Arapis

Once known as Prima Dues, this city was the center of power for the Holy Irillian Empire (Second Empire). Since 1951 AE the city has been occupied by elements of the Elven Army and under the control of Ellendar.

• Name: City of Arapis; Prima Dues; Centrale Il Serpente
• Location: Irill, Ellendar

  • Founded: Irillians 582 AE
  • Conquered: Elven Army 1951 AE
• Holder: Tellarmi, Grand Elmari of the Watchful
• Liege: Queen Endirwen Landilinar of the Kingdom of Ellendar
• Etymology: Arapii; The Eternally Conquered
• Land Area: xx km² (yy acres)

  • Woods: xxx acres (xx km²)
  • Cleared: xxx acres (xx km²), xxx acres cultivated
  • Tenant:
  • Demesne:
• Population: 8,500

  • Ethnicity: Human (5,000), Elf (2,300), Other (200)
• Military:

The city started as a small town built around the Great Temple of Irrish in 975 AE. This temple was the center of the Irrishites, then a minority religious sect among the Irillians. By 1100 AE the town had grown into a city of 10,000 people, all dedicated to the worship of Irrish and their proper place in the world. In 1200 AE the Irrishite religion became the majority religion within Irill and in 1260 all other religious worship were declared heretical. At this point the word of the Maximus Magister carried more weight than any Senator.

The local law for each borough is carried out and enforced by Irillian citizenry selected by an Elven officer

By Elven law, the citizens of Arapis may not carry any blade longer than a hand span in length nor may they wear any clothing that could be construed as armor or designed for soldiery. The Irillians that remain do see to the day-to-day actions of the watch, but they are overseen by a soldier of the occupying army and allowed to carry nothing more than a wooden truncheon.

The occupying Elven Army is the only true military units within the city. From a tactical standpoint they are surrounded by the “enemy” with little ability to obtain self-sufficiency. They rely on food from the surrounding Irillian villages to feed the people that remain in the city. While the Irrishite religion has changed dramatically, Arapis still represents the holiest of holy ground, with thousands many the journey there every year.

In spite of this the Elven Army is not under any threat of lack of supplies or rebellion. Before the fall of Arapis the Irrishite leaders committed many atrocities to their own people as well. Strict adherence to their will was demanded of all and those that failed were tortured. The new leaders of the Irrishite religion seem more than willing to bury that past as trade between Irill and Ellendar increase.

The elves have gone to great lengths to return the religions demonized by the Irrishites to the people of Irill, but with very little success. The Irillians that still live, and travel, to Arapis are the true believers and have resisted all efforts. Those few Irillians that have taken up the older religions are persecuted and only find shelter among the elves.

Prima Dues was never a trade center nor did it have easy access to the raw resources to export to other markets. Instead wealth flowed into the city from pilgrims and crusaders that sacked far off lands. When the elves conquered the city they actually took very little wealth from the city, instead they took only the most artistic pieces and melted the rest. They have harbored this wealth over the years and used it to offset the trade imbalance of the city.

It is only a matter of time before the accumulated wealth runs out and the Elven Army will be forced to either abandon the city or secure additional funding from Ellendar to maintain their hold on the city. The surrounding Irillian cities have pushed up the tariffs for goods travelling into the city - not in an effort to force the elves to withdraw, but rather make it difficult for them to control much beyond the city surroundings.

The elves know that the Irillian republic is very pleased with the most radical Irrishites drawn to Arapis, forcing the elves to maintain a tight grip on the city, but there is very little they can do about it in the short term. The Irillians have them boxed in and until the Elven Queen decides to remake the city as a sylvan glade and extend Ellendar's power here they must wait.