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The Theran Apocrypha

The Abridged Civic Codex of Akros

This document offers a survey of civic code for Akros. Please consult a hieromancer for a detailed explanation.

Preamble

Let all within the great stone walls of Akros heed the will of the gods and the wisdom of the elders. Strength is our virtue, glory is our pursuit, and order is our shield. From blood and stone, we rise.

Government and Council of the Elders

The Two Kings

Akros is governed by a dual monarchy known as The Two Kings, each a vessel for a different divine force: Iroas, god of victory and honor, and Mogis, god of wrath and slaughter.

  • Hand of Iroas: Chosen by divine sign at the Temple of Glory, the Hand of Iroas is charged with upholding justice, military discipline, and the defense of civilization. Their voice carries divine authority in matters of law and war.
  • Hand of Mogis: Chosen in blood and omen, the Hand of Mogis channels the fury and instinct of battle. To prevent unchecked destruction, they are ritually bound and blinded for twenty hours of each day in the Hall of Chains beneath the Citadel. During the remaining four hours, they may have a ration of bison, turnips, cream, and honey.

Both positions are divinely appointed, confirmed through oracles, celestial omens, and visions witnessed by the Hieromancer Council. The kings are not rulers in the mortal sense, but living instruments of the gods—their decrees are interpreted and tempered by the 48 Elders to ensure the stability of Akros.

The 48 Elders

  • All decisions regarding the affairs of Akros are made by the 48 Elders.
  • They are voted upon in an election every time there is need for a replacement. Vacancies open when an elder passes away.

Military Service

The 12 Trials of Glory

All Akroans seeking citizenship must complete the 12 Trials of Glory under official oversight. Cheating or forfeiting permanently bars one from military service.

Mandatory Service

All able-bodied residents between the ages of 15 and 55 must serve in the Akrosian military when summoned.

Citizenship through Service

Anyone, regardless of birth or background, may earn Akrosian citizenship by successfully completing military service.

Citizenship and Residency

Citizenship Requirements

  • Completion of military service
  • Free of penal bonds
  • Oath of Allegiance before the Temple of Iroas

Residency Types

  • Citizen: Full legal and voting rights.
  • Permanent Resident: May reside and work in Akros but cannot vote or participate in civic rituals.
  • Envoys and Diplomats: Granted temporary status and diplomatic protection.
  • Visitors: May remain for up to 120 days without sponsorship.
  • Irregulars: Exceptions to the above, handled on a case-by-case basis.

Conduct

Honor and Integrity

All citizens are expected to act with valor, discipline, and integrity. Duels of honor are permitted under supervision by a Martial Guard and hieromantic bond.

Bravery and Ferocity

Cowardice in battle, abandonment of allies, or refusal to serve during wartime is punishable by exile or loss of citizenship.

Kindness and Humanity

Those who exploit or harm children, elders, or non-combatants face public gaoling and Elder trial.

Police Force and Hieromancy

Martial Guards

  • Serve as the peacekeepers of Akros.
  • Candidates must complete four years of training at the Akademia after military service.

Hieromancers

  • Only licensed individuals may practice divine or martial magic within city walls.
  • Unauthorized spellcasting is punishable by arrest and magical suppression.

Code of Peacekeeping

  • Martial Guards and Hieromancers may not kill citizens except in defense of life or by divine command.

Warcraft and Engineering

  • Only licensed engineers may construct equipment, ships, or forge weapons within city limits.
  • Inventions with magical or divine components must be approved by the Hieromancer Council before public or military use.

Procedures of the Games

Purpose

The Games are a newly founded tradition in Akros — born from a vision of peace, honor, and divine tribute in the wake of shared calamity. Established by decree of the Council of Elders and blessed by the temples of Iroas, the Games are intended to offer an alternative to warfare: a ritual of glory and strength that might unite the poleis of Theros in shared purpose.

Though they are martial in spirit, the Games are not a battlefield. They are a sacred proving ground.

Founding Principles

  • To offer glory to the gods through challenge and discipline.
  • To promote unity among the poleis through non-lethal contest.
  • To elevate champions not by death, but by deed.
  • To allow rivalries to be tested with honor, not hatred.

Structure

As this is the first of its kind, the Games follow no fixed schedule or traditional format. Instead, a single appointed official — the Master of Games — is granted full authority to design and announce the challenges.

Each challenge may test different virtues: strength, speed, courage, endurance, cleverness, or restraint.

  • Events may include single combat, feats of strength, tactical trials, or divine puzzles — all determined at the Master’s discretion.
  • Challenges may involve individuals, pairs, or mixed teams drawn from different poleis.

Rules of Conduct

  • No contestant may kill another. The spilling of blood beyond necessity is forbidden, and any fatality results in immediate disqualification and potential exile.
  • Participants must show respect to their opponents, the gods, and the officiants at all times.
  • Foreign participants are granted guest-right and must be treated with the same dignity as Akrosian citizens.

Participants

  • Citizens of Akros and invited guests from allied poleis — particularly Meletis and Setessa — may compete.
  • Participants may be warriors, athletes, spellcasters, or otherwise, so long as they are deemed capable by the Master of Games.
  • Each polis may present a formal champion, though others may enter through sanctioned application.

Penalties

  • Withdrawing from the games will levy a fine of 1,100,000 Drachmas.
  • Killing a participant requires a mandatory gaol sentence of 12 years and other penalties.
  • Unsportsmanlike behavior is grounds for exile.

Treaties with Other Poleis

Background

Following the calamity known as the Siege of Meletis, Akros established or reaffirmed formal treaties with the other great cities of Theros. These accords reflect a new era of cooperation, vigilance, and readiness in the face of mortal and divine threats.

Meletis — Treaty of Bound Wisdom

An alliance grounded in mutual respect between martial strength and scholarly order.

  • Meletian diplomats may reside in the Diplomatic Quarter for up to one year.
  • Licensed Hieromancers may collaborate on sanctioned research projects.
  • Joint military training exercises are held annually.
  • Meletian citizens may gain honorary citizenship through military service.

Clause of Mutual Vigilance
Akros and Meletis agree to respond jointly to divine, Nyx-born, or realm-wide threats.

Setessa — Green Accord of the Wind and Stone

A kinship pact reflecting shared values of protection, reverence for the gods, and natural harmony.

  • Setessan druids and herbalists are granted limited passage through Akros.
  • Border patrols are jointly maintained where divine activity is high.
  • Cultural exchanges, including the Spring Convergence Festival, are encouraged.
  • Warriors may train in the other polis’ traditions and trials.

Skophos — Trade Order Ord. 56

A strictly economic agreement maintaining cold peace between traditional rivals.

  • Raw ore, iron, and stone may be traded under tight regulation.
  • Skophan merchants are confined to the Forge Quarter and may not reside permanently.
  • No Skophan citizen may petition for Akrosian citizenship or hold rank.
  • All imported goods are inspected and tested for magical tampering.
  • Violation of trade terms will void the pact and may result in immediate military response.

Penal Code

Gaoling

  • Theft, disorderly conduct, and minor offenses result in up to one year in the gaol or enforced labor.
  • Repeat offenders may be conscripted into penal legions.

Exile

  • Citizens convicted of dishonor, desertion, or divine blasphemy may be branded and exiled beyond the city walls.

Execution

  • Reserved for high treason, murder of an Elder, or summoning of divine catastrophe.
  • Requires consent from both Kings and the Council of Elders.
  • Executions are held at dawn before the Temple of Iroas.