Korymbos

Korymbos
Capital	Nindara
Ruler	Judge-council
Government	Republic
Demonym	Korymban
Adjective	Korymban
Languages	Telan; Common; Hellean; many others
Religions	Chaskan pantheon; Hellean pantheon; Khapeshan pantheon; other pantheons and faiths

Korymbos (pronounced coh-RIM-bose) is a nation at the western gateway to the Chaskan whose bustling and vibrant emporiums are the crown jewel of the Bronze Sea, bringing together merchants and peoples from far and wide. The nation's navy, often called the Great Wall at Sea, has earned a reputation as unbeatable after defeating Tamkaranu, the Halakran League, and Viridia in relatively quick succession.

Geography, flora, and fauna

Korymbos encompasses the eastern half of the island of Nivaria at the westernmost edge of the Chaska Sea, as well as the islands of Ombrion, Planasia, and many smaller islands between these three. The eastern coast of the island enjoys much calmer weather than the western side, which is frequently battered by storms from the Sea of Khoros. Generally speaking the climate of Korymbos is characterized by fairly low seasonality and warm yet not hot weather year-round.

Most of the coastline of Nivaria consists of either sandy or rocky shores, but some beaches along the southern coast are instead made of high quality salt. Many islanders tell tales of brine dragons that make their lairs on the shore in these parts, yet these dragons have not been seen in many years, if they ever existed at all.

The interior of Nivaria is primarily scrub forest, full of evergreen shrubs and small trees along with taller pines and cedars. Tar seeps dot the inland hills, far more common in Nivaria than in almost anywhere else in the world. Cypress arboreals can be found in the inland hills of Nivaria, and more rarely closer to the Korymban settlements.

In addition to plentiful smaller animals, Nivaria is home to Nivarian sheep, moas, foxes, and more, in addition to many kinds of seals, whales, dolphins, and other marine life. There are relatively few natural predators on the island.

Demographics

Even compared to other nations around the Chaska Sea, Korymbos is very cosmopolitan. Humans, dwarves, elves, [[tengu], orcs, half-elves, half-orcs, gnomes, and every other ancestry can be found there, hailing from places near and far. The forebears of most individuals in Korymbos arrived on the island nation from Tamkaranu, Hellea, Thadria, Meklaw, Khapesh, and even Rothurland, but it is not at all unusual to hear a language or see a traditional dress from regions much further afield than any of these.

Culture

Government

Korymbos continues to maintain a system of government inherited from Tamkaranu in which most power ultimately rests in figures called shufet, essentially elected judges. Two of these judges are elected by each city in Korymbos to serve one- or two- year terms. While these judges have expansive executive and judicial powers, they also preside over elected city-level assemblies who advise the shufet.

In this form of diarchy, any shufet can veto the actions of their peer, thus forcing them to negotiate and reach an agreement on any issue in which they hold differing views. On certain matters the shufet must defer to their assemblies, most notably on any question of military action, trade embargo, or other such diplomatic activity.

Above the shufet is the judge-council. Formed of all the shufet of each city of Korymbos, the judge-council is responsible for any decision that affects the nation as a whole rather than only a single city.

Korymbos has universal suffrage - any adult inhabitant of a city or its surrounding regions may vote, regardless of time of residency, occupation, social status, or other such factors. Unlike in Tamkaranu, shufet in Korymbos are given a salary as compensation, which has opened the role up to those who were not already in possession of wealth.

Economy

Korymbos' economy is firmly rooted in trade. Merchants from far away flock to the emporiums of its port cities, buying and selling all manner of goods, everything from raw resources to finished goods of the finest craftsmanship. Korymban fishers and farmers support local populations, and its craftspeople meet local needs, but the nation does not export great amounts, preferring instead to make its wealth through imposing tariffs on foreign merchants and visitors and providing them with goods and services while they visit the emporiums.

Relations

The emporiums of Korymbos are open to merchants and visitors from everywhere, even places like the Machaian League, Viridia, and Tamkaranu, all of whom previously waged war against the island nation. The Korymban people prefer to look towards future possibilities rather than towards past strife - after all, their prosperity only increases with more people drawn to their cities and ports.