Parrius

Parrius was one of the earliest colonized settlements in the Avalon continent as a cut-and-thrust sea port on the Eastern Sea. Its founding ideals stem from its love of freedom.

Founded on the 1st of Leaflost, 840 by Lorelord Brucos

Founding History

The beginnings of Parrius can be seen in a small hovel town of pirates circling the mouth of the Callieton River. From this strategic vantage point, the ruffians attacked the entire Avalon coast line, plundering booty and killing the innocents of the smaller villages and even of Mercinae itself. No one was safe from the scourge of black sailed ships that ruled the seas. As Mercinae grew larger, so did the factions within it, and one in particular grew restless from the tyrannical hand of honour and justice.

Led by Brucos, they left the walls of the their home in search of the savagery of the wild, and escape from the order of their city. They found a new home, in Parrius, where they were welcomed in the spirit of anarchy and freedom. Reputations of the village grew, and the idea of lawlessness tempted many of the hearts of those who walked the forests of Avalon. The shanty town burst at its seams with thrill seekers arriving every day, and soon an organised government was severely needed. But the individual's freedom was still held above all else, and the laws made reflected and protected that ideal.

Introduction

Known as the Jewel of the East, Parrius washes her feet in the eastern sea, straddled across the mighty Callieton. Her mystique should not be mistaken, however, for innocent beauty. Travellers are well advised to wander not, for the streets are perillious to the traveller, as the citizens take full advantage of their freedoms. Her people are a protective folk of their lady, exhibiting a cruel, nearly diabolical attitude in her defence.

Parrius is a cityport that lies on the far-eastern shores of the continent. It is a great economic power and strongly militaristic. Its citizens are fiercely loyal to Parrian independence. A strong sea-faring tradition made the goddess of the sea Parrius' patron. Later it fell under the careful care of Orthwein, the god of fate. Its monarchic figurehead is Lady Augustine, daughter of the First Mariner. Parrius' primary concern is its trading and indeed it is centered around large dockyards, thriving on the constant sea voyages that its citizens undertake.

Parrius draws to it the explorers, the brave-hearted adventurers who will risk all for the sake of glory and broadening of knowledge. It is approached from the long but relatively safe eastern road from Mercinae.

History

After the enthusiasm of its initial founders had subsided Parrius sunk back into a period of relative insignificance. Its citizenry was small and its resources insignificant beside the vast treasuries of Mercinae and Thakria. It was not until the coming together of three second generation Parrians a few decades later that the city truly emerged onto the world stage - Calladan and Marie, both Enchanters and Procyon, founder of the Artisans. Calladan was first of the three to reach maturity under the guidance of Eshkadeth, he quickly gained reputation as a deadly fighter and remained for his entire life staunchly loyal to Parrius. Marie was no less loyal to the city and made up for her lack of fighting skill with unparalleled focus and economic savoir-faire. Alongside her Procyon mastered equally the arts of city management and with Calladan leading the Parrian armies, the three formed a partnership unequalled in Avalon's history. Parrius expanded rapidly, its resources grew, its influence blossomed and its citizenry adopted its fierce and durable love of freedom and the individualist east. It was during this period in Parrius' history that the city outstripped both Mercinae and Thakria and stood atop Avalon's heirarchy as richest, strongest and proudest city.

Eventually, as with all strong periods of city growth, the government went through a period of change which stemmed the rapid Parrian expansion. Calladan retired from active duties while Marie and Procyon moved together out of the city spotlight to live in Kristanisti. A void was left in Parrius which was only tentatively filled by new faces; Garet Jax, Nalek, and Tarakin, all of the Enchanters Guild. Parrius' situation was very strong though and the new leaders maintained a conservative approach. It was during this period that Snowlock of Thakria enjoyed the height of his power and Thakria surpassed Parrius as Avalon's mightiest city state. The Parrian government spared only a portion of their forces to aid Mercinae against Thakrian invasion and pulled the troops out fairly early when the Mercinaen defences crumbled. Garet Jax guided Parrius down a neutral path, maintaining peace with Thakria and even loose friendship with Snowlock, the Thakrian dictator.

After Snowlock's ordination to become Orthwein, god of fate, and perhaps as a result of his previously good rapport with the Parrian leaders, he was invited to take patronage of the city. The god of fate maintained a close and often guiding hand from that point on in Parrius' politics and policy. Gradually the faces of government changed and Orthwein's influence ensured the new leaders were loyal directly to him. This led to a feeling of exclusion among non-Orthwein followers and divisions appeared among the citizenry. Love for Parrius continued to unite them, however, particularly heightened by the invasion by Thakria led by Shaitan the Sorcerer. By this time Mercy of the Astrologers was the leader of the Parrian government and the invasion was thwarted comprehensively by Parrian cohesion and a flawless defence plan by the god of fate. A long period of peace follow the successful defence of the city, but divisions continued to grow as Mercy adopted an increasingly authoritarian rule.

