Athlerale City Zu'aan

{

History

Early Expeditions and Founding

Decades before the start of the Shattering, the sailor and boatbuilder Efzerath "White Nails" discovered the Shen'Saru Brown Beach (Shen = quiet; Saru = Spirit; "quiet as a spirit"). After a couple of more expeditions, Awatians explorers and colonizers established diplomacy and trade deals with the Athulzan tribes. Hostilities from some Athulzan tribals were not missing. The Awatian immigrant, not wanting to go back to the archipelago, developed the first fortifications to defend the newly acquired territories.

Migrants kept coming, specially after the first fall of Awat. This propelled growth in the newly found Athlerale (Ath = Heights; lerale = "coast end"), as it was called by the melting pot of the Athulzan and Awatian cultures. The new Awatian immigrants escaping from the ruin brought architectonic knowledge that made Athlerale the first walled city, in the Athulzan range, before the start of the 4E. Many mason workers also sought the company of the Zurist and his disciples. It is spoken about Kiram, the master architect, a close friend of Zurist that would spoke hours with him and they would go together in pilgrimages to the "Forgotten Vault", located at the outskirt of the actual city of Athmor.

Many Athleralens would also become adventurous explores that would chart the Athulzan range. Many fell victim to hostile Zu'aan tribes and even some Kin'toni from the colder north territories. However, this enriched the Athleralens with education and knowledge about their world.

Defensive Period and Alliance with Athmor

Becoming a portuary city, Athlerale started getting immigrants that sailed from other territories of the Soend Sea. Soon the overgrowth of the city led them to find new industries outside the city walls. In some cases it made new friend with others, like in the case of Athmor openness to mining endeavors and request for masonry works. In other cases it only confirmed the hostility of other tribes. By the 4E 30, contact with Awat became stronger again, after they resolved their Kin'toni crisis.

At this point Athlerale became one of the principal ports of the Soend Sea and exported metals and medicines from Athmor to other coastal cities. Although this made the port city a desired target of pirates, looters and other barbarians, all martial effort focused on repelling this attack to to protect trade. After the 4E 50, the location of Athmor was known for many in the Athulzan range. It was victim of lootings and many attacks from tribals. At the time Athlerale was a minarchy of sailors and merchants, lower classes was composed of fishers and warriors.

These wealthy lords had different opinions about their position on the region, some wanted to subjugate Athmor and other intended to remain "growing tall rather than wide". This led to a secret war in the city among the wealthy. Finally those who wished to just protect trade won and started the first mercenary companies of the northern Soend Sea. These mercenaries helped in the protection of Athmor, while their employers were granted access to the "forgotten vault" and some of Zurist's knowledge. This would be the start of a long lasting alliance between both cities and also the start of many conflicts on the Athulzan range.

Influence Decline and Civil War

By 4E 80 Athlerale did not expanded their domains as much as Athmor, who started to depend less on Athlerale's services. On the Soend Sea's scenery, Awat quickly became a major economical power that competed with other maritime city-states.This left Athlerale as an stagnant power of moguls that relied on mercenary companies to win other state's wars. With all stagnation comes corruption. The idle-moguls hoarded great treasures while the rest of the population impoverished. Other territories, the most tribal and less developed, became uncared for.

Inrest started to grew in all the Athleralen territory, but the truths is that the impoverished stoneworkers and artisans started a conspiracy to overthrow the merchant class. In 4E 100 a short civil war erupted on Athlerale, the Coin Lords fells and the brotherhoods of artisans, stoneworkers, intellectuals and landlords along with the mercenary companies developed a new system of governance. From now on private property would only be held during one's lifetime without hereditary faculties.

Power would be exercised through a representative government of many councils where charges would be exercised during the lifetime or availability of a representative, every Athleralen was considered free and able to vote and participate in the politics. Military duty was obligatory for every male citizen, this made mercenary companies to become the professional army of the state. Although some deserted and became pirates or became private armies of exiled moguls. The majority of merchants being unable to pass property, developed ad wandering and nomadic lifestyle.

The great Peace

Until 4E 226 Athlerale was the major economical power again of the Athulzan range, only equaled by the isolated Athmoran state. Instead of expanding military, how the Athmoran did, they expanded through commerce and diplomacy. They established many subsidiary cities through modernizing tribes into full equipped urban settlements. They passed knowledge from other Soend Sea's nations to the whole Athulzan range. Finally in a combined effort with the athmorans, they founded Kin'toni hunters lodges to protects their routes. In this way, most communities and cities survived The Shattering the best they could.

