Etepezea

Do not to be confussed with the Empire Title. Etepezea considered homeland of Aversarian people along with the Western Isles. It is roughly the size of half a million km2, with shores surrounded by Bay of Pathos, Shattered Coast, Shattered Coast, The Waking Coast and Etepezean coast. Terrain becoming more rough and mountainous towards the center of peninsula. Strategically located between Malcois in the west, Imperial Isles on the west, with a vast sea and isles separating it from Sarradon, Opakhasia and isles chains on the south, Kalathipsomi north.

Geography
Tore, indended coastline faces numerous islands. Behind the mountain passes, deep in mainland and beneath the peaks valleys and rivers cross hills. South and to East are the Isles with a great importance: as the trade flows through the sea, so does the war raged for them. Historically most important trade routes in Aversaria, the Isles tend to be larger and fewer in number than the Isle chains you find elsewhere, they're also often called the 'Sea road' since you can effectively traverse them by "hopping" through ferrys and smaller vessels across, to get from Opakhasia to Etepezea, or back. Many Polis have been found on these shores and prospered from maritime trade and the location in what can be called "the center of the world".

Climate
Etepezian climate is primarily Mediterranean: mild, featuring wet winters and dry summers. In the mountain one can find that heavy snowfalls and almost impenetrable ranges create rivers that flow into the seas. Going north, deeper in the continent, climate starts to change, more evenly becoming temperate with cold winters and dry summers.

Biodiversity
Vinegars, oils, olives, cheeses and figs - the most common agriculture in Etepezea. Mixed forests with not so tall trees lay on hills, whereas mountains hide bushed and seemingly became deflored. Terrain, soil and climate meant that Etepezea couldn't grow enough crops to support the population and such, the governorate imported huge amounts of grain from Kattradia. One can find and hunt many animals in this place, such as: Ibex, Porcupines, Boars, Bears, Giant Spiders, Wolfes, Cockatrices and Wyrms.

Prehistory
Most Etepezean cities nowadays can trace their origins to pre-Godherja times, as they build on ruins of what can be aelfir civilization. Settled by, what can be considered, proto-Aversarian civilaztion, before, other people roamed this lands, spread-out cousins of Aversarians and distinct folk with whom after conquering they merged. . The region had Polis rise and fall, tribes established and realms forged. Unfortunately, seemingly the most ruin infested place is not so profound on revealing it secrets to inhabitants easily and only one can wonder, how he could unleash the mysteries and spark a new scholar age...

Post-Imperial Era
Demetros 'Iron-Spike' criminal activity.

Etepezea felling in Anarchy after the Governor coup. No proper central authority. Population is butchered up.

Sjavolki migration and overwhelm. Aversaria becoming a distant past and gradually, the populus consciousness about Empire fades. The people start adopting sjavolki traditions.

Politics
After establishing civilization, emerged Polis. Not only a mere city whom people organized, but a political entity. They were very distinct and varied in political systems, possibly local councils, warlord despots, magocracies, assemblies or leading dynastic families, etc, there should have been sent a person who later voted for Aautarkrater. But, after the mighty warlords, Magi-Kings carved their realms, eventually one came to the Etepezea. After the devastating civil war between Imperials and Aersodiaxian faction. Two factions fighting a war about not so about the dismantlement of the Empire, but answering the question who are going to rule - Imperials or Aersodiaxians, Etepezeans or Islanders. The war was so devastating, that the power in Empire had shifted towards the continent, from collapsed polises that would never recover. The Etepezeans sneaked the momentum and came as rulers. After many centuries and rule of Maklea, established on Aversarian laws, were carved the current politics of Etepezea.

