Mahran (Mah-ron)
Dame of the East
Culture
Mahrani society is still very much dominated by the warrior caste that was responsible for its founding. These people make up the majority of the land-owning aristocracy, with the few others generally at least trying to emulate them. Those who aren’t professional fighters support those who are in taxes, generally in kind, on top of those due to the crown. The exact amount of support/tax demanded of the peasantry varies from lord to lord, although there are enough examples of overzealousness or greed being met with violent resistance that most manage to keep these rates within reasonable limits. It is also considered good practice to reassess these rates on a monthly basis- if the peasantry are prospering, more can be collected without undue complaint, while in times of hardship it is almost always more expedient to tighten one’s own belt rather than have to pay for additional warriors to lean on an overburdened, resentful peasantry.
The standard household is built around a single inner courtyard/garden, which by custom is solely for the support of those living in the house and thus exempt from tax assessment. Those who cannot work raise the children, who themselves will start working at around the age of 10. Basic literacy and numeracy are encouraged, but far from common outside of the cities. In the countryside, social mobility is highly limited; someone may, by careful marriage and shrewd purchase, expand their family farm to a large estate, but they are still ‘merely’ a farmer in the eyes of society. For rural people, the only real way to advance themselves and their families is service in war- conspicuous skill and bravery are encouraged, with the aristocracy encouraged to award them with the best plunder, the best provisions, and (in exceptional events) recommendations to their own liege-lord. Large swathes of the lower nobility, and even some of the High Blood, proudly claim descent from such individuals.
In the cities, more pathways to success are available, largely through higher education at the academies or service in the households of the nobility. Business success, although capable of bringing in truly staggering wealth, especially in the famously high quality Mahrevin glass, does not grant high status in most cases, except in the case of official royal patronage. The Mahrani cities are some of the