local homeowner association. With neither connections, wealth, nor power to protect them, the majority of debtors originate from the Free District.

The Free District contains two praecinctai, which cover the east and west of the district, respectively.

### Cradle Park

Located in the ruins of the Debtor's District, Cradle Park serves as a memorial for those who lost their lives defending Kairos during the Battle for Gaia's Cradle. Several monuments are scattered throughout the park, each dedicated towards the remembrance of the sacrifices made that day.

### Terminus

One of the three largest districts in the city, the Terminus is Kairos' heart, containing general businesses and housing the majority of the middle class. It stretches across the island's center, just east of Alembas, from the southern shore to the northern shore. The main port can be found here, as well as the Forum Primaris, the city's largest public square and the first thing seen by visitors entering through the port. The forum is always busy, with vendors on all sides hawking their wares, an elegant fountain in the center, and Orators speaking their pieces from various raised daises, platforms, and boxes throughout the square. Terminus also hosts the local branch of the Adventurers' Guild, a relatively small building directly across the street from the southern praecinctum's Protectorate headquarters.

For residents of Terminus, life is relatively stable and safe. Children play in the street until the wee hours, crime is extremely low, and life is fairly good, so long as one doesn't rabble-rouse, commit crimes, or otherwise question or work against the Principality. The Siblings patrolling in Terminus tend to do their job well and fairly, but crossing one can still easily catapult a citizen to debtorship, or at least to eking out a much more difficult existence in the Free District.

Terminus contains two praecinctai, which cover the north and south of the district, respectively.

### Landing

The Landing, the last of the three largest districts, covers the eastern portion of the main island, beyond Terminus. It houses the rich, the powerful, and the noble residents of the city, and is divided into a variety of subdistricts, all of which are separated by Kairos' traditional 50-foot-high white stone walls. It also contains a natural harbor with the same name, said to be where the refugees from the Cataclysm first landed.

The Landing is naturally separated into a northern and southern portion by the natural harbor. Northtown contains the Phoenix's Nest, or simply the Nest, which is a complex of governmental buildings including the princeps' palace, as well as a variety of homes for the wealthy of Kairos not belonging to the nobility. Southtown contains some similar housing, as well as the Aerie, the Landing's most notable subdistrict, home to Kairosian nobility only. The Aerie contains the Scoli Arcanum, a renowned school of the arcane. The Scoli typically admits only those of noble status, but those without that status who manage to gain noble sponsorship may be admitted as well. The Aerie also contains the Forum Nobilis, a public square and marketplace catered to the nobility, and the Gift, a statue widely—but silently—considered unspeakably ugly, but which is revered by the nobility as a gift from the gods. They believe the Gift to be responsible for saving the city during a historical period of strife and potential catastrophe. Paying compliments to the Gift is seen as a symbol of status, as well as a sign of taste.

The Landing contains two praecinctai, which cover the north and south of the district, respectively.

### Sunrise Isles

The Sunrise Isles are three smaller islands to the east of Kairos, and are home to the vacation, family, and second homes of many of the powerful and ultra rich of Kairos. Artemas is the northernmost island, Apolum is the central island, and Dionus is the southernmost island. The islands are connected by two bridges known as the East and West Bridges respectively. They are home to members of the nobility, the wealthy, and the Clergy alike, with homes of the various powerful classes intermingled throughout the islands.

The Sunrise Isles comprise a single praecinctum.

## Culture

### Cradle Day

The anniversary of the Battle of Gaia's Cradle is recognized as a national holiday, colloquially known as "Cradle Day". During the holiday, crowds of people flood Cradle Park, placing gifts and offerings to the ones who laid down their lives for the protection of their nation. Kari Falk, Master of the Kairosian Defense and instrumental part of the Battle is celebrated as well.

### Religion

Since the founding of Kairos in 0 AK, only the Olympic pantheon was recognized by the city-state, with all other deities being outlawed. As of 2320 AK, all such laws have been repealed. Since then, several prominent pantheons and deities have established temples in Alembas. Despite legal freedoms, worshipers of deities outside of the Olympic pantheon are still sometimes met with discrimination from the public and officials alike, though opinions vary by social class and age of residents.

### Flag

The design of the Kairosian flag carries great meaning for the city. The original design depicted a crowned phoenix, representing a city reborn after the Cataclysm, with the chaos of the flame tamed, its power turned to creation, to order and progress. At some point, five stripes were added to the background, three blue and two white, symbolizing the columns so common to Kairosian architecture. Over the years, the flag has changed, the crown replaced by the current three diamonds, standing in for the three branches of government, and the background simplified to use only three stripes.