Eronidas: Difference between revisions

|height = 5’5” to 7’0”

[[File:Bruteorc.jpg|260px|thumb|right|Some Eronidas, particularly frequently found in the Baros tribes, are still the large bulky brutes that Altalar make them out to be. These are usually selected for military training.]]

[[File:B12b5c8793a7c6fcbc20a9e38711e4a3.png|260px|thumb|right|An Eronidas without some form of ear or facial hair jewelry is considered a poorly dressed Eronidas without a sense of style, even for Baros.]]

The Eronidas cannot have a [[Body Shape]] lower than [[Toned]], and are incapable of having [[Body Fat]] higher than [[Low Body Fat]]; despite this, only the militarily-inclined Eronidas are homogeneously large and muscular, while civilians tend towards smaller, more wiry builds, as Eronidas are not naturally muscular, but only have the ability to gain muscle mass at a faster rate than other Races. As such, most Eronidas lean more on the masculine side, but among them, all sorts of appearances exist. All Eronidas fall between the heights of 5 feet and 5 inches and 7 feet tall, with the taller ones usually reserved for military service. The most distinguishing feature of the Eronidas is their diversely shaded green or teal-colored skin, and tusks that visibly jut out of their mouths. These tusks vary wildly in size, some small enough that only the tips point out from behind the lip, while others are so large that they may brush against the cheeks or visibly weigh down the jaw; fortunately, Eronidas are able to and often do file down their tusks, which causes no pain to the Eronidas as the tusks lack nerve endings, some going as far as to even reduce them to the size of normal teeth and hide them entirely. However, tusks always regrow over a period of weeks, so constant maintenance is needed to retain any particular length of tusk shorter than their natural size. Many Eronidas decorate their tusks with jewelry or engravings, as part of their cultural heritage. Eronidas hair colours cover the range of black, brown, auburn, ginger, and some dark blondes, though never the lighter blondes of Races like the [[Teledden]] Altalar; these tones also don’t grey with age, only dulling somewhat over the years. Their eye whites (unlike Ailor) are light or dark gray, and their irises are most commonly blue or brown, though grey, yellowish-grey, and green are also possible. Rare skin discolorations may also occur where certain parts of the body have a lighter or darker color. This is never quite as obvious or severe as vitiligo, and is always symmetrical. Eronidas also have dully pointed ears similar in size to the Avanthar or [[Half-Nelfin]], though these ears are more curved, pointing upwards rather than backwards or outwards. While the Nelfin usually depict the Eronidas as wild, barbarian brutes, this is something of a half-truth; although it is true that some Eronidas appear as depicted by the Nelfin, so to say having enlarged tusks and mouths, large, square jawlines, and harshly jutting brow bones, these facets of their appearance are present in roughly only half of the total Eronidas population, far more common among the Baros than among the Polon. The other half of the population are almost always conventionally attractive, more common in the Polon than in the Baros, to the point where even the Eronidas-hating Altalar are hard pressed to deny their good looks. It is said by Ailor visitors to Eronidas settlements that there is no such thing as an ‘average looking’ Eronidas; only brutal savages and walking statues, though averages between the two do exist.

Eronidas have a wide range of personalities, ranging from quiet and pensive to wild and passionate. They are very similar to [[Urlan]] in that they are held-back, but never quite stoic or reserved or pensive. An Eronidas can be soft-spoken, but still have a lot to say, and yet say nothing to betray their inner feelings if they do not feel ready to share them. Eronidas are also capable of violent explosions in anger when their personal space is invaded upon, when their discipline breaks down, or their structure is upset by outsiders who do not understand their practices. Eronidas can be passionate romantic partners, yet equally seclusive, wishing to hide any displays of affection from the public eye out of fear of judgement or weakness much to the detriment of their partner. The Eronidas are very much an intense people, who despite their intensity, manage to repress a lot of it through dedication to discipline and restraint and hyper focus on purpose and ambition over momentary pleasure. One thing that most Eronidas have in common however is their laid-back attitude to other Races and those who do not agree with their lifestyle or faith. So long as they respect the structured order of their daily rituals, outsiders are always welcome, within reason, and most Eronidas can approach any stranger with a level of playful reception, even the more quiet and reserved among them being able to speak volumes with coy smiles and disarming looks. On the opposite end of the scale, Eronidas can also be excessively angry and wild, especially when from the Baros wild warbands, testy with those who they think disrespect them, and violent with those who oppose them.

