Zantium

Zantium was a kingdom located south of Eltenia, separated by the Luzhin mountains, and east of Iskirra, across the Garhoon strait. It was a constitutional theocracy run by members of its clergy, who chose a "king" or central leader from among their ranks. It's capital was Kynaston.

Originally an Exekian mining colony, the Zantines followed the example of the Apicartans and rose up against their slave masters. Under the leadership of their first mystic king, Peredur, the nation of Zantium was founded. In 149, Zantium was invaded, overrun and conquered by the Iskirrans, who purged their leaders and clergy, displaced much of the population, and forcibly assimilated the rest. The region, while still colloquially referred to as Zantium, is now considered part of Iskirra.

Geography

Zantium was part of an island, sharing the space with Eltenia to the north. The Luzhin mountains provided a natural border between their two nations. Across the Garhoon strait to the west was Iskirra, Zantium's long-standing enemy, across the southern sea were the more distant nations of Dardanos, a small island, and Nykara, a desert at the north of a potentially vast but largely unexplored continent. Across the eastern sea was Apicarta.

The terrain of Zantium was heavily forested, with rugged mountains, lakes, and beautiful coasts. Infrastructure was largely underdeveloped, with few railways, which may have contributed to its failure to defend itself.

Government

The Zantine government was a monarchical theocracy based on worship of the creator deity Akhen. Zantine Akhenism, the national religion, was unique from other forms of Akhenism in its region-specific history and traditions, but its clergy still considered themselves to be members of the Temple, a religious organization centered in the kingdom of Apicarta. The history of alliance between the two nations is a rich one: because they were both liberated from slavery under the Exekians, Zantium and Apicarta were collectively known as the "Freedom Kingdoms".

Earlier in the histories of the two nations, they were both united under the Temple, which provided social stability and protection in the wake of the fall of the Exekian Empire. One significant modern difference was the practice of knighthood (Zantine knights were known as "paladins"), which retained its importance out of necessity in Zantium, where the populace had more direct contact with the neighboring peoples of Nykara and Iskirra, who permitted or even encouraged the use of magic.

According to Iskirra, Zantium's fatal flaw lay in its dogmatic rigidity and religious intolerance. The punishment for apostasy and heresy was banishment, and for witchcraft it was death. The definition of "witchcraft" became unclear, however, resulting in the death of innocents and the escape of genuine witches, who were able to manipulate the system and either hide their practices or escape via exile. Those who were exiled tended to flee to Iskirra and Nykara; in the case of the former, they became the driving force behind the Iskirran war machine, infusing magic with weaponry and new technology. Decades of hostility and conflict between Iskirra and Zantium were primarily driven by the problem of magic.

During Zantium's darkest hour, they called upon Apicarta's knights for aid, but they refused on the grounds that it was a hopeless cause and they did not want to get involved. As a result, the Zantine capital of Kynaston was destroyed and its surviving population displaced.

Ethnicities

Native Zantines are known for being of average height, leaning tall. Many are pale or fair-skinned, but the majority of them have a "dun-colored" (ranging from light brown to gray-gold or tan) complexion, which is considered one of their defining traits. Most have dark and wavy or curly hair; though blonde is not unheard of, it is typically attributed to Eltenian ancestry. Blue or green eyes are more common among them than among the Iskirrans.

Eltenians were the nation's largest minority group, with Apicartans a close second.

Culture

Much of Zantine culture revolved around differences. The division between the sacred and the profane, male and female, childhood and adulthood were all observed with ritual significance. Men and women were separated at many functions, including church services. For example, in churches and chapels the all-female choir would sing in the mornings while an all-male choir would sing in the evenings.