5th of the Month of DecDec in the Imperial Year of 1023
The City of Afiny, capital, The Republic of Danaan
To His Lordship, Viscount Wilifrick of Verbobonc,
Entering into Danaan, I could immediately see the difference just in the architecture. While Argivia has built their nation atop the ruins of an ancient civilization, Danaan still lives within those buildings. They are bold, tall designs with gigantic columns for support, and to let in air and sun from the ideal climate.
As a former scribe, I may barely speak conversational version of this dialect of Argivian, I barely comprehend their strange, almost dwarven runic alphabet, but I appreciate their love for libraries and correspondence and accumulating knowledge. Where Argivia is accumulating someone else's knowledge when they unearth treasures, Danaan has successful stored and maintain not only their own knowledge, but the knowledge of civilizations across the world.
A came to this conclusion even before we reached the capital of Afiny.
A massive city of over one hundred twenty thousand inhabitants, ancient stone structures with three or four different eras of columns are intermixed with more modern structures.
The government of Danaan is even more insane than Argivia. It seems like everyone speaks of this term, Demokratos, some perfect society of a by-gone age, but Danaan is a true Republic, without a king, like Argivia. The ancient tribes, families, and provinces send 500 of the smartest and wisest men to Afiny each year to help run the Boule, or government. Not only are laws enacted and treasuries filled, but these men run the various ministries of government. It's utter madness to believe that any place can find 500 altruistic men of knowledge who are above reproach, but it was difficult to find one of these men (and a handful of women), these Philosopher Kings (and Queens) who even pondered the simple concept of a bribe, much less allowed us to pursue that avenue.
Danaan's embrace of knowledge is also reflected in their religion. Like Argivia, Danaan worships a mythos known as Xellenism. Unlike the Ferasean gods, which Akana sits supreme, the Xelleistic gods are plentiful, quite elaborate, and while Zeus, the God of Thunder is atop all of the gods, rumored to live on nearby Mount Limpo (probably another accursed volcano) all of the gods play a role in day to day living in Danaan.
The open society seems to welcome any semi-civilized humanoid race to enter Afiny, as well as a dozen different shades of human skin from all over the warm water Mer Medi. While halflings and dwarves seem to avoid this pleasant climate, law-abiding elves, half-orcs, and gnome rub elbows with merchants from Ispatlia, Emron, Barthey, Myridius, Aegypt, Tripolis, and even the great Senzar Empire.
It may bring His Lordship a good chuckle or hearty guffaw, but part of this peaceful existence is credited to gnomes. The gnomes of the Xellnic region are similiar to our gnomes in the Kron Hills of Verbobonc. Short, inquisitive, but helpful souls, most spend their days tinkering with gizmos, or mining for gems. In the hills Eastern Danaan, along the border with Frakyia and Traldaria in the Barthey Empire, lay numerous clans of the martial Gnomus Titanus. These gnomes are the combative fury of the Xellenistic Titans who spawned the Gods after a thousand years of war. If a sliver of there legends are correct, they are some of the fiercest warriors of the entire continent. The greatest story I heard actually was supported with alleged artifacts of the time.
Prior to the Fereasean Empire, the Gnome Titans live happily amongst the common Danaanites, probably under Barthey rule. At some point the evil, twisted hordes of the distant Parthian Empire came rushing out of the desert and overwhelmed Barthey, sacking its capital, and still kept pouring further west. Danaan was not a weak land militarily, but it would take quite some time to assemble the tribal armies and a few competent naval vessels. It was up to a Gnome Titan general named Fromm Tyre and 299 of his men to hold off the hordes long enough for the humans to mount a defense and counter-attack.
By the time the Danaanite Tribes first arrived, they found 25,000 dead Parthians... and 300 very alive, if battered Gnome Titans.
In celebration of this great victory, General Tyre commissioned magical swords for all 300 of his men (including himself). Imbued with arcana, and inscribed with the words "Fromm Tyre" these swords are legendary amongst all people in the region, and the word of a sober Gnome Titan in day-to-day affairs is as good as law.
We enjoyed our respite here, between the excellent food, good wine, and finer company, but after enough swapping of adventuring tales, word of our residence reached the powers that be from the Boule found us and offered us employment.. to clean up a mess by a certain Talanth Blackash and Company....
Yours in Service,
The City of Afiny, capital, The Republic of Danaan
To His Lordship, Viscount Wilifrick of Verbobonc,
Entering into Danaan, I could immediately see the difference just in the architecture. While Argivia has built their nation atop the ruins of an ancient civilization, Danaan still lives within those buildings. They are bold, tall designs with gigantic columns for support, and to let in air and sun from the ideal climate.
As a former scribe, I may barely speak conversational version of this dialect of Argivian, I barely comprehend their strange, almost dwarven runic alphabet, but I appreciate their love for libraries and correspondence and accumulating knowledge. Where Argivia is accumulating someone else's knowledge when they unearth treasures, Danaan has successful stored and maintain not only their own knowledge, but the knowledge of civilizations across the world.
A came to this conclusion even before we reached the capital of Afiny.