The East Living period covers the years from the arrival of the Eronidas in Daen some months following the Cataclysm to modern times. During these years, the Eronidas colonized the western coast and then started rapidly expanding into the heart of Daendroc, capturing Altalar, Ailor, [[Cielothar]] and Avanthar alike and incorporating them into the new societies that sprung up in their wake. Their form of subjugation was not strictly slavery, as the people who the Eronidas captured were free to leave if they did not like living in Eronidas society. For those that stayed, life was cruel and tough as they adapted to the strictly discipline-based society, but many eventually came to respect and appreciate the satisfaction that crafts and structured life gave them. For many of the Altalar who had never worked a day before, the sudden experience of going from high level bureaucrat to metallurgist gave a sense of satisfaction through the creation of things they could call “made by their own hands” that they never once experienced back home. The Eronidas however also engaged in mass woodland destruction to make place for massive farms and cattle fields for grazing, contributing to the breakdown of many Altalar holy sites and groves, as well as natural Yanar habitats, leaving behind a legacy of ecological damage. For the longest amount of time, the Eronidas were seen as a menace to the Avanthar and Altalar, who in the wake of the Allorn Empire’s collapse had a tentative agreement to fight them whenever they tried to push for more territory. Both parties only ever met the warrior Eronidas, or even worse, the more tribal Eronidas who behaved like wild barbarians, called the Baros, who followed Yazgar as opposed to Vakgar and Makosh. The Eronidas however were low in number, in comparison to the millions of others in the area. While defeating smaller Altalar armies was easy, fighting against both the Avanthar and the Altalar proved difficult when they fully mobilized to eradicate “the wildland menace”. Thus the eastward momentum of the Eronidas halted, though this did provide a peaceful period that allowed for great technological advances, as well as great thinkers to arise, popularizing warrior-philosophy and self-critical thinking. The Altalar and [[Ailor]] came to a similar arrangement arrayed against the Eronidas, but this was well after the [[Eronidas Invasion]].

Eventually, relations between Ailor and Altalar broke down, and the political disposition of the [[Regalian Empire]] started favoring the Eronidas more due to the increased diplomatic presence of Ailor near their city states. After decades of non-intervention, many of these city-states (called Polons) had largely become micro-states. In theory, the Eronidas wielded great amounts of territory and could easily crush their enemies, but in practice, they rarely left their cities unless the warrior classes thought there was a fight worth fighting for honor or glory, which in many cases there was not. Much of the surrounding lands became inhabited by pacifist Yanar and Cielothar communities, and the Ailor never fully militarized the area either. Clashes certainly occurred when anyone got too close to the Polons, however they remained mostly confined to the far north near Daenshore, as even the Avanthar had learned that attempting to besiege a Eronidas city-state was practically impossible. To this day, none of the remaining city-states’ walls have ever been breached, despite the best efforts of Altalar [[Mages]]. Even in the resurgent Allorn Empire, the Eronidas city-states are largely left alone, with the Allorn authorities content to accept they just do not control certain blind spots in their territory. The Eronidas in turn are content with this arrangement, as they naturally do not accept the concept of land claims or borders, these being completely foreign concepts in their culture. The last great conflict between the Ailor, Altalar and Eronidas was the [[Ranger Crisis]], after which a rough peace was established between the parties, with the Ailor favoring the Eronidas and creating better relations with them, while the Altalar radicalized in their hatred of the two. Most Eronidas city-states to this day trade with the Regalian Empire through its colonies, and avoid all contact with the Altalar, though are also distinctly apathetic to whatever the Regalian Empire does. The Eronidas barbarian tribes are more violent, attacking both Nelfin and Ailor territories and continuing to be a problem, particularly in the far north and far west of the lands traditionally controlled by the Polons.  

