Locations

Locations of Istio

South Emporio: The remainder of Emporio after the undead invasion of the northern island, this city has a large Imperial presence despite the difficulty in navigating the canals. The once-proud statue of Poseidon was destroyed down to its' foundation after being declared heretical by the Emperor, then recycled and sold as scrap. Thanks to the undead takeover, much of the maritime trade in this region has died off. The lack of trade, coupled with the majority of wealthy families migrating to Tretaria or being executed has robbed South Emporio of its former glory. Much of the city now sits in slums, with once-opulent merchants mansions being converted to barracks, meeting places for local government, or communal shelters. Located in the easternmost edge of the Empire, South Emporio now has very little importance to the overall governance of the Empire and has fallen into neglect and disrepair. The city has enough supplies to manage but seems to be in perpetual threat of shortages, both for food and materials.

Pre-Empire Istio

Emporio - Considered the capital of Istio, this city sits astride a natural strait between 2 of the largest islands in the region. This unique location causes a ton of traffic to pass through on a daily basis, which in turn draws many merchants and workers to set up in the city. Being unfortunately located on a swampland however, most of the city uses a canal system (like real-life Venice). An enormous colossus straddles the bay, watching over the city with his trident and demonstrating their devotion to Poseidon. Due to the runaway prosperity of the city, it is very expensive to live anywhere remotely nearby, barring some particularly bad sections of town. Being populated by the very wealthy also causes many domestic goods to be very heavily overpriced, typically running 3-5 times the price it would fetch anywhere else. The Council resides here, running their respective families from houses purchased in the city and meeting at the Council Hall for their weekly meetings.

The University - This large school is the only place where magic is openly taught in all of Feredas. Between the demand for enchantments/magic items, alchemical concoctions, fortunetellers, magical and alchemical research, and the desires of the influential to have wizards in their army or personal retinue, this large college has its' own very powerful economy. Tuition here varies depending on your influence or your abilities, but all are accepted if able to pay. Various jobs are available to students on campus, such as research assistants, apprentice alchemists, and enchanters' assistants. The southern tip of this island is marked by a large number of Precursor statues, all made of the same ubiquitous bleach-white marble that marks all Precursor sites. All of these figures are in various poses, holding a variety of weapons but each having the same all-encompassing armor. All of them face out, towards the water. There are quite a few locations that look as if they had statues in the past, but no trace of them exists now. There also don't seem to be any ruins associated with these statues, though each of the statues is perfectly preserved thanks to the unique stone the Precursors favored.

Temple of Poseidon - This large, ornate temple was originally discovered a few years after the founding of Emporio. The Temple was already on the island, completely intact, though without ornamentation. The new settlers quickly dedicated this treasure to their favored god, Poseidon. Whether the Temple was made by the gods themselves, the Precursors, some other dead civilization, or some other organization, no one can seem to agree. A large, beautifully carved statue of Poseidon was placed inside the main area of the Temple, which still stands today. The Temple is placed in the center of the small island, though the rest of the land now consists of a lavish, meticulously cared-for garden. The island is also home to a group of wild horses that were discovered on the island a year after the Statue itself was finished. Many believe these horses were placed on the island by Poseidon himself as a sign of his favor. As such, these horses are treated with reverence and as holy beings themselves. The Hellenic Order maintains a small presence on this island to ensure the safety of these animals.

The Hellenic Order - This secretive organization of elite fighters is dedicated to Poseidon and are both feared and respected throughout Istio. None are allowed to venture onto their holy island, with violators being swiftly punished (usually killed on the spot). To aid in this enforcement, there is a 10ft wall around the length of the island, save for the Meeting Grounds. The Meeting Ground is a large circular area on the southern tip of the island that is not walled in. The wall stops at the edges of the Grounds, with the northern part being closed off by buildings. The southern part has a small dock that is used for visitors and the occasional supply ship. The organization receives income from donations, petitioners asking for help, wealthy families wishing to curry favor, stipends from the Temple itself, and the occasional (expensive) mercenary contract from a wealthy individual looking to ensure their goods are protected. The members are easily identifiable through their uniforms, which are deep blue robes underneath pristine white armor sections painted with a golden trident. Masters of the spear, hoplon, shortsword, and shortbow, these elite warriors are unequaled in Istio.

Aegea

Psaras - Small town, mostly consisting of clergy and the very devout, owing to its' proximity to the Temple of Poseidon. The town was originally founded by those who wanted to support the local clergy, but has since taken on a life of its' own. The town sits very near the Temple and its' attendant clergy, so most people visiting the Temple choose to stay here for their visit. This has led to the town being a combination of Inns (for tourists), art peddlers (attempting to capitalize on visitors' piety), and farms (supporting the clergy). This unusual combo has earned the town the nickname of "Temple Town", since all the jobs available are either supporting the Temple or servicing its' visitors.

