Phraxos

"'They say Suel is dead and gone, but that is hardly correct. Nothing truly dies or leaves. The Emperor of Suel may be no more, but look to the Basileus of Carthage. The Theme of Placitum may be history, but look at our neighbors. They say the Bandon of Phraxos is in the past, but look at our County. If any are sons of Suel, it us for sure.' - Lord Yorgos XIV Lanthimos, Count of Phraxos"The County of Phraxos is one of the nine constituent states of the region known as the Placid Realms. It is bordered on the north by the County of Mamaros, to the northwest by the County of Cybel, to the west by the County of Hersek, and to the south by the March of Debrecin. On the northeast, the Placid Channel separates the coast from the Hesperides, while the southeast has a coastline with direct access to the Ocean of Annecto. Phraxos is a land torn between past and present, part of the world of today while the ghosts of yesteryear still hang heavy over all.

The Noble Sons Abroad
During the time of the Theme of Placitum, the Bandon of Phraxos was considered by many to be the most benign of the nine constituent subdivisions. The Bandon of Thamarotokos to the north had the enigmatic Teutobrens of the Himmelsstürmer Mountains, and to the south the Turma of Dabriseros was a frontier initially, and then a bastion against a further frontier after that. Phraxos was a rather calm, uncomplicated region to administer, and thus became a surprising haven for the lesser sons of nobles. Second and third sons not meant to inherit any significant wealth, land, or titles would either become clergy or seek military service. Among them, the more curious would choose Thamarotokos, the bold would choose Dabriseros, and the cautious would pick Phraxos. Many of these nobles would have officer roles, such as centurion or even komes, and even the the imperial families of Suel would send errant youth to Phraxos. One emperor, Constantinian IV of House Paleiologos, began his career as a centurion in Phraxos before the the sudden death of his elder brother in a boating accident made him the new heir apparent.

As part of the Theme of Placitum, the Bandon of Phraxos had the most civilian administration of the nine subdivisions. Due to the high population of minor nobles, the region as a whole and the provincial capital in particular had a much more rich presence of Suel high culture. Amphitheaters, villas, and all manner of temples to the many minor gods officially endorsed by the Imperial Cult were erected across the province. Suel art, especially mosaics, frescoes, and statues, is well preserved to this day in Phraxos, as is a surprisingly large collection of literature, especially poetry and philosophy. While events affecting the Theme of Placitum definitely were felt in the Bandon of Phraxos, the direct presence of Suel was more pronounced.

A Count In Emperor's Clothing
Following the Great Collapse, the final komes of the Bandon of Phraxos, Theodoros of House Lanthimos, became Lord Theodoros, 1st Count of Phraxos. Phraxos was the only of the nascent Placid Realms that kept its Suel name. A cousin of the first Basileus of Carthage, Efstradios of House Paleiologos, Theodoros engaged in a brief power struggle over true succession of the Suel throne. The County of Phraxos and the fledgling Empire of Carthage initially declared themselves each a legitimate successor state to the Suel Empire and lord over the other, though very briefly. In under a year, however, the Count ceased to style himself as Theodoros of Suel, and Basileus Efstradios sent missives addressing his cousin as a noble and sovereign ruler.

In the time since, the County of Phraxos has been largely peaceful. Through a combination of blood ties and ease of access, they've been the main avenue for trade from Carthage, and by extension the greater world east of Ocedon. Culturally, they've maintained some of the trappings of Suel culture, including their love of the learned arts, such that annual contests of poetry and playwriting are held in the capital. While they've abandoned any pretenses of being the true Suel Empire, they do choose to inherit some of its responsibilities, including a slightly more active interest in the Mercurial Realms, and the maintenance of the last remaining vestiges of the Imperial Cult.

