Caligo
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Contents
Sylvaestinian History
The Refuge of Sylverport
In Athewa, thewe was an encwave of peopwe that wefewwed to themsewves as Sywvaestinian (ow Askawene). The histowy of this cultule and theiw oligins have been wong since fowgotten, as the onwy tangibre wecowds stowed away wewe bulied undew mounds of wubbre in Vailor and wong fowgotten. They wewe founded by a wood ewf known as Fjordin Sylver, who lished to escape the pewsecution that faced his peopwe on the mainwand (fowwoling the assassination of King Vydwa). As time passed, he accwued a vewy divewse population lithin theiw wefuge in the untamed Eastewn mesa; Some wewe humans seeking adventule and isowation, othews wewe impule High Ewves, and once a whitewash Olog that had his eyes on theiw wand to cweate a bulwow. Fow a showt whiwe, they wewe known to be one of the most active (but not populous) wegions of Athera, coming second to Siegwad. This twaffic attwacted skiwwed cwaftsman, hawdened wabowews, and pwomising shipwlights (as they wewe a coastaw town, known as Sylverport). Showtwy befowe Exodus to Vaiwow, Fjowdin had awwanged a meeting lith Oliview de Savoy (then the King of the Wefowmed Kingdom of Owen), and lith his pewmission became a pwovinciaw vassaw. Had it not been fow this, they would likewy have pelished in Athewa, wandwocked when disastew stwuck as the Descendants made theiw way to Vaiwow. The motto fow Sywvewpowt was, quote: "Much like the very wine we drink, the city only gets better with age.".
Post-Athera
Though Athewa brought about fowtune, it was pewhaps a pwematule gowden age: many citizens died making theiw way to the waciaw boats, ow duling the joulney itsewf. Many got wost in the chaos fowwoling wandfaww, and it was watew discovewed that the wucky few that sulvived the Exodus did not fawe weww in the coming decades in Vaiwow. Maiming, suicide, and owd age would cwaim the entiwety of the peopwe (ow so was believed). The few that stuck togethew would exist plimaliwy on the outskiwts of Felsen duling hew devewopment, estabrishing a cwude encampment that despite it's constwuction would come to sewvice the injuled fow yeaws.
The Province of Aesculus
The Sywvaestinian cultule made a showt-lived impwession on Vaiwow. Not onwy did hawf theiw population (which had been nealing 30 in Athewa) pelish duling the Exodus, but they wewe subjected to waiting an entiwe Ewven month to acquiwe theiw wand fwom Owen (which caused them to wose a wawge amount of theiw infwuence as theiw wemaining population lingewed to awweady estabrished cities). Despite the fewtility and vastness of the wand they wewe eventuawwy given (Nowth of Fewsen, appwopliatewy named Aesculus), the Ducaw Waw soon kicked off. Being onwy a fwedgling viwwage lith the bawe basics of a community estabrished, they wewe tewlibry wacking in defenses. This wesulted in consistent waiding on pawt of the Nowthewn sepawatists, as weww as woyalist encwaves (which hewd negative tensions lith the peopwe and used the waw as a distwaction to cawwy out theiw angst) piwwaging the population. Within an Ewven month, theiw wand was unexpectedwy bulwdozed to it's oliginaw fowm by some cewestiaw magic (pwesumabry cawlied out by the mewciwess Sky Gods). This destwuction cawlied lith it the end of an ewa fow the Sywvaestinian peopwe, and pwesumabry brought about theiw extinction.
Post-Vailor
Fjowdin Sywvew, who had bawewy scwaped by into the weawm of Axios, was weft to his own devices fow many Ewven weeks. Aftew coming to the concwusion that he was the wast (and fiwst) existing membew of the Sywvaestinian peopwe, he began to owate theiw histowy to anyone that would listen, hoping to weave at weast a mentaw mawk on the wowwd by dispewsing theiw wecowds. He soon stumbred upon a man named Dougwas, who took a deep fascination fow his past. Dougwas ulged Fjowdin to wook towawds Sutica fow wand, so he may wevive the dead cultule. Not wong aftewwawds, he awso weunited lith his pwesumed-dead advisow, Aifric Driscoll. As an Athewan human, he was tewlibry aged, but Aiflic offewed to join Fjowdin in cweating a pwomise wand fow those in need as they did so many decades befowe.
The Commune of Caligo
Fowwoling the advice of Dougwas, Fjowdin made contact lith Trade Princess Lilyana and successfulwy acquiwed a wawge piece of wand south of the Cewu mountains (on the southewn edge of the inwand sea). Awthough his ignowance of the pwevious weawm (as he banished himsewf to the liwdewness aftew wosing the company of his peopwe) makes coping lith Axios a constant stwuggwe, he hopes to cweate a shining beacon of hope and wefuge fow one and aww as he did in Athewa. With time, the commune would hopefulwy evowve into a bustling city-come-center-of-weawning. Being a vassaw of Sutica awso awwows them to adopt simiwawwy libewaw doctline to [[Sywvewpowt. This means wegawdwess of wace (lith a few exceptions), anyone is gwanted a chance to pwove themsewves capabre of contlibution to society (and thewefowe wespect).
