"The Unwalled City."

Mostly the native Athallian people, if not entirely. Only a few outsiders feel welcome enough to stay, although there are many temporary residents, thanks to it's trading of plentiful fish and livestock-

Although the Athallians make it abundantly clear that they do not tolerate outsiders.

Firmly resting on the western shores of the Eaglehead peninsula, with smaller settlements of Athallians taking the small islands as either personal abodes or and naval launch points.

A city built on blood, stone, and the ashes of those that the Savians conquered, Thelios is the product of years of warfare by the Athallian people, warfare- of which they fiercely made an example of any would-be attacker, or reclaimer. But, you will find no walls in Athallian. No walls, no towers, only the Town's watch.

Because there has not been an attacker on Thelios that has made it even close to the city's many buildings.

Impressive, but simple. Built on the basis of strength and unity, with pillars and columns marking most of the bigger buildings. Given it's location close to the sea, many of the buildings are salt-washed, or incorporate designs of the sea, such as shellfish, ancient, great beasts of the water that had been taken trophy. The city itself is built into hillsides, so the many steps are usually the fascinating point for people, the many white steps of Thelios something that visitors are happy to say they climbed.

All in all, if you climbed every step from the bottom of the city to the top, you will have climbed over six hundred flights of stairs- given that you'd find every little nook and cranny. The city itself only rises about sixty feet from the sea level.

Many of the buildings stand no taller than two or three stories, making a rather unimpressive looking city for the more cultured and sophisticated creatures of Arethil. The people of the city however, care little for the opinion of outsiders, and stick to their simplistic, and elegant in it's own right, strong and sturdy stone architecture.

The only 'grand' structure is the city's impressive hall, which hosts any votes or declarations. This is a more notable area for visitors, although they can simply look at it. Entrance is usually met with a fist to the face to any outsider.

Ports of Thelios-


The ports themselves can house ships of all shapes and sizes, and many are welcome to come and trade in Thelios- albeit, the trading and housing of the visitors is usually done in the same place. Any venturing outside the port is usually met with an abrasive hostility, though rarely violence.

Shipbuilding Yards-

A primary export, near the port itself, houses an impressive ship-building yard. Ships looking to repair or refit for their longer journeys are encouraged, or advised, or even seek out these shipyards for their expertise and speediness at which they can repair ships.

The Fish Market-

As the name implies, it's an impressive fish market, chiefly because of their specialty in curing and preserving meats for longer journeys. They also sell delicious fish.

The Athallians, never ones to consider themselves anything but literal or perhaps enjoying the simplicity of the name, simply call the lands more eastern and inland of the ocean, housing small farms and communes "The Fields". Many exotic fruits and berries of all kinds are grown here for the purpose of creating new or distinct wines. The most popular exported wine from this region is called the Savia wine, known for it's sweet taste.



Named after the great Matriarch of the Athallian people, this large wooded area is host to the large-scale training events for the Athallian people.

The Athallians were not the first to hold this place in the Eaglehead peninsula. They were simply the first to take it and hold it. During what is referred to as the Period of Conquer, early Athallians drove out tribes from the Eaglehead area, and established the settlement of Thelios- as an encampment and central hub so that they could take the rest of the peninsula. While some cultures shy away at their conquers in shame of their ancestors, the Athallians, a literal and pragmatic people, have no qualms discussing at length how Thelios came to be.

Thelios has had it's share of attacks and would-be raids, by pirates, slavers, raiders, and even, during the schism of the Templar, an order of the Templar came to Thelios seeking to conscript soldiers for their cause. They never made it into the city walls, much less far into the fields.

The Athallians built the city like how they envisioned themselves, and how they view the world- simple, stone, strong, and built to last. The Athallians eventually found themselves content with the land, and viewing their neighbors from expeditions, found only harm and eventual problems to come from expanding too far outward. As such, not many Athallians viewed an interest in gaining lands beyond what they had- and stuck mostly to the Eaglehead area.

Thanks to a mixture of difficult terrain, many difficult Empires to cross, and the formidable people and stalwart defense of Thelios, there are no walls surrounding Thelios. This was mostly pragmatic at first, due to the fact that Thelios was initially a large camp, but as time went on and the structures became permanent, Thelios kept the city without walls.

The Unwalled City

The people of Thelios are known for one thing above all, above the trading, the seafaring, their shipyards- it is the people of Thelios, the Athallians. The Athallians are known for war. And war alone. Combat and victory are an Athallians true calling- everything else, is secondary. But Athallians are not glory-seeking has-beens of a people. They are, in truth, in their golden age. The Athallian military consists of every healthy adult in the city. While there maintains a town guard and town watch to more or less keep the visitors and would-be vagabonds in check.

But, the Legion of Thelios consists of all those in the city. The Athallian see the defense of the city as a duty, a shared sense of community that derives safety from each other, rather than walls. To an Athallian, a wall is only an obstacle, while a well-armed Athallian is a blockade that an enemy of the city will never get through.

As such, and as protection and the service to the community is so hard-boiled into every healthy Athallian, once a moon cycle, for six days- the Athallians go and do nothing but conduct rehearsals, drills, and intense dueling to keep themselves on edge. This is where many Athallians go to make a name for themselves, showing improvement or even prowess against the deadliest enemy the Athallian's consider- other Athallians. Athallians rarely get killed during what is known as the moon trials.

Rarely.


Thelios' Wit


Athallians are well known for their tenacity, their skill with the blade, but perhaps, just as much so, their peculiar way of speaking to outsiders. While the people of Thelios have many well-known traits, most notable among those who have been fortunate or unfortunate to interact with them- is the way they speak to outsiders and strangers.

A curiously strange, dry, blunt wit known for it's harsh and sometimes cruel nature- shows how pragmatic, practical, and focused the Athallians can be. In example, during a particular large pirate raid, while Athallian soldiers swam out to their anchored ships, the pirates sent an envoy to the King of Athallia at the time.

"We seek not death, but the plunder of your city. Do not throw your city's lives away for the riches of other lands. Give us what can be replaced, while your people cannot be replaced. Do not throw Thelios to the wolves, your highness! Our ships stand in the numbers greater than you can defend. We do not wish to throw our or your lives away."

As foretold in the story, the King simply leaned to the side of his seat, and observed the fires being lit on the ships of the pirates.

"What ships?"

Politeness

Athallians are also known for their curt politeness.

Blood and Wine