Ezrian Empire

The city of Epirus stood out like a sore thumb, dominating the surrounding hills, it's walls scarred and blackened from years of siege, it's buildings craggy and sagging with age as the peasants toiled in the fields like a horde of worker ants. Attempting to reap a living from ground that had been trod on by armies and bled on by dying men. The fortress city was one of the few remaining on the Frontier, in more prosperous times Epirus had been far away from the border. It sat directly on the Appian Road, reaping the rewards of the Ezrian's interconnected trading network. But those day's had long since faded into the tomes of history books, no doubt stored in a rotting crypt in Lygos along with the friendly nations that Ezria had dominated for so many years. The new Epirus for generations had been built to withstand war, like the rest of the Empire.

At first, it had been a wooden wall for the occasional barbarian raider that slipped past the Legionary garrison, when the raids became more frequent the wall had been built a bit higher, and then the raids became full fledged invasions was when wooden had given way to thirty feet of hardened stone that was ten feet thick in some places. That had swiftly been followed by a moat and the clearing of large parts of the vast forest that had once made up the city outskirts to create efficient killing zones. The buildings didn't have windows but slits called murder holes to allow defenders to rain crossbow fire down on the barbarians that plagued them. Sentries stalked the walls, at a moments notice from the signal fires in the surrounding hills the gates could be closed. Cauldrons of boiling oil could be bought up and the militia armed to aid the beleaguered garrison, exchanging pitchfork's for well used blades, axes, and bows. It was something that the people were used to.

Only a year ago, Emperor Theodosius had been killed at the Battle of Arexium. The barbarians had poured across the border, battering themselves bloody against the city while a second force continued on towards Lygos. The clergy had panicked, screaming that the end was nigh, and the Age of Apostasy had begun. But another red dawn had risen, another three weeks of grim uncertainty would follow until ravens carried the news that Lygos had been relieved by the new Autokrator, the self styled Basil I. It wasn't long before the barbarians lost their appetite for the siege, joining their kinsman in their flight across the border. By the time the Imperial Army arrived, they would find only funeral pyres of enemy dead to greet them as the peasants toiled in the fields once more. It was just another day of work to recover a shattered harvest and clearing the fields of the bodies of the slain.

Today however was one of anticipation, especially for a young man liked Alexos. Strong and stocky from years of field work and service in the militia, he had been readying himself for this day for years. It was a chance to escape the backbreaking labor of the fields, the stench of shit, and long nights without a full belly. The entire citizenry had been assembled to present themselves to the Magister. Even the Exarch, the military governor of Epirus was forced to bend the knee to the legitimate representative of the Emperor. It was time for the Magister to collect the Tithes, something that regularly happened every six months. It was only five to ten years however that the Magister conscripted young men for the Army. Today, Alexos was one of those young men. Standing in a line with roughly two hundred similar youths.

The Magister came on a litter born by a collection of slaves and body servants, like most of the eunuchs that served the Imperial Court he was nearly completely hairless. A series of lesser officials followed in his wake, one carrying the portrait of the Emperor Basil another the crimson banner of Ezria with it's twin eagle. Alexos had been present for past tithe payments. Always the portrait of Emperor Theodosius had been dominant, with a smaller one of his son nearby. Alexos peered at the portrait, obviously one that had been recently done. The painting of Basil that Alexos had seen before had been when he was obviously a youth. What he saw before him today was a man who was much older. By the painting, he judged him to be tall, a short clipped black beard with the occasional wisp of grey here and there. Two blue pools that the Emperor had for eyes seemed to stare out, judging them all with a fiery stare that seemed to drill holes down into the young man's soul. The painter had even declined to blot out the ugly scar that ran from the Emperor's stern brow to his lower jaw. He looked like a soldier. Alexos cringed as he faced the paintings judgement, before his attention shifted back towards the Exarch.

Exarch Valerious stepped forward, only to be stopped by the crossing of twin halberds. The sudden clash of steel caught the boy's attention to focus on the Magistrate's bodyguards more closely. They were huge men, impossibly tall and broad. Unlike the short clipped beards that were in style among the nobility and officer corp of the army, the Varangian Guard's represented the barbarians that had come far and wide for service in the Emperor's elite guard. Thick bushy moustaches, beards, and bizarre tattoo's were the norm. As was the guttural languages they spoke amongst themselves. Highly paid and skilled, when the Emperor couldn't count on his own Army it was the Varangian's who enforced his will.

It now became suddenly apparent to Alexos as to why no one refused or robbed the Emperor's magistrates. The prospect of crossing blades with more than a hundred of them sent a shiver of fear flickering down his spine. It was only the soft voice of the eunuch that allowed the Exarch through.

'' In the name of Emperor Basil Pelagious, the First of His Name, I come forth to collect tribute on behalf of his subjects. '' There was an undisguised glare of hostility from the Exarch. On the Frontier, resources were coveted things. But the Empire at the same token was the only thing that kept Epirus from being overrun. Without it's trade and without it's reinforcements, Epirus would've long ago succumbed to the barbarian invasions.

'' On behalf of the citizens of Epirus, I am pleased to present the Emperor with tithes of treasure, food, and blood. '' The Exarch intoned, making a sweeping gesture to the wagons that were stuffed with taxes, crops, and two hundred new recruits for the Imperial Legions. A servant rang a bell, as one the peasants spoke reaffirming their oaths of loyalty to the Empire and with that the ceremony was over. The wagons were taken, the fat Magistrate climbed back into his litter pausing a few more moments to exchange words with the Exarch, and Alexos along with his friends marched out of Epirus at the rear. Bound for a new life within the Army.

Summary:
A look of life on the dangerous Ezrian Frontier focusing on the fortress town of Epirus.