You only have to build the buildings in Armavir. The thing that usually takes the longest is getting 6000 inhabitants when you use the city for recruiting. IIRC the faction leader will get a trait, but the easiest way to check is to see if a Homeland marker has been added to the end of the building list (it will not replace the previous marker). I also think i rember that you have to build Gov I in Armavir before the markers in the other cities will change, but I'm not sure.