Diakopes - Town similar to Psaras, though this one exists to provide services to the University. Due to the abundance of bored students and teachers after hours, there have been an excessive number of taverns opening in this town, as well as several brothels. The University also has a constant demand for alchemical supplies and spell reagents, so there are a few very lucrative magic supply shops set up here as well. Many of the citizens of this town are either family of one of the students or someone who works in one of the various businesses catering to the University.

Constellation Island

Leon - Large town, nothing particularly noteworthy other than being the location of the premier military academy in Istio, the Leon Academy of Leadership.

Toxotes - Hilly and sparsely populated, this town nonetheless is famous for its' archers. Due to the large amount of hunting and rapid changes in elevation, this town tends to produce some very skilled archers. This town is also regularly selected for national archery contests and tournaments.

Didymoi - Medium sized, unassuming little town. This towns' main focus is on the twin hills housing twin forts guarding a large river delta that goes straight into the heart of the island.

Karkinos - This large town is also quite unremarkable, with the only noteworthy attributes being their thriving crab trade and decent sized port.

Ydrochoos - Another small, unremarkable town. There is a small shipbuilding industry here, making mostly small luxury craft.

Tavros - This large town is known for the Festival of the Bulls it hosts every 2 years. The Festival consists of bullfighting, rodeo-type events, cooking competitions, and more, culminating in a huge feast involving whole roasted cows and pigs that feeds the whole festival.

Kefali - This very large city is situated in a very advantageous position, as almost all trade bound for the mainland passes through here. Of particular note is the World Market, an enormous outdoor plaza with shops selling goods from all over the world. Any good from any country can be found here, even those considered illegal (if you know where to look, that is). The third richest man in Istio owns the plaza the World Market is situated on, and makes his fortune solely from taxing the vendors there.

Mainland/Beasthills

Kalos - Often considered the sister city of Kefali (due to being across the bay from it), this large city is often the last stop for those too poor to afford living in the rest of Istio. Many bold traders who had their goods wiped out by the roving bands of orcs, giants, and goblins in the Beasthills wind up here, unable to move on due to their destitution. Kalos is generally regarded as the "unsafe" half of Kefali, not only due to the high levels of crime and poverty, but also due to its' proximity to the "barbarian" races. Raids on this city are rare, owing more to its' sheer size and poverty than to any defensive qualities. Clustered on the eastern side of the city, however, are a few upper-class neighborhoods that consist mostly of traders stopping before continuing on their journey, or those families/traders that own some of the docks. The large, bustling docks and convenient location are the only real reasons any sane Istian travels here.

North and South Redoubts + All Secondary Forts - These fortresses are where the vast majority of the Istian ground forces are concentrated. Frequent and numerous patrols are used to keep the majority of raids/attacks from becoming a real problem. The North and South Redoubts are designed almost exclusively for repelling these attacks, with the focus of all major fortifications towards the mainland.

Prostatis

Fort Prostatis - This enormous fortress guards Sapphire Bay on all 4 sides of the island, taking up most of the land available on the island. There is no town servicing the fort, as it is big enough to be considered a small town on its own anyway. The long, thin area to the south is used as a mixed training environment (coast, jungle, cleared fields, and hills) for any new soldiers.

Hela

Skavo - Unremarkable, average sized town located in the heart of Hela, at the foot of the Tartarus Mountains. Most of the people here are employed in the numerous silver mines.

Krios - This city serves as the primary port for all the farmers and miners in the region. The town is pretty quiet and uneventful, consisting mostly of the working class and the occasional merchant. Most of the farmers here are growing food crops such as bananas, oranges, figs, and lots of wheat.

Kanopolis - This large town is home to the largest shipbuilding industry in Feredas. There is abundant timber and an enormous natural bay that keeps even the most unstable ships safe. The numerous dry docks make this town the primary site for ship repairs, as well as shipbuilding. The large population here consists primarily of laborers for the docks, loggers for materials, farmers taking advantage of the cheap land, and sailors taking their shore leave during repairs.

Fort Kanopolis - This is less a fortress and more of a series of fortifications keeping the bay itself secured. This is also the primary location for teaching sailing, with a series of increasingly large ships in its' docks. Those that don't sign on as Midshipmen or those that need to be instructed in the military's particular style of organization are the usual trainees here.