"That teaming mass, the throng of people, the city of 10,000 dreams, may it dream 10,000 more. May the ocean currents take me there, may my horse swiftly gallop. I have longed for my home once more, for its towers, statues, forums. I have longed to see the Redcliff, and know I am home. There is no city like her, no larger, no greater, no more beautiful. Look before her and despair, ye faithful, ye pilgrims, ye travelers, ye conquerors, ye gods."

-The Poet, Zanthipus of Eldios

Arissian Culture

The Diminished Empire

Before the humans poured through into the valley, the Green Valley was inhabited by a lively and happy folk, the halflings. Their origins reached back before their own living memory, and unlike most, the halflings didn't care too much about their origins; they lived in the present. The halflings lived peacefully in villages spread all along the coast of the Green Waters, and they took advantage of the warm weather, growing grains year round, and flourishing from their good fortune. However, eventually biggerfolk did come into the Green Valley, and they did not feel like sharing with the halfling host. These early human settlers brought raiding parties to brutalize and rob the halflings, hoping to push them away from their lands. However, the humans underestimated the halflings' love of their land, and rather then move on elsewhere, the halflings organized militias, and fought back against the raiders. After hundreds of years of this, the halflings were transformed into a martial people, operating from their capital of Arissium. They spread out, forming a nation called Arissia after their first capital. The halflings formed a kingdom, then a republic, and finally, it transformed into an empire, the dominate, ruled by a single figure from their new capital at Eldios. Eldios became a bustling imperial capital, and the center of all the empire's efforts. It spread out and conquered the deserts to the south, the lands of Kamon, Silentium, Avenus, Aegyrii, Zaltia, Manfridium, and Adra Minoris. Theirs was a continent spanning empire, and for 1000 years, the world revolved around them. Their rivals were to the west, the Mehtians, and then later, the Tesiphonians, and the wars that once expanded borders became wars that maintained borders. The empire grew larger than any empire could possibly be, and so established four imperial capitals, at Eldios, but also at Aegyr, Maldew, and Rumpkin. With four capitals came four emperors, who together tried to run the empire wisely. However, while under competent heads of state, the empire flourished, under ambitious or paranoid leaders, the empire fell into civil war. Civil war, disease, natural disasters, piracy, foreign wars, and population migrations all began to accumulate: when one problem occurred, others tended to follow. And when stability was needed at the top, the singular power and wealth of the Imperator led men to sacrifice the state for their own ambitions and greed. Two events led to a total collapse of Imperial order: First, a dragon assault on Aegyri resulted in the fall of the empire's second largest city, and the death of the Emperor's son. Then, the Khagan Uktra Tangon invaded Arissium, leading a massive raiding party to burn and pillage dozens of imperial cities. In order to put down the Khagan and preserve the capital, troops were pulled out of the provinces, and the empire lost all control outside of Arissium, Novisium, and Albisium. Since then, the past 300 years have been mostly marked by frequent civil war and famine, as the remnants of the empire attempted to pull itself back together. 60 years ago however, in an effort to restore stability, and gain the loyalty of the elites, the Old Senate was empowered, and the landed magnates, now having a stake in government again, contributed massively to the funding of state projects and volunteered their forces to the military. Now the empire is on the road to recovery, but many challenges still remain.

          Arissian culture is, at least in a recognizable form, about 5,000 years old. From the first coastal settlements to the empire of today, an unbroken line can be drawn culturally through the centuries. In many ways, the Arissians share many things in common with the culture of Kamomenus, as the two have passed back and forth ideas and influences for their long histories. Arissians have a keen sense of agrarian labor, tending better and more fertile farms than can be found elsewhere in the world. Furthermore, they view agrarian work not only as respectable, but as the bedrock of Arissian society, and so farmers are given due respect, often given gifts and thanks by those who don't farm. Arissians are highly epicurean: many in fact will accuse them of gluttony and intemperance, but they enjoy food and drink on its own terms, forming as strong and controversial opinions about what food is delicious and what isn't as they do their political opinions. Arissians are warlike, constantly training and drilling, especially when united with common purpose. This is not to say that Arissians love war, but rather they have become conditioned to view war as a necessity to preserve one's way of life. In a world full of hammers, it is best not to look like a nail. Arissians also view slavery as a necessary evil, both promoting and sustaining the trade, but also often free loyal slaves, or slaves that have done something commendable. Arissians value knowledge, to the extent that they are often accused of stealing it from others; indeed, the Arissians have taken ideas from across the world, particularly from the Kamanoans, the Elves, the Dwarves, and the Kelorans. They are also fascinated by architecture and buildings, much like many dwarves are, and the roads, bridges, forums, and buildings of the Arissian Empire are the finest in Adra Majoris. Indeed, their love of knowledge and architecture, as well as the overall achievements of their civilization has led them to believe that they are in a league above many civilizations in Adra. The 'barbaric' nations that arose after they lost their provinces might be good warriors, but they are not civilization builders. The Elves, Dwarves, Kelorans, and even Kamanoans are worthy of respect, perhaps even admiration. All others are to be disregarded. The greatest contradiction in Arissian culture is probably the simultaneous love of green pasture and good tilled earth, and the obsession with the imperial capital of Eldios. In general, most Arissians would love to live in a small cottage on the Green Waters in a perfect world, but most fear the wars and invasions of the past 500 years, and tend to favor cities with strong walls and large garrisons, the bigger, the better. This has probably partially led to Eldios becoming the largest city in the world, in fact, the largest city in the known universe. Above all, Arissians want stability, and dream of peace.

          The Arissian people are most highly concentrated in the Arissian Empire, that is, the coastal cities to the east of the Bleached Desert, and land between the Twin Lotus rivers, leading into the Eldean plane, and the valley between the Wretched Spine Mountains and the River Alter. However, due to the prominence that the culture once had, there are sizeable populations of people that still consider themselves to be Arissians in Kamomenus, Oberbrücken, Aegyri, the Lowland Kingdoms, Zaltia, Manfried, and the isles of Adra Minoris, though these populations are shrinking minorities in most cases. The races of the Arissians are most predominately halfling, human, and gnome, but in the city of Eldios, every race in the world can be found in considerable numbers. The most popular gods among Arissians are the ancient pantheon of the Old Ones and the new pantheon of Borondor, though in the diverse polity of Arissian cities, every god has its day. Arissians tend to be enthusiastic, fun-loving, and persevering. They also tend to be arbitrary, reactive, and haughty. High Arissian is the most dominant language of the culture, but many also speak Gnomish, and Kamanoan is often used in scholarly work and artistic writing.

If you choose the Arissian Culture, you gain the following:

~Either a +1 to your Intelligence score or a +1 to your Wisdom score~

~A -1 to your Dexterity score~

~As a known language, either High Arissian Common, Gnomish, or Kamanoan Common~

~A Sub-Discipline in every knowledge skill on checks relating to Arissian Culture~

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