[center][img=http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/i374/bensundeitestutho/bennipolisbanner_zps73a54274.png][/center]
[center][b] The City-State of Bennipolis [/b][/center]
[center][b]Bennipolis[/b][/center]
[center][i]The 14th Eponymous Year of Athenakles[/i][/center]

	Athenakles took his seat before the Ekklesia, a role he had not played for two whole years. But now he was ready to wield the powers of the Basileus Eponymous. The Bennidae were an ancient family, venerated for their ties with the guardian goddess of Bennipolis. Since Athenakles was born into the Bennidae family, he too enjoys the increased respect he gains from the people. Athenakles would have to say something very out of whack in order to lose the trust he had created with the people of Bennipolis, like attempting to create an alliance with Terheridon. 

	“Our first order of business is our new colony in Auentia, which has been dubbed Neapolis. Preliminary reports show that the lands, in which we have created Neapolis, bear a resemblance to our own in respect to the climate. Therefore, I propose that we send over two more colonial expeditions over to Auentia. Once colony should be founded closer to that of the Kamalao Republi so that we might be able to uphold our agreement with this nation if hostile forces attack their colony. The second colony should be founded on the southeastern most corner of the same peninsula on which our first colony, Neapolis, has been founded. This will be a preliminary step toward creating a colonial trade system that will connect our colonies with those of Aznauor. What do you say, Demos of Bennipolis?”

	An outbreak of clapping arose amongst the members of the Ekklesia, the people of Bennipolis. Therefore, since this decision had received anonymous approval, they gathered up both resources and ships. They summoned upon the Bennipolitans to answer the call for becoming settlers in a new homeland. Finally, Lysander, who was now the Basileus Hierateumatikos scheduled the rites for safe passage at Chelon.

	“Our next order of business deals with the United Imperium of Alm. Their ignorant king, Alhart III, has refused even to send us a reply to our request that they reduce their zeal in supplying Tereridon with weapons. No more pleads shall be sent to those barbarians. Instead, we shall complain to their paymasters, the Arbassians. If the Arbassians cannot talk any sense into the Almians, by Zeus, no one can! And this shall be the message that will be sent to their council.”

[hider= The Councilate of Arbasses]
To the Boule of Arbasses .

We have received word that the United Imperium of Alm has begun to supply the Tereridonians, who are the vilest of people, with modern weaponry. We, in the past year, had sent a request to their Basileus, Alhart III. We did not ask him to halt all transactions with the Tereridonians, but rather we beseeched him to reduce their zeal in this matter by providing fewer weapons to the Tereridonians. However, Alhart III did not have the courtesy to send a response back to our fair nation. We would like to request humbly that you send word to your partner in your so-called “Commerce League” to reduce their zeal in this matter.

May the Immortals be kind to you.

The Demos of Bennipolis, sacred to lovely-haired Bennis.

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This response was also well received by the Bennipolitans. For not responding to diplomatic responses were one of the most shamefully acts to commit, or at least in the eyes of the Bennipolitans. Therefore, the letter was sealed with the sign of Bennipolis, the Bennipolitan turtle, the most sacred animal to Bennis. Immediately afterwards, messengers rushed to Chelon and swiftly flew through the seas towards Stendmark, the capital of the The Councilate of Arbasses.

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[b][center]Neapolis[/center][/b]

The establishment of Neapolis was quite successful. Unlike greedy men who mine for gold before they even create any means of survival, the Neapolitans knew that this would now be their new home. Rather than immediately harvesting resources for their mother state, the Neapolitans built a suitable colonial port and cultivated enough of the land in order to provide a comfortable means of living. Finally, but not least important of all, the Neapolitans erected a temple to Bennis. While meager in comparison to the temples in their motherland, this temple still would honor the goddess.

Within the temple dwelled a wooden statue of Bennis, created by one of the Neapolitans who was skilled in woodworking. While any Bennipolitan would know that the statue represented Bennis, those who were not privy with the culture of Bennipolis would not know this. Instead, they would ask “Why do you have a statue of Aphrodite bearing a [url= http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspis]hoplon[/url], [url= http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dory_%28spear%29]doru[/url], and a Corinthian Helmet?”

The Bennipolitans would be flabbergasted at this statement. They would rebuke whoever said such a thing about their goddess, that Bennis was not a whore like Aphrodite. Aphrodite was the goddess who causes adulteries and all types of illicit sexual indecencies. The only time they would ever pray to that goddess would be to keep her at bay so that their people might not be overrun with adulterous activates.

On the other hand, Bennis, beyond her functions as a water deity and a patron of warfare, promotes the activities of lawful unions and the procreation of legitimate children. Even romantic love, if it is restrained to the proper chastity of those involved, is promoted by Bennis. As the mother of Bennipolis, she promotes the well-being of her people.

And that temple housed the wooden statue of Bennis. Therefore, the Neapolitans hoped that Bennis would provide her protection to this new colony, too.

Once the Neapolitans had founded their new city, the colony of Bennipolis, and had created the proper components to a successful city, namely a port, a grain supply, and a temple to house their goddess, they set their eyes towards the mainland of the peninsula. By the casing of lots, the Neapolitans assembled an exploration party in order to discover whether or not they were alone on this peninsula, or if some other culture, unknown to them, were now their neighbors.

[hider=GM]
Bennipolis had sent out a secretive call to all privateers in Edoniras for service. Mattering on how the The Councilate of Arbasses responds to our request, there might be some work for privateers. Further information shall be sent if your services are needed.
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