Kaltavos

***Commonwealth of Kaltavos***

Kaltavos is a large prosperous realm on the Northern Coast of the Southern Continent. Her lands straddle the straits of Taranis and extend someways east along the coast. The climate is temperate with mild winters whilst the land is heavily forested and flat.

**Pre-colonization era.**

The lands have been inhabitated since the dawn of time by various Keltoi tribes. The Ikenoi, Venetos, Siluryans amongst the most prominent. The history of the region is sketchy but Keranous the Mad said this of the region. "The Region of Kaltavos is a backwards primeval land. The Keltoi tribes are utterly barbaric, they actually let women hold posistions of prominence. Whats next, they vote for a chief, no wait they do!" The Keltoi tribes in times of duress will vote for a Tribal King to head the tribes until the crisis is past after which they devolve back into a tribal warring society.

At one point a warlord known as Prydan united the Keltoi tribes and led them on a great invasion of Aquitania in

-499. His invasion was believed to of triggered Times of Trouble within the Aquitanian realm. For a time he occupied East Aquitania but after his death the Aquitanians regained the Territory. Years later Dahae Tribesmen would unify under the fel warlord Skythos the Reaver who ravaged the southern continent. The Keltoi tribesmen joined Lucius Sempronius army in annihilating the Dahae threat.

During the Dark ages of Phaedros many Keltoi tribesmen started to raid out and at one point occupied lands in one of the Elysian successor states. In an odd reversal, many Greeks coloinzed the coastal city of Kotyaion which was in Venetos territory. The greek leader Kotais married the Venetosi king's daughter and laid the foundation for the state of Kaltavos.

**Colonial Era to the arrival of Phostis**

 The nucleus of the State of Kaltavos was slowly forming. The locals tribes still infought but the coastal regions were slowly urbanizing with Kotyaion and the city of Venetos becoming the prominent cities. Overtime Venetosi tribesmen immigrated to The Sirens and started to colonize the islands. As the centuries wore on the Keltoi and Greeks intermarried and formed a new people "The Kaltavosi". Their religions fused as well, the Orthodox christian faith was mixed with the local druidic faiths. A new syncretic faith was formed "Celtic Christianity".

Toutatis was the High god while the various lesser gods Epona,Taranis, Lugh, Kurnunos and Manaan were considered lesser gods. The equivalent to angels in Orthodox faith. Around -80 the Padelians arrived and made Kotyaion their main base. As a result the Kaltavosi were reduced to serfdom and slavery. Local resistance groups formed in the forest, the Padelians only had solid control of the coasts and main cities. Eventually Emperor Gavras would liberate the region some 40 years later.

**Phostis arrives**

In -20 tasked by Emperor Giorgos, Phostis Estarkes arrived in Kotyaion with a large force with orders to pacify the lands and bring them under Elysian influence. The local leaders seeing Phostis might just submitted to his rule. Over the next decade he would unify the Kaltavosi lands mostly without bloodshed. He married a local nobleman's daughter Seren in order to bridge the gap between House Estarkes and the local nobility. Overtime his more authoritarian government took on Kaltavosi themes allowing for elections and prominent posistions for women.

**Phostis the Diplomat**

During the formation of Kaltavos into a regional entity he had to contend with several diplomatic crises as well as the beginning of what termed Ragnarok. A series of disputes intrigue and civil war within Phaedros led the southern continent largely breaking away from Elysia. During this Pontus and Nova Hellenica attempted to attack Grekia however a large expedition headed by General Llywelyn helped defeat the attack.

***The Colony of Videssos***

The Colony of Videssos was founded some three years after Anton returned to the Old World. Lead by High Archon Krispos he landed at the opening of the Astris River and named the bay after himself. It is a budding colony that is surronded by a series of modern bunkers and covered by a net of missile batteries. Thus far a few explorers have traveled inland and met with a few native tribes. Thus far limited trade is occuring. The vast majority of the colonial settlers fall from the Keltoi population who wish to see the wide world.

***Celtic Christianity***

The religion of Kaltavos is a syncretic one. Orginally the greek colonist and keltoi tribes had their own seperate religions, Christianity and Celtic Druidism but Phostis in a show of unity mixed the two faiths and Celtic Christianity became the new faith. Toutatis is in the place of the "christian" god whilst Taranis is the "devil" but isnt nearly as reviled in the new church as Satan was in the old one. Taranis is more viewed as a jailor for the dead and damned. The other lesser gods are viewed as Archangels with high druids being equivalent of saints in christianity if they become pious enough.

Battle screenshots:

https://imgur.com/a/wvqqO

***Time of Trials***

With the Assasination of Phostis the Time of Trials has begun. Several powerful leaders via for power within the stricken realm.