The Ionian Kingdom

The Ionian Kingdom was once known for it’s glorious and rich land but now ever since the Crevarian-Ioni war they’ve been dwindling in power. Native tribesmen attack them constantly. At this point the Kingdom will do whatever it takes to stay in power.

## Ruling

### Children

Elios Cecil (deceased), Esteban Cecil, Lucinda Cecil

## Geography

### Land Owned

Seventeen Isles, Nipaneau Mountains, Hydronian Penninsula

## Culture

### Races

Sea Blooded, Human, Elves, Dwarf, Goliath, halfling

## Story

Once the great nation of Ioni, they were an unstoppable force. Founded during the Age of Kings to fight the dragons and sustained itself through the Age of War with it’s powerful army. When the Sea-blooded of Xylem came to the surface the Ionians immediately utilized them for free labor (slavery) but thanks to House Grundell, who advocated for the Sea-Blooded (most likely due to the fact of the Grundell house head at the time had fallen in love with a dashing sea-elven woman), slavery was abolished in the Ionian kingdom. Originally the kingdom existed to unite the diverse group of races of the continent but due to corruption some races grew more powerful than others. This led to a still relevant anger which is a reason why the Ionian Kingdom has lost power over time. Corruption within military groups also led to disparity, with the militaristic House Cecil taking over the original family and instilling themselves, leading to more anger. This anger has begun to divide the Ionian kingdom, with the Dwarven house of the Rockforts pulling away and creating a new nation; some suspect the Grundells to do the same. Now they grow ever weaker, neighboring tribes have sensed their opportunity and drive the Ionians from their once occupied land.

### Mythos

#### Winter Myth

Long ago, when the Ionian Kingdom was young and the Zhuk kings ruled the land, there was a great love story that ended in tragedy. King Zirin, the son of the first Zhuk king, fell in love with a beautiful winter spirit named Kiana. Her skin was as white as snow, and her eyes were as blue as the frozen lakes that dotted the Ionian countryside.

Despite warnings from his advisors, King Zirin was determined to make Kiana his queen. He spent months wooing her, bringing her gifts of ice and snowflakes, and promising to build her a palace of ice where she could live with him forever.

Kiana, too, fell deeply in love with King Zirin. She had never met a mortal who was as brave and as kind as he was. She agreed to marry him, and the two of them were wed in a grand ceremony in the heart of the Ionian Kingdom.

But their happiness was short-lived. As the years went by, King Zirin began to neglect his queen. He spent more and more time with his human wife, and less and less time with Kiana. Eventually, he forgot about her entirely, leaving her alone in her palace of ice.

Kiana was heartbroken. She had given up everything to be with King Zirin, and he had abandoned her. In her rage and despair, she unleashed a terrible curse upon the Ionian Kingdom. She called forth blizzards and snowstorms that lasted for months on end, freezing the land and making it uninhabitable for mortals.

Even now, centuries later, Kiana's curse still haunts the Ionian Kingdom. Every winter, the people huddle in their homes, trying to stay warm and safe from the fierce blizzards that rage outside. Some say that on the coldest of nights, you can still hear Kiana's mournful howls echoing through the snowdrifts, a reminder of the price of forsaking love.

#### The Curse of the Moonstone

There was a powerful sorceress who lived in the capitol city of Grovos. She possessed a rare and valuable moonstone that gave her immense magical abilities. However, her greed and lust for power led her to use the moonstone for evil, and the gods cursed her, causing her to transform into a monstrous creature. The sorceress was banished to the wilderness where she remained, cursed forever. It is said that the moonstone still exists, but those who possess it are said to be cursed with a terrible fate.

#### The Legend of the Sea Serpent

The Ionian coastline is home to many mythical creatures, including the great sea serpent. The sea serpent was said to be a protector of the seas, ensuring that all who sailed the waters were safe from harm. However, when the sea serpent became angry, it would create massive tidal waves, destroying entire villages and cities. The people of Ionian learned to appease the sea serpent with offerings and sacrifices, ensuring their safety when sailing the seas. To this day, sailors in the Ionian Kingdom still make offerings to the sea serpent, hoping to avoid its wrath.

## Society

Because of the multitude of races here they don’t all share common cultural aspects. Society-wise though there is a large gap between the peasants and the wealthy nobles in this region. This is most likely due to the past history of slavery in the Ionian Kingdom which is a sensitive topic for all. This is a mostly patriarchal society but thanks to the Sea-Blooded’s influence women have much more power here than in most areas (such as the south eastern continents). Same sex relations are also tolerated and allowed, with some areas allowing marriage.

People don’t really like the King or the House Cecil because they overthrew the original family who sat on the throne. This coupled with the loss of land from both attacking tribes and House Rockfort stealing half of Ionia people are upset at the King's lack of a response. Ionia grows poorer without the dwarves and their silver and the people starve.

### Music

Dirge choirs are consisted of 9 dirges, representing each who sing haunting melodies, often with each dirge representing different aspects of a hydra.

### Exports

* Metal
* Stone
* Sea Resources
* Hides
* Tetrhrite
* Lumber

### Imports

* Luxury Goods
	+ Porcelain specifically
* Agricultural Products

## Relations

### Enemies

* Crevaria
* Tribes of Ionia

### Allies

* Siejvaldom
* Kerejaan Suya

### Strengths

Extremely strong navy and land army, strong outreach

### Weaknesses

Lack of strong leadership, Lack of magic, diverse ethnic groups