Attica (Province)

Attica is a large province in Southarchland. Both the River Boreas and the River Pontus run through the province. It borders the the province of Idothea in the northeast, the province of Pontus in the east, the province of Hersilia in the southeast, the province of Meleager in the south, the province of Consus in the southwest, and a long border with Caledonia in the northwest. Attica also shares a small border with Vallonia in the north. Attica is known best for being the site of many battles in the Vallonian Wars, and it is infamous for being the location of the Treaty of Attica.

Founding and The Golden Age
Attica has always been a well-populated province due to its fertile farmland. It provides a high percentage of all of Southarchland's food supplies along with the provinces of Caledonia, Consus, and Meleager. It has been this way since before the Golden Age, and during that time it thrived because of its rich agriculture. Unfortunately, the Torrent had a drastically negative impact on the farmland in this region because of the falling ash, and production plummeted for the first century of the Post-Torrentem Age.

Post-Torrentem
The ecology of the region surrounding Attica was ravaged by the ash cloud that followed the Torrent, and it took several decades for the crops to begin growing at a notable rate again. Attica slowly began to rebuild, and it did not resist the efforts of Demas Anicetus Capaneus to incorporate Attica into the new nation of Southarchland in 207 P.T.. It began to thrive again, but it was deemed valuable territory in the Northern War between Norarchland and Southarchland and took some damage during battles there. Southarchland won the Northern War and signed the Treaty of Athamantis, which ceded the land that is now Vallonia to Sotuharchland.

Attica had periods of growth and periods of decline for the next two hundred years until the War of Vallonia began in 439 P.T. This war began when the provinces in the north and northeast demanded independence from Southarchland. Southarchland refused, and a fifteen-year war was waged. Several battles were fought in Attica, destroying much of its farmland. Southarchland lost the War of Vallonia and was forced to relinquish control over the rebelling provinces. This arrangement was secured in a document signed in Attica, known as the Treaty of Attica. To this day, the Treaty of Attica is considered to be Southarchland's greatest shame, and Attica has forever born the mark. The river valley dialects have adopted the term "to Attica," which means "to give up." All across Southarchland, it is an insult to hold one's fingers in the shape of a triangle because it signals the letter 'A' for Attica.

In 482 P.T., the Second War of Vallonia began. This conflict arose over accusations of theft and espionage by Vallonia against Southarchland. No one is certain if the accusations were true, but rather than a sustained campagin, the Second War of Vallonia was a series of shorter conflicts arising every three to five years over the span of twenty years. The  Idothea Campaign from 482-483 was short and brutal, while the Attica Campaign from 487-489 resulted in more economic destruction than loss of life. It was a success for Southarchland, though not enough of a success to mitigate the shame of the Treaty of Attica. The Campaign of Pafry and Thash (492) was the closest the war came to the Vallonian capital, and Southarchland was routed by furious weather patterns brought on by the Ventus residents. The longest and most devastating campaign was the Caledonia Campaign from 497-502, and it resulted in the death of King Cephas Darius Cygnus of Vallonia. Southarchland was sure that they would be able to regain control over Vallonia, but it was revealed that King Darius did in fact have an heir, who would become King Cephas Elianus Cygnus.

The failure of Southarchland to regain Vallonia increased the bitterness of Southarchlanders, and Attica made the best efforts it could to compensate. It built a massive wall known as the Attican Shield to guard the border between Vallonia and Southarchland. The Attican Shield stretches from the northeast corner of Attica to the coast in Idothea, sealing off transportation along the River Gothel between the two nations. Efforts to expand the Attican Shield into the province of Caledonia has been slow, but some progress has been made in the east. The idea lacks support from Demas Caius Parmenas, Duke of Caledonia, but Attican officials continue to negotiate.

Topography
Attica is composed primarily of farmland. It is mostly flat along the river plains of the River Boreas and the River Pontus, but further to the north and east it has rolling hills and small valleys. There used to be forest in the north until it was cleared both for farming and for the construction of the Attican Shield.

Climate
Alcmena has a warm summer continental climate, featuring warm, wet summers and dry winters. It very rarely snows in Attica, but it has been known to experience some freak storms every few years. It rains just the right amount for excellent farming, but droughts have occurred and resulted in poor crops.

Families and Education
The average number of children in Southarchland is three to four, but in Attica the average is slightly higher. The infant/child mortality rate is much lower in Southarchland than in Norarchland. Filial piety is not as important in Southarchland as in Vallonia, but there is still respect required from children to their parents and elders. One thing that makes Southarchland unique is the respect it demands for teachers, governesses, and other educators. Often these people are held with as much esteem as the parents in a household, something unheard of in other countries. Schools are present across Attica, but because of the farming traditions it is not held with as much importance as it is in Alcmena and other cities.

Farming
The farming culture takes top priority in Attica. Children are raised on their family's farm and are taught from a young age how to manage and operate the farm. Social events and activities are shifted around based on the time of year (harvest, planting, etc.), and children are less likely to get as much schooling because of their preoccupation with farm work. Resilience and flexibiltiy are valued traits in Attica, as are humility and loyalty.

River Valley People
There are few farms in the valleys closest to the rivers, but the people there often work with the farmers to ensure that their products are properly transported across Southarchland. These people are known for their quirks, most particularly their dialect. Known as the River Valley Tongue, the language is Archlandian but makes frequent uses of made-up phrases based on locations. The term "to attica," meaning "to give up," now used across Southarchland originated in the River Valleys. Other phrases include "philyring" which means spinning a story or "had an amletus" which means to make a bad decision or deal. One might hear a River Valley Person say "She was philyring about an amletus, and I wanted to consus but I decided to attica." The River Valley People tend to be gruff and have no patience for people who don't understand them. They usually make no effort to explain themselves, either.

Economy
Attica is one of the greatest producing farming provinces in Southarchland. It provides crops such as wheat, barley, cabbage, and strawberries, and it also has a large number of farms that produce dairy and meat items. It deals less in specialty items and more in products that have high yield and are easy to continually produce. Attica's economy comes and goes with changes in climate, war, and other circumstances, but with all of these things considered, its economy has remained fairy stable.

Shadowskin
The woman tending the Pomona's injuries when she wakes up in Alcmena may be from Attica, as she uses turns of phrase from the River Valley Tongue common in the southern part of the province.