After the fall of Aegos, Poleon instructed his people, who had been vagabonds since the razing of Keros, and the destruction of their mythical homeland before that, take over the lands formally ruled directly by the Minotaur; the isle where Aegos once stood, and the larger surrounding island. They used the rubble to construct the city that would give the people their name; Naxos. The first buildings were built with whatever was on hand, but over time, where replaced by the iconic white marble and grey granite that defines Naxian construction.
With city construction in full swing, Poleon sought to reward his allies. Despots, the lords of whole islands, were named-- including the Leoi, who were named as Despots of Mykonos. For the Satyr and Centaur, however, less favorable terms were given. As they had initially been allies of the Minotaur, and fought against his people, they were both offered amnesty, but nothing more. Many satyr accepted this, but many more joined the centaur in wholesale refusal and outrage, receding into the jungles.
It was during this time that the Naxians first encountered the Triton; sea-dwelling peoples who lived beneath the waves, and possessed powerful magics. They were first encountered by Naxians exploring the islands to the north and west, and were met with conjured storms. A small war was waged, with Naxians suffering greatly at the hands of nightly raids on the shore. It wasn't until Poleon himself met with the Triton King that peace was made, with Poleon taking a Triton bride, from which all of his line would descend.
After creating the foundations of his nation, Poleon spent the rest of his days overseeing the construction of the City of Naxos, and the Despots to follow his example. When Poleon came to the end of his days, the Naxians were uniform in their grief and celebration of his life. They built his tomb, the greatest anywhere in Naxos, there in his city. The Despots met to decide the future; who would have the impossible task to succeed Poleon? They chose his son, Archelaos, and decided that his line would always rule the islands. They formally gave him the title of Tyrant of Naxos.
Archelaos spent his reign standardizing many things first established by his father; creating a framework for military sizes and organization, formalizing relations with the Leoi and Triton, his mother's people, and ordering the Great Scour; the wholesale hunting of pirates and brigands across his kingdom. Archelaos also tasked the Leoi with the hunting of great beasts that terrorized the islands; cyclops, griffons, and even fearsome hydra. He did this to ensure growth of trade and settlements across the territory.
The other lasting contribution of Archelaos was the fleets of explorers he sent out across the Central Ocean, laden with Naxian goods, to find ports of trade, and sites of future expansion.
Next week, we will look at the Early Empire, rise and fall.
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