The Island

Olympia is an island in the Nesocratic Federation of Eunesia.

Description

One of the larger islands in the archipelago occupying the center of the Sea of Eunesia, Olympia is located in the far north corner of the Eunesian Isles, only surpassed by Chelseanna to the northeast. The islands of Tulos, Ieffreon, and Secyclion encircle Olympia to the southwest, south, and southeast, respectively, and the coastline of the province of Arium faces it to the west, all of which could be seen from the coastline on a particularly clear day.

History

The earliest known inhabitants of the Eunesian Isles were migrating Humans, thought to be of Hesparian descent. Spotty records from the time indicate that these settlers discovered the archipelago in approximately 7800 and split into three primary tribes: the Secylids of current-day Secyclion, the Craetons of current-day Ieffreon, and the Olympians of current-day Olympia. These common ancestors chose the three largest of the islands on which to build their independent states and became the foundation for the wide and varied Eunesian culture that was soon to follow.

Due to the geographical separation of each newly-birthed city, Secyclion, Ieffreon, and Olympia split off into sharply different cultures. The rough and infertile terrain of Olympia made its people hardy as they began to build what they termed the “Paragon of Virtue”, meant to be a shining example of all things advanced, intelligent, and well-built. Though there were not many raw materials at hand, the Olympians – as a group – were made up of mostly skilled craftsmen with wood, metal, and stone, thus quickly becoming a leading producer of finely-worked finished materials.

Geography

Points of Interest

The main areas of interest on the island of Olympia.

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The City

A breath-taking, beautiful island metropolis renowned for its centers of culture, learning, science, and Magic in the Nesocratic Federation of Eunesia.

Description

The skyline of Olympia is dotted with the islanders’ taste for towers and vaulted ocular-style roofs and domes on their greatest buildings. Some can be seen gleaming from miles away. The ancient Parthenon and Acropolis are the most prominent landmarks in the city, being some of the oldest constructed and taking up the elevated hill at the metropolis’s center. Though there is no wall surrounding the city, four large marble towers were constructed at the north, south, east, and west points for the arcane scholars and magi’s study and to serve as defense.

Preferring geometric patterns, Olympian buildings are created around either a square, rectangular, or circular base shape with an atrium usually attached to the entrance. Proportions are of high importance to ensure a sense and look of balance. Roofs are generally vaulted and sometimes capped with domes. Capped, cylindrical colonnades are used to hold up heavy overhangs or to denote the borders of an open, outdoor structure and are purposely tapered slightly wider the top to ensure the viewer’s eye sees them as perfectly straight and even.

The very first portions of the city were built directly along the southern coast, the only accessible shoreline the island offered. The grey stone docks were the first structures built on the island of Olympia with five in total and each stretching far out into the waters with floating wooden additions used to extend them even further. Though practical, the Olympians were not entirely planned, and the city has been allowed to grow without an overarching organization. This had a result of an intermingling of districts; commercial buildings were often constructed between private residences, while governmental offices were scattered across four separate city blocks, a confusion that has only been marginally solved even in the present day.

History

The earliest known inhabitants of the Eunesian Isles were migrating Humans, thought to be of Hesparian descent. Spotty records from the time indicate that these settlers discovered the archipelago in approximately 7800 and split into three primary tribes: the Secylids of current-day Secyclion, the Craetons of current-day Ieffreon, and the Olympians of current-day Olympia. These common ancestors chose the three largest of the islands on which to build their independent states and became the foundation for the wide and varied Eunesian culture that was soon to follow.

By 9200, Olympia had regained most of its former glory after the Pan-Eunesian War and had returned to its expected state as capital of Eunesia, though still shared with the rival Craetus. The island had become renowned in both Eunesia and the mainland as a center of culture and education, as the Kounoupi Plague’s interruption had turned their attentions back once again to the pursuit of their arts and engineering. The city became full of the greatest and most magnificent results of their craftsmans’ skill, constructing feats of sky-scraping architecture and delicate handiwork that became the envy of the neighboring isles.

