Azos

A deeply storied nation, Azos is one of the oldest provinces on Ceacleth.

The capital city of Azos is Selymbria.

#### **Location and Climate**

Azos is one of the westernmost provinces of Ceacleth. It has both ocean access and a decent amount of fertile land on the interior. The cold, windy climate of the Northern Coast varies greatly from that of Ingemar’s Bay, which is temperate, matching that of the internal reaches of Azos and Portus Cayle.

#### **Races**

The most abundant races in Azos are Humans, followed shortly by elves and dwarves. Typically, the people here have fair to tan skin, and blonde to honey brown hair.

#### **Industries and Exports**

Azos has a notable farming industry, second to only that of Portus Cale. Trade is important to this nation as well, due to its location between the largest agricultural and mining industries on the continent.

#### **Imports**

Azos is known for the amount of tropical fruit imported to the northernmost reaches. Historically, trade flourished between Azos and The Crestmoon Isles, but since tariffs were imposed by the Sheedori government, most trade has ceased, to the despair of Sheedori refugees currently living in Azos.

#### **History and Culture**

Historically, Azos was populated only by Humans. A number of Dwarves came to Azos, fleeing the war with Hallume which was nearing the border of Beln. After the Vile Insurrection at Isne Anore, many Elvish refugees also fled to the surrounding mainland. While metalcraft, both Dwarvish and Elvish, is very important to Azotian culture, it will never surpass the cultural cornerstone that is the traditional grain-weaving that is trademarked by the native Humans. The most notable landform in Azos is Ingemar’s Bay, the large bay on the western side of the province.

Azos has a monarchy with an elected parliament to keep the monarch in check. The current monarch is a Human named Queen Voza Farrowglory. She is known for being enterprising and for forging trade alliances with other provinces, as well as her allowance for such a high level of Rubygill installment. Critics find it suspicious for her to allow the Rubygill Order to have such influence in her province, namely because they are in recognized control of the Achteth Confederacy. They speculate that the Rubygill Order will take action in an attempt to depose the Queen and seize Azos for themselves, despite assurances from both Queen Farrowglory and the Rubygill Order.

#### **Holidays**

The most notable Azotian holiday is the Winter’s Offering. This old holiday, mostly celebrated by rural farming communities, serves as both a celebration to venerate the old gods as well as prepare the villages for the winter to come. After the fall harvest, each household is granted a number of bushels of the food grown, while a large portion of it is prepared and sealed in unadorned clay urns to be buried in the ground and kept in reserve for the cold, hungry months of winter. As well, the villagers bury the bodies of their young at this time: the stillborn and the infants who passed in the previous year, their bodies prepared and buried in urns painted black, offerings to the old gods. The old midwives of such communities often keep unruly children in line with tales of how the cries and tears caused by misbehaving children echo into the ground and cause the blackened urns to crack, prompting their buried occupants to crawl their way out to the surface and drag away bad little boys and girls.

Another enjoyable Azotian celebration is the Honey Moon festival. Every few months, the moon will rise with a golden glow for two or three nights. In Azos, they say that the moon does this when someone, somewhere, finds true love. During these days, tables are set out in the streets and people ask others to join them on dates, platonic and romantic, underneath the golden moonlight.

#### **Guilds**

As well as the Rubygill Order, the White Wardens owe part of its parentage to Azos. The White Wardens are a renowned fighting force of both Azotian and Caylish soldiers, banded together in symbolism of the strong allyship of Azos and Portus Cayle.

#### **Religion**

Due to the high concentration of farmers in Azos, Chauntea, the goddess of agriculture, is seen as the most widely worshipped deity in the province.

#### **Weapons and Armor**

Guards typically don ordinary plate or chain armor with gold accents that look like grain.