Galeon

Artist's rendering of Galeon, built from stone and tile inlay along a wall in the Fides Ampitheater.

Galeon, formerly known as Eris, is Mortanis' southernmost nation, bordering Resta to the northeast, Tanis to the northwest, and the Lost Sea to the south. Geographically, Galeon is highly notable for its diversity of climate, and the fact that it boasts some of Mortanis' most fertile land. From olives and grapevines in the fertile west to greens and rice in the central wetlands, this agricultural center doesn't consider food a commodity, but rather, a public good that belongs to all. Many citizens in this land, where Crane is venerated, consider a society where basic needs are guaranteed to not only be the most humane, but the most rational.

Galeon is known for its culture of acceptance and open-mindedness, which has often made it a haven for those who experience repression or discrimination in their home nations. That being said, many of Mortanis' more conservative citizens have found traveling to the land to cause a high degree of culture shock. Restan traditionalists tend to see Galean culture as overly permissive and frivolous. The Heronite nobility has even used the threat of Galean influence to sow distrust of anti-feudal elements in their own citizenry. Among the most austere Heronites, Galeon is a symbol of decadence and degeneracy, destined to someday destroy Comalan with its "meddling" with the natural, God-created world.  

In the early days of Eris, the land was governed by what was known as the Council Republic, in contrast to the very loosely governed direct democracy that Galeon exists as today. It was to the credit of the Windlords, who used the power of their order to champion transparency and undermine the rule of the Council, that Galeon would become the nation as it exists today. The national capital of Galeon is Fides, a bustling city on the largest hill in the country. While there are some idealists from outside Galeon who see this democratic system as utopia realized, the actual people of Galeon are divided thousands of ways with regards to their own system. Issues of diplomacy, justice, and even the existence of the democratic system itself are still hotly debated among the Galean citizenry. Any outsider who spends more than a week in the Fides Ampitheater will come away hard pressed to consider the system utopian.

As a largely Intalan nation, it comes as no surprise that Galeon is Mortanis' center of science. The country contains a large number of schools and research centers accessible by anyone, as knowledge and its fruits are, like food, considered a public good. Like the Tanisians, Galeans consider equal access to education to be crucial to a healthy nation. This philosophy has yielded things like the famed Galean Monorail, which provides cross-country travel with ease. While most Galeans benefit greatly from many of these scientific advances, the field of scientific ethics has gained popularity in recent years as some question whether science can sometimes go too far. 

While most of the populace venerates Crane, Galeans value religious diversity, and have found great benefit in embracing religious minorities. Unique religious practices have grown from the merging of other religious traditions with Galeon's largely Intalan culture. For instance, Salican travelers from Resta would find the traditions and practice of the Galean-Salican retreat of Moon Lake to be quite unfamiliar, but still enlightening. Galeon is also the source of the Theian sect of the Serene religion, which seeks to synthesize Serene and Intalan beliefs into one humane, rational philosophy.

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Society

• History of Eris - A societal and political history of the region, from its origins to the creation of the modern nation of Galeon.

• The Windlords - A thorough look at the Windlord Order.

• Galean Theatre - Some information on the performing arts in Galeon.

Folklore and Festivals

• Galeon's Winter Festival - The folklore and traditions behind Salica's holiday, as celebrated in Galeon.

• The Festival of Autumn - A little about Crane's holiday, as celebrated in both Resta and Galeon.

• Talib's Arrow - A short explanation on one of Galeon's most famous folk tales and the hero behind it.

• Shamira's Comet - A beloved Galean folk tale, and an explanation of the holiday inspired by it.

Locations

• Isle of Qwara - About the mysterious island off the southern coast. Nobody ever goes there.

• The Rashara Operahouse - A cultural treasure, the most prominent landmark in the coastal city of Rashara.