The arrival of the Aelyrian Viceroy Ieffreus on Olympian shores merely made the issue of the ascending Aelyrians clearer. At first, the island’s officials were reluctant to meet with the Aelyrian, claiming him to be a threat to their freedom. His great skill in diplomacy and politics, however, began to open the Olympian doors and a deal was soon struck between Ieffreus and Lord Heron Artines, the patriarch of the island at the time. In exchange for Olympia’s vote in the Nesocratic Federation in favor of Eunesia becoming an independent fiefdom under King Constantine, Kelia Parthas, the matriarch of one of the oldest and most well-respected houses on Olympia, was to be appointed Supreme Nesocrat and effective Governor.

Culture

The island of Olympia is made up mostly of the indigenous Eunesian Humans that originally settled land. The need for trade with the mainland has, however, opened the island of Olympia to other races from the nearby Arium and Carmelyn Provinces. Olympian society remains predominantly human and very much Eunesian, with a wary and suspicious eye turned toward the other races to ensure their influence does not mar Olympian tradition. Olympian Humans are much lighter than their Craeton and Secyclid counterparts, having inherited more golden-brown skin tones and lighter shades of blonds, reds, browns, and blacks for hair and greens, hazels, and browns for eyes. They are of average height, with the males considered short at sixty-four inches and tall at seventy-two and females at fifty-eight and sixty-five, respectively. As a people, the Olympians tend to be heavier-set and more pudgy than slender.

There is no greater priority to an Olympian than family. The city’s society is viewed as an extension of one’s blood relatives, with the Gerousia Paragonia viewed as the citizen’s elders and fellow neighbors as the citizen’s brothers. Every Olympian feels a great obligation to uphold, protect, and bring honor to his family name and thus they defend their and their relations’ reputation adamantly. Disrespect to one’s elders, even if of no direct relation, is tantamount to insulting one’s own parents and considered highly rude.

Olympian society is divided into two basic classes: the citizens and the non-citizens, with members of the “old families” comprising a secondary sub-class of the former. Any person of any race born on the island is automatically granted Olympian Citizenship, a separate privilege from Aelyrian Citizenship unique to the locale. Only citizens are allowed the right to vote, run for political office, own land, or serve as members of the military and are considered the basis of all Olympian society.

While their sense of honor dictates that Olympians respectfully revere the Aetherian Gods, particularly Ioannes, they are not fervent in the sense of a truly-believing disciple. Religion is a requirement and obligation rather than a turn of heart. It is used as a show for one’s sense of responsibility and devotion. Religious ceremonies on the island are very formalized and heavily ritualized; they generally involve prescribed chants, prayers, and acts of obeisance in particular orders.

Local Government

Throughout its long history, the islands of Eunesia have been fierce proponents of representative and democratic styles of government, first as their own independent island-states and then later as members of the Nesocratic Federation. This feeling has carried down and continued throughout the generations and is still strongly present among the islanders in the present day. Olympian taste for order and organization, however, has ensured that their democratic tendencies have only served to strengthen rather than destabilize their society, as anarchy is a foreign concept to their minds.

Any Eunesian, let alone any Olympian, would fight to the death for his independence and freedom of speech. Olympian citizens, naturalized or born, male and female, are granted full and complete political rights to speak their mind, run for office, and vote on representatives in the governing council. This responsibility is taken quite seriously by its members, and most over-pracenda conversation perpetually circulates on the island’s current political state.

Olympia is primarily governed by the Gerousia Paragonia, a pair of representative assemblies from the common people. Each assembly meets every other cycle in the great hall of the Acropolis to discuss city policy, finance, and military matters. From each assembly, a set of four pateras are elected to manage, lead, and organize the meetings. The eight pateras from both assemblies meet directly with the Lord or Lady Thane and serve on his or her immediate advisory council.

The Presbyter Council’s thirty total seats are inherited by blood right alone; originally composed of members from the island’s founding families, it is now wholly made up of paleos koinonia descendants alone. This council is most responsible for the administrative duties of the island, whether infrastructure, inter-island or inter-provincial policies, or religious and educational governance. Typically, their pateras hold the most sway and are treated with greater reverence.

The Neos Council grants sixty total spaces available to any Olympian citizen, no matter their birthright or lack of. Public elections are held every three eras for one third of the seats at a time and are granted based on the city’s majority vote. The Neos Council is responsible for the financial ends of the city, controlling Olympia’s policies on taxes, embargos, and trade agreements, as well as being responsible for granting or denying business licenses and property requests. They hold the proverbial purse strings of the city and often use that fact to influence both the Presbyter Council and the Thane himself.

Statistics

Credit

Charybdis