Achilleion

Kingdom of Achilleion
Flag	Coat of arms
Motto: tbc
Anthem:
Locator map
File:Achilleonc Map.png
Capital city	Auérsa
Largest city
Official language	Melogos
Other languages	Aldsegian
Ethnic group	Athves Aldsay
Religion	Orkanan
Demonym(s)	Achilleionian
Government
Government Type	Feudal Theocracy
Hēgemṓn	Aêrion
Stýraios	Mephistopheles
Legislature	Synedrion
Establishment
Independence	6580
Area
Total	153,434.88 km2
Water %
Population
Total	15,528,254
Density	101.20/km2
Economy
Economy type	Capitalist
GDP (total)	Ꞡ 419.7B
GDP per capita	Ꞡ 27 K
Currency	()
Inequality index
Development index	0.875
Other information
Time zone
Driving side
Calling code
Internet code
Nation number

Achilleion, officially the Hēgemonía Achilleíou (Ἡγεμονία Αχίλλειον), is an island nation located in Western Anaria, Its capital is Auérsa (Αὐέρσα).

Etymology

See also: Achilleionian Toponymy

The name 'Achilleion' is a transcription of Αχίλλειον which is a compound derived from ἄχος (áchos), meaning pain or despair, and λαός (laós), meaning people or nation. The correct term for its inhabitants is Achilleionian. Αχος is cognate with Aldsegian 'agi', meaning fear or dread, and, as a result, a common exonym for the region and its people among the Aedelanders is Agi or Achi which is close to the Tahani name for the region, al-Akki.

History

According to the Æðelendinga Saga, Grímur and his people integrated and then dominated the indigenous inhabitants of islands through a combination of strategic alliances, clever diplomacy, and military prowess bringing about a cohesive entity governed by a network of Aldsegian ruling families that adopted and adapted local customs. The 7536 Aedelish Declaration of Supremacy brought Achilleion under the authority of the Aldsegian Empire. Achilleion gained independence following the Aedelish political crisis of 7579.

Geography

Achilleion is separated from the western Anaria-Minor peninsula by the narrow Tashgur Channel. It lies between latitudes 30° and 38°N, and longitudes 7° and 12°E. The country consists of thirty five islands centered around the eponymous main island. While not all of the twenty-eight minor islands are permanently inhabited, the eight major islands have significant population centers. Achilleion is surrounded by the Sinean Sea, and its nearest neighbors are Anat Tahan to the southeast, Parnethia to the south, Anisora to the east, and Ardar to the northeast.

Climate

The mostly humid subtropical climate is influenced by the seas that surround Achilleion on every side It is marked by mild, relatively dry winters; warm, humid springs; hot, humid summers; and mild, relatively dry autumns. Regional variations exist with four distinct micro-climates with a generally more humid conditions in the west and generally warmer conditions to the south. Drier regions, such as the Pelá region of the eastern coast, are medio-like while the highest levels or precipitation fall on the coastal region west of the Kalderikón ridge. The central valley, due to the conformation of the plain, surrounded by the Kalderikón and the Tetrakýklos, and the influence of the Tashgur Channel, has high levels of relative humidity throughout the year. It is common to see snowfall at the higher elevations of the Kalderikón, the Ádelonian Ridge, and Mount Aithírax.

Topography

The Achilleionian islands are the southwestern rim of the large, mostly submerged Achilleionian caldera. The northern island of Zophkís and the Skiuöldēn peninsula of the main island were both formed as secondary cones. Although dormant, the Achilleionian caldera is an active volcano. The last major eruption was at Zophkís in 7650. Only fumarolic activity, primarily inside the recently active craters, has been observed. The large eruption responsible for the caldera is believed to have occurred approximately 4,000 years ago and is believed to have inspired several Achilleionian legends. Before this eruption the walls of the caldera formed a nearly continuous ring of islands. The magnitude of the eruption has been difficult to estimate because the majority of the erupted products were deposited in the Sinean Sea.

The main island is far larger than the surrounding Achilleionian islands. The main island is dominated by the steep Kalderikón range formed by the erosion of remnants of a massive rim of the Achilleionian caldera and runs the continuous length of the western coast. The ridge's two major northern peaks, Pálasai and Sophronía, are called the Dýosynē and the peak at the southern terminus of the range is called Aetheríus. The Tetrakýklos are four very ancient volcanic cones south and east of the Kalderikón. They are, from north to south, Xenophalix, Areterax, Ávavórrax, and Erosīrāx. The northern coast is defined by the dsv which is the exposed rim of the submerged caldera forming the the Bay of Laongóōn. The western extreme of this semi-circular ridge forming the Skiuöldēn peninsula is the steepest and highest on the main island. The pinnacle of this ridge, called Aêrionos Pýrgos, provides a commanding view of the Sinean Sea.