During the Great War Against Tiamat, the County of Phraxos committed the whole of its County Guard southward into the Mercurial Realms out of their perceived obligation. The Count himself at the time, Constantinian IX, as well as his Praetorian Palatine, Magos Palatine, and Pontifex Maximus, marched alongside them, and even slew a decent number of foul creatures. Most famously, they fought during the infamous Liberation of Lisboa, a major port city of the Mercurial Realms that had been overrun by an extended family of black dragons. The Count of Phraxos, in a decision honorable enough to even impress a dwarf, committed to liberating the city despite the overwhelming odds, due to an oath sworn during the time of Suel to repay the city of Lisboa for supporting the House of Lanthimos in a time of need. By battle's end, the city had been liberated, at extreme cost: over three quarters of the County Guard had been killed, reducing some companies to fewer than ten men. The Count himself was grievously wounded, his Praetorian Palatine mortally wounded defending him, his Magos Palatine lost an arm and a leg, and his Pontifex Maximus had the flesh melted from most of his face and chest by acid. However, over twenty dragons of various sizes had been felled that day, and the city returned to human hands. For the rest of the war, the County of Phraxos licked its wounds and made trophies of their kills, satisfied to have upheld their honor and paid off their ancient debt.

After the Great War Against Tiamat, Phraxos enjoyed a millennia of relative peace. The Great Deluge wrought by the Circle of Laurels damaged a number of low lying villages, but also uncovered several Suel archeological sites that had been overgrown in centuries past. Throughout the intervening centuries, Phraxos has been involved in the affairs of the Mercurial Realms somewhat regularly, hiring out County Guard Companies to various city-states and petty republics on a regular basis to fight in their many wars. During the Great River War, Phraxos committed all County Guard to the fight, though little fighting actually took place in the County. Still, this was hardly an easy task, as two companies were fighting as hired swords in the Mercurial Realms at the time and could not be immediately recalled.

Religion
Phraxos is majority Kordian, as most of the Placid Realms are. The most notable unique religious activity in the region is the presence of the Templo Cultum Universalis, the last surviving active religious site of the old Imperial Cult of Suel. Here, the last high priest of the Cultum Universalis, the Pontifex Maximus, preserves an unbroken lineage stretching back into the old days of Suel. Within the temple, idols to every deity great and small, as well as symbols and scrolls of ancient lore tucked away. The active participation in the cult numbers well below a hundred, with there seldom being any members besides the Pontifex Maximus and his chosen apprentice rising above the level of an acolyte. Most members are the non-inheriting children of noble houses with some sort of intellectual curiosity, who fall out of active worship very shortly after being inducted into the beginning mysteries of the religion.

Quite simply, the Cultum Universalis ("Universal Cult" in Ancient Sueloise), or Imperial Cult as it has become known to historians, is a rational religion that embraces all gods. Rather than pledging devotion to a single god, the cult studies all gods and collects myriad prayers. The practices are almost transactional, much more pragmatic than most current major religions: for a given issue, a prayer is directed to the appropriate god, and a result occurs. In Suel times, the priesthood essentially mediated between the masses and the gods, advising to whom one should direct a prayer for a desired result.

Imperial Inheritance
Due to the strong presence of the Suel aristocracy before the Great Collapse, Phraxos has maintained a much stronger continuation of Suel tradition for the past two and a half millennia. Poetry and theatre continue to be celebrated arts, with the provincial capital boasting one of the largest extant Suel amphitheaters. Plays remain extremely popular, and other spectacles such as horseracing or even the occasional gladiatorial exhibition take place regularly. Villas for noble families still dot the countryside. Philosophical concepts, such as otium (virtuous leisure time, typically reserved for bettering oneself intellectually) and noblesse oblige (the idea that nobility confers duties of service to plebians and patricians, as well as privileges) inform common thought. Holdovers of the Suel era, such as the Imperial Cult and the last of the arcane warriors known the Suel Arcanamachs, continue to exist in a very limited fashion, last of their kind on earth. In a sense, Phraxos is the last preserve of an older order, the last unspoiled bit of Suel.

