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| Eronidas | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Race | |
| Pronunciation | Eh-row-knee-das |
| Classification | Gorr |
| Subraces | None |
| Common Nicknames |
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| Languages | Vasar |
| Naming Customs | Harsh sounding first names and surnames. First names are usually one or two syllables, with surnames longer. Akkadian Real-Life names are usable. |
| Racial Traits | |
| Distinctions | Complex warrior-poets and engineer-thinkers |
| Maximum Age | 120 years. |
| Height | 5’5” to 7’0” |
| Eye Colors | Gray sclera with brown, blue, green, gray or yellowish gray iris. |
| Hair Colors | Black, Auburn, Browns, Ginger, Dark Blonde. |
| Skin Tones |  |
Host to great philosophers and poet-warriors, founders of disciplined and loyal states, first to act in defence of each other, and warriors without physical equal on the field of battle, the Eronidas are a Race to be reckoned with, with raw power constrained by self-control, wisdom and years of training, and shaped by a purpose-driven mindset. The Eronidas reside in the continent of Daendroc, though it is not their own; hailing from a Far West continent called Guldar, the Eronidas pillaged and conquered their way through Daendroc at the collapse of the Allorn Empire, before settling down and becoming a force to be reckoned with in the new world order. Being intimidating yet disciplined and passionate yet restrained, the Eronidas are enigmatic to outsiders, somehow combining the mutually contradicting brutish warrior with the philosopher, in doing so ascending from refugees of a lost land to a thriving, industrial monolith of Daen. The Eronidas are not many, but they can be seen in any army, any academy, and any engineering school, dispensing their wisdom to those they deem worthy, and those who give them the respect that they offer to all, even their enemies and those they conquer.
Physical & Mental Characteristics
Eronidas are a humanoid Race with similarities to the Human Ailor and Nelfin Avanthar in appearance, though are themselves entirely distinct from most other Alorian Races, lacking the physically differentiated subraces that define most others. The Eronidas are often depicted as brutish and large-framed by their enemies, though this is not always true, usually stemming from Altalar trying to fearmonger and smear them. This viewpoint also springs from the fact that most people in the world only really interact with military Eronidas who they face on the field of battle, who on average tend to be more large and muscular than is the norm, even for Eronidas. Still, all Eronidas are favorably strong compared to other Races, even when not built for battle or warfare.
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, comparatively, a lack of sexual dimorphism that is perceived as unusual to the Races that do.This is because Eronidas are a majority intersex Race. While there still are distinctly biological-sex male and female Eronidas, the definitions that other Races use to distinguish between biological-sex are not consistent in Eronidas. Simply put, what other Races use to identify someone as a man or a woman, or other notions of binary gender distinctions for bodies, do not exist in the Eronidas Race. An Eronidas that looks distinctly male by Ailor standards including having body hair, might for example be female, have female reproductive organs, and socially operate as a female, and vice versa. Additionally, Eronidas do not necessarily have to have the reproductive organs traditionally associated with a binary sex, being capable of having neither, either, or both reproductive sets. Finally, an equally large part of the Eronidas population does conform to binary sex distinctions as an Ailor would expect to perceive it, further adding to the confusion among other Races. This all has added to the fact that Eronidas are immensely gender blind, and may in fact be the most gender blind Race on Aloria.
Half-Eronidas
Half-Eronidas are very similar to full-blooded Eronidas, but also inherit many traits from their non-Eronidas parent. Eronidas can reproduce with all Races except Maraya, Allar and Yanar. Half-Eronidas look physically somewhere between their parents, though the larger physical frame and tusks always carry into any half-Race offspring; some half-Eronidas also bear the exaggerated features borne by certain Eronidas, but this isn’t always the case. In all other ways, Half-Eronidas inherit all the physical characteristics of their Eronidas parent, except for the eye-whites, iris colors, and skintones, the latter of which can be from either parent. Half-Eronidas are perfectly integrated in the Eronidas society and psyche, to the point where they are not even considered non-Eronidas to the Race at large. Still, they have a specific purpose, which is further explained in the society section below. Notably, other Races are not favorable to Half-Eronidas, claiming them to be rowdy and brutish in the same way that full Eronidas are claimed, and in that same way, this is not true for the entire population of them; as well as this, families which focus on lineage are particularly averse to Half-Eronidas, as any kind of interbreeding with Eronidas takes five generations of successive Half-Eronidas to ‘breed out’ their features and return to being singularly one Race or another.
Personalities
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.