Mount Aithírax, a stratovolcano on the island of Zōphkēs, is the highest point on Achilleion at 2820 meters (9251 feet).

Three major rivers of shape the island's central valleys. The Achilón is the longest, flowing south through the northern Thalassía valley, then east as it approaches the center of the island. The Arakênos flows east, creating the central Aulítheón Valley. The mouth of both the Achilón and Arakênos flow into the Tashgur Channel near Myrinē. The shortest river, the Minórrhē, flows south. These rivers provide water and fertile land, supporting agriculture and trade across the island.

Politics

Achilleion is a feudal theocracy ruled by the Hēgemṓn (Ἡγεμών), a divine king believed to be the incarnation of Aêrion. In reality, the Hēgemṓn is a symbolic figure, perpetuated through secrecy and body doubles, while real power rests with the Stýraios (Στύραιος), a life-appointed prime minister elected by the Synedrion (Συνέδριον), a council of elite delegates from the Dékapolis.

The Synedrion serves as a legislative and advisory body, composed of aristocrats privy to the Hēgemṓn’s mortal nature. It also includes state ministers from the noble hetairoi, such as the Eirēnēpeiros (foreign affairs), Strategarches (military), and Katēgoros (law). Achilleion’s governance blends divine monarchy with feudal decentralization, balancing unity and local autonomy.

Administrative Divisions

The Dékapolis is a confederation of ten major city-states, each with distinct cultural and political identities. Governed by local aristokratía, these city-states manage taxation and governance under the central authority of the Hēgemṓn, forming the cultural and economic backbone of Achilleion.