Modern Sensibilities
For all their posturing as heirs to Suel, Phraxos is without a doubt firmly a modern, unique entity. While the arts are a celebrated thing, often the masters of the realm are trained in the Bardic College of Stratford. While the Liberation of Lisboa a millenium ago was an act of honor and obligation, since then the County of Phraxos has made regular earnings off of renting County Guard to various lesser powers of the Mercurial Realms. While the romantic view of history is important to the County, it is hardly a reflection of the daily reality. Suel lives more in archeological sites than common households. However, Phraxos does have the distinction of being the only of the Placid Realms to embrace a Suel legacy, and the only one that would not be considered ridiculous for doing so.

Politics
The County of Phraxos maintains amicable relations with the rest of the Placid Realms, as well as a few unique foreign relations. With the ruling House Lanthimos being a cadet branch of the imperial House Paleiologos of Carthage, Phraxos enjoys superior relations with Carthage, including better trade relations and easier access to ports and resources of their court, such as wizards to train their own. Relations with the Hesperian Orders off the coast are slightly icy, due to the fact that they did not initially side with Phraxos' claim as heir to Suel, and their very recent return to the imperial fold as vassals of Carthage. Phraxos also takes a much more active interest in the affairs of the Mercurial Realms due to their regular involvement in their wars. States of the Mercurial Realms will hire out County Guard Companies, referring to them as Condottieri to distinguish them from private mercenary companies, to fight their wars with each other. This arrangement fills the coffers and offers valuable experience to the County Guard.

Domestically, the political landscape of Phraxos is largely dictated by tradition. Noble families entrenched for millennia in the region continue to dominate politics and high culture. The court of the Count more closely mimics a traditional Suel court than many modern ones. His most vital courtiers are his Praetorian Palatine, Magos Palatine, and the Pontifex Maximus, known collectively as the Triumvirate. The Praetorian Palatine substitutes the role of a Champion in other courts, but also retains the bodyguard role of the old Suel Praetorians. The Magos Palatine fulfills the role of a court wizard to the Count, as well as being an alchemist and historian in charge of presenting the Count with useful information from the past to inform future decisions. Both the Praetorian Palatine and Magos Palatine are dynastic roles, carried down through House Baros and House Scaevola, respectively, and junior members of these houses are entitled to the title Voithos Palatine (literally "assistant of the palace" in Ancient Sueloise), and the heirs apparent known as Voithos Prota ("first assistant"). The Pontifex Maximus, as high priest of the Cultum Universalis, is a religious advisor in lieu of a personal confessor or cleric, as well as a reader of omens and moral guide. The Pontifex Maximus is not a heritable position, and each has trained their successor since the times of Suel. Typically the Pontifex Maximus is of noble stock, though never the heir; usually the Pontifex Maximus will see a promising successor in the form of an acolyte studying out of curious boredom and groom them as a future replacement. Many times, the successor is less than fully trained or qualified, seldom rising above the ranks of acolyte before assuming the highest role; however, by the end of their tenure they have usually become true masters of the ancient mysteries.

Ecology
The County of Phraxos is generally temperate, with more swampland in the west and progressively more flatlands and hills as one approaches the coast. While the swamplands harbor more of the swamp agriculture one associates with the Placid Realms, the flatlands and hills have a climate more similar to old Suel, and agriculture reflects this. Phraxos produces grapes and olives in abundance, far in excess of all of the other Placid Realms combined, which both supplements the local diet with fresh products, and enriches the whole region with associated products, such as wine and oil. The hillsides as well as the coast provide good land for shepherds, allowing for a greater prevalence of goat's cheese and lamb in the diet. The northern coast, across from the Hesperides, grows decent groves of a unique type of tree known as Calamochnus Pines. While found much more prominently across the whole of the coast of Mamaros, the unique interplay of saltwater from sea spray and freshwater from rain allows for these windswept looking pines to thrive across from the Hesperides. The great forest of them, known as the Claviculum Nigrum, runs the whole length of the Placid Channel, with Phraxos containing the southern quarter of it.

