Arcadia

The Kingdom of Arcadia, also referred to as simply "Arcadia", is a country primarily in Northern Arcadia. Arcadia has existed as a Kingdom since August 31, 2021.

## History

### The Kingdom of Arcadia

#### Founding

The Arcadians were once a group of traders from a far off land. On one fateful sail, storms ravaged their ships and they shipwrecked onto the stony beach. When the storm cleared, the Captain of the "Long Weaver" Vanus Odessan took charge and had the crew assess the damage. Unfortunately their ship was broken beyond repair and they were marooned on this strange land. Upon further scouting they discovered a valley containing rich bounties of agriculture, livestock, and lumber. Their biggest threat was dehydration as there was no clean water to be seen. They utilized several trade methods in order to find a water table and create a well.

The Captain noticed that this place was a stunning location and had more food than they had ever dreamed of seeing in their lifetimes. They decided to settle on this foreign land. This land they were establishing would be called "Viscera"--the Heart of Arcadia.

#### The Roots of a Kingdom

Vanus Odessan believed that the community he crafted should not be hoarded by the few when it could benefit others. Vanus projected Arcadia as this asylum for anybody ranging from runaway slaves, brigands, pirates, and even common citizens to join in on the bounty that was Arcadia. This openess encouraged a free exchange of ideas. Among them were engineering theories imported from other cultures. By borrowing the technology of neighbors, Arcadia expanded into a regional power.

The city's first major engineering achievements was an extensive sewer system. This flushed runoff from Viscera's city streets into the Eternal Sea. Engineers also used the city's underground pipeline to drain the marshland between Viscera's hill-top villages.

#### Maritime Worries

In order to increase the flow of resources for the city, King Vanus ordered a harbor be constructed at the mouth of the Eternal Sea. As the harbor's construction drew to a close, the guards noticed an influx of crime. King Vanus believed it would resolve itself and motioned that it was due to the different cultures within the city that the crime increased.

#### The Creation of the Arcadian Senate

King Vanus has ordered the creation of the Arcadian Senate: a legislature branch that would serve as a governing and advisory assembly for the Kingdom. The Senate would be comprised initially of 10 members, with each representing 500 citizens each respectively. The Senate of the Arcadian Kingdom held two principal responsibilities: It served as the king's council, and it functioned as a legislative body in concert with the people of Viscera. The King and the Senate worked jointly on bills that would increase funding for infrastructure.

## Geography

The Kingdom of Arcadia is located along the shores of the Eternal Sea. Arcadia typically consists of hills and valleys.

### Wildlife and Conservation

Arcadia is home to a diverse set of wildlife consisting of chickens, cows, and pigs. The Goat is considered to be the most sacred of animals within the country's borders and is considered sacred. Its milk is harvested, but it is heavily frowned upon if the goat is killed. The state allows for a sacrifice of a Ram under extreme circumstances, or during a special occasion. All Ram sacrifices would have to be sanctioned by the state.

## Demographics

### Population

The Kingdom of Arcadia has amassed 5,427 (54% male; 46% female) citizens as of August 31, 2021. The median age is 29.4.

### Language

The modern language of the Arcadians is English, whereas it was traditionally Latin.

### Religion

The primary religion of Arcadia is Buiism. Buiism is a set of beliefs cherishing a person's life and death. They believe in a set of Gods with distinctions on responsibilities.

* Lucius: God of Creation
* Minerva: Goddess of the Sky and Elements
* Oros: God of the Sun, arts, and music
* Aurelia: Goddess of Judgement
* Selena: Goddess of the Sea and Moon
* Gaius: God of Harvest
* Elena: Goddess of Love, Beauty, Marriage, and Life
* Valerian: God of Death, Knowledge, and Prophecy
* Victorious: God of Peace and War

## Government and Military

The three major elements of the Arcadian state were the central government, the military, and the provincial government. The military established control of a territory through war, but after a city or people was brought under treaty, the military mission turned to policing: protecting Arcadian citizens, the agricultural fields that fed them, and religious sites. Without modern instruments of either mass communication or mass destruction, the Arcadians lacked sufficient manpower or resources to impose their rule through force alone. Cooperation with local power elites was necessary to maintain order, collect information, and extract revenue. The Arcadians often exploited internal political divisions by supporting one faction over another.

Communities with demonstrated loyalty to Arcadia retained their own laws, could collect their own taxes locally, and in exceptional cases were exempt from Arcadian taxation. Legal privileges and relative independence were an incentive to remain in good standing with Arcadia. Arcadian government was thus limited, but efficient in its use of the resources available to it.

## Culture

### Celebrations

Being a mix of different cultures, the Arcadians involved themselves on different celebrations.

The most commonly celebrated event was "Storm Day". During this event, people were encouraged to make loud clappings throughout the city to celebrate the fortune of finding Arcadia. During sundown, festivities begin and people celebrate by bringing foods to potlucks around the city.

Another major celebration was of a person's nameday--the day of their birth. Depending on the age, namedays will contain different meanings and would have their own traditions. Some special ages would merit a significant meaning and would hold more grandeur.

* On the child's first nameday the family would walk the child through the streets as to welcome the child into the city. The child would be given a protective amulet that, by tradition, would protect them until adulthood.
* On the child's thirteenth nameday the family would celebrate by taking off their protective amulet, making animal sacrifices at the Temple of Valerian, and hosting a feast at the child's ancestral home. It was at this moment that the child was recognized as an adult and had the ability to run for public office. If a child was born a male, they were expected to pursue military training to prepare for the age of 17 where he would begin his military service.

### Clothing

Clothing in Arcadian society was very important as it described their occupational status. Each person would wear leather clothes, but their tunic would be colored depending on their occupational status.

* Purple: Worn by the Monarch.
* Red: Worn by wealthy landowners, descendants of original Arcadian inhabitants, Senators, and Judges
* Blue: Worn by artisans and merchants
* Yellow: Worn by academics
* Orange: Worn by hunters
* Green: Worn by farmers
* Gray: Worn by prisoners
* Black: Worn by slaves and servants