Summary of Racial Abilities
All Abilities are listed in detail on the Ability List Page. Additional rules applied to those Abilities are recorded in the table below. Aesthetics for Abilities may be dictated by the players, as long as the Ability Name is mentioned in the Emote, which is mandatory for Ability use. The following Abilities are what is considered a Racial Ability Set. Meaning, that none of these Abilities attribute Aberrant status to any individual, even if they are classified like they would. Only additional Abilities gained from outside of this Racial Ability Set can attribute Aberrant Status. Half-Eronidas gain the same Racials and Proficiencies as full blood Eronidas.
| Ability Name | Ability Type | Ability Range | Ability Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skin Purge 1 | Toggle Passive | Self | Grants the user Skin Purge 1 |
| Brawn Power 1 | Constant Passive | Self | Grants the user Brawn Power 1 |
| Brawn Power 2 | Constant Passive | Self | Grants the user Brawn Power 2 |
| Pure Body 2 | Constant Passive | Self | Grants the user Pure Body 2 |
| Honed Skill 1 | Constant Passive | Self | Grants the user Honed Skill 1 |
| Home Upgrade 1 | Region Enchant | Player Region | Grants the user Home Upgrade 1 |
History
The history of the Eronidas can be best separated into three distinct eras. The first era is the Guldar Home period, the second period is the Great Leaving period, while the third period is the East Living period. The Guldar Home period is mostly shrouded in mystery for other Races, as the records are kept in the great libraries of Eronidas city-states, to which any and all foreigners are denied entry. While oral historians exist that can give some context to historical events and give generalized knowledge, most of this cannot be backed up with actual written records, as the Eronidas refuse to take their history from behind lock and key in forbidden archives. The Guldar Home period knows many tales of legendary Eronidas warriors that defeated scores of their own kind to become unrivaled champions. It also speaks of a time before Eronidas society existed, when Eronidas lived in tribal clans that constantly fought each other, and their great enemies, the predatory birds of old called the Rakhvvar. Whether the Rakhvvar ever existed is still up for debate, but they supposedly influenced much in Eronidas culture ranging from their religion to an odd distaste for birds, and potentially being the source of their civil engineering. At some point in time, the Guldar Home period came to an end due to calamity in Eronidas society, or in the lands of Guldar. What exactly happened is unclear, but Eronidas history teaches its children that the land became poisonous to its people and nature turned against its tenders. Scholars in modern times have concluded some sort of ecological collapse must have occurred following a series of massive volcanic eruptions, but nothing has ever been proven, as no explorer has ever returned after venturing to Guldar.
The Great Leaving period covers a few decades during which the Eronidas city states built massive city-boats that were all chained together and sailed the ocean distance between Guldar and Daen sometime before the Cataclysm. Why the Eronidas took so long to cross a distance that might take a normal fleet a few months was largely because the Eronidas engaged in an extreme case of “strip and go” where they landed on islands, stripping literally every resource they could find down to the dirt and rock the island sat on, and hopped to the next island. It stands to reason that these massive ships needed lots of supplies, and that frequently a ship would be stranded for years at a time while it was stocking up on supplies, with Eronidas having to dig more coal out of the earth and let their animal populations regrow by grazing on the foliage. During the period of the Great Leaving, Eronidas society was led by the Great Anaxon or Great King called Eos. This Anaxon was said to have been huge, and had several “physical mutations” that set him apart. Much of Eos’s history is shrouded in mystery, as even most Eronidas don’t know much about him besides the myths they are told in their youths. Eos died shortly before the Eronidas landed in Daendroc, following his last command to “go forth and conquer”. Their interactions with the Altalar resulted in just that; swift destruction of the Altalar armies and subjugation of many of their people, a point of cruel irony for the slavery prone Altalar themselves, reduced to serving another Race. When all city-ships properly disembarked on the western coast of Daen, the East Living period started. After the death of Eos, no new Anaxon was elected- it is believed in Eronidas society that one day, from all the city-states, a new Anaxon will be elected to once again rule them all, but for now they remain independent.
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.
Society
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).
Religion
Eronidas religion is called "The Call of Vakgar and Makosh" - and is very central to their existence and philosophy in life. The central deities are Vakgar and Makosh, who are Eronidas themselves, and the haunting terror bird Yazgar, as large as a mountain. In the religious beliefs of the Eronidas, Vakgar and Makosh are hunted their entire life by Yazgar, which wishes to eat their hearts. They are hunted because Vakgar and Makosh are the last survivors of an epic battle that caused the creation of all things, which displeases Yazgar, who wishes to destroy all things. Baros believe they must fight and destroy things, particularly besting things stronger than them, to prove themselves to Yazgar. They believe that Yazgar will bless them with even greater power if she is impressed in their skill in taking down worthy opponents, and to live a life in the spirit of “the hunt” as opposed to being sedentary. This idea is the basis of their nomadic existence, loosely banding together to attack bigger targets and larger cities in the hopes of glory.
