Triarium | Adirea's Stand

History

Triarium, known colloquially as Adirea's Stand, and Legentium in Old Imperial, is the capital of the Adirean Empire, and the fabled home city of Empress Adirea the First and her descendants. It is said that when Queen Adirea Triarius of Legentium declared her intention to conquer the central part of Keruznikal, the three neighboring kingdoms fell upon Legentium - in an attempt to put down the fledgling Empress before she could lead an attack on their kingdoms. She had prepared for this expected attack. After enduring a month-long siege and calling each day for her attackers to surrender, the mighty Queen climbed atop the tallest tower of Legentium's walls to make her last stand. She saw the sun cresting over the horizon, and a single dove flying across the purple-red sky. With a voice that shook the very foundations upon which she stood, she read from a shimmering scroll.   The scroll had been imbued with magical energy by the newly-founded College of Magic, and upon reading from it, the wind pushed the forces of the warring kingdoms away. The sea swelled around Legentium's massive walls and washed the great siege engines of the other rulers into the waters below. Finally, as the enemy began to rout, the Queen read the final part of the scroll. The earth beneath them began to shudder violently, and the walls of the city itself began to crack and shake; Only two miles from the city gate, a vast mountain range ripped up through the earth, growing ever larger as it spread southwest across the continent.    The mountain range that is now known as The Spire obliterated the kingdom that had bordered Legentium to the west, and the other two kingdoms were so shaken by the might of the Queen that they immediately dispatched couriers to deliver an unconditional surrender. The people of Legentium rejoiced in the following weeks as they declared Adirea Triarius to be their first Empress, and thus was founded the Adirean Empire.   In the following days, the newly named Empress of the Adirean Empire spoke publicly, and renounced her lineage's use of magic, finding that the devastation she had caused was enough for several lifetimes. On campaign in her later life, she fought in hand-to-hand combat or utilized pre-made spell scrolls, but as far as anyone is aware, she never truly cast another spell again. This is a tradition which has been passed down by every Empress since, with the exception of the 5th.   Legentium was officially renamed Triarium in honor of the first Empress, its greatest defender, though it is just as commonly referred to as Adirea's Stand by the common folk and those less versed in the Imperial tongue.  

Culture

Ethnicity
The inhabitants of Triarium are generally considered to be very accepting of outsiders. Over the existence of the Empire, it has conquered territories containing many different races, cultures, and religions, and it is known to be the most ethnically diverse of the nations on Keruznikal. Nowhere in the Empire exemplifies this fact more than Triarium, which is known to be the greatest melting pot on the continent. The AE 280 Imperial Census suggests that minority groups may be on the rise, and, may in fact overtake humans as the primary demographic in the capital in the following decades. Currently, humans enjoy a 52% majority of the population, with Elves having risen from 15% to 17% in the last decade, followed by Half-Elves at 8%, Half-Orcs at 5%, Halflings and Gnomes at 3% and 2% respectively, and all other races combined standing at 13%. Scholars believe that if the current trend continues, humans may fall below 50% of the population within the next 20 years.   Religion
Traditional Imperial culture centers primarily around the worship of the primordial being Eon as a sort of over-god. In the Empire, the Church of Eon is directly tied to governmental affairs, and the current leader of the Church, known as the Holiest Arch-Confessor, holds a seat on the Empress' Imperial High Council. Eonites make up the majority of the population at 57%, though worship is not mandatory. Followers of the Great Holy Mother kneel on prayer mats and pray twice a day toward the rising and setting sun. Their prayers primarily consist of giving thanks for all of the positive things in their lives, offering confession for any wrongs they may have done, promising penance for any harm they may have caused, and wishing good fortune on others. Eonites perform penance in a very public way. They believe that in order to right a wrong, one must return equal good to the world in exchange for the bad they have created. Often, one may find repentant Eonites giving money, food, or items to the poor, offering to do free work for businesses, neighbors, or the church, or willingly standing in public, announcing their misdeeds to the world in hopes that it will lessen their wrongdoing in the eyes of their god.   The Church is known to aid the poor with public kitchens that operate on donations, and simple, clean places to sleep for those who find themselves in need. Basic healing services are offered by the Church to any and all citizens, though more advanced restoration will generally come with a fee.   Imperials also celebrate their good fortune of serving under the Empress, and hold several festivals every year where they burn effigies of the three kings who assaulted Legentium in the olden days. It is common practice for Eonites (and others) to include well wishes for the Empress in their prayers. Eonites specifically view the Empress as an eternal reincarnation of every past Empress, created by Eon to guide them to prosperity and peace, and they worship her accordingly, as a saint. During these festivals, market squares are cleared for a day, and great public banquets are held at the expense of the government. All citizens are encouraged to feast on delicious food and drink, and enjoy performances by circuses and bards alike. Most businesses are closed during these events, but some taverns and alehouses owned by Eonites may remain open and spend some of the year's excess profits on free food and drink for people to enjoy as a way of giving back to the public.   Cuisine
In terms of cuisine, the typical Imperial diet consists of bread, corn, root vegetables, leafy greens, fresh fruit, fish, and sometimes beef, pork, chicken, and lamb, if one can afford meat. Most popular Imperial dishes use fish, but many dishes are regional. Landlocked parts of the Empire may rely more heavily on agriculture and animal husbandry, and towns in heavily wooden places might incorporate more venison and wild game. Imperial cuisine is just as diverse as the people of the Empire. In terms of alcohol, beers made from wheat, rye, corn, oats, and barley are very common and inexpensive, though the middle class of artisans and the like may enjoy honey mead or fruit wines made in the Heartland. Although distilled liquors are available, they require special equipment to produce which is rather expensive and quite out of the budget for most commoners.   Social Classes
A person's standing in Imperial society is decided primarily in two ways - birthright and merit. A person who starts off impoverished and works hard may end their life in a manor, while a person born to a noble family that takes their wealth for granted my expire in a gutter. Many people come to the capital to seek their fortune, as hard work is meant to be rewarded. If a person signs on with the Imperial Legion, there is great upward mobility given time and effort. All Imperial soldiers are given a parcel of land and a pension should they remain with the Legion for at least 20 years, and the retirement benefits improve every 5 years thereafter. Should a soldier die while in service, their spouse will be given a pension so that they will not become impoverished. If one loyally remains with the Legion and their efforts are noticed, they may be invited to join the Imperial Inquisition, and, from there, the Royal Guard.   One may take many routes to wealth, and the Legion is only one of them. A person seeking their fortune may apprentice with an artisan, become a business owner, become a lawyer, or try any number of other things.   Structure
The capital is broken into several districts, and it is possible for citizens to travel through all but two of them freely. Upon entering the main city gates, one will find themselves in the Lower Market District. This district is full of small shops, taverns, and dealers of all sorts.