During this later period of Orthwein's patronage of the city and under Mercinae's capable but abrasive leadership began Parrius' economic decline. Though Mercy herself was an excellent economist, her brash methods alienated many and the city's resources and wealth slowly contracted. To compound matters the god of fate gave up patronage of Parrius in favour of his mortal birth-city of Thakria. With him went a number of his more loyal followers (including mant from Parrius' government). Before long Mercy herself was forced to resign her position under pressure from the non-Orthwein factions finally able to express their will. Maedhros the Hunter God was chosen as the new patron of Parrius and Heidi of the Alchemists Guild emerged as Mercy's successor and next leader of the city.

Weakened by the departure of the god of fate's contingent and left in the hands of enthusiastic but untrained government, Parrius' decline in stature grew in pace. Citizenry reflected the government's make-up; enthusiastic but mostly ineffectual. Maedhros himself was far less competent at city guidance than Orthwein and Parrius suffered as a result. Sealing Parrius' long term recession, though, was an entirely unexpected blow - a full-scale invasion of Parrius by her trusted ally, Mercinae. Ithakus, then Prince of Mercinae, formulated a dubious diplomatic incident with the Parrians and used it as justification for war. Parrius was placed under siege and its resources were not sufficient to break it. Fortunately the invasion failed, though, Ithakus' designs coming to naught due to both the continued doughty resistence of the Parrian government against great odds and, significantly, the decision of the other members of Mercinae's government to withdraw support for Ithakus' invasion and finally to oust him as Prince and pull back their troops. Parrius remained free and its citizens rejoiced.

With the threat from Mercinae removed by a more peaceful new government Parrius was free to continue unmolested. The dynamic of the city government and its shortcomings was unchanged though and Parrius' economy and military continued to suffer gradual long-term decline. To make matters worse Mercinae's new leaders were equally mediocre at economic management. Both cities were in slow but significant decline while, conversely, Thakria was being excellently managed and boasted a cohesive and educated citizenry. Thakria was blessed by dual patronage of the gods of fate and pain, both incredibly effective in their mortal guises and therefore able to guide the city of miracles from strength to strength. After over a decade of this trend continuing unabated Thakria was mightier than both Parrius and Mercinae combined. If this trend continued there would soon be no way to stop Thakria's vast armies from conquering the entire continent.

Plans for a total invasion of Parrius were leaked by the Thakrian government, together with indications that after razing Parrius to the ground the Mercinaens would be next to the slaughter. With Thakria's enormous resources and military and, most importantly, the day-by-day growth of the power gap between Thakria and the other cities, the impending permanent destruction of Parrius had to be faced by its government. Despite the government's past failings they met this situation head-on. The only solution to stem the Thakrian growth and ensure the continued survival of the Parrian way of life was to combine resources, armies, government and citizenry with Mercinae. All within the walls of a single defensible city. And thus in a momentous meeting between the Mercinaen and Parrian governments under the guidance of the gods of light and time, Heidi Princess of Parrius led her people into Mercinae. The two great cities merged. Parrius was handed over to the god of time - empty and silent. The city was given sanctuary status by the Gods. Avalon had returned to its old way; two great city states, Mercinae the Good and Thakria is the Evil. And the merging achieved its goal. United Mercinae and Parrius had the talent and the momentum to stem the decline and finally match the Thakrians. Invasions plans came to naught and, though it cost the very ownership of Parrius' city streets, the Parrian way of life was saved.

For years the streets of Parrius were trod by no citizens. The sanctuary status bestowed on the city by the Gods prevented any invasion or siege but the city was just a sad, deserted memorial to its past glories. Fortunately Mercinae's survival was assured by the sacrifice and the former Parrians largely adopted their new city as permanent homeland. There came, eventually, a time when the god of time judged it right for Parrius' repopulation to start. The continent needed its eastern city and Parrius was tentatively opened to a few hand-picked individuals charged with the task of building the foundations of rebirth. Members of the previous government that had led Parrius to such decline under Maedhros' patronage were excluded from the new citizens. Instead it was Mercy, former Princess and loyal Parrian, who was charged with the task of leading the small government of rebirth. The city was given a new governmental structure by the god of time, a new position called Guardian for the most influential and powerful members of government and a mandate from the Gods themselves to build and grow and reseed the unique Parrian ideals.