Polon Eronidas believe they must live up to the examples of Vakgar and Makosh, who embody the civil disciplines of life. They profess the need for loyalty, honesty, honor, obedience to one’s betters, contentment with one’s position in the hierarchy, and staying true to one’s loved ones and principles above personal infamy. The Polon profess order and stability, while the Baros profess chaos and the unexpected. The act of cooperation is especially important for Vakgar and Makosh, the two doing everything together and sharing everything together, asserting that cooperation is the golden standard. Makosh is usually depicted as Vakgar’s subordinate, but he is also easily distinguished as Vakgar’s younger lover, who despite the fear of being hunted and the chaos of constantly having to flee from Yazgar before the next battle, stays true to his principles and calm and brave in the face of adversity. From Vakgar they learn that strength also comes from cleverness, and that building with one’s own hands is the greatest deed of self-value found in the world, with many tales existing of Vakgar single-handedly building a home for himself and Makosh, often high up in the trees or mountains with perilous arches and large domes.
Yazgar on the other hand shows the Eronidas to be wild and violent, and that bigger is always better and stronger is always good. Yazgar does not believe in the concepts of loyalty and pride and honor, believing that only winning is the most valid metric in the world, and that anything goes. While Polon Eronidas have a sense of duty and restraint when it comes to tyrannical repression of the weak, the Baros do not. Not all is on the morally reprehensible scale however. Yazgar also teaches the Eronidas to respect their prey, even if they did not respect it in life enough to keep it alive. Despite the violence Baros inflict on others, they never harm children, always bury the dead (even their enemies), and do not inflict unnecessary hurt and gore on victims that have already surrendered, letting them exist in peace until they show disrespect. In a way, Yazgar also teaches that through eating the hearts of Vakgar and Makosh, that she can consume their qualities and make them her own. Equally, the Baros see each conquest as adding the strengths of who they conquer onto their own. Fighting for their faith gives both the Baros and Polon a sense of satisfaction, but through different optics. The Baros gain satisfaction from proving to be stronger, the Polon derive a sense of satisfaction from proving to be worthy. This is often why it is easier to find a Polon in the Regalian Guard, and easier to find a Baros in the Regalian Mercenary Guild.
Despite the fact that Yazgar is depicted as a terror bird that brings about the apocalypse, she is also revered as a symbol of fertility, wealth, and future generations. Makosh and Vakgar are non-gendered names (despite Makosh and Vakgar usually being referred to with masculine pronouns), meaning that their genders can also vary. Vakgar is usually depicted as having "a mohawk that is more black than red", wielding a burning torch and an axe, while Makosh is depicted as having "a mohawk that is more red than black", wielding a shield and a spear. They are usually shown opposite each other or next to each other, juxtaposed with Yazgar, who swoops over them. Eronidas do not have a centralized clerical authority, but do have priests who take it upon themselves to spread the word of their faith and tales of battle between their gods, and do have some places of worship, though mostly for token presence and display. Most priests actually dispense their stories of spirituality in auditoriums and open-air fields. Prayer is a very personal matter, but does happen, and can frequently be witnessed before battle. A Eronidas will pray seated on the ground (preferably grass), with their legs folded underneath them and their hands flat on their legs. Their eyes are usually open and they look ahead with a thousand yard stare, in deep thought about what is about to occur, steeling themselves with bravery and skill.
Because one of the central themes is the chase of a monster and the fight to conquer it, Eronidas of both Polon and Baros end up seeing the great hunt for a beast to slay as a religious form of dedication to their gods, something that both their societies engage in. They will often hire outsiders to do the actual hunting, as Eronidas are absolutely terrible at tracking wild animals, but will fight the creature themselves to try and test their strength and mettle and gain legendary acclaim. There are certain parallels to be drawn between the religion and the mysterious history of the Eronidas when they were still under the firm control of the avian Race of Guldar. As such, many scholars wonder whether the religion has a more factual basis than is implied. There are some ways for Eronidas to commit to sin in their religion, but it is never called sin, rather, it is called Ra’ah. Ra’ah differs per society:
For Polon, Ra’ah is:
- Showing cowardice
- Public drunkenness
- Theft and Murder
- Disloyalty to state and hierarchy
- Becoming sedentary and passive
- Not raising one’s offspring right
- Showing wroth by attacking weaklings even on command
- Rejecting all three gods
For Baros, Ra’ah is:
- Being defeated in battle
- Public self-degradation
- Murdering those in sleep
- Betraying a battle-compatriot
- Becoming sedentary and passive
- Not siring offspring
- Showing weakness by celebrating victory over weaklings
- Rejecting all three gods
When a Eronidas commits Ra’ah, there is usually a public discussion led by a Call of Vakgar and Makosh priest who proposes the sin to the public. Then, the public may challenge the sinners to one on one combat to restore their honor. If they lose or refuse to fight the challenger, they are outcast from Eronidas society. If they win or fail to be challenged by anyone in the crowd, their sin is forgiven.
