Epidaemon

Epidaemon is a Yeman city-state near the Vulcan Mountains.

## History

Epidaemon is one of the oldest city-states in Yemas, named after Epidaema, its first queen, and one of the few early city-states not to be originally an Aventi colony. The land was originally inhabited by the empyrean Danaus Thriceborn and his descendants, and Epidaema was his great-granddaughter.

In its early centuries, it was a centre of the arts, but was also where at least one major war was started with the people of Saugland. In its early days, it caught the attention of the god Thedun, who sired a number of empyrean children amongst its royal family.

Roughly 1,000 years ago, the empyrean Androkles the Magnificent led his people from the Vulcan Mountains in an invasion of western Yemas, and he left two of his sons, Eurysthenes and Soos, in charge of Epidaemon as its new kings while he went off to do more heroics in other places once his people were safely settled in their new homes. Eurysthenes was the more warlike of the two, and led their people in the enslavement of the surviving original epidaemonians to use as serfs on their lands. His son, Epictatos, conquered the nearby region of Nessalia, and enslaved all its surviving inhabitants in one of the greatest outrages in Yeman history, and ultimately led to a decline in Epidaemonian culture.

Afterwards, the grandson of Soos, Epicaon the Sage, became regent for his infant nephew, Kleon. Epicaon's wife, Antigone, was an oracle of Giha, and with the aid of her oracular abilities, made sweeping reforms to the city to prevent further decline. His reforms included the economy, military, and political, and were extensive to the point that it the city's institutions were barely recognisable by the time his regency came to an end. The government was now separated into a number of bodies whose members came to power through various means, and there were checks and balances for each one. The economic reform made currency mostly pointless, meaning there was less of a focus on the acquisition of material wealth and more of a focus on benefiting the people as a whole, and precious metals were outlawed to further this. His military reform had arcane magic forbidden within the city and all its domains, and instead placed great focus on physical prowess, with training beginning from childhood. Coupled with this, epidaemonian men all become soldiers, and can have no other occupation, with the exception of the king and those who become elected into one of the governmental institutions. He also instituted a eugenics program to remove weakness from the state's people, something which was frowned upon by the other Yeman states, as exposure was a private affair in these places instead of a state-instituted practice. He also promoted the practice of being much more insular, to the point that epidaemonian society can easily be considered xenophobic. Land reforms were made in order to equally distribute land amongst the city's female citizens. Only women could own land after the reforms, resulting in men being expected to marry at a young age to provide their contribution to the soldiers' mess halls. In order to support this nation, the other settlements within epidaemonian territory became solely devoted to the production of goods in return for the epidaemonians guaranteeing their security, and the serfs were given the roles of farm labourers and miners. Women were expected to oversee the serfs who farmed their land, while the nearby producers of goods agreed to oversee the miners. The priesthoods as well were limited only to women, who could take such roles part time when a vacancy opened up. In order to promote physical excellence, a military parade became an annual event, wherein all the men of the city would parade naked, while the women were encouraged to insult those who weren't up to their standards. Over the centuries, this general state of affairs caused the population to average a foot taller than their nearest neighbours, the *average* strength level of its citizens became that typically considered to be the peak of humanity's capabilities, and the people gained a reputation for being the most aesthetically pleasing in the known world. The city was also rededicated to Yai, and a massive statue of her was set up in the city centre.

After Epicaon's reforms, Epidaemon became famous for the quality of its soldiers, with an average epidaemonian soldier being equivalent to what is generally considered a nation's most elite soldiers. Often, diplomatic missions would be made by other city-states to Epidaemon where they would bring vast quantities of resources in return for a single soldier from Epidaemon coming to their city to serve as a general for their soldiers, which often increases their effectiveness tenfold.

Epidaemon had a major role in the Saugland Wars, particularly the second one. This war resulted in the vast majority of Yemas forming an alliance, the Yeman League, to combat the threat. The Pass of Hastgati, the main entry point from Saugland to Yemas, was taken by King Epidaecus towards the start of the war. Along with his honour guard and a number of allied soldiers, he held the pass for a week until the Saugs were forced to find another route through the Vulcan Mountains. He later led the combined forces of Yemas in the decisive Battle of the Anapolic Planes. By the end of the war, King Epidaecus and his entire honour guard had ascended to the rank of hero-deities. Epidaecus has since ruled as one of the two kings of Epidaemon, using his now-immortal honour guard to defend the city. The nation's isolationist tendencies caused them to refuse to take part in the Invasion of Saugland in the final Saugland War.

Since then, Epidaemon has stood strong, and whilst in a sense of cultural stagnation, is not at risk of future decline for now.