In present times, there is plenty of migration between Eronidas city-states and the Regalian Empire. Many Eronidas have settled in Regalia, experiencing more of the exotic culture the rest of the world has to offer, but also testing new ideologies and respecting the intellectual centers of Aloria’s various Empires. While non-Eronidas are certainly still treated as outsiders in their Polons, many foreigners have been able to witness exceptional Eronidas civil architecture and structural design in action, exporting ideas back to Regalia. Most notably, the creation of Regalian temples would not have been possible without Eronidas inventing the required carrying structures and arches, as well as cement, an invention quickly picked up by Regalians. Many Eronidas travel to Regalia as a center of learning, culture, but also to make a decent amount of coin. Both warrior Eronidas from the city-states, as well as the more wild Baros frequently conscript themselves into Regalian military service, as the capital of Regalia has considerably more crime and conflict than the very safe city-states at home. This all provides ample opportunity for those Eronidas with a temper to live out their anger on the locals and still earn money doing so. Some city-states in Daendroc pick fights with the [[Kathar]], but generally speaking all Polons are in a state of peace, and are largely avoided by the Allorn Empire so as not to irritate a potential enemy.

 

Eronidas society can be clearly split in two, Polon society which is centered around city-states, large civil centers built with highly advanced Eronidas, and Baros society which is centered around raiding, violent nomadic war-camps. There is some level of conflict between Polon and Baros societies, with Polon Eronidas thinking Baros Eronidas to be wild and unorganized, weak-willed for being unable to live by the strict Polon discipline standards, and dirty when it comes to their hygiene. Baros Eronidas in turn find the Polon Eronidas stuck-up and too riddled with rules, causing them to lose their individuality and personal freedom, and too busy thinking instead of smashing things. Ultimately, the split is determined by their [[Religion]], with the Baros favoring the great beast, and the Polon favoring the two Eronidas who represent the disciplines of society. Eronidas of either society are not outwardly hostile to one another, but quippy comments and banter are frequent when they meet, with Polon desperately trying to make everyone see that they are not uncivilized brutes, and Baros desperately trying to make everyone see that they are stronger than the Polon (even if they are about the same).  

When Eronidas settle into family life, it can be very different for Polon or Baros Eronidas. In Polon, children are raised in a busy family life with lots of house servants to take care of their needs (unless they themselves are a servant family). All children, regardless of what level they live on, have mandatory school attendance, and have to go through at least 1 year of military training even if they are not part of the warrior class. Working in the city as a gladiator is often an easy way to rise up from the first or second rank to the fourth, meaning many Eronidas who live on such lower levels where the quality of life is usually worse take the risk to move up. Eronidas society is entirely built on the idea that those living on the first level are only temporarily inconvenienced seventh-levelers, even if in reality, those at the top tend to keep those at the bottom where they are out of apathy. When it comes to romance however, there is no distinction between levels. Eronidas celebrate honest and fair love, even if the considerations for the future of one’s children can sometimes cause these types of romances to be temporary. Those in higher levels often have trouble accepting that their children will be born in lower levels, and if they mate with those from lower levels yet, to fall to even lower rankings.

