Ganesia

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An ancient people who once served as the breadbasket of the Empire, Ganesia was ravaged in the final stages of the Fourth Succession War. Ganesia is still dotted with decaying fortifications manned by ill-trained soldiers led by various Legates and scions of various Great Houses who raid and pillage farming villages already struggling to scrape sustenance from the dying land. Many have come to believe Ganesia to be cursed and merchant vessels tend to avoid the few port towns that can still accommodate them.

Ganesia
The Province of Ganesia
Azure, lion dormant or, armed sanguine.
Azure, lion dormant or, armed sanguine.
Geographic Info
Continent: Aurea
Location: Southern Aurea, on the eastern end of the Zetian Penninsula
Government
Government Type: Imperial Province (Prefect, Duke, Earl, Count, Baron, Knight, Mayor)
Ruler: Emperor Marcus Droserius Zetar (Ftr 9, Nob 12)
Arms: Azure, lion dormant or, armed sanguine.
Coinage: 1 Denarius (1 sp) = 10 Siliquae (cp); 1 Double Denarius (1 ep) = 2 Denarii; 1 Aureus (1 gp) = 25 Denarii, 1 Solidus (1 pp) = 4 Aurei
Capital: Kortona (pop 23,450)
Alliances: Camaria
Hostilities: House Valerius, House Varro and House Livius
Society
Population: 763,210 (99% human, 1% other)
Languages: Ganesian, Zetian
Important Persons: The Duke of Frizia, the Pontifex of Sarpedon, several significant Merchant Houses, Legate of Legion II Ganeia Augusta
Religious Info
Pantheon: Imperial
Patron: Sarpedon


History

The Province of Ganesia has a long history, longer even than that of Zeth. Long before the apocryphal founding of that city by the Septira, the Ganesians were a powerful, warlike race who worshiped horrible, fang-toothed ancient gods. When they discovered that the Septira had founded a city near their territory, the tyrant Galagora sent his armies to Zeth and quickly conquered the children of the Septira. The Ganesians ruled over the Zetians with an iron fist for many decades, until finally a war with the Camarians left the Ganesians unable to keep control over the city. The Zetians fell under control of the Triarchy, citizens who were raised to the position of Kings, before they eventually established their Republic.

The power of the Ganesians, however, continued to decline. In 468 BI, the Zetians and Camarians allied to bring the Ganesians to their knees. In the ten-year Ganeic War, the Ganesians were completely subjugated. Their rulers were replaced by members of the Great Houses and their capital city was dismantled, stone by stone, to build a gigantic temple to Galea, goddess of Victory. The last independent Ganesian Tyrant, Magoltha, was paraded through Zeth in chains. The Zetian General who had overseen both Camarian and Zetian forces, Tiberius Terentina of House Valerius, wrote the first great military treatise, thereafter known as Tiberius' Ganeic Wars. This book was used as the template for further Zetian expansionism for the next two millennia.

Thereafter, Ganesian and Zetian history are the same. By the coming of the Empire, there were few cultural differences between the Ganesians and the Zetians. Even so, Ganesian infantrymen are still known throughout the Empire for their fierceness in battle, and the second Legion (II Ganeia Augusta) was permanently stationed in Kortona. Long seen as the last defense of Zeth should the Empire begin to fall to foreign invasion, the Great Fortress of Sarpedon was moved to a location just outside of Kortona in 320 IC, during the First Succession War. The Pontifex of Sarpedon is a powerful political and military force in the province. It has become traditional for the Pontifex to be present during the coronation of the Prefect, and has even acted in the Emperor's stead during times of war. At the onset of the Fourth Succession War, the Pontifex Philagrius of Sarpedon recognized Marcus Droserius of House Zetar as the true successor to the Imperial throne, but the loyalty of the church for House Zetar has been wavering since the death of Philagrius in 1258 IC His successor, Leo Viator, seems more interested in keeping the Church out of the fray as much as possible, as he knows that, should House Zetar fall, he would likely be marched through Zeth in chains.

