Aegis

## Introduction

Aegis: once a tumultuous area full of assorted lords and armies vying for power, now a prosperous kingdom. Though referred to as such, the term 'city' does Aegis no justice. The everchanging territory is spotted with settlements. With the kingdom so large and colorful, most cartographers have their own individual maps of the kingdom.

The lands of Aegis are full of lush vineyards and sprawling grain fields that run from one plain to the next. On hills not yet conquered, wildflowers riotously bloom under the provident showers of rain, bordering rivers choked with fish and reeds. The kingdom also enjoys natural defense from its surrounding terrain: large forests and chains of mountains surround the land.

## Aegean Society

Most Aegean citizens are *Talentless*. There is a taboo against Virtuosos throughout most of the kingdom.

The societal order (from highest to lowest) goes:

* Templar
* High Priest (religious authority)
* Zealots (knights that go to war)
* Lords (leaders of settlements, who often employ battalions of knights)
* Priests (religious leaders: there may be one in a settlement or several living in a cathedral)
* Knights (lower-ranking knights that patrol or defend settlements)
* Monks and Nuns
* Citizens

Smaller settlements do not have lords and are generally self-governed. Those that do not have their own priest tend to default to the current ruling of the High Priest or whatever the community deems acceptable.

Citizens here thrive under a feudal system, paying tribute to garrisons of knights that defend the kingdom. Unfortunately, due to the busyness of life in Aegis, few commoners are educated, or even literate. However, making up for their lack of education, Aegean citizens tend to be skilled, working under a variety of roles: farming, baking, smithing, mining, hunting, and more. Others may also turn to knighthood.

The two most important factors in Aegis are religion and honor. Though open-minded and willing to tolerate foreign religions, most Aegean residents are firm in and proud of their own beliefs. Cathedrals are a common sight in Aegis, and nearly every settlement has its own church. Due to the heavily religious environment of Aegis, crime and corruption rates are extremely low (on average).

Duels of honor are not common occurrences, but still happen on occasion in larger settlements. The duels usually backfire: the one left living tends to be vilified in the eyes of the rest of society, and many become outcasts.

## Aegean Technology and Trade

Beyond looms and wheelbarrows and blacksmithing, Aegis, as a whole, has not made any efforts to industrialize. There were a few settlements that tried to, but the large majority have grown accustomed to and enjoy life as it is currently. Due to the simple life most citizens live, there is little need for new technology, and any such items are usually imported.

Imports and trade are heavily regulated. Due to the heavily religious atmosphere of the kingdom, things such as drugs, certain weaponaries, poisons, strong liquors, and other things of the sort are considered as contraband. Incoming traders are stopped at the border by knights for two things: to check that they have a permit, and to do a cargo inspection for illicit items.

Some refer to Aegis as the breadbasket of the mainland. Aegean exports include grain, bread, textiles, beer and wine, dried herbs, cheese, and more.

Swordmasters and collectors alike prize Aegean steel - a quality Aegean sword is both balanced and beautiful. However, the kingdom strictly limits the amount of swords exported to just a few dozen a year, and most often none at all are exported, due to Aegean smithys wishing to preserve the art and keep the swords within the kingdom.

## Aegean Mythology and History

Though religious, Aegis is not free of superstition, rumor, and myth. Through stories handed down through generations, Aegis's history (as known by the locals) is colorful, violent, and adventurous, though the written history kept within the walls of convents usually does not agree.

The history that is agreed on, however, says that the first knight and conquerer of the kingdom was a woman named Aegis, who unified the land. She was aided by an unnamed priest and her sister April. From here written and spoken history diverges. The history of the commoners claims that the three brought light to the continent, teaching its inhabitants to grow crops and defend themselves, then (depending on who tells the story) either ascended into the sky or vanished off the face of the earth. Some stories are even more dramatic, dipping into betrayal and murder. The history of the scholars, on the other hand, pins the three buried in an unmarked grave some forty years into the kingdom's history, during an epidemic of plague.

Most historians take Aegean history with a grain of salt, as the line between myth and truth is often heavily blurred. Some choose to completely ignore it, refusing to believe Aegis was an actual person. Others think there may be some degree of truth to the stories. However, Aegis is strictly protective of its religious and historical sites, and thus research teams, archaeologists, and scientists are rarely granted passage into the kingdom.

## Notable Locations

* Aegean Woods (a forest that surrounds the eastern border of Aegis: heavily patrolled as seedier traders often try to sneak through)
* April's Sanctuary (a cave used as a religious pilgrimage site: it is forbidden to enter the cave itself)
* Astabrook
* Avonia
* Candlelight Cathedral (a cathedral said to be lit by 999 candles at all times)
* Cascadia
* Castle Acheron (a ruined and abandoned castle: settlements nearby believe it to be haunted and thus avoid it)
* Cedarnum (one of the largest settlements of Aegis, considered its own city by some mapmakers. Famous for its cedar exports)
* Everforth
* Gethesmene (a religious and cultural centerpoint, some refer to this as the capital of Aegis)
* Greypeak Mountains (an arc of mountains that borders the north of Aegis: largely uninhabited and wild)
* Halfcrest
* Heroes' Graveyard (a large burned and empty field full of abandoned weapons and armor: the earth here is more ash than soil. the location is declared sacred and off-limits)
* Lake of Angels (a large lake in the southern territory: the water is said to have healing properties)
* Lost City of Lustria (marble ruins of an ancient city. One of the few unprotected historical sites: prone to raiding and desecration)
* Midnight Cathedral (an open-air cathedral built of stone and an alloy that glows at night)
* Scarletsteel Mines (an assortment of mines in the mountains: infamous for mining accidents, but provides an invaluable source of ore)
* Titanstone Mine (the largest mine system in the mainland, abundant in ore and gems)