Culture
Eronidas culture is vast and complex, even if other Races actively go out of their way to make it appear less than it is. For the Altalar, it benefits their political and societal needs to depict the Eronidas as smelly, savage, and brutish fiends who only know destruction and engage in cannibalism, to demonize them and galvanize support against them. In present times, the Eronidas still control most of what was once the Daendroc Altalar heartland, and while they do not actually live in the shells of ancient Altalar cities, they make re-settlement of these regions impossible, and cut down vast swathes of forests to fuel either their industry, or make way for new Eronidas settlements. Within Eronidas settlements however, strangers and foreigners could be amazed at the vibrant colors of the fabrics, the strong and bright smells of Eronidas cuisine, and the hustle and bustle of a micro-city at work with every piece working in perfect unison due to highly developed Eronidas social engineering. For all their brutal warfare on the field of battle, Eronidas society is surprisingly similar to Ailor or Altalar society in its day to day function, and in many parts it is even more sophisticated than either of those cultures, with the Ailor begrudgingly admitting they have adopted many of their advances into their own society.
Seven Levels of Life
Eronidas Polon city-states are built in seven distinct rings, around a central government complex at the very top, the unofficial 8th ring. Each ring is lower and wider than the next, down to the first level, which is only mere meters off the ground floor and built on a platform. This causes all Eronidas city-states to be perfectly round, though additional defensive structures, often shaped like star-forts, are built around the city-state. Each of these levels represents the Seven Levels of Life, the strict caste-system that the Eronidas live in. Each Eronidas is born with a number that is the average between their two parents. For example, if an Eronidas is born to one from the first and seventh level, their average is 4, meaning they land on the 4th level. This dictates the general occupation and life goals of an Eronidas in a Polon, and their life prospects. There is very little room to move between levels, except for those who excel at certain entrance examinations during their lifetime, granting them the ability to rise to the next level. There is one additional exception, as babies who are born exceptionally large (and become very large later in life) are immediately raised to the sixth level and become warriors. This strict caste system can sometimes be very suffocating for those at the bottom, leading to many of those stuck within to leave for other societies and countries where social mobility is dictated by finances, not by birthright. The levels go as followed:
- The unofficial eight level is not a level where residences are, and as such, this is not an official place to live, but to work. On the eight level, one can find the temples to the faith, government offices, libraries, observatories, palatial water gardens and head offices of the engineers.
- The seventh level is home to the palaces of the government officials and the bureaucrats as well as the generals and commanders. Much of this level is touched by palatial gardens and waterways, all built with exquisite marble and columns.
- The sixth level is home to the warriors and guards, along with the prisons and military infrastructure. Other things found here are the resource warehouses and armories. This level, and any level above, is forbidden for foreigners to enter, with foreign dignitaries being limited to the fourth level where the Chontes come down to hold audiences with visitors in either the bath houses, or the public auditoriums or gardens.
- The fifth level is home to the civil engineers and the architects. Other structures that can be found here are the nerve centers of the complex irrigation systems and offices.
- The fourth level is home to the craftsmen and industries, with a variety of Eronidas forges and workshops spewing out materials and crafts. Expert Eronidas engineering has built this level to such a degree that noxious fumes are vented away through internal tunnels and filtered before expelled hundreds of yards away from the Polons to keep the air clean.
- The third level is home to the service industry and the bath complexes, containing large swimming pools, theatres, arenas, entertainment houses, brothels, and spas. This is usually the busiest level on any average day, as visitors from all levels go here to unwind and participate in culture.
- The second level is home to the thinkers, philosophers and the primary industries such as agriculture and cattle herding, but also miners. These workers do not actually work here, as the philosophers go up to the fourth level Philosatoriums to speak in public about their ideologies, while the primary industry workers go outside the city for work.
