The walled polis of Aspida stands defiantly atop a precipitous cliff. The unforgiving mountains around it serve as a shield between its holdings and the rest of Agrea. Few have ever dared to attack its famed fortress, the Kolophon, and no attack has ever breached its walls. To the residents of Agrea, the Aspidans hold near-mythical status: feared warriors produced by a culture that centers around perfecting the mind and body for war. Their armies have rarely tasted defeat as they expand the borders of Aspida, seizing new lands and bounty.
Built for war
With their unearthly grace and fine features, aspidan elves appear hauntingly beautiful to humans and members of many other races. They are slightly shorter than humans on average, ranging from under 5 feet tall to just over 6 feet. They are more slender than humans, but heavier then the average elf, weighing between 130 to 165 pounds. Males and females are about the same height, and males are only marginally heavier than females.
Aspidan skin is normally olive colored or light brown. Some have fairer complexions with pink or peachy tones, but this is not as common as olive skin tones. Aspidan skin is normally very smooth and radiant, giving the face a healthy glow. Their hair is most often black or very dark brown. Those of mixed heritage may have different hair colors.
People of Aspida
For most of Aspida's neighbors, the term "Aspidan" evokes legendary warriors, trained from birth in every martial discipline known to humankind. It brings to mind songs of tight-knit martial bands, holding strong in the face of unbeatable odds. It sings of a great yearly competition that crowns the preeminent warrior-athlete in Aspida, and-by extension-the world. The majority of Aspida's inhabitants, though, aren't members of its mar tial elite. The famed warriors of Aspida have the means to devote their lives to studying and training in the ways of war because they rest atop a rigid social structure of serfs and servants that largely dwell beyond the Kolo phon's walls. Those who stand at the heights of Aspidan society, or outside it, are detailed here.
The Monarchy
Traditionally, Aspida is ruled by a monarch drawn from the lineage of lektoi. The monarchy passes from parent to eldest child, but any sibling or first cousin of the heir can challenge this succession and claim the throne by besting the heir in single combat. Currently, the monarchy is in a state of turmoil. King Anax has died, and his wife, Queen Cymede, has disappeared. An oracle of Keranos, the queen is said to have transformed into a pillar of fire and vanished into the wind, but until her death is certain, the lektoi are reluctant to name a new monarch. Anax and Cymede have no children, so the king's niece, Taranika, acts as regent, attempting to guide the polis through what is sure to be a difficult transition. As if the situation weren't complicated enough, rumors have it that Anax isn't dead. He, or perhaps some shimmering Nyxborn simulacrum of him, has been seen at the head of squads of satyr hoplites, wielding an axe that billows with smoke and drips searing lava.
Lektoi
At the apex of Aspidan society are the lektoi, the large warrior class of Aspida. Members of this class claim descent from the seven warriors who first established the Kolophon after the fall of the archons. Though the families now number more than seven, each one uses an animal associated with one of the seven warriors as its symbol, either the ram, lion, horse, boar, badger, bull, or hart. The ram, associated with Aspida's first king, Elektes, is commonly used as a symbol for the lektoi as a whole and for Aspidan strength, determination, and resilience. It is a popular theme in clothing, jewelry, and weapon ornamentation, and some lektoi even wear their hair braided into stylized ram horns. Although the lektoi claim descent from heroes, membership in this noble class isn't strictly hereditary. Any one can earn a place among them by claiming a victory in the annual Iroan Games. More commonly, members of lektoi families lose their place of privilege if they fail to fulfill their obligation to serve in the Aspidan military.
Stratians
The Aspidan military is formed of wandering bands of warriors (drawn from the lektoi families) known as stratians. Outside the walls of the Kolophon, the stratians camp in the forests and fields, hunt game for food, and train younger warriors as they go. Their tasks are to search for monsters that have strayed into Aspidan territory and to protect travelers. Stratian forces are divided into three types of duty and armed appropriately for the task before them: Alamon. Rugged forces of wanderers patrol Aspida's borders, defending against invasion or attack by monsters that dwell in the mountains, foothills, and bad lands around Aspidan territory. They are armed and armored for speed and agility, allowing them to move stealthily and strike unexpectedly. Lukos. The most elite forces among the stratians, the so-called wolves contend with threats that the Alamon can't handle alone. After the guerrilla tactics of the Alamon have softened up a target, the heavily armored Lukos march to finish the task. Oromai. The watchers are the guardians of the Kolophon who protect the fortress from invaders and maintain order within its walls.
Flame Speakers
Prominent spellcasters, the flamespeakers are reclusive priests of Purphoros who revere nature spirits and who inhabit fiery rifts in the mountains. The ancient practice is viewed as primitive but powerful, and Aspidans of any background might risk making a pilgrimage into the mountains to hear a flamespeaker's prophecies.
Servants and Serfs
Lektoi who complete their military service with honor often retire to the Kolophon or their family estates and go about the leisured life of aristocrats. Their house holds are run by a class of servants made up of lektoi who were unable or unwilling to undertake a military career. These servants lack citizenship's full privileges but retain a position of some honor thanks to their class. Below these servants, at the bottom of Aspida's social hierarchy, are the serfs. Comprising the vast majority of Aspida's population, the serfs largely reside outside the protection of the Kolophon, laboring to grow the staple crops that support Aspida's citizens and its trade. A relatively small number of serfs are skilled artisans who manage to build a more prosperous life for themselves with their crafts. But even these wealthier serfs can't own the land they live on, and they enjoy few rights or legal protections.
Conquer the world
Most who leave Aspida are looking to sharpen their skills in battle or seeking to gain new knowledge or technology to strengthen their culture. Sometimes more evil characters may look for more exotic slaves.
Most of them are martial classes, but a few are spellcasters. Spellcasting is just as important but limited to the higher classes of society thereby limiting the number of people who become spellcasters to the elite.
- Ability Score Increase.
You can increase any ability score by 2 and any other score by 1.
- Age.
Although elves reach physical maturity at about the same age as humans, the elven understanding of adulthood goes beyond physical growth to encompass worldly experience. An elf typically claims adulthood and an adult name around the age of 100 and can live to be 750 years old.
- Alignment.
Aspidans are tough and take pride in martial prowess often being lawful. They gambit the range from good to evil but are at minimum loyal to the city.
- Size.
Elves range from under 5 to over 6 feet tall and have slender builds. Your size is Medium.
- Speed.
Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
- Darkvision.
Accustomed to twilit and the night sky, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
- Fey Ancestry.
You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can't put you to sleep.
- Trance.
Elves do not sleep. Instead they meditate deeply, remaining semi-conscious, for 4 hours a day. The Common word for this meditation is "trance." While meditating, you dream after a fashion; such dreams are actually mental exercises that have become reflexive after years of practice. After resting in this way, you gain the same benefit a human would from 8 hours of sleep.
- Keen Senses.
You have proficiency in the Perception skill.
- Languages.
You can speak, read, and write Common and Elven.
- Sun Elf Weapon Training.
If you are from Aspida, you have proficiency with the Pike, Xophos(longsword), kopis (shortsword), shield.
- Cantrip.
You know one cantrip of your choice from the wizard spell list. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for it.
- Extra Language.
You can speak, read, and write one extra language of your choice.