Metrya (pronounced MEH-tree-ah) has revived the ancient Hellean traditions of democracy, though the lingering inequality of this system has led to undercurrents that threaten this prosperous state. Traditional cottage industries in Metrya have begun to be replaced by centralized workshops.
Geography, flora, and fauna
Metrya is located on the northern side of central Hellea, wedged between its neighbors of Ephardia, Halakros, Iaramnae, and Magnia. The climate of the region is generally cooler than Hellea as a whole, with weather patterns off the Sentinel Peaks a strong influence on precipitation and temperature.
The Twin Lakes lie in the center of Metrya. Though technically one lake with a five to eight mile wide strait in the middle, they are generally considered separate bodies of water. The lakes do not have official names and are usually referred to by their cardinal directions (the Western Lake and the Eastern Lake). Both lakes are fed by innumerable rivers - most are small, though the Tyria River, originating in the Greenwall, and the Evros River, beginning in the Sentinel Peaks, carry great amounts of water during seasonal melts. The Peiros River is the sole outlet from the Twin Lakes, connecting the interior bodies of water to the Sea of Ersas to the east via a winding route.
Lycanthropes and vampires reportedly have negative reactions to the water of the Evros River. Some suspect this to be the result of particulate silver carried south from the ore-rich mountains.
The Metryan landscape primarily consists of hilly plains and forests. Around the Twin Lakes in particular the natural landscape has been replaced with extensive farms, with less development the further one travels away from the center of Metrya.
Metryan forests are primarily comprised of oaks, spruces, beeches, and black pines. Plains are not only grasses but also small bushes and a large variety of flowering plants - in the springs, the grasslands bloom into fields of many colors.
A wide range of animals live in Metrya, including kri-kri, badgers, lions, lynx, wolves, otters, weasels, deer, and chamois. Birds such as falcons, eagles, and vultures are common as well. Wildlife is less common in the heavily urbanized areas around the Twin Lakes.
Though less common in Metrya than in neighboring Halakros, griffons live in the wilds of the region. Some even train these creatures, though as they are intelligent and value loyalty highly, some find it better to gain their friendship instead.
Catoblepas are occasionally reported in the forests around the southwestern cities of Araplos and Arkesine. These creatures do not commonly cross the border from the less-developed western side of Halakros, but when they do it is cause for concern.
Similarly, chimeras sometimes venture farther from their dens in the Greenwall into Metrya. These terrifying and evil creatures are not as intelligent as commonly believed, but regardless are highly dangerous.
Highly reclusive, hippalektryons are known to live in the northern hilly landscape, including across the border with Magnia. Little is known about these half-horse, half-rooster creatures, but they are generally thought of with reverence and treated respectfully by Metryan culture.
Demographics
Metrya is quite cosmopolitan, with individuals of a great many ancestries calling the region home. Humans, half-elves, elves, dwarfs, aasimar, tieflings, and sylphs account for most but not all of Metrya’s population. Though few in number, a handful of centaurs have integrated into Metryan society and often serve as statesmen.
Culture
See Hellea for more information on culture, geography, and history that is common to the nations of the peninsula.
Religion
Like elsewhere in Hellea, the hero-gods play a prominent role in Metryan religion. The region’s high population and development means that when hero-gods seek servants to further their goals, they frequently turn to the cities of Metrya. One hero-god, Kynos, resides within the Metryan capital, and many of his itinerant clerics can be found across the region’s cities.
Aside from the hero-gods, the people of Metrya also follow the gods of the common pantheon. Abadar, Desna, and Sarenrae are particularly popular, as are Pharasma and Calistria to lesser degrees. Major cities usually have large religious districts, home to monumental temples and those that serve within them.
Traditions
The people of Metrya have a strong culture of festivals, celebrating anything from historical events, holy days, or just to have fun. Many festivals are state-sponsored and funded, as long as they can gain approval (which generally means the organizers refrain from public criticism of prominent philosopher politicians). Those that are not state-sponsored are still legal and tolerated, but generally smaller and less lavish as they must rely on private funding instead.
Languages
Hellean is by far the most frequently spoken language in Metrya, followed by Common. Racial languages, especially Elven and Dwarven, are also widespread. Regional languages of elsewhere can be heard widely in the major cities of Metrya, as they are generally useful considering the high populations of immigrants and heavy economic activity of the region.
Arts
Black-figure pottery is an art form with a long history in Metrya. Leaving behind realistic depictions in favor of stylistic elements, this type of decoration is used not just for formal art pieces but also for pottery that sees every-day use. Liquid or loose trade goods from Metrya, those that are shipped in pithoi, can be easily identified by the decoration on their containers.
The art of oration is a longstanding tradition in Metrya, as it is in much of Hellea. In addition to the common forms of oratory, satire is a popular art form in Metrya. Satire is used both for entertainment, as a way of humorously mocking public figures, and also as a political tool. Metryan politicians frequently employ satirists to write and perform works critical of their opponents, or even write satirical plays themselves. Many satirists incorporate minor magical tricks into their works to enhance the effect. There are even a handful of oratory schools in major Metryan cities that specialize in teaching this style.
Bards are disproportionately common in Metrya, in particular those that fuse their magic with their oratory skills. These bards use their spells to aid their speaking abilities in convincing others of their views, riling up crowds, or performing in other contexts. In Metryan politics, however, use of any kind of magic that would aid in political efforts is strictly prohibited - this ban was instituted after politicians began using spells like mass suggestion to “convince” others to vote their way. However, the exact wording of the ban is somewhat vague, and some try to find ways to skirt this prohibition.