The government of Danaan is even more insane than Argivia. It seems like everyone speaks of this term, Demokratos, some perfect society of a by-gone age, but Danaan is a true Republic, without a king, like Argivia. The ancient tribes, families, and provinces send 500 of the smartest and wisest men to Afiny each year to help run the Boule, or government. Not only are laws enacted and treasuries filled, but these men run the various ministries of government. It's utter madness to believe that any place can find 500 altruistic men of knowledge who are above reproach, but it was difficult to find one of these men (and a handful of women), these Philosopher Kings (and Queens) who even pondered the simple concept of a bribe, much less allowed us to pursue that avenue.
Danaan's embrace of knowledge is also reflected in their religion. Like Argivia, Danaan worships a mythos known as Xellenism. Unlike the Ferasean gods, which Akana sits supreme, the Xelleistic gods are plentiful, quite elaborate, and while Zeus, the God of Thunder is atop all of the gods, rumored to live on nearby Mount Limpo (probably another accursed volcano) all of the gods play a role in day to day living in Danaan.
 |
| The Temple of Zeus in Afiny |
It may bring His Lordship a good chuckle or hearty guffaw, but part of this peaceful existence is credited to gnomes. The gnomes of the Xellnic region are similiar to our gnomes in the Kron Hills of Verbobonc. Short, inquisitive, but helpful souls, most spend their days tinkering with gizmos, or mining for gems. In the hills Eastern Danaan, along the border with Frakyia and Traldaria in the Barthey Empire, lay numerous clans of the martial Gnomus Titanus. These gnomes are the combative fury of the Xellenistic Titans who spawned the Gods after a thousand years of war. If a sliver of there legends are correct, they are some of the fiercest warriors of the entire continent. The greatest story I heard actually was supported with alleged artifacts of the time.
Prior to the Fereasean Empire, the Gnome Titans live happily amongst the common Danaanites, probably under Barthey rule. At some point the evil, twisted hordes of the distant Parthian Empire came rushing out of the desert and overwhelmed Barthey, sacking its capital, and still kept pouring further west. Danaan was not a weak land militarily, but it would take quite some time to assemble the tribal armies and a few competent naval vessels. It was up to a Gnome Titan general named Fromm Tyre and 299 of his men to hold off the hordes long enough for the humans to mount a defense and counter-attack.
By the time the Danaanite Tribes first arrived, they found 25,000 dead Parthians... and 300 very alive, if battered Gnome Titans.
In celebration of this great victory, General Tyre commissioned magical swords for all 300 of his men (including himself). Imbued with arcana, and inscribed with the words "Fromm Tyre" these swords are legendary amongst all people in the region, and the word of a sober Gnome Titan in day-to-day affairs is as good as law.
 |
| A Gnome Titan in modern battledress |
Yours in Service,
Sir Elsderth Greyhawk, Lord of Greyhawk
Sage of the The Order of Merit,
Sage of the The Order of Merit,
Sellsword - Extraordinaire
Wielder of the Legendary Betrayer.
Wielder of the Legendary Betrayer.
Defilier of the Temple of Tiamat.
Slayer of the Wizard Sazor
Freigraff of the Totenlinden of Amberstoll.
DM Notes: So, the gentle but wise reader can ascertain that Argivia is a version of Macedonia, Danaan is a medieval Greece (Roman culture turned sideways in this world... into the Ispatlian Syndicracy). Frakyia is Thrace or European Byzantium, and Traldaria is Bulgaria, but more importantly the land that would become the Gran Duchy of Marakeikos in 1080. And Spartans might be a little shorter... and far more competent.
DM Notes: So, the gentle but wise reader can ascertain that Argivia is a version of Macedonia, Danaan is a medieval Greece (Roman culture turned sideways in this world... into the Ispatlian Syndicracy). Frakyia is Thrace or European Byzantium, and Traldaria is Bulgaria, but more importantly the land that would become the Gran Duchy of Marakeikos in 1080. And Spartans might be a little shorter... and far more competent.
But none of that matters to Elsderth and the Order of Merit while they try to enjoy their Holiday.
While Georic Western Civ teaches the dominance and importance of the 1st and 2nd Ferasean Empires, it usually omits that the "Epic of Aerth" in which everything is based, still has Greek/Macedonian influences, Mesopotamian influences, and also a powerful (if very insular) Aegypt to balance with the Senzar Empire (Atlantis). Are there more than two "Ferasean" Empires when counting ancient Argivia, Parthia, or even Barthey? Is it a coincidence that the first Ferasean Sorcerer-King was named Yota Barthey, the God of Ferasean Magic is Yotia, and the surviving empire is named Barthey? I wasn't really stretching for those, back in the day.
Next: #48 - Against the Giants
While Georic Western Civ teaches the dominance and importance of the 1st and 2nd Ferasean Empires, it usually omits that the "Epic of Aerth" in which everything is based, still has Greek/Macedonian influences, Mesopotamian influences, and also a powerful (if very insular) Aegypt to balance with the Senzar Empire (Atlantis). Are there more than two "Ferasean" Empires when counting ancient Argivia, Parthia, or even Barthey? Is it a coincidence that the first Ferasean Sorcerer-King was named Yota Barthey, the God of Ferasean Magic is Yotia, and the surviving empire is named Barthey? I wasn't really stretching for those, back in the day.
Next: #48 - Against the Giants
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