EKTO (City-State of)

Location: Isle of Dawn, east of Brun, southwest of the New Alphatian Sea..

Area: 38,160 sq. mi. (98,834 sq. km.).

Population: 28,000 (1,000 in the city of Ekto).

Language: Alphatian (Hillvale and Thothian dialects), Thyatian (Redstone dialect).

Coinage: Crown (gp), mirror (sp), judge (cp). Thyatian coins are also very common: emperor (5 gp), lucin (gp), asterius (sp), denarius (cp).

Taxes: 20% on everyone of servant status or higher and an import tax of 1% (NACE kingdoms and Karameikos excluded). 10% obligation to the imperial treasuries deferred due to rebuilding. Ekto also benefits from imperial funding to aid in its rebuilding.

Government Type: Semiautonomous monarchy owing loyalty to the NACE.

Industries: Agriculture, mining, metallurgy, and reconstruction.

Important Figures: Tristan (King and General, human, male, F17).

Flora and Fauna: The sieges and razing of Ekto had left the kingdom little more than a wasteland, destroying most plant life and pushing animal life abroad. With rebuilding underway and a return of some of the crops, animal life has begun to return. As with any Alphatian kingdom, almost any creature can be expected.

Further Reading: Dawn of the Emperors boxed set, previous almanacs.

Description by Thalia.

I had heard of the troubles Ekto had experienced after the war. Truthfully, I had dreaded our journey there. I did not think that I could take seeing a city that had taken so much abuse. Allstrick was adamant in our venturing there. So after some convincing, not to mention promises of sites to come, I gave in and we headed for Ekto.

The Land

Ekto sits along the eastern coast of the Isle of Dawn, just up the coast from Trikelios. The kingdom boasts ample lands suitable for farming. To the north and west the land turns more broken and gives way to hills and mountains, which see several mining operations. To the south one begins experiencing the fringes of the Great Escarpment. Naturally, the east sees the waters of the Sea of Dawn.

Ekto's capital, and namesake, sits along the coast. Before its destruction, the capital had excelled as the collection point of the kingdom's harvests. The city was also the site of the College of Metals, a school renowned for the pursuits of metals and metallurgy. Allstrick had told me that this college had served him well in identifying and finding buyers for items retrieved in his journeys. Unofficially, the city also serves as the last stop for would-be adventurers heading off to the Thothian Plateau.

Now, Ekto is under a state of rebuilding. I was pleasantly surprised to find that a good deal of the rubble had been cleared and new construction proceeding well. There are even crops being cultivated in once scorched fields. In light of all of its rebuilding, Allstrick had a good degree of difficulty in showing me the city. We did find the former site of the College of Metals, which was just being framed up. Most of the former staff was to be seen contributing to other building projects. He was able to find some old acquaintances among these people, who were happy to show us around.

The People

The people of Ekto are primarily of Alphatian stock. Intermingled within their numbers, one can find a sizable minority of Thothians and a small number of dwarves and gnomes. Ekto's populace has not completely returned. I was told that some remain in Trikelios or have found new homes elsewhere. Also, a certain amount perished, either during the war, holding back the Thyatians, or in retaking the city. Allstrick himself expressed the pain of loss as several old friends proved themselves as casualties. There are numerous foreign Alphatians in Ekto working to rebuild the city.

Located where it is, Ekto is placed in a highly strategic position. The NACE has recognized this and there is a sizable military presence within the kingdom. King Tristan rules Ekto and commands the kingdom's armed forces. He is a pleasant man, with a deep conviction to his position. Personally I think that he would prefer military command to his kingship. Allstrick knows him from somewhere, and we found ourselves his guests for most of our week-long stay in the city. How they knew each other is still a mystery to me, as they would often begin speaking in the Alphatian tongue, when discussing the "old days." Since I have but a fleeting grasp of the language, I can only wonder.

Recent History

Ekto is a strange place. It is said that it was once Thothian until the Alphatians conquered those people and accepted them into the empire. Since then the two have forged a deep pact of mutual respect... at least as mutual as can be expected by the Alphatians and their views of other peoples. Following the Great War, Thyatis took advantage of Alphatia's demise and began a systematic effort to assimilate the scattered Alphatian lands. However, Alphatian resolve proved greater. Though Thyatian pushes reclaimed much of their pre-war holdings and a few Alphatian ones, the Alphatians of Ekto chose to abandon their kingdom, putting it to the torch along the way. Surely the Alphatians must thoroughly despise the Thyatians to raze their own lands.

Eventually the Thyatian advances were checked and pushed back by Thothian and Alphatian forces. A true peace was gained by the Treaty of Dawn. Soon after Ekto was given independence and its own king. Following Thothia's example, Ekto joined the NACE. Under the banner of the NACE, Ekto has begun the reconstruction process. For the time being, Ekto is aided by imperial grants and deferral of its taxes to the imperial treasuries. Many of its displaced population have returned. Likewise, many Alphatian commoners living outside of Ekto journeyed there to hire out their labour to the rebuilding effort. From what I have seen reconstruction is moving smoothly and should be completed within a year or two.

Don't Miss

If in Ekto, one will have to witness the rebuilding process. More precisely, one should witness the Alphatian way of building. The use of magic to perform tasks such as framing and masonry work is interesting. I spent an entire day watching a group of mages conjure up the frames of several houses, while non-magical workers began the finishing work. Ekto's rebuilding also is a sign of recovery from tremendous devastation. Though not completed yet, the new College of Metals is supposed to be an interesting edifice. However, once completed it should be included as a must-see.

Do Miss

Ekto is still under reconstruction and is therefore a bit disorganized. In and around the capital things are pretty quiet, well except for the pounding of hammers. As one moves away from the capital, things become a bit more hectic. Hostile creatures from the Thothian Plateau are said to raid and harass outlying areas. Likewise, the more mountainous regions should also be given forethought before trespassing.