Awat's Tributary

At the 4E 230 Awat recovered from its civil war, the new king emerged making Awat a great maritime power again. This time they would claim many lands outside the Archipelado, being the whole Athulzan range one of those. It was during these years that the Forgotten Vault became a ruin, it's secrets are only known now by higher Athmoran healers and the most influential members of Athlerale's secret fraternities. When they saw the imperial fleet at their port, Athlerale voted unanimously to surrender. And so the once free city of Athlerale became a tributary and lost again their influence on the Soend Sea.

The tax was became harsher with each passing generations, and with each generation Athlerale was forced to conquer one by one their old friends. The expansion of Athlerale pressed borders with Athmor and had more than the half of the Western Athulzan range (Athmor controlled most of the Eastern part). Suddenly the Awat's crown realized that this was a problem and on the 4E 390 started a campaign to conquer the remaining independent states of the Athulzan Range.

Coastal Wars and Present time

Finally on 4E 400 a war that would last almost half century broke on the Athulzan range. During this war, Athlerale stopped paying the tribute. This was an opportunity to other tributaries of Awat to resort to piracy and other practices to weaken Awat and/or gain more influence on their regions than what they were permitted. Finally on the 4E 447 the war was over. The last 20 years of the was were won thanks to the Athmoran effort. The once Awatian-Athulzan territories were either set free or annexed into the Athleralen nation, depending on their location.

However during the war period, many marriages occurred between Athmoran nobles and Athleralen citizens. This led to the present inheritance issues, where Athmoran are claiming family properties which include entire pieces of lands and some manors. This is an extremely pressing matter now that the world is getting colder and the nights longer.

Psychology

Athlerale idiosyncrasy is born from years of immigration from different regions. This is what makes the Athleralens very adaptive to their circumstances and very open to new experience. This mindset is what drove the first charters to explore all the Athulzan range. Following their history of merchants, their mentality adopted mischievous and opportunist tones. Which bred both their initial economic growth but also their first secret wars among moguls and the first mercenary companies.

This mentality exist today as the "Athleralen smile", in the premise of always showing their best attitude you never know what one of them may be actually thinking, intending feeling or truly experiencing. After the civil war and reforms, a new feature appeared on the mind of the population. This played well with their previous psychology. It was, first, the idea of self-governance followed by total freedom and subsequent responsibility and duty. The law to make property ownership to last just the present lifetime made Athleralens more mindful of their present time.

Making some more hedonistic and others too contemplative, both sides accept a life were possessions are frugal and matters must be attended immediately without wasting any second. This last aspect made duels to death or bleed a norm to resolve most disputes among citizens. The high value on personal freedom makes them prone to poligamy and to not give too much importance to family ties. Although they may seem mischievous, most of them have respect towards the property of other living individuals, making the return of due favors a common practice among them.

Due to their way of thinking, adventurous characters and open-mind, it is common for them to be excited about undertaking adventures or to go exploring distant lands. There is an idea of "biting every inch of the world" that permeates the young. During the great peace, intellectualism and multiculturalism reached their highest point in Athlerale, making them feel superior to their ignorant neighbors. All this add for individualistic and prideful behavior in all generations, where "one always knows better than anyone else what is best for oneself" extends a bit too far.

Said this, many Athleralens worry about their personal image and their beauty. This makes many males to happy undertake the obligatory military service in search for their ideal body, while females tend to expend many resources in herbs and remedies to remain youthful and attractive. This makes the less intellectual inclined Athleralens to have very shallow lives. Although it also show the extends of what an Athleralen may push their greed for their most basic desires, which also makes them dangerous individuals in competitive enterprises.

Lastly their interest of the unknown was what contributed them to organize pyramidal secret societies and even join forces with Athmor towards Kin'toni hunting. A reason for the high numbers of members in their fraternities to last so long in history is due to the never ending Athleralen curiosity.

Culture

Customs

In the present time, Athleralen custom are made to be aligned with their extroverted culture. Boasting and sharing experiences of every type are a common way of communication among both men and women. The view on life's frugality makes them prone to pleasure-seeking efforts or detachment, both taking them to risky behaviors in their lives. A life without risk is not a well lived life for any of them, because of this children are encouraged to explore their surrounding without too much care, this is very likely due to weak familiar bonds between them and their parents.

