Icaria is a land of farmers and scholars. It is governed by a democracy, with the people voting on all laws and national decisions. All citizens are assigned different jobs within the government, which they are expected to perform after their own tasks are done. While Icaria has no official capital, most of it’s rich and power reside in Mytilene, the largest city.
The people of Icaria are happy and kind, and aspire to wealth and happiness. Most of the population lives in the country, raising crops and livestock, but food is plentiful and many live in cities, producing finer crafts to trade with the farmers for their food. Rich Icarians live in large palaces and have many servants and workers that they can command. Poor citizens have less privileges, but most are still happy with their simple lives.
While most residents of Icaria believe that warfare is something to be avoided, they still believe that life should be lived as a pursuit of honor and glory, no matter what you do. Even a lowly farmer can live his life with honor and earn glory in the afterlife and the favor of the gods. Thus, when they do go to battle, they do it with courage and determination. Still, unlike the Naxos, their leaders and generals do not fight on the front lines, instead seeking to gain honor and glory by leading their men well. The Naxos see this as a show of cowardice, for if their leaders do not fight, how can they inspire their men to do the same, or gain the favor of the gods?
The main food source for the Icarians is grain and fruit, which grow plentifully. Drought is almost unheard of, and seen as the wrath of the gods. They also raise pigs and cattle, though meat only makes up a small portion of most citizen’s diet.
Age is a sign of respect, as it means you have lived and seen many things, and senility means that the gods are calling you to join them by their side. Dying before your time is seen as a shame, and living long enough to die of old age means you must truly be wise and favored by the gods.
Men and women are seen as equal for the most part, though some roles are specifically for one or the other. Women are seen as more fit for the important task of raising young, for example, while they are discouraged from fighting, so as not to risk any children they might have.
Laws are prevalent in Icaria, and govern many things, and as with the rest of the government, all punishments are voted on by the people. By law, when a person is accused of breaking any law, they and the accuser are taken to a court of law. There they can each argue their case to anyone present, and after a day, all citizens can cast their vote as to who should be accused.
The penalties for most crimes are set, and if you accuse someone and they are not found to be guilty, you suffer the penalty for whatever law you accused them of breaking. For example, the penalty for stealing is to pay back what you stole and then that much again. So if you accuse your neighbor of stealing your cow, they must pay you back with 2 cows. However, if the people vote that he did not steal them from you, then you must pay him with 2 cows.
For any crime, you may choose instead of the penalty ascribed to become a slave. This is true even if you were accused of murder, though not if you were accused of treason. Slaves have less rights than other citizens, and have a symbol tattooed onto their forehead. Slaves are not citizens, and cannot vote, and most laws do not apply to them.
Magic is not truly common in Icaria, but it is present, and most cities have at least a small tower dedicated to the practice of magic. Most magic in Icaria is divine, but arcane magic also exists, though the only tower of arcane magic is in Mytilene.