Phraxos is home to more remnants of forgotten civilizations than just Suel. Multiple distinct types of lizardmen dwell within the eastern swamplands, some among their own bizarre villages, others in the sunken Suel ruins that the Great Deluge brought more to their liking. Among the forests and flatlands, roving bands of wood and wild elves prowl, sometimes keen to trade and parlay, other times enigmatically prowling at the edge of vision before striking down perceived encroachment in the form of woodsmen or huntsmen. The swamps and the northern pine forest are also home to bizarre fey that have been attested to since the times of Suel, which only the druids truly know, and even they have their doubts.

Economy
The County of Phraxos produces several goods in abundance that other states of the Placid Realms are eager to trade for. Phraxos produces both traditional and bogberry wine, though the latter in miniscule volume, and claims to have mastery of the art of traditional viniculture for thousands of years, which some people take seriously. The olive oil of Phraxos is known to be of superior quality, and is readily consumed across the Nine Realms. By way of their shepherds, Phraxos is also able to export far more textiles than most, spinning and weaving all manner of styles and patterns, even selling articles to Carthage and the Mercurial Realms to those who revel in sartorial splendor. Dyes derived from bogberries and coastal shellfish and seaweeds offer a wide assortment of colors. In exchange, Phraxos is able to import metals and stone it needs, as domestic production is often insufficient.

A major source of revenue for the state is the hiring out of County Guard in the Mercurial Realms. Their many wars amongst one another are usually fought by mercenary armies composed of many companies hired on either side. Phraxos is the most popular Realm for hired Condottieri, loaned state soldiers rather than true mercenary companies. This makes them more loyal and professional, as other mercenaries may switch sides in the midst of battle due to the promise of higher pay. Beyond the valuable experience the County Guard receives in these many small wars, the warring states of the south are rich from trade and spare no expense in their internecine wars. This is a blessing to Phraxos, allowing the Count to sponsor lavish art festivals, a full museum in the capital, and the occasional archeological dig at no major tax expense.

Military
The Phraxos County Guard is a hardened fighting force known for consistently punching above their weight, with their seven companies earning all sorts of battle honors over the years. Clad in chainmail and heavy steel shields and outfitted with spears and javelins, they bear a uniform similar to legionaries of the later Suel Empire. Each company is led by a captain trained in the old arts of the arcane as a Suel Arcanamach. These captains, occasionally called centurions, are picked from among the more commanding individuals in a company. The vaunted Phraxos County Guard 1st Company, named the Hoplites after the elite legionaries of old, marches to battle in scale mail with masterwork gear, with an even more legionary organization, with each group of nine men led by a tenth known as a decanus. Each decanus is also a Suel Arcanamach, providing great leadership and arcane support. All centurions and decanii wear scale mail and wield shields, all made from black dragonhide harvested after the Liberation of Lisboa so many centuries ago. Supported by this charismatic command staff, the Phraxos County Guard is a fearsome presence on the battlefield, be it against men, lizards, orcs, goblins, or elves.

The Phraxos County Guard has fought most of its battles against men, in the form of the ceaseless wars of the Mercurial Realms. In such conflicts, they have a reputation for being much more honorable than the mercenaries they often fight beside or against. Their discipline is known, as they still adopt tactics of the Suel in the modern day, despite advances in technology and the arts of war. Their most common formation, a derivative of the traditional phalanx formation known as a Phraxos Phalanx, is a three layered battle line, with the front having shields and shortspears drawn, the second line reaching through with longspears, and the third throwing javelins. As one falls, the next behind switches arms to replace them, and reserves move forward. While they may lack the long range capabilities of archers or crossbowmen, and their infantry is not the heaviest, swiftest, or hardiest, their mastery of combined arms is extremely effective, especially when anchored by an Arcanamach in command.