Parricide and fratricide is common if disputes arose, as well as having more than one family at the same time, either biological and symbolical. This also has lead to individual adapting well to brotherhoods, companies and fraternities, meaning whatever groups makes sense to their ambitions, aspirations and/or values. Because of their feeling of absolute freedom and risk-taking behavior, crime is also a bit common nowadays, as well as pirating groups sailing from the city. Some pirate republics were born from Athlerale as well as mercenary companies.

Because of this and the obligatory military service, is very usual to see every citizen with a sword of their own. This kind of custom is what gives birth to dueling culture within Athlerale.

Arts

Athleralen art has been always-evolving. From their beginnings, mosaics and bas-reliefs were an art imported from Awatian culture, we can still see many old houses exhibiting both expressions. This soon evolved into frescoes and sculptures alongisde the famous stone workings. Athleralen old stone workers were so famous at some point that traveled to Awat for its reconstruction and even other cities (Athmor within those that were close). During the mogul ruling, stone working faded and silver and goldsmithing gained popularity.

After the civil war, masonry disciplines were again reborn, these were used to modernize the tribals. In this period onward, fencing started becoming almost a national art. The new mindset and new immigrants gave birth to a musical evolution. Before they played music that was similar either to the Awatian and Athmoran modes, but after the civil war, new stringed instruments were developed and a faster style was created that expressed the vehemency and excitement of the free peoples. This music inspired to the average female to enter the dancing scene, Athleralen dancers became a luxury to see to other nations.

Values

Athleralen values really depend on the individual as subjectivity really matters to them. But something common about them is sexual progress, as the free peoples see sexual activity as the root of passion and endeavors. Is not uncommon for Athleralen to have personal competitions or undertake great endeavors just for a sexual reward. The most detached of the population tend to seek prestige and creative stimulation.

One thing outside their own ego that is valued, is "favor returning". Helping other for charity or without interest in personal is so rare that Athleralen feel a need to return what they have been given to their "donor".

Government

Communes

Athleralen ways of government had a lot of changes during it history. The first type of organization they had was comunes of fishers, sailors, farmers and merchants that colonized the area. As they started to defend themselves they had to shift to a more centralized and structured way of organization. This made the comunes to be regulated by constructor and architects that oversaw production and managed projects.

Minarchy

From the 4E 30 to the 4E 50 they experienced a slow shift to a minarchy where moguls became important than sailors themselves. Any form of state was nonexistent, product of years of trusting the commune's goodwill. The moguls, once important merchants, sailors and some architects, slowly took over all the influence, accumulated most of the wealth, promoted the cult of gold and founded most of the mercenary companies. At first this government procured the well being of it citizens as it was the primary employer and wealth generator.

But as the decades went by, they started to own even people, reducing part of the population to indentured slavery. The moguls imposed their own laws as they seemed fit in the areas that were of their property.

Democracy

Athlerale's last form of government that has been existing in the last centuries is a direct democracy with partial lifelong charges. Every citizen is able to vote, they vote either inside a sector, commune or fraternit to choose a representative. That representative assist to the great assembly on the central plaza. There, the representatives voice the opinions and ideas of their people to then vote for resolutions. Usually these assemblies last weeks as the representatives must go back and forth telling the news to their people and then coming back with their opinions.

Then once the resolutions are done, the "bureaucrats" (some volunteers and other chosen by the people) organize the actual social management to see the objectives done in time. In emergency cases, such as war or other urgent matters (as strong economic and legal decisions), the representatives also quickly vote for a reduced number of representatives that gather in the Coin House to resolve the issues in a more efficient way. All of this sounds like a troublesome system, yet a lot of common sense is used by the same population.

Most Athleralen are proactive in their groups to do public works and get paid for them. Most of the decisions taken by the assemblies are usually for a macro-scale issue (usually after a study of report done by bureaucrats or after voiced pressure by the population). In this democracy private property is no inheritable, all Athleralens must gain their own property through their wholes lives. This makes the housing system to be rotativa in accordance to market movement and opportunities.

There are rumors, usually by outsiders, that this democracy is often controlled by the big fraternities that work behind scenes. Although lately, these fraternities are too many that just seem a couple of more communities and they cannot achieve the type of change that they did during the civil war.

Military

The most valuable asset of Athleralen military power is their navy. Having a strong maritime tradition that spans centuries, Athleralens are expert shipbuilders, sailors and even, to some extends, pirates. Longboats were used primarily to habit in the in long voyages, and later they would be updated to become cargo ships in trading affairs and then war vessels for mercenaries to use. The best wars vessels, before the implementation of alchemical fire and great harpoons, would be those that were used only for the transport of troops and the lack of cargo space would have made them faster than other ships.