	Auérsa The seat of the Hēgemṓn is at the ancient capital of Auérsa situated in the northern extreme of the long, narrow region of Kaliphos that stretches along Achilleion's western coast. The second most populous city in Achilleion, Auérsa lies in a basin adjacent to the Sinean Sea in the west and extending partly through the Mastósiskos Monikadnós foothills and north into the Phéranadnós Valley. The Hēgemṓn of Auérsa has suzerainty over the coastal cities of Pelagora, Didagadnós, Asty Chrysetrigonós, and Ereboros.
	Epiphanion Epiphanion was the site of Grímur's landfall in northern Achilleion. The city is within Laongóōn bay and is the leading city-state of the Xenoachílleioi which includes the northern regions of Kaliphos, Ádelon, and Skiuöldēs. Grímur's colony in northern Achilleion stayed in close contact with its homeland in Western Stoldavia and adopted a political structure based on that of Aedeland with an Althing called the Pankoinonía having an aristocratic lawmaking body called the Nomothésion and a democratic auditory body called the Dēmagórion. The Arkhéroulos of Epiphanion has suzerainty over the northern cities of Airilópolis, Állendor, and Arvíkē.
	Arkaléon Arkaléon is an isolated Aldsaíoi stronghold and the political center of the remote seafaring communities of northeastern Skiuöldēn peninsula. The poorest region of Achilleion retains an archaic Aldsegian poltical structure centered on the aett. The Xenoachílleioi Arkhéroulos of Arkaléon has suzerainty over the Skiuöldēn city of Andalýthon.
	Myrinē The cosmopolitan port city of Myrinē is the dominant economic, cultural, and politcal center of eastern Achilleion. Situated at an important and ancient trading center in the estuary of Achilleion's longest river, the Achilón, and positioned at the narrowing of the Tashgur Channel, Myrinē is Achilleion's largest city. Myrinē is best known for its canals and its island colony of Tashara from which the Tashgur Channel derives its name. Myrinē civic oligarchy, called the Archontai, has suzerainty over the eastern coastal cities of Pelásios, Teníros, and Tashara.
	Trismegíteion The ancient fortress city of Trismegíteion controls the strategic location at the northern end of the defile of the Arakênos, which acts as a pass through the Ámpelόros ridge, and its position overlooking the rich Aulítheón Valley from the west gives it much of its importance. The autocrat of Trismegíteion, a military strategos called the Týrannos, has suzerainty over the south eastern Selasiān cities of Ankytheron and Selasi.
	Taurēsion Taurēsion is the ancient center of the Achilleionian cults on the holy isle of Zophkís off the northwestern coast. The island has retained its political independence because the forebearers of the island's native inhabitans, the Eteoachílleioi, supported Grímur's claims of divinity. The Andrērōs (male hormonal alpha) and Esthērōída (female hormonal alpha) form the dominant pair, the Hērōstḗnē, chosen through Manarcheia (menstrual synchronization). Their pairing signifies the divine and biological legitimacy of their rule. The Hērōstḗnē are selected from the Al-Anadan men and women possessing eugenic bloodlines.The Atroposides, post-menopausal high priestesses, oversee Manarcheia and ensure the legitimacy of the hormonal alpha system. They perform sacred rituals of realignment when an alpha pair's dominance wanes, and a new Andrērōs and Esthērōída are chosen. At the bottom of the social hierarchy are the Nakam, sterilized individuals relegated to servitude and labor. The Andrērōs of Taurēsion has suzerainty over the cities of Zophkís: Lirathos, Aráidē, and Thera.
	Lanzarētē Lanzarētē, Achilleion's third largest city, is an ancient cosmopolitan city dominating the island of Zóvmāros. Originally establsihed by Tahani merchants, the island was dominated from 7287 to 7580 by the Æðelander Imperial Sørtarnland Company. During this period, it operated under appointed bureaucrats reporting to the company’s governor. The Company annexed the large southern Apolyionian bay on the main island in 7287 and built the largest commercial port in Achilleion, through which most of the island’s trade flows, at the mouth of the Minórrhē river. Lanzarētē and its industrial colonies throughout Achilleion has a corporate governance with its Ektelestēs and his Symboúloi tēs Koinēsousias holding suzerainty over the industrial port of Thalassía, the city of Ávaris, and the industrial cities of the Minórrhē region.
	Thalassían Triarchy The three city states of the Thalassían Triarchy occupy the fertile northern Thalassía valley among the tributaries of the Achilón. The Anarchy of Tychēlo has no government. Instead, temporary leaders are chosen by lot as needed. Isokratheia is a direct democracy. Koinēkratos is an anarcho-syndicalist commune. All serve in turns as executive officer for the week and all the decisions of that officer have to be ratified at a special biweekly meeting.
	Lakonē Lakonē is the dominant city of the Thalassía valley. The Anax of Lakonē once held the cities of the Thalassían Triarchy and was the most powerful of the ancient Eteoachílleioi warlords. The pastoral Lakedaimōn regions of Haemonia and Pelaspharion are the top stock-producing regions of Achilleion. Under the Hēgemony, the Anax have been greatly reduced and Lakonē is the weakest city of the Dékapolis.
	Kyros Kyros commands Pellanēthra, the geographically largest region of Achilleion. The powerful and wealthy Despót of Kryos has suzerainty over the southern cities of Halsatía, Viterōs, Phronēnē, Eirennia, Ostryka, Skotētrion, Autonomos, Sopharchia, Eleutheris, and Etrenia.

Together, the Dékapolis ensures Achilleion’s stability by balancing local autonomy with unified governance.

Foreign Relations

The Eirēnéion is the headquarters of the Achilleionion foreign ministy. The Eirēnēpeiros, Achilleion’s foreign minister, is Eulogenos Eunoios. Achilleion is said to have a "Special Relationship" with Aedeland.

Visitors must obtain a detailed linen-reinforced entry visa from an Achilleionion consulate for a fee. Non-citizen residents must carry a similar document. Although no customs checkpoints exist at ports of entry, illegal entry carries severe penalties.

Law and Criminal Justice

Achilleion has a confusing and diverse legal system. Each region, and in some cases each polity, has its own unique legal system. However, the Achilleionion legal system is, as a whole, heavily influenced by Aedelish legal theories. The Aldsegian Golden Age elite brought with them the foundational legal concepts in civil and criminal law later codified in the First Laws of Aedelmen. Consistent with a policy respecting and enforcing cultural distinctions, the unique regional cultural and legal traditions were largely retained when the islands were brought under the Imperial Republic in 7536 and the Aedelish process of codification began.

The legal systems of Xenoachílleionion states of Kaliphos, Ádelon, and Skiuöldēs are almost identical to the legal framework of Second Republic Aedeland. Regions outside Xenoachílleion are more diverse. Legal codes and punishments vary by widely by polity. The most common legal system is routed in ancient Pelasgoí tradition of quick, ad hoc, jury trials with no court officials, no lawyers, and no official judges.