- The first level is home to the servant class, people who work in the estates of all the rings higher than theirs, cleaning, cooking and serving the wealthier and more important members of society. This level is the only level that has a considerable drain of migrant population leaving the city, but it is often off-balanced by immigration from other Races, as city-states require several years of service in the servant class for foreigners to complete before they may engage in any entrance examination to live on higher levels.
Baros Eronidas completely avoid this lifestyle, as their warrior based warbands are very egalitarian, except for the warlord and their harem, which usually consists of multiple bodyguards/officers/commanders under the warlord. The term harem has been insultingly corrupted by Altalar though, to imply it is a den of subservient, abused life partners, and is a term that has since expanded in use by Ailor much to the displeasure of Eronidas.
Families and Romance
Eronidas society, due to the lack of clear boundary between sex, can sometimes be confusing for outsiders, though for Eronidas it actually quite simple. While other Races cannot distinguish sex between males and females that easily, Eronidas can instantly tell. Eronidas society is very open about the concept of sexuality, and the majority of their society is largely demisexual, being capable only of forming sexual attraction based on an emotional connection. Among them, there are no orientation-based taboos. The Eronidas do however have a very strict rule against public signs of affection, and not even hand-holding is permitted in public, seen as a vulgar act. Eronidas Society is a very easy place to find love, as all “looking for love” Eronidas (and foreigners in Polons) wear a Qornos, which is a brown leather belt with a middle thin band of Silver, along with a long colored sash draped down the side of the left leg. This Qornos is a sign that one is looking for a mate or lover, and that anyone also wearing a Qornos may approach. It is generally taboo, however, to engage in a romance with someone who does not have a Qornos. Engagements between those with Qornos do not always lead to romance, as one-night stands are quite frequent in Eronidas society. Testing the waters and trying different things is a very common practice before settling on what one “likes” and going strictly for that.
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.
Language
The Eronidas speak Vasar, their own native Language. Vasar has been described as a Language with a flat palette and notable guttural sounds, similar to early real-world Mesopotamian languages. Curiously, the Vasar Language also has its own unique script called Vasarcon, which has yet to be translated into other alphabets. The problem with Vasarcon is that as an alphabet, it contains far more vowels and consonants, while also having wide writing differences from person to person. Among the Eronidas, small differences in strokes can mean entirely different syllable pronunciations, which seem obvious to the Eronidas, but not to Regalians. Only since 295 AC have the Regalians gotten their hands on extensive Vasarcon written texts, however after 12 years, the alphabet still has not been translated, a mixture of apathy from the Regalian government, and the native complexity of their writing. Vasar as a Language, due to its flat palette, helps the Eronidas speak perfectly enunciated Common Ailor when they learn it. It is said that the Eronidas have the most elegant and flawless accent when pronouncing Common, except for a very slight lisp on account of their tusks, which is completely absent if they file them off. Foreigners sometimes make fun of Vasar, on account of its guttural pronunciations sometimes sounding barbaric and strenuous on the ears, but it is an immensely complex language. Those that have learned it understand deeply that the Vasar vocabulary is endlessly larger than all Ailor Languages. Whole sentences and idioms can be summarized into single words, making communication between the Eronidas quick and efficient, a direct opposite of Empire Altalar, which wastes hours on needlessly floral, verbose descriptions of even the simplest things.
Naming
Eronidas names are fairly non-gendered, meaning they can be used by both males and females. Some frequently found names include: Eos, Sargon, Naram, Amar, Iddin, Hammu, Esar, Ashur, Labas, Argal, Erotas, Reos, Menal, Thera, Agis, Arus, Eronid, Nica, and Ariston. Surnames tend to be longer, common surnames are: Lipit-Eshtar, Adda-Kalla, Mut-Kabid, Ila-Kabkabu, En-Tarah-Ana, Namtar, Manatum, Sapurtum, Munawirtum, Hunabatum, Sabit and Shubure. Half-Eronidas usually also have Eronidas names, but can also have a second name of non-Eronidas origin that they use outside of Eronidas society towards outsiders and foreigners. Eronidas city states have a wider range of names, though they tend to be very short. Examples are Kosh, Colon, Asur, Garsa, Marap, Nina, Eshun, Tiva, Epse, Syra, Erit, Chal, Deli and Mega.
Lifestyle and Leisure
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.
Clothing
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.