 

Baros Eronidas have a much wilder and less civilly restrained life, engaging equally freely in flings, but more importantly without strict monogamous romance. Marriage like the Polon know it does not exist among the Baros. This does not mean that loyalty to one’s partner is unheard of, it simply means that most Baros treat relationships with open-ness and inclusiveness to outsiders, while Polon Eronidas tend to be more monogamous (though some of them do practice polygamy). Baros children live a much more brutal life, with no real education and forced military conscription at a young age. Children who do not perform to the liking of their parents in the military fields are expelled as orphans onto the streets, usually ending up as street urchins in Daenshore or [[Ithanian]] cities. That being said, Baros households where the children do mesh particularly well with their more violent society tend to be very warm and big owing to having multiple mothers and fathers depending on the open-ness of their relationships, and dozens of siblings all sharing and caring for each other outside of battle; many Ailor have learned to treat Baros with caution particularly, as angering one Baros by attacking or insulting them or their property has many times led to earning the very dangerous ire of an entire Baros family unit.

Eronidas living in the cities primarily serve their allotted functions in society, not daring to object or complain so as to maintain public order and stability. That being said, the Eronidas do actually have more leisure time and free time than any other Race. The Eronidas are the only Race in Aloria that have adopted the 3.5 day work week, in which they work intensively for three and a half days, before having three and a half days of free time. This free time is usually spent in the fourth level of the city states, the entertainment and service industry, as the Eronidas go to spas, theatre, public philosophical debate, gladiator matches, sports arenas, and more. Sometimes they also travel to higher levels, watching government officials go about their business in the plazas, reading books in the libraries, or just relaxing in the hanging water gardens that flow from their highest point with exotic fruits and trees and flora. Leisure at home also occurs, though more-so for those living in higher levels who can afford to rent service people to perform for them. Parties also occur, serving wide ranges of appetizers, with the hosts playing music or games. Wrestling is also a frequent leisure activity, even for the less physically inclined Eronidas, as the act is combined with another incompatible activity, like poetry writing or reciting philosophy or even playing a musical instrument during the wrestling, to show their skill in multi-tasking. In contrast however, the working days can be brutal. In the 3 and a half working days, work goes from waking up to going to bed, with only short pauses for food and toilet breaks, as well as a final 30 minute rest period before going to bed. All Polons have a strict curfew after the “Great Hour” which is normally midnight, when everyone has to be off the streets and at home. Drinking establishments absolutely do not exist, and certainly pubs and bars do not either. This is because public drunkenness is one of the greatest crimes in a Polon. While Eronidas have a great tolerance for alcohol made by other Races, their own high proof alcohol hits them just as hard as liquor does an Ailor, and should only be consumed at home. Leisure is not always taking one’s mind away from work however. Many Eronidas find peace and order in their erudite activities. Even if a librarian only works 3.5 days in the week, they might still choose to work another two extra days because they feel at home in the library, or because it is rather non-intensive. Equally, the warrior class may choose to train all week round, because they enjoy the adrenaline of a fight even in mock, or because they simply want to become that much stronger, leaving rest days only to heal and build muscle. In Baros communities, leisure is much more confined to friendly sparring, music making, public drinking and other simple ball and stick games. They don’t always have leisure time because most waking hours are spent away from camp raiding, but the few times they all do come together, it is usually family-quality-time, spent playing with children or grandchildren, or telling them stories of great adventures.  

Eronidas clothing can do two things, either express their function in life (such as scholars wearing scholarly robes) or express their greatest physical attribute (their muscularity). Eronidas frequently bare large amounts of skin to expose others to their fitness, both as a means of prideful expression, and intimidation, though may also cover them up in tasteful cloth with rich colorful patterns on white or black to appear more modest and civil. To Eronidas, it is entirely vulgar and disgusting to expose one’s legs in public, a practice that is only permitted for Half-Eronidas courtesans. Eronidas clothing has complex pattern-weaves, and the colors are very vibrant, often draped over the shoulder in a half cape. A firm belt ensures a set of pants is form-fitted onto their legs, completed with a form of cow-skin foot soles that wrap around the entire foot and expose no ankle-skin (they do not wear shoes). Eronidas traditionally wear no headgear, and will frequently also wear their armor even for leisurely activities. Most Eronidas armor is crafted to form-fit their appearance, and the act of making armor appear like the natural shapes of a muscular frame has been popularized among the Eronidas, and even adopted to an extent by other groups like the Imperial Guard and other Ailor organizations. Eronidas are frequently depicted as wearing tribal furs and ragged clothes with animal teeth, but this is only true for the Baros, not the Polon who are in the majority, and certainly not the majority of the Eronidas living in Regalia. Some Eronidas have also started wearing Ailor clothing, particularly styles set forward by the nobility, which is completely acceptable to Eronidas society. [[Etosian]] and [[Dressolini]] fashions have been received well by the Eronidas, however they look down on the promiscuity of [[Velheim]] and [[Daendroque]] fashions.