Military

As a former colony, Achilleion's military, called the Krétélos (κράτέλος), is heavily influenced by the Aedelish Styrkene. The Hēgemṓn is the Krétélos' ultimate commander-in-chief and its highest operational commander is the Strategarches. Its army is called the Stratós (στρατός), its navy the Nautokratelos, its air force the Aerekélyon (ἀήρκελλύον), and its special forces are the Bárēngios Xenoi (Βάραγγος Ξένοι).

National Symbols

Red, white, and black are the national colors of Achilleion and are the result of its time as a constituent state of the Aldsegian Empire. Its flag is a red field with a centered laurel wreath called the Excellence of Achilleion.

Economy

Achilleion has a free market economy. The islands' industrialization overseen by the Imperial Sortarnland Company has shaped many key industries. Under a scheme designed by the Company, a number of industrial corporate polities, primarily along the Minórrhē, were created under patent of the Hēgemṓn. These corporate planned polities are generally centered around a single industry. Maranellēs is home of the automotive industry, Aídouōn is home of the textile industry, Laurion is the center of heavy industries, and the Port of Eleysina is the center for shipbuilding. The Thalassía and Aulítheón valleys and the southern lowlands are agricultural centers producing grains, olives, dates, cotton, and tobacco as well as livestock.

Transport

Achilleion has a modern transportation infrastructure. Highways and railways are used primarily for passenger travel with very little commercial traffic. Its major highways are the western highway, called the Dysidrómos, that runs north-south along the Kaliphosian Coast from Auérsa to Ávaris, the Epihēlíon which runs east-west from Asty Chrysetrigonós to Myrinē, and the Eutychías which runs north south from Pelagora to Eleysina. The Dysidrómos is the oldest having been built piecemeal from the turn of the century. The Epihēlíon and Eutychías are more recent constructions completed within the last decade. Both utilize tunnels passing through ridges of the Kalderikón range. The coastal communities of the western, northern, and eastern coast are connected via railway from Auérsa to Myrinē as are the southern population centers from Ávaris to Eleysina. Because Achilleion's narrow-gauge railways are used exclusively for passenger service, they tend to be smoother and the routes more scenic. Both Achilleion's railways and highways a have a reputation for being slow, with trips taking several times longer than comparable routes in other Anarian countries. This is largely due to the difficult terrain of the scenic routes and the Achilleionion focus on the quality of the experience over efficiency.

Shipping is vital to the Achilleion economy. Achilleion's four navigable rivers are integral to its economy and handle nearly all of the island's internal commercial shipping. The Eleysina is the island's largest shipping centers with over 80% of all exported and imported goods passing through its industrial port. Other major ports are Myrinē and Etrenia, both major agricultural ports, the regional ports of Epiphanion and Lanzarētē, and Asty Chrysetrigonós which is Achilleion's largest passenger-liner and tourism hub. The energy crisis saw a dramatic increase in Anarian maritime traffic through the Tashgur Channel with Achilleion's ports serving as a major resupply points for sailing traffic through the Western Medio straits destined for the Sinean and Phasian.

Auérsa is the main international air travel hub. Under the Aldsegian Empire, it was a major hub for Aedelish airships which helped establish Kaliphos as the premier Stoldavic tourist destination. Achilleion's tourism industry was nearly destroyed in the late 7590s and did not fully recover until regular air service was reestablished by Pan Anarian in the 7670s when the inaugural supersonic passenger flight was flown from Aerilar to Auérsa. In 7687, Auérsa's airport began major renovations. Secondary airports are at Myrinē, Eleysina, and Lanzarētē. Inter-island air travel is minimal.

Energy

Achilleion's energy is mainly generated by nuclear power with 5 very-high-temperature pebble bed reactors each supplying about 2000 MW providing about 70% of the island's electricity. There are two reactors under construction and more planned. Hydropower and geothermal contribute the rest. Two large hydro-electric dams are on the Achilón and Arakênos were Achilleion first major projects after gaining independence from Aedeland. Each dam produces slightly over 2000 MW. Together the dams provide over half of the island's energy supply. Achilleion has invested heavily in geothermal injection wells (as well as wastewater injection wells). The first such well was bored in 7675 near Mount Ávavórrax with five more drilled over the next decade. Each produces between 10-25 MW. The geothermal energy potential of Achilleion's East Rift Zone is estimated to exceed 200 MW. However, noise and air pollution associated with the facilities has led to opposition from some groups.