Art
Eronidas Art is primarily expressed in the metal that they love the most when it comes to artistic expression which is Bronze. Eronidas are expert Bronze casters and any Eronidas Polon is littered with Bronze statues of great Eronidas warriors and leaders, while many Eronidas wear Bronze jewelry. Bronze is also used in weapons from time to time, but due to its inferiority to Blacksteel, Eronidas prefer to use Blacksteel for actual warfare, while Bronze is used for ceremonial activities. Eronidas statues are generally very similar to those from Regal Culture, leading some to conclude Regal sculpting actually adopted Eronidas statue themes for itself. These themes are usually dominated by Eronidas in states of wrestling, fighting mythical and legendary creatures, or just generally victory posing on some fallen foe or rock. One of the most popular statues in the entertainment level is called “The Thinker” which commemorates their most well-known poet or philosopher in a pensive thinking position on a chair or rock or simply standing. More rigid and guard-like statues in Eronidas armor are also used to line streets, hold up lanterns, or decorate doorways of buildings that are important to the Eronidas. Each Polon usually has one massive statue called the Protkar, or the founder of the Polon that became some sort of legendary ancestor to all Polon members, even if they are still alive. Eronidas Art outside of the use of statues, however, is surprisingly nonexistent. While in some Eronidas homes weave patterns of their cloth separators could be considered art, they do not have any paintings, drawings, wood carvings, or tapestries.
Cuisine
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.
Architecture and Buildings
Eronidas Architecture is elegant and yet familiar to outsiders. This is largely because while Altalar crowned their achievements in building vast tall structures, the Eronidas invented the necessary load-bearing arches and dome structures used in Ailor cities in the modern era for temples. Many Ailor are not aware of this fact, but most of what the Ailor architects call Gothic architecture was only enabled by the inventions of the Eronidas and their complex weight distribution mathematics. For their own city-states, the Eronidas have adopted the pillar-based structures of Altalar temples and Etosian buildings, but made it their own and developed it entirely independently from these other Cultures. Their long, temple-like structures are built in a rectangular shape on a raised slab of thick brick, which is called a Solon. There is no real staircase entry or even a slope, and to enter such a building one must climb on top of the slab, which is often six feet off the ground. The rectangle is surrounded by pillars which are often expertly carved in the image of either some wild creature, or an Eronidas holding up the roof. The roof itself is a beam support section without nails or fastening, an ingenious construction of interlocking wooden panels that are both flexible and yet retain their sturdiness. It is said that because of these wooden panels, Eronidas buildings are the only ones completely immune to earthquake and tremor damage, and because of their height, suffer little to no flooding damage either. They do not have any walls, windows or doors, rather, the various rooms are separated by dyed cloth suspended from metal wires spanning between the pillars. Each room has a specific color with a specific purpose. These Solon are used as public gathering places to have fun and meet new people in, or just to relax and consume opiates. While alcohol is strictly forbidden in public, being under the influence of relaxant opiates is not.
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.
Government Hierarchy
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.
Role of Half-Eronidas
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.
Racism and Foreigners
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.
Eronidas Estates
Most Eronidas living above the third level live in some level of comfort, in what is called an Estate. These Estates are not traditionally large like an Ailor Noble Estate would be, but rather represent a larger complex of smaller buildings with a low wall around it. The primary structure is the Okchoi, which is the residence of the family itself. Next to the Okchoi is the Solon, or a public social place for all. There is a separation between what parts the family of the Estate may use, and what parts the servants may use, but many servants mingle frequently with the Estate owners. Next to the Okchoi is the Dolossos, or the House of Slaves. This is a bit of a misnamed structure, as there is no such thing as slavery in Eronidas society, though it is believed that this name stems from a time when they still did, long before coming to Daendroc. The Dolossos is where the servants live: ironically this building tends to be even larger than the Okchoi itself, as the Eronidas concern themselves mostly with just living in “only what you need” living conditions, with rooms serving strict utilitarian functions, though being richly decorated. Servants on the other hand are believed to work better when they are happier, so giving them additional leisure rooms is seen as beneficial. Finally, the last building is the Abano, or the bath house, which acts as a private bath. This is the only place in the entire Estate that is free use for all, where servants and Estate family wash communally. This is a strange experience to have for foreigners, especially Altalar, who have been captured and forced to live among Eronidas. To finish a long day of work with suddenly being washed by the Estate’s lord or lady is a strange experience, and casts a different perspective on the master-servant relation that these Altalar had often not seen before. It is believed that the first seeds of Altalar slave abolition were created here, eventually exported to other lands, particularly Solleria, where the idea that Altalar could re-envisage their slavery-theory if given enough time is becoming a strongly present ideology. The living standard in the Eronidas Estates is usually paid for by an efficient tax system that takes only what it needs, and has good payment systems in place for especially the warriors. Money often flows richly in Polons, as Eronidas are much-wanted mercenaries abroad, bringing back piles upon piles of currency that is freely spent on services.