Later advancements and knowledge would result in the creation of both small and long ships capable of firing large harpoons from certain distances. In the years of the Great Peace, intellectuals and alchemist recovered knowledge from the Forgotten Vault, before this one became a sealed ruin, that let them create "alchemical fire", a fire that could be even burn on water surface. This advancement would lead to fire "grenades" that could set fire to enemy ships. This military secret became known to the Awatian kingdom, who used it in their fleet to be even with Athlerale, this is the main reason of why the free peoples surrendered without fighting to the Awatian.

Polearms for boarding ships, like pikes, long axes and halberds, and big rounded shields to cover from arrows fired from another vessel were the main weapons developed and used for both mercenaries and sailors. This preference for polearms would remain an element only appreciated by the mercenary companies and sea men, while the mainland citizens preferred to fight with shields and axes or swords. Later on the mainland wars and subsequent wars the great pike come into play, specially while fighting the Awatian troops.

Mercenary companies are the backbone of Athlerale, the promise of wealth, glory and "adventure" moves the hearts and minds of those who enjoy carnage in exchange for coins. Since early times they traveled the Soend Sea in the search others wars to participate and earn treasures from other nations. These mercenary companies made possible the victory for the civil war against the moguls. Their social identity has been so strong that a lot of the first companies exist to this day maintaining end evolving their traditions, some even continue to exist as pirates fleets raiding the Soend Sea and beyond.

Every free men of Athlerale, since the start of the democracy, is required to undergo military duty for 5 years since they reach 16 years. They can keep pursuing the career and become militia members of any controlled territory. In the years as tributaries of Awat, legions were created to conquer other Athulzan cities. Later these legions of sword or axe with shield, would become disciplined phalanxes to fight the Awatian armies. Cavalry was always rare, but it had to be implemented in the last century to win the war with Awat, as Awatians lack horsemanship skills and use mostly light and fast infantry and archery.

Religion

Sea Gods

The religion of the first colonizers was the worship of the sea god of the Awatian Pantheon. They constantly offered, as in the Awatian ancestral tradition, burnt offerings to the god as way to ask for the sea's abundance. As the communes grew, the sea god cult diversified into a pantheon of different deities, all commanded by the main sea god, like a storm deity, a fish fertility's goddess, a deep sea god and a good fortune or treasure deity. This last deity was conceived from the finding of sunken ships from the golden age, and this god would be used as a turning point for their culture and beliefs. It is worth mentioning that male sailors used to worship a phallic god or saw the sea god as a impetuous lusty male figure.

Cult of Gold

As the moguls started to rise in power, slowly as it was, the cult of gold started to gain form. First started as a main predisposition as the finding of treasure and oversea trade deals, then as the findings of metals in the Athulzan range. With these two processes, Athlerale was one of the first cities to mint coins in the Soend Sea. And thus started the cult of gold.

The value of gold and enthusiasm for trade drove the rising merchants to convince the population of the power and importance of wealth. As they started to get luxuries and immigrants from other regions, mercenary companies that would defend the city and bring wealth to the state, and even opportunities to acquire knowledge from the hidden vault, the importance of gold increased for them. By the 4E 80 the cult of the sea gods was already displaced and considered just a superstition of desperate sailors.

Current Beliefs

After gaining their freedom, rational thought mixed with a variation of Zuristianism would be adopted by the population. The ancestral cult of the sea was seen by most as a fairy tale or as outdated "powers" that could be defeated by Zu'aan will alone. The cult of gold was no more as the average Athlerale would feel as the master of that frugality called wealth that could be easily gained, lost and regained until death where it would be no more for the deceased.

Due to the population growth and immigration from different nations, Athlerale became full of different other religious beliefs that suited every worshiper as they deemed fit. Nowadays we can see little figurines or small worship places with different kind of idols in every street and common place.

Phallic Worship

It is worth mentioning that something that has stood erect over all centuries is the worship of the phallus. Even during the cult of gold's times the phallus kept being worshiped. This could explain the strong male chauvinism in Athlerale, the need to demonstrate sexual prowess and feel vigorous during one's life. This even shaped the whole sexuality of the culture: The phallus being worshiped by both male and women, makes male homosexuality as positive, but encourages women to stick only to heterosexuality.

Miscellany

Nearby Groups

Unknown

Athlerale City Zu'aan

Unknown