Architecture and urbanization
Quite similar to elsewhere in Hellea, Metryan architecture takes a variety of forms, depending on the purpose of the building. Most immediately striking are the palaces and temples, with their tall marble columns, grand arches, gabled roofs, and detailed reliefs carved in the walls. More mundane buildings are usually built of stone, brick, and stucco. Whether buildings are ceremonial or domestic, Hellean architecture emphasizes open space - tall hallways, paths, and courtyards are all common. Floors, at least for those who can afford them, are usually made of polished stone or mosaics. These mosaics generally depict something related to the purpose of the building. An apothecary’s shop, for example, might have a mosaic showing plants sold there or the owner of the shop tending to them.
Metrya contains some of the oldest still-standing examples of ancient Hellean architecture, many of which remain in use. Metryan temples in particular tend to be quite old, as even when damaged or destroyed they are rebuilt using as much of the original material and design as possible.
The core Metryan lands around the Twin Lakes are densely populated and heavily urbanized. Cities that dot the shore are quite large and slowly but continually growing outwards, subsuming smaller towns that had grown up near the former outskirts. The Metryan population becomes more diffuse away from the lakes - though there are certainly large cities away from these bodies of water, they are less common and most people there live in small towns.
Food and cuisine
Metyran cuisine tends to make heavy use of fish, as most major population centers are on the Twin Lakes or the surrounding rivers. The region is somewhat colder than Hellea as a whole, so the crops grown in Metrya are generally those better suited to more seasonality.
Occupations
While many in Metrya continue to farm and work in cottage industries as has been the norm for centuries, some wealthy and enterprising types have begun to pioneer new methods of producing goods. Rather than seek out the skills of trained and skilled craftspeople, these individuals instead hire large numbers of laborers and employ them in a wage labor relationship in workshops, setting them to task mass producing various goods. Though their finished goods are rarely on the level of what a skilled individual could produce, this arrangement results in a vastly increased level of production. The side effects of this new shift have only exacerbated the social issues and latent discontent in Metrya, and some disgruntled citizens have begun to take action...
Travel
Travel in Metrya is primarily undertaken by way of the many rivers that feed into the Twin Lakes. Nearly all the major population centers are along these rivers, so most travel in Metrya is quite convenient. Roads around the shores of the Twin Lakes are usually well-maintained and safe to travel, but this becomes less the case if traveling around the border regions of Metrya.
Metrya is a major destination for immigrants arriving both from elsewhere in Hellea and from farther afield. Though it arguably does not fulfill its lofty promises of democracy, many are drawn to the region by the lure of an equal and fair society, and by the plentiful (though frequently poorly paying) jobs in the industrious workshops. Alongside the influx of population, those wishing to travel the Asterian Trail sometimes arrive at its southern terminus after first crossing Hellea through Metrya.
Education
Metryan cities are home to a number of notable and prestigious universities, where one can obtain a higher education in many advanced fields. Despite this, basic educational institutions in Metrya are rather lacking. Schools are usually run by temples and are overwhelmingly focused on religious education. Literacy rates are very high among the Metryan upper classes, but less so among the common people.
Government
Though an oligarchy for much of its history, within the last two hundred years Metrya has begun to re-institute the pre-Eurykratian Hellean traditions of direct democracy. While this has had some success, lingering inequalities continue to cause discontent.
Though a direct democracy, Meytra imposes stringent requirements that must be met before one is allowed to vote. Specifically, suffrage is only extended to those who own at least five acres of land and can prove their family’s residence in Metrya for at least five generations. This excludes the region’s sizable immigrant population, as well as much of the lower classes who do not have the sort of documentation that must be presented. Individuals of longer-living races are also at a distinct disadvantage. As a result, those that vote in Metryan elections are far fewer in number than the population as a whole, and are by and large predominantly wealthy and human.
Metryan administrators have continually promised to overhaul and rectify this system, but have failed to do so thus far.
Assemblies convene regularly in Metryan cities, where citizens can vote on issues that have been raised. Local elections are simply resolved in the city they are held, but region-wide elections are somewhat more complicated. After each assembly meets and votes, the votes are then taken to the capital city of Metrya, where they are publicly tallied for decisions to be declared and actions to be implemented. All Metryan assemblies are public affairs - votes are never secret. Voting is usually preceded by speeches where advocates of differing positions attempt to make their case.
Assemblies take place in local amphitheaters, which are usually outdoor structures that also serve as gathering places for festivals, entertainers, and other special occasions.
Assemblies are organized and led by directly elected representatives of each city.
Military
Rather unusually, the higher ranks in the Metryan military are elective. Strategoi, the generals of Metrya, are not promoted from the ranks but are rather voted into their positions by the populace. As such, it is not unusual for strategoi to have no military experience, though most are politicians with considerable leadership abilities. This elective nature does not apply to the lower ranks of officers, who are promoted in a more conventional style.
Economy
The Metryan economy is relatively well-developed, primarily centering around the production of goods from imported raw materials. In the cities around the Twin Lakes, cottage industries have begun to give way to workshop-style facilities with wage labor.
Though Metrya produces food, timber, and other raw materials, it by and large does not export these directly. The major exception to this is silver from the mines around the northern city of Koulas, which play a significant role in the wealth of the region.
Most Metryan imports and exports come and go by way of the Peiros River. While geographically a convenient and easily navigable route to the coast, emptying into the Sea of Ersas, trade ships must pass through three other regions to reach their destinations. Kyamita welcomes Metryan trade, and the Halakran barons and dukes generally pay little attention to the travellers. The Iaramnaen generals, however, are keenly aware of the valuable items passing through their lands, and frequently levy high tolls. As a result, some Metryan merchants seek out other routes - even if longer and more expensive in travel costs, it is sometimes worth it.