It is a common misconception that Eronidas only eat meat. It is true that they adore meat, particularly a well-done piece of steak, but they frequently also consume vegetables, their preferences leaning more towards roasted vegetables with mushrooms. Eronidas however completely avoid poultry like the plague. In their beliefs, poultry is diseased meat that makes one weaker, and anyone who craves after poultry is a dirty and unclean person. Eronidas seasoning tends to be very strong, and there is a particular plant called a [[Stoor Root]] that is used to make food taste incredibly savory to Eronidas, but for some reason, the substance tastes extremely bitter to other Races, to the point of being inedible. Eronidas can however greatly appreciate fine dining as produced by Ailor, and it is not unusual for Eronidas to hire Ailor chefs in Regalia to produce fine dining for their banquets and feasts in their Estates. One thing that sets Eronidas cuisine apart from others is their fruit art, where in cooking they love to have their fruits and vegetables presented as carved flowers or animals. For example, a watermelon might be cut in half, and with a knife have scored cuts in it to cause it to resemble a lily flower. This is an odd contrast to the Eronidas’ actual dislike of actual flowers, though many have theorized that this is just because they dislike how most flowers aren’t edible and end up treating them like weeds. Edible types of roses are however permitted to be cultivated inside Polons. Baros usually just eat whatever is available and can be considered true omnivores in that sense. Despite some claims made by Altalar, even Baros Eronidas do not engage in cannibalism of other Races.

Eronidas estates are usually built in a square manner, with rooms built around a central courtyard, featuring some sort of water garden or fountain and bath. All Eronidas houses have a sizable bathroom and hygienic facilities, as Eronidas are extremely strict on personal cleanliness. Out of all Alorian Cultures, Eronidas go to bathhouses the most, and spend the most amount of hours visiting spas and having their bodies cleaned by serving staff. The industrial level-complexity of cleaning warriors and their equipment after a battle is vast, with a quick, optimized assembly-line like process whisking people through rooms, before releasing them into the hot spring baths for relaxation. The Eronidas have also developed a great deal of water processing and cleaning plants with complex filtrations to clean the excessive amount of bath water that turns into waste water from their clean drinking water supply. It should also be no surprise that the Eronidas have developed the world’s most complex irrigation systems, more complicated and monstrously large than even the [[Asha]] [[Living Metal]] irrigation systems, which while not capable of un-desertifying sand hills akin to the Asha lands, can at the very least constantly be expanded to meet the needs of the Eronidas. Entirely man-made, the Eronidas systems are capable of transporting huge amounts of water across valleys and even up mountains, making the areas where their Polon are settled exceptional oases of irrigation, turning what would otherwise be rather infertile plains into paradises of agriculture and hanging gardens. What the Eronidas are notably known for in other Cultures when it concerns their buildings, are their hanging gardens. They feature water cascading from higher levels to lower levels, following canals and ensuring exactly measured irrigation of exotic plants, and even greenhouses with plants that grow out of seas or climate. In comparison to the highly efficient Eronidas farms, Ailor subsistence farming done by tenant farmers is considered a waste of space and inefficient, however the Eronidas have fiercely guarded their secrets from replication. Architecture is, not surprisingly, absent for the Baros Eronidas, as they purely live in tents and moving nomadic towns. That being said, they have inherited some of the extreme hygiene of the Polon Eronidas, always being very keen on settling near rivers or lakes so they can bathe frequently, while also using an assortment of flowers and oils to hide unwanted smells when they are unable to bathe for longer periods of time. To be unhygienic near an Eronidas is a quick way to draw their ire.

