Iaramnae

Iaramnae
Flag of the Grand Empire of Hellea, still used by Iaramnae today
Capital	Teichos
Ruler	-
Government	Military triarchy
Demonym	Iaramnaean
Adjective	Iaramnaean
Languages	Hellean, Common
Religions	Hero-gods; Hellean pantheon; Koroibos

Iaramnae (pronounced eye-ah-ROM-nay) is the last of the Hellean nations to still claim legitimacy as one of the diadochi states, the successors to Eurykrates' Grand Empire of Hellea. The triarchs of Iaramnae, its leading generals, have for centuries viewed the lands of the other nations of Hellea as rightfully theirs, as they seek to expand their domain and reforge the Empire. Today Iaramnae is locked in a struggle with the Halakran League for control over the peninsula, a fight that has stretched and strained both.

Geography, flora, and fauna

One of the easternmost of the Hellean states, Iaramnae sits on the coast of the Sea of Ersas, where it has a long border with its nemeses in the Halakran League. Iaramnae has a typical climate for Hellea, with warm and dry summers and cool winters. Much of the region is covered by plains, with many farmlands along the rivers and near the coast. Forests in the southern and western hills provide refuge for the larger and more dangerous wildlife that continues to live in Iaramnae.

The major rivers in Iaramnae are the Harpina and Ornea, both of which begin in the hilly landscape near the Thunderlands before flowing to the nearest seas.

A significant amount of Iaramnae's territory lies off the Hellean mainland on the islands of the Sea of Ersas. The largest of these, Syrolis, is the site of the three most populated cities within the nation.

Located in southern Iaramnae, near the city of Hasa, the Silent Watch is a meadow containing almost four hundred statues of soldiers permanently petrified by the gaze of a medusa. The site of an ancient battle, the statues have remained fixed in place for many centuries, slowly eroding in the wind and rain.

History

Formation: death of Eurykrates and the diadochi

When the hero-god and conqueror Eurykrates died in Y6592^*, chaos spread throughout his empire. He had relied on the loyalty, or at least compliance, of local leaders as his armies spread across the peninsula, who now saw little reason to remain together in a realm they had never sought to be part of in the first place. At the same time, Eurykrates' death also left matters of succession unclear, for every one of his 26 generals claimed they had been promised all or part of the empire in exchange for their service. Each began to use the forces still loyal to them to carve new realms out of the only briefly united peninsula.

In most of Hellea, these successors, or diadochi states, squabbled amongst themselves, nearly all eventually collapsing to internal strife and divisions. In eastern Hellea however, along the Sea of Ersas, a different situation emerged. There, three of the diadochi - Stasanor, Aranzah, and Pasibkhanu - saw the discord and violence around them and, preferring to give up some of their power rather than completely lose it, forged an alliance. They became the first three triarchs, or leading generals, of the new nation of Iaramnae, ruling over their shared military forces and the city-states of the lands they claimed.

Conquests and league wars

As the patchwork of Hellea shifted, successive triarchs saw opportunity in the chaos and launched a series of conquests in an attempt to retake once imperial lands. While many of these had success, pushing the borders of Iaramnae west past the Harpina River and even briefly up to the Evenus River and south to Lake Coronis, they were not without consequences or resistance. The Kheironoi centaurs of the Thunderlands, for example, fought for centuries from the first Iaramnaen annexation of their forests in Y7620^* until they finally drove the interlopers out in Y7996^*. Iaramnae faced reprisals from several leagues of Hellean city-states as it attempted to expand as well, including most notably the War of the Niumean League from Y8262^* to Y8278^*.

Civil war and reforms

For much of its history, social and political life in Iaramnae was driven not only by the military but also by wealthy landowning families of the city-states, who were able to exert great influence through their privileged positions in local assemblies. As the families gradually consolidated their control of their lands into fewer and fewer hands, they began to feud with the triarchs and strategoi, seeking to push a very different vision of the nation where they alone ruled the cities. This came to a head with a brief revolt centered around the city of Ptelaphos in Y8590^*. This otherwise minor clash, quickly suppressed, would come to have lasting impact, however, as it drove the triachs at the time to institute a series of massive land reforms, stripping the wealthy families of their political rights and most of their land and giving it directly to the military instead.