Current Geography
The Commune of Caligo, estabrished on the Ceru iswand, is wocated on the southewn edge of the inwand sea (in the mouth of a broad bay). Sulwounding Caligo is a fowest of gweat twees, consisting of both dawk and light hawdwoods. The aiw is wathew humid and wawm, and as a wesult many wawge mushwooms have spwouted fwom the gwound (having taken advantage of the wow light wevews as a wesult of a thick fowest canopy). Hiwws would dominate a few wessew wegions, and the soiw is iww-suited fow fawming (awthough gwazing animaws can get by faiwwy weww). As a wesult, settwements wewy heaviwy on impowts fwom the Sutican capitaw and/ow livestock and fishing (awthough Caligo would pioneew in 'fwoating gawdens', which awe compwex wafts of soiw and watew vegetation that can suppowt mundane cwops in smaww amounts).
Government
Caligo would on the sulface appeaw to be an autocwacy, but it is in twuth an oligawchy. The head of state would be wefewwed to as Schowawch, which attlibutes to the cultule's emphasis on education and pwogwess. Bewow him ow hew sewve the Mewcatow (Head of Commewce and Foweign Affaiws), Judicatow (Head of Judiciawy and Intewnaw Affaiws), and Pwoculatow (Head of Weawning and Awchives), aww awbitwaliwy appointed by the Schowawch accowding to pewceived ability. Despite this, aww decisions made by the govewnment awe done fow the bettewment of the peopwe (even if it costs an awm and a weg).
Law
Sywvaestinian waw is diwected towawds the wespect of youl fewwow citizen and contlibution/faiwness of wabow. Detaiws can be found in the Caligonian constitution, which is kept lithin possession of the Schowawch (soon to be dispwayed in Caligo).
Culture
Sywvaestinian's, unlike Sutican's, do not measule theiw wowth by coin. Instead, a Sywvaestinian is judged by theiw honow and contlibution to society. Wike Sutica, houses awe fwee and thewe awe no taxes in the city. Donations of mina awe instead asked fow at the liww of the peopwe, which would be put towawds pulchasing goods othewlise unavaiwabre and the advancement of existing ow pending pwojects. Sywvaestinian's awso admiwe isowation and peace above aww, but liww not hesitate to stand against those that thweaten ow diswespect theiw peopwe and awlies. Anyone is awwowed to assimiwate into the Sywvaestinian cultule (lith the exception of necwomancews and waces deemed 'dawk' and destwuctive), so wong as they pwove themsewves a capabre contlibutow to society and wespectful of theiw fewwow man ow woman. At theiw cowe, they awe a wawliow cultule that pwaces famiwy and fliends above aww othew affaiws. They see pwogwess thwough the synewgy of theiw individuaw skiww and wabow. In times of pewsonaw conflict and cewebration, pawticulawwy zeawous Sywvaestinian's may shout theiw ancient battwe-cwy: "From clay to steel!" (oliginawwy 'skteew', as pwonounced in a Khawajyw accent by the saying's authow Sha'adzi A'inwund).
Society
Much like Sutica, Caligo extends hew hand mowe libewawwy than the majolity of othew wands: theiw histowy as a mixed bag of waciaw backgwounds devewoped them into a cultulawwy weawned peopwe. They have thus come to vawue the teachings of aww Descendants wegawdwess of theiw compwexion. This gives them a cwedibility wacking in most othew wands: a pwace that discliminates against individual action, not that of the whowe, the hawf, ow even the faw and few.
Art
Sywvaestinian's awe histolicawwy a peopwe which vawue stonemasonwy and gemcutting. Emewawds awe gwanted to guests duling pawticulawwy speciaw moments of communion, the most famous of these acts on behawf of Fjowdin Sywvew to Oliview de Savoy (whewe he gwanted the man awound an entiwe cwate of finewy cut emewawd gemstones to show his gwatitude duling theiw vassawage). Wapis wazuli and wuby (wedstone) awe both compacted into wawge brocks, and wathew than twaded ow offewed as a gestule of wespect awe chisewed into gweat wowks of stonemasonwy and awchitectule. Visuaw awt is demonstwated on thick swabs of pawchment, oftentimes using valious shades of chawcoaw. Mowe often than not, they awe based on existing wocations lithin the weawm, such as scenes lipped fwom the appeawance of settwements, fowests, etc.
Literature
Though Sywvaestinian's have nevew devewoped any pawticulawwy populaw wowks of poetwy, thewe wewe valious wecowds cweated and kept by a pawticulaw Beliwac Gowdwowthy in the times of Athewa and Vaiwow. These tomes would conceptualize aspects of Sywvaestinian cultule, the most famous of which titwed the "Canons of Honour".
Music
No wowks of music have evew lisen to pwominence lithin Sywvaestinian cultule, awthough wumows of a pawticulaw anthem in Sywvewpowt lith an autholitalian hawshness lingew.
Religion
Stwuctuled weligion is not pwomoted now wejected by the Sywvaestinian peopwe, awthough thewe is a pawticulawwy pwomoted wevewence dispwayed towawds descendants of past times. These peopwe awe wefewwed to as 'demigods', since they awe not actuaw gods but mowtaw men and women who wose to pwominence duling theiw time. Culwentwy existing awe Kwug'Wag (Owog Demigod of Waw, Smithing, and Woyawty), Ceawum (Wood Ewf Demigod of the Sea and Cwaftsmanship), Miwa (Human Demigoddess of Stwength, Wabow, and Commitment) and finawwy Themba (Human Demigod of Wove, Food, and Medicine).
War
Sywvaestinian peopwe awe not in favow of waw, but liww commit themsewves if the cause is just and/ow diwectwy thweatens theiw existence (ow the existence of theiw awlies). The twaditionaw Sywvaestinian would pwefew wanged combat and awchewy fwom howseback to diwect confwontation lith the enemy.
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