Each Eronidas Polon is ruled by a duo Chontes, meaning “lesser King”. These Chontes are usually elected from the bureaucratic caste for 4 year terms, though many Chontes serve for life as they tend to be elected for efficiency and then re-elected out of habit. Corruption is rarely present in Eronidas society unless it comes from the very top through a tyrannical Chontes, and even then only if both Chontes are tyrannical, allowing them to sway the secret police to turn a blind eye to their excesses. Eronidas find the very idea of corruption in government offensive, believing that a well working and meaningful government is the bedrock of a stable and obedient society. The entire idea of loyalty to state and structure is built on a government that can be trusted to make the right decision, something that often puts them at odds with how selfish the Regalian Government seems in comparison. Political parties are absent in Eronidas society, as the idea of government efficiency is almost idolized among its bureaucrats who can earn prestige and honor for performing well. Eronidas also developed the ideology of permanent ambassadors, as despite war breaking out early on between the Eronidas and Altalar and Ailor, throughout the entire process, they had ambassadors representing their Polons in each Race’s court. To this day, a large Eronidas embassy exists in Regalia, a complex representing over 100 Polon, each with an ambassador and staff present, which also acts a secondary nexus for their people to communicate to each other. Needless to say, the Eronidas district of Regalia is actually quite large, almost rivaling the Altalar and Yanar districts. Under the Chontes exist the bureaucrats and the level governors called Aichon, and under the Aichon exist the Parax, or neighborhood watchers. Nobility does not really exist in Eronidas society in the strictest sense of the word, but hereditary rule can sometimes exist by virtue of families ensuring their marriages are only “in level”, and that their families are simply the best at what they do, so they keep getting elected to the same position to the point that electing another family would be unthinkable. Government in the Baros tribes is far simpler, as there is simply one warlord (also called Chontes) who has an extended harem of commanders, bodyguards and generals. This harem, though, is not always sexual, as despite the harem being defined as a group of partners for the Chontes, these partners don’t always have to be romantic. It is in fact possible for a Chontes to have completely a-romantic and a-sexual partners who are associated by virtue of their rule and power inside the tribe. Beyond this Chontes and harem however, their structure is egalitarian and flat with no one particularly more powerful or less powerful than the other, besides the idea that bigger Eronidas are stronger, and that the shaman has a revered position without authority. There are Half-Eronidas and even Eronidas Nobility in the Regalian Empire. The most notable Half-Eronidas Noble is the Iron Duke of [[Vultaro]], ruling much of the [[Vultarin Hegemony]] in the south of the [[Regalian Archipelago]]. Other full blooded Eronidas nobles also rule in Medway north of [[Anglia]], and certain parts of [[Dragenthal]].

As previously mentioned, Half-Eronidas are considered full blood among the Eronidas people, specifically in the Polon (with the Baros holding only minor disdain for them as having been born half-powerful). That being said, Half-Eronidas are very limited in what they can actually do in Eronidas society. All Half-Eronidas must work on the 4th level of the Polon, without exceptions. It is not possible for Half-Eronidas to either drop, or rise in rank through examinations or by being warriors. Despite this, life as a Half-Eronidas is actually fairly comfortable on the fourth level. Many of them work in brothels and as gladiators, but halflings working in the theatre industry and as spa tenders is also very common. There is also an unacknowledged secondary function that halflings serve, which is within the Polita, or secret service of the Polon. As espionage and sabotage is forbidden in Eronidas honor code, they do not actually engage in any of these acts, but rather serve as silent watchers to ensure their society continues to live by the rules set out by their government. In many ways, they should actually be referred to as the secret police, grabbing offending members of society off the streets and dragging them to prisons for forced reform education. This is why Half-Eronidas can sometimes be looked at with suspicion when, for example, they just loiter in groups on the upper levels without a clear place to walk to, though generally speaking Half-Eronidas are very much a respected and appreciated part of their society, taking up a majority of entertainment roles.  