Marcus Droserius of House Zetar was appointed Prefect of the Province in 1235 IC and was a cousin to the Emperor. Before 1252 IC, it was generally believed that Droserius would be named the heir to the Empire should the Emperor Publius Antonius’s only heir die. When the sickly Crown Prince did die in 1252 IC and the Emperor announced that his Magister, Lucius of House Zetar, would become his heir, it sent ripples throughout the political spectrum of Ganesia. Droserius and the Emperor, his brother, became distant after the announcement was made and when Publius Antonius died in that same year, Droserius did not attend his brother’s funeral, though he did perform his duties at the coronation of the Emperor Lucius.

Soon after the coronation of Emperor Lucius “the Heretic,” Marcus Droserius announced that he was departing to assist in the war effort in Koramia. Unbeknownst to even his own Emperor, he fled to Camaria and began to assemble allies for a rebellion against the Heretic Emperor with the help of the Camarian King, who had long been loyal to House Zetar. When Lucius died of a mysterious disease in 1253 IC, Marcus Droserius was crowned Emperor by the Pontifex of Sarpedon and began marching to Zeth for his official coronation.

Droserius’ march was halted by Antonius Priscus of House Livius, who had also been planning his own rebellion in eastern Ganesia. The officers of the Legion II Augusta Ganesia, who comprised most of Droserius’ army, were split in their loyalties and many defected to support Antonius Priscus’ bid for the throne. In the Battle of Frizia in 1253 IC, Droserius routed the Livian army but was unable to advance to Zeth. Seeing a weakness that they could exploit, Gaius Basilius of House Varro and Remus Augustilius of House Valerius decided to crown themselves Emperor as well and headed to Ganesia to defeat the other two armies.

Ganesia has been ripped apart by the forces of the Fourth Succession War, as the members of various Legions flock to the Emperor that they feel has the strongest claim to the throne (or who would be most advantageous to their own interests). House Livius has proven to be well ensconced in the eastern regions of the nation and House Valerius established its own stronghold along the southern shore in 1257 IC. And the Succession War rages on, with no clear victor in sight.

Economy

While Ganesia was once the bread-basket of the Empire, the strain of high populations and the ravages of war have caused this significance to decline in favor of Medalia. Still, its agricultural communities are known for their grape and wine production, which is surpassed only by those grown on the Zetian Hills. Fruits are grown in great orchards that dot the Ganesian countryside. Of course, nuts, grains and livestock are commonplace on most farms, but Ganesia has reached the point where they are straining their own levels of subsistence, so almost no foodstuffs are exported to Zeth or other Imperial states. Fishing is also a dominant industry along the southern coast, as is trade on the northern. Conflict with the pirates of Tamerynd makes trade overseas a dangerous affair, and Aescalapea has grown to outshine Ganesian in sea-borne trade heading towards Zeth.

Religion

The Ganesians worship the same range of deities as most Imperials, though worship of Sarpedon is by far predominant. The worship of Betshaba, which once exceeded that of Sarpedon, is on the wane, as many along the northern coast believe to be abandoned by her and the Ganesian navy still hasn’t recovered from the disastrous defeat of the First Fleet by Koramia. The worship of Kratos, God of War, is also on the rise, as soldiers flock to the region to fight for the Emperor of their choice. As in the rest of the Empire, the worship of Dagon and his descendants is strictly forbidden, though the secret worship of Taltos is on the rise, particularly along the northern coast. Phlegethon, believed to have been the chief god of the original Ganesians, is still worshiped in remote enclaves, though the servants of Zelos have been surprisingly successful in rooting these cults out and destroying them.

This page has been identified as needing a map for clarity.


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This article is part of the Player's Guide to Aurea

Introduction ·  Economics and Trade ·  Legends and History ·  Religion ·  Regions and Realms

Regions and Realms on Aurea

Geographic Regions · Nations and Realms