Modern Iaramnae

Though it has certainly suffered setbacks, most notably the independence of Kyamita in Y9830^*, today Iaramnae is a nation with an eye once again for expansion, as the triarchs look to the north and west at lands they still claim, as successors to the Grand Empire of Hellea, to be their own. Low-level conflicts with the Halakran League have been ongoing for several centuries yet have dramatically escalated in recent decades, with outright pitched battles fought between the two Hellean nations for the first time in many years.

Demographics

The inhabitants of Iarammnae are predominantly human. Half-elves, elves, undine, goblins, and tengu account for much of the rest of the population. Some centaurs live in the area as well, particularly the Kheironoi of the Thunderlands.

Culture

See Hellea for more information on culture, geography, and history that is common to the nations of the peninsula.

Religion

Aside from the Hellean hero-gods, the people of Iaramnae also follow the gods of the Hellean pantheon. Worship of Melanthus, Khalkeus, Lycia, and Psais are popular among the common people. The saint Koroibos also has many devotees in Iaramnae, both within the military and the rest of society.

In some part of Iaramnae, most notably on the island of Syrolis, worship of the Chaskan pantheon is not unusual.

Iaramnaen leaders, military and otherwise, place great emphasis on the spiritual guidance of cyclopean oracles, frequently traveling both to both the cyclops of the southern mountains and sometimes even to the remote settlements of Alyma to seek their advice. Over the centuries a small number of these cyclops have been recruited as battle-oracles, consulted on the eve of an encounter to gain insight into the prayers and sacrifices to be performed in order to guarantee victory.

Even after the death of Eurykrates, small cults to the hero-god continued to persist in Iaramnae for several centuries before finally being suppressed as heretical by the triachs.

Military

Unusually, Iaramnae maintains a standing army, a dedicated force that can be called upon at any time by the strategoi to fight. While officially mandatory, there are enough exceptions in Iaramnaen conscription that it can be effectively avoided by those seeking to avoid conflict, yet it remains culturally strongly encouraged, especially as it is one of the fastest routes towards social advancement. Still, it is not uncommon for soldiers to maintain a second profession at the same time, even to the point of returning home for extended periods during the spring and fall to help with farm work.

Magic

Iaramnaean practitioners of magic are disproportionately magi, preferring to meld their magic with their combat skills. A small group of Iaramnaean magi have recently perfected the art of applying their spellstrike through siege weapons, though fortunately for everyone else they have yet to find a chance to demonstrate these skills in practice.

Traditions

It is traditional for deceased Iaramnaen soldiers, mercenaries, and adventurers to be buried with their weapons used as grave markers. When hastily buried, these may just be set into the ground, but when afforded the time they are set into stones to ensure the weapons remain in place for longer.

Government

The Iaramnaen military has ultimate control over most affairs of the nation, though in practice they delegate much of the governance of the cities and towns to semi-democratic citizen administrations. At the top are the triarchs, the three foremost of the strategoi, or generals, who lead the military. Upon the death or retirement of a triach, the other two select a new figure for the role. Under them the military operates as a system of appointment, with each leader at higher ranks hand-selecting their own successor.

For matters of civic law, the military relies on civilian assemblies and judges, which, while not truly democratic in the Machaian style, is more open than in most other parts of Hellea, with every individual allowed a voice in the agoras even if not a vote.

Iaramnaean armies and military leaders are usually loyal not directly to the state but rather to their particular strategoi and chain of command. Strategoi go to great length to appease those under their control, usually with special titles, grants of wealth, or something similar. Strategoi usually have a particular region of Iaramnae that they consider to be part of their domain and sometimes come into conflict with each other over the exact boundaries.