Eronidas Lyceums
In the third level of the Polons also exist the Lyceums, or Stoles as they are called by the Eronidas. The Lyceums are uniquely schools for polymaths and philosophy among the Eronidas, schools which have no tuition costs and are even free to partake in foreigners (though foreigners, if not citizens of the Polon, are charged extortionary rates for room and board). These Lyceums are famous around the world for discussing and debating cutting edge self-critical ideology, one of the greatest philosophical schools among the Eronidas. They believe being self-critical is a very strong principle to strive for, and finding comfort in being hyper-aware of one’s own actions and principles is considered a virtue. The Eronidas practice publicly discussing their own flaws, or debating with others to expose their flaws and challenging them to rethink their approach to their problems. Many renowned champions also come to the Lyceums to use their studious air to perform War-Poetry, which involves the writing of death poems and finding beauty in the perils and fears of war and combat, so as to find greater peace of mind in battle. Some of the greatest death poems were created by the warrior poets of the Eronidas people, while many of them also contributed to the ethics and logic based discussions held in the Lyceums. It is often said that when a warrior walks into a Lyceum, all blood is washed away with reason, and even the strongest most brutish looking Eronidas with wild tusks can become soft-spoken, with wisdom passing their lips.
Eronidas Honor Code
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:
- Honor is the most important core value of the Code. Honor in life means upholding a good moral standard by Eronidas measure, as well as being dignified and having self-respect.
- Courage is the second most important core value of the Code. Courage demands strength in the face of adversity, but also strongly denounces desertion, retreat and fleeing from battle.
- Respect is the third most important core value of the Code. Respect is needed to be obedient and subservient to superiors, but also to respect the value of lesser beings as having a role in life.
- Integrity is the fourth most important core value of the Code. Integrity is needed to be consistent and honorable in one’s own beliefs, and to not change one’s mind or step back from earlier commitments.
- Loyalty is the fifth most important core value of the Code. Loyalty demands that all Eronidas fight for the sake of their kind, or at least for the sake of Eronidas when repressed or attacked by other Races.
- Self-Control is the sixth most important core value of the Code. Self-control meaning to restrain from excess and corruption, to remain in control of one’s own actions, and to not become a savage being.
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.
Attitudes on Magic
Eronidas attitudes towards Magic are complicated at best. The Eronidas are incapable of being Mages or Sorcerers themselves. For some reason, their minds simply cannot connect to the Veil, being simply unable to perceive it. This has allowed their society to develop distinctly separate from Magic, and it is even hypothesized that they defeated their avian, Magic-wielding enemies for that reason. Eronidas do not outwardly expressly hate Magic, they just think that because Magic comes from a different realm, that using it would be akin to Yazgar or Makosh accepting outside help and abandoning their natural skills. Eronidas dislike Magic (or Abilities of any kind save for Racial Abilities) on the notion that using Magic invites one to ignore traditional training or skill cultivation such as sewing many times to get the perfect seam. They reason that a Mage would much rather let the sewing needle be magically enchanted to do the work, so that they do not have to learn it. As such, the Eronidas believe that if one day Magic were to vanish from the world, that Mages and Sorcerers have neglected their own skills and strength to such a degree that they would wither and die. Eronidas can find respect in Mages and Sorcerers if they have other skills at which they excel way beyond others without the use of their Magic, but generally speaking, they look down upon most Mages and Sorcerers with a level of apathetic disapproval of their dismissal of physical skill. There is only one minor exception made for Ordial Mages, who are marginally more accepted. In the Polon, the dead are usually cremated, with the ashes spread into the wind several hills away from the Polon, the foreign dead are usually buried some while away from the Polon. It is their Ordial Mages who usually guide the souls on, and summon the souls of dead relatives to mourning shrines. In the Baros clans, there is usually one Ordial connected individual who acts as the Shaman, proclaiming visions from the ancestors and heroes of old, though their connections with the Ordial plane are usually dubious at best. Ghosts and dead things do not scare the Eronidas, who consider them messages from the afterlife.
Eronidas in Regalia
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.
These labor camps are typically built for hard labor, and are constructed in regions where the Regalian Empire has deemed this work necessary, such as in quarries, construction sites, mines, and most other physically-demanding industrial activities. Eronidas are held for a period of two years, though not in discomfort; they are treated as normal employees are, with breaks, time for leisure, and sufficient housing, food, and medical treatment to their needs. As such, though Eronidas may lament the dishonor of being held against their will and the danger of the jobs they are made to undertake, none can truthfully complain of discomfort.