It is correct to say that Eronidas are more often the victims of racism than the perpetrators. The other Alorian Races have very strict stances for or against other Races, with some gray areas in between. The Eronidas however are, generally speaking, apathetic to other Races. They do not truly consider other Races as unique, distinct entities and simply refer to them all as “other”. Nothing is taboo either when it concerns interacting with “other”, as they may be romanced, married, worked with, worked under, ruled over, all these things without issue. That is not to say that Eronidas are truly Race blind, after all, they deny other Races entry to the highest level of their city states, and fiercely guard their history and heritage from outsiders. There exist also micro-aggressions towards outsiders, usually in the form of sarcasm or speaking down towards other Races, especially when it comes to “those foreigners slacking off” when work is required of them. Baros Eronidas tend to be far more racist, referring to other Races as weaker and, unlike them, not blessed with ancestral might. They look down on anyone who might cause their bloodline to be tainted with non-Eronidas blood. Foreigners are effectively non-existent in Baros clans or tribes, as they are always considered a weakness to cohesion and effectiveness in combat. They are more accepting of half-Eronidas when they are born however, as they consider this “the cost of warfare” and will take the responsibility of raising them as proper Eronidas warriors, even if their birth was unintended.  

In Eronidas culture, honor is everything. Both Polon and Baros despise cowards who run from a fight, and they uphold the honorable value of an Eronidas fighting another opponent in a duel. Even on the battlefield, you would not quickly find an Eronidas coming between another Eronidas and their opponent, unless the Eronidas is badly losing and asks for help (asking for help is not dishonorable). They value courage in the face of adversity and respect those who stand up against their foes, even if they fail. The Eronidas Code can be expressed in a few core points:

Only the latter point is largely contested by the Baros, but otherwise, all points of the Eronidas Code of Honor are shared between them equally. Even a scholar Eronidas will try to fight to defend another Eronidas who is savagely beaten in the street by outsiders, or at the very least do their best to call the guards and use their wits to delay the scene. It is rare for a Eronidas to be seen working with criminal gangs, but even rarer to find a Eronidas allowing said criminal gang to beat down on another Eronidas without them intervening on the other’s behalf.  

Eronidas occupy a peculiar role in the Regalian Empire, wherein a notable proportion of the Regalian Military includes Eronidas, both from external Polons and Baros warbands, as well as from internal Eronidas duchies and baronies, but also are treated with unique discrimination by the Empire. This takes the shape of Eronidas labor camps. Eronidas who are placed in these camps by the Regalian Empire are the ones who did not enter Regalian territories with pre-arranged offers of work; while most enter the Empire with employment already arranged as mercenaries, bodyguards, or other combat-oriented roles, some migrate with no clear purpose beyond the borders. Baros Eronidas make up a significant percentage of these, as their knowledge of international borders is often outdated, incomplete, or entirely absent to begin with.  

The Eronidas boast some of the most widely-used mercenary forces in Aloria, found often bolstering the ranks of Regalian armies, shoulder-to-shoulder with Urlan and Ailor alike in its imperial conquests. Nevertheless, the outward face of the Eronidas military complex should not be seen as a holistic front, but as two converging paths; the defensive, disciplined path followed by the Polon, and the more aggressive and unwieldy one trod by the Baros, though both Polon and Baros Eronidas can be found operating in generally the same roles in foreign armies.

* Eronidas can sometimes actually also be found in Avanthar tribes, or even as guards in Cielothar villages. The Polon, despite their history, have actually become rather peaceful, and enjoy transitioning from feared warlords to strong warriors who protect what they consider the Races who need protecting, who are more than willing to pay, something an Eronidas considers a compliment to their skill.

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