Macedonia
From SFWiki
Ruler
Ptolos III
Government
Hereditary Monarchy
Population
Unknown
Contents |
Macedonia is the name of a large island within the Terracopian archipelago. It is the ancestral home of the Orcs, who have lived there since before recorded history. The whole of Macedonia is considered sovereign, usually called the Kingdom of Macedonia. It is ruled by Ptolos III, Sixth Son of Herakles, Clan Greka.
Macedonia is a large island, situated in the south-east of the archipelago. To the west lies the Pompeii archipelago. It is the farthest east of the known islands.
Macedonia is the ancestral home of the Orcs and its humanoid population is almost entirely comprised of that species (any others are usually tradesmen or explorers). Non-orcs are welcomed on the island; as a whole the Macedonian culture is open-minded.
[edit] Government
The Kingdom of Macedonia is a hereditary monarchy, with the crown passing from father to eldest child (including daughters). However, there is a long standing tradition (but not law) that any Orc of noble blood (a direct relative of the head of one of the unified clans) may challenge for the right of the throne (thus allowing for the throne to change dynasties).
During such a challenge, any member of the king's immediate family or staff (including generals) may choose the right of "Step" - a symbolic "stepping in front of" the King to protect him. The challenger must then fight that person first, after which he has the right to challenge the King again - but also, someone else may Step. Over time, the office of King's Champion developed specifically to Step in front of "riff-raff" nobles who had nothing to lose by the challenge.
The King is given broad powers over the entire island. He is assisted by the elders of each Clan, who serve as advisers and governors for specific regions. These clan leaders answer to the King but are somewhat autonomous: Orc legal precedents have made it so that criminals are never tried by the Kingdom, but always by the Clan of the orc committing the crime. When the clans cannot solve a dispute on their own, the Kingdom has the final word on the matter (and the Clan leaders had best follow it or be prepared to challenge).
The current King of Macedonia is Ptolos III, Sixth Son of Herakles, Clan Greka, a keenly wise individual who was perhaps one of the first to recognize the danger of the Blight, and is directly responsible for the Longbow Accords.
[edit] Geography
Macedonia is an old region, but has only been an island since the Great Rising. Interestingly, the Great Rising did not affect the lowland edges of the Kingdom; instead, the mountain ranges to the north simply sank.
Macedonia is a temperate island, filled with large grassland areas, lakes, and rivers. Much of the land has been farmed.
[edit] Minoa
The island of Minoa is a held territory of the Kingdom of Macedonia. It is a dry, rocky wasteland island, located to the south of Macedonia.
[edit] Settlements
The largest settlement in Macedonia is the city of Athens, which also serves as the seat of power for the Kingdom.
[edit] Athens
The capital city of the Kingdom of Macedonia, Athens is an old city built of marble and granite. It is known for its large amount of sculpture and open-air architecture. Athens is built atop a large plateau which ends in a cliff at the sea edge.
[edit] Thessaly
The city of Thessaly is a large port city and is the second largest city in all of Macedonia.
[edit] Messina
The city of Messina is the port city closest to the Empire of Pompeii, famous for its stormy weather.
[edit] Sparta
The city of Sparta is the central stronghold for the Orc clan Sparta, known for its highly skilled soldiers.
[edit] History
Just exactly when or how the Orcs came to the Macedonian region is lost in history. However, histories exist that show Orc clans living (and warring) in the area as far back as -900 PR. There were several well known clans: the Sparta, the Troja, the Minoa.
In -243 PR Aleksand the Great unified the Orc clans - either by conquering them or enticing them with economic stability. At this time, he founded the Kingdom of Macedonia, which remains to this day the oldest standing kingdom in all of Terracopia.