Etepezea Epikrotia
And so, the Empire were carved. Polis lost their power during Maklea ruling, and time after the nobility have filled the vacuum. The Etepezea governorate may not have been hereditary, and was possesed by certain noble families. Aechraes family owned vast swathes of land in southeast Etepezea, as an example. They gradually became the patron of the Emperor's Own Legion, highly entwinned in Oraispol's court politics, as Governorial legions quetly died out due to neglect and underfunding. Soon. rivalry with Opakhasia started, considered the richest governorate. It included border conflicts, although, handled mostly by politics or rare skirmishes. Soon, Etepezea being the prestigious capital of Aversaria but also struggling to really find its footing after the many wars and never quite rising to any position of economic dominance in the Empire despite its preeminent position in it, was in a strange situation. After devastation of the Seventh Century, Aironoi separation and wars, it became clear what the new threat was. After the outstanding rising of Aironoi, Etepezea became closest ally with Opakhasia on matter of politic affairs.

Politics in Etepezea can be called mostly unforgiving, involving in it for most noble families meant that they couldn't survive more than a few centuries. For the most part, Oraispol as the capital for any individual Aautokratir was the question whether they depended on the nobility of Etepezea or not. Etepezeans had their power mostly based upon assumed place, cultural value and prestige. Etepezea was the main political center in Aversarianis Autokratia throughout the history, yet gradually became a symbol. Shift towards the more prosperous East began. For the most time althought, Etepezean governors stayed as an Autokratir, nobles, or puppet of both. Aautokratis in the west would be pushed into power by the Etepezean aristocracy. With a balance not maintained, nobility ended up reigning utterly supreme with the Aauokratir.

It all changed after the Imperial Civil War. What can be called chaos began, but not a collapse, as nobility was still in tact. Warlords and pretenders rose and rise, coups are still in tact, but the cracks in the society already began.

Oraispol
Exceptionally oustanding, stand Oraispol. Constructed as, possibly the most ancient city, Oraispol was razed, burnt by a dragon, rebuilt and blown again. Techicaly it's only a few centuries old. The sheer religious and prestige importance of the city and it's history prohibited it's rulers and people from vandalism or massive changes in architecture. Described as thousand upon thousand people living in suqalid slums beneath the shadows of insanely decadent nobility houses, the city hosted bursting population and is an important trade node, it is a cultural and formally center of Aversaria.

Culture
Etepezea, before Aversarian incorporation, was a very divert place in terms of culture. Crumbled by Aversarians and exploited to the death, now, in soil lies civilizations and people who will never speak in their tongues, nor will any writings possibly remained, as there is only a miracle could save ancient memories and deliver a little truth to all.

Aversarians
Proto-aversarians came to Etepezea, merged and subjugated. They ruled and consumed the wealth of people and land they wanted and taken. Still, they've found themselves in a melting with others. Even now, there are regional languages in Etepezea which are spoken by the folk. Now, Etepezeans are referred as Western Aversarians, inhabiting the mainland.

Etepezeans
Sticking to the coast where the civilized people who later would call themselves Western Aversarians. In what can be considered an institutional overthrow, Etepezeans would gradually take a lead in Empire. War of the Thousand Dragons tore the Isles, the balance of power and domination shifted towards them. A grim reality, cruel elaboration of what nowadays stand as the "Aversarian" have taken the place of originator in shackles.

Lomonios
One of the many crushed people, assimilated to the point of them being as Aversarian as Etepezians, still culturally distinct, they have oddities unknown to the scholars. Having an extremely high level of magic, they ultimately manifest it extremely rarely compared to other cultures and people. That meant, lomonios were considered as a stock to use in sacrifices and slaves until they were freed after the war with Kartharaddi. Considered to be the best sacrifice you could get, their population was massacred in the Imperial Civil War and Self-Replication Blood Magic.

Sjavolki
People from the far, heavily outnumbering bleeding Aversarians, sjavolki tribes migrate and overwhelm lands of Etepezea. Some clans seem to soon find their place in the world on this ancient land.

Religion
Located in what can be called "the center of the world". Etepezea hosted many mostly forgotten faithsm but eventually Aersodiaxians would dominate.

Cult of The Black Hand
The cult had spread among Etepezea like wildfire, most famous for burning Nikarynpalati, the millenia old residence of Aversarian Aautokratirs, to the ground.