Amaranth Amalgamate

Overview
Amaranth Amalgamate, Jewel of the East, has historically been known for its exceptional military forces. Situated on a strategically defensible stretch of land— flanked on the south and east by a massive bay, on the west by a river, and on the north by two forests, the city has had the luxury of peace to thrive and grow. Given this fact, over the ages Amaranth Amalgamate has evolved into an aggressive empire under the rule of an all-powerful emperor. Though it stands as a bastion of strength and support for surrounding human settlements, other species have fallen victim to persecution at the hands of the Amaranthine Legion.

History
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Geography, climate, and environment
Amaranth Amalgamate is situated on the east coast of the continent, at the temperate intersection of warm trade winds and the warm currents that flow from the south. Despite the fact that it is nearly as far north as Whitecastle, the winds and ocean currents combined with lower altitude make the climate far more tolerable. It receives heavy rainfall through the year with little snow, which means Amaranthine lands have a long, fruitful growing season. Though winters do get cold, they are more of nuisance-- rarely causing any lasting injury or damage.

To the west flows a broad river that in turn empties into the massive harbor that flanks the city to the east. Combined, the two bodies of water form a defensible cradle for the city, and also provide thriving trade from all down the coast.

The forests in the area are mostly deciduous, losing their leaves in the fall and blooming again the following spring. But as altitude rises toward the Aegis Zenith Mountains the forest gradually changes into coniferous-- the northern Direwood near Balgur's Barrow is largely composed of pine trees.

Demographics
At the peak of the reign of Emperor Gaius, the population of Amaranth Amalgamate is around 500,000. Compared to other cities on the continent, it is a veritable metropolis. A city this size is difficult to sustain, of course-- hence its reliance on surrounding farm communities and trade with other lands. The city has 1474 noble houses. The peace is kept by 2516 guardsmen, and there are 1059 advocates to assist with legal matters. For those more concerned about their soul, there are 17383 clergymen and 460 priests.

The population of Amaranth Amalgamate is 95% human, 2% dwarven, and 3% other (elven, halfling, gnomish, orcish, etc.). Approximately 9.5% are non-Amaranthine. About half of the immigrant population consists of the various northern peoples, while the remaining group comes from south of the Kilun Passage, or from lands across the sea.

Government and Politics
The government of Amaranth Amalgamate was founded as a republic, where citizens from the aristocracy were chosen to represent the people in the Senate. However, political unbalance led to civil unrest among the people, and in order to stabilize the domain, Gaius established himself as a totalitarian emperor. This political action wasn't performed openly, of course. Accustomed to the idea of a representational government, the citizens would have been upset by the prospect of an all-powerful monarch. So he kept the Senate in place for show, while quietly centralizing significant civil and military offices to the role of the emperor.

Military
Perhaps the most famous conflict involved the forest realm of Ehldehvar, the largest and mightiest of the elf kingdoms. Threatened by the looming presence of a mysterious population of indigenous elves in the sprawling forest, the emperor ordered the Legion to purge the Direwood— as it was called in the common tongue— of its native pestilence. Whole swaths of ancient forest were incinerated by the merciless Legion and thousands of elves were massacred. After a long and bloody war that stretched for a hundred years, the elves finally yielded, slowly abandoning Ehldehvar to join their kin on the far side of the Aegis Zenith Mountains— and hopefully, beyond the reach of the silvanophobic emperor.

The elves are not the only neighboring population to feel pressure from the Amaranthine Empire. Bleebiddle and Clishmaclaver, neighboring gnomish settlements, have long been under the oppressive thumb of Amaranth Amalgamate. They are valuable only for their inventions and curious magic, which come in handy to the human wizards of Eagle Point, who in turn offer their service freely to the emperor. Despite their tentative trade alliance, the gnomes are made to feel like second-class citizens, inferior in every way to the predominant human population.

Likewise, the halflings of Roestead live in fear of Amaranth Amalgamate. Though they have gone unnoticed by the empire for centuries, they worry that one hungry year the emperor will turn a greedy eye to the prosperous farmlands to the south, and the halflings will be pressed into the same bondage as the gnomes of Bleebiddle and Clishmaclaver.

Law Enforcement and Crime
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Economy
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Science and Technology
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Education
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Religion
Beyond its military, perhaps the most notable feature of Amaranth Amalgamate is the recent emergence of a new religion centered around its messianic emperor, Gaius. There was considerable controversy when he came to the people of the empire claiming that he had been chosen as the vessel of a new god, but ultimately his popularity won the allegiance of the people, and they converted to his religion in droves. It spread so quickly that the devout of the old gods soon began to feel persecuted by the emperor’s faithful, and those who held out for too long eventually migrated away from the Empire, feeling that they were no longer welcome.

Though the religion won’t necessarily turn away elves and dwarves, in sacred doctrine it is clearly stated that those of “inferior” races are being punished for crimes in the premortal world, and as such, are constantly treated as though they’ve committed some terrible crime— simply by virtue of their existence.

Culture
Fashion in Amaranth Amalgamate is more modern than most other parts of Centoros. Men favor a clean, beardless look with sensibly short hair, and grooming is incredibly important to even the Amaranthine lower classes. Women are revolutionary in their favor of cropped hair styles, sporting bobs and a-line cuts over unruly locks. Those who do wear their hair long keep it pulled up at all times, often in elaborate hairstyles bedecked with accessories.

Clothing is suitable to the temperate climate, favoring light, airy fabrics dyed in rich, jeweled colors. Various shades of gold and warm reds and purples are especially popular given their association with the aristocracy. Amaranthines are very fond of gold jewelry, and trade with the dwarves of the Aegis Zenith mountains is at an all-time high. Dwarf-made jewelry is most coveted, but it's cheaper to buy jewelry that was crafted by human artisans within the city.

Furs of northern animals-- wolves, bears, elk, rabbits, etc.-- are not especially popular, as they're widely associated with the old traditions. However, trade has recently begun bringing more exotic pelts from the south: creatures like cheetahs and jaguars, whose skins are unlike anything found in the north. Though rare, these furs are very popular with the wealthy.

Amaranthine wine is considered to be the best in the land.