Almost all Eronidas consider these labor camps to be a great dishonour and mistreatment of their people, pointing out that voluntary Eronidas labor as mercenaries in their armies, smiths in their forges, and engineers in their workshops, should provide all of the work that the Regalians need performed by Eronidas hands, and that they should not be singled out and forced to endanger themselves in Regalian workplaces as slaves, something that the Eronidas have entirely phased out of their own society.
Crafts and Industry
One of the industries that the Eronidas have become famous for is their creation of Blacksteel. Blacksteel is a tougher and heavier type of Steel that has effectively become standard-issue material for the Regalian Military, but also has found great aesthetic appreciation among the Regal Cultured Ailor. Eronidas have also developed ash-pottery, using a wide range of chemically enhanced ashes to produce strong clay capable of withstanding great temperatures as well as being decorated with vibrant colors, and having etched engravings applied by skilled artists. Despite not drinking as much wine, the Eronidas have also contributed to wine storage in clay vase vessels, improving upon the designs left behind by the Allorn Empire, and extending shelf life with their own additions. Eronidas cotton is also greatly appreciated abroad, not necessarily for its beauty, but for its strong absorbency, and its weave-strength. Generally speaking however, foreign nobility note their cotton as being coarse and itchy, as it is generally more suitable for making sails than actually wearing. This is often seen as ironic, since the Eronidas abhor the idea of naval combat or building ships. The city ships used to reach Daendroc were merely a necessity and not something the Eronidas actually liked using. Many scholars even reason that the Eronidas are so against naval combat and naval discipline due to them spending years abroad ships in squalid conditions. It is even said that there is no such thing as an Eronidas ship, which remains true to this day, though they have been sailors on ships owned by other Races.
Combat and Warfare
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.
Polon militaries are typically regarded as perhaps some of the most disciplined and professional armies in Aloria, owing to the mandatory military service demanded of every Polon resident; as a result, in times of need or conquest, a Polon can call on almost its entire population to rise and fight in the name of their Chontes, though this has almost never happened. Instead, the standing military of a Polon consists mostly of those Eronidas who remained in mandatory service indefinitely, which is still in itself a formidable foe to rouse. These armies consist mainly of a large heavily-armored infantry core supported by a smaller force of Aaltar Bok cavalrymen and very little in the way of ranged support. Typically, a Polon’s army is led by two generals, called Demichontes in a mirror of their twin rulers. These Demichontes are intended to more easily control larger and more unwieldy armies, as well as to provide redundancy in case one falls in battle, ensuring that an army is never leaderless.
Most Eronidas Demichontes and officers are instructed at the Lykon Command Polon, wherein the tenets of defensive and siege warfare are taught, teaching them how to properly build and use siege equipment, how to raise ringwalls and defend them well, and how to deploy infantry on the field. This adherence to doctrine has led to a particular vulnerability to skirmish attacks and ambushes, where the slow-moving Eronidas military’s preference for static positions and fortifications betrays them. Those Demichontes who are educated in other schools tend to act more aggressively, making use of Aaltar Bok cavalrymen to stampede enemy lines, inducing fear routing in less disciplined opponents and opening irreparably large holes in the formations of those who might otherwise hold fast to be exploited by infantry shock troopers.
In contrast, the Baros Eronidas lack a formal military structure and indeed rarely form armies of their own, preferring work as mercenaries in foreign armies to find their fortunes; when Baros do form larger armies, this is regarded as a very bad sign indeed for any nearby governments, as this either tells that the Baros have become desperate or brave. In both cases, this spells hard times for any population in their vicinity. Baros instead attack in their warbands, typically led from the front by their single Chontes warlord. Military actions made by the Baros usually consist of skirmishes in small groups, consisting of axe- or hammer-wielding infantrymen that are less well-armoured than their Polon counterparts and many more Aaltar Bok cavalry whose role is to sow disorganisation and chaos.
Eronidas military actions are usually made in Daendroc against encroaching Kathar by both Baros and Polon, who make an excellent buffer zone for the Altalar thanks to their resilience to Magic and therefore great success in movements against the Dread Empire. Nonetheless, Baros exist across Daen, generally causing problems for local governments by raiding settlements and picking fights with armed forces.
Trivia
- The best way to kill a famous Eronidas warrior is to murder them while taking a bath. Their warriors tend to be the most vulnerable while in a bath house, because weapons are never allowed inside. Still, one should expect a fight, as most Eronidas warriors are large and strong enough that even unarmed, they are incredibly formidable.
- Eronidas Polon are built in a raised structure, so that much of the interior of the city can be filled up with water tanks. It is commonly said that if there is a drought, an average Polon has enough water stored to last them three years.
- 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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