Mercy's leadership was free the bias towards followers of the god of fate which had caused great divisions in Parrius during her first period of rule but her brash authoritarian approach persisted. Mercy worked hard, she was ably supported by mostly willing co-workers, and Parrius was nurtured slowly from rebirth through to the foundations of a small city economy. The Gods allowed the citizenry of Parrius to grow slowly as its foundling economy grew large enough to support more people. Eventually novices were allowed to be born in Parrius again and restrictions on new citizens were fully removed. Parrius was back. Symbolic of its re-emergence was Plaman's (the Field Marshall) decision to push Parrian legions out from the city walls and reclaim its sphere of influence. Skirmishes with the City of Springdale baptized new Parrius in the ways of warfare and Plaman exacted a measure of revenge for Mercinae's past invasion of Parrius by joining Thakria's main army in a conclusive routing of Mercinae's entire defence force. Treaties have since brought peaceful relations between Parrius and Mercinae but there was no doubt by this point that the Parrians had returned to the world stage.

Shenarra was given the rank of Guardian by the god of time and entrusted to lead Parrius' government and ensure its economic and citizen success. Though her appointment alienated some of the existing leaders who resented being suddenly given a new superior, and Blaatand (Minister of State) and Savannah (Foreign Minister) both threw in their titles. The posts were quickly filled by surprisingly competent replacements; Catt, Guildmaster Artisan as the new State Minister and Flogga the Enchanter as the new Minister for Foreign Affairs.

War Record

In the full-scale invasion of Mercinae by Snowlock's Thakria, Parrius honoured the treaty which had existed between herself and the Mercinaens since Parrius' birth. The treaty called for mutual aid in the event of invasion and Parrius' leaders of the time, Garet Jax, Tarakin and Nalek the Enchanter, mobilized an army of Parrians and brought them in to defend Mercinae from the east. Parrius did not mobilize its whole armies though, which may have turned the tide of the battle against the Thakrians and the smaller Parrian legions were eventually routed. Though Parrian individuals fought on bravely to defend Mercinae their efforts were in vain.

During his period as Thakrian Prince and undisputed guildmaster of the Sorcerers Guild, Shaitan launched an invasion of Parrius with a great proportion of Thakria's military. The invasion was well planned and the Thakrians were inside Parrian walls and dug in for siege before the Parrians could muster much defence. However the invasion was to end in failure, as the Parrians and their Mercinaen allies mobilized and began to strike back the Thakrians lost heart. Shaitan alone of the Thakrians fought on to try to keep his troops together and maintain the siege of Parrius but in the end the opposition overcame him and broke the Thakrian legions. Shaitan reacted quickly and pulled out the invading troops before they received too many fatalities and Thakria retreated back within its black walls to lick its wounds and plan the next sortie.

At around 930ADW Parrius faced invasion from, much to their surprise, Mercinae. Ithakus the Mystic had become Prince and pulled a reluctant city along with his fairly singular approach. Before Parrius could make much of a reaction Ithakus had filled the Eastern City with hordes of Mercinaen troops and a siege was begun. The siege was not to last long enough to cause real damage to Parrius itself for Ithakus' invasion was defeated on two fronts; by the excellent defensive work of the Parrians guided by the god of fate, and by the reluctance and later active opposition of Ithakus' own Mercinaen peers. Ithakus was forced to call a full and ignominious retreat as the Parrian defenders were ceasing the upper hand in pitched battles through the city streets and as the Mercinaen government withdrew its support for his actions. Parrius was saved once more.

Plaman, Parrius' Field Marshall acted almost unilaterally in support of the Thakrian invasion of Mercinae. He assembled a vast Parrian legion and combined with the Thakrians to utterly route the main Mercinaen defensive army in a perfectly executed two-pronged attack. Parrius did little more afterwards though despite maintaining large legions close to Mercinae city walls until the Thakrians were eventually repelled.

Though Parrius has not been subjected to a full-scale invasion since the efforts of Ithakus there have been ongoing skirmishes and border disputes with Mercinae but more seriously with Springdale. Springdale and Parrius both stake claim to the eastern region of the continent and military activities by both cities have threatened to escalate.

Temples

Orthwein

The temple of the god of fate is off Providence Way by Consort Way.

Genesis

The god of time has a small temple by Chapman Square. From the centre, where the Parrian council chambers are, head west to the farthest west of the square. The temple will be just to the northwest.

Tyranis

The god of war has a small shrine near the western gate. From Hellespont Square, head west to the Mariners Highway and the war shrine is south of the west gate interior.

Elmaethor

The god of the stars has a temple upon the bridge of the skies. From Chapman Square, head southwest, then south along Larches Avenue.

Ashvani

The goddess of the moon has a temple in the north of the city. From Chapman Square, head toward the Northern gate and east on to the Gallows walk; the moon temple is just north.

Proteus

A shrine to the sea can be find in the east of the city, near the Providence Way and not far from the Astrologers guild.

Cornelius

The Parrian Altar of Magic can be found by going north from Hellespont Square toward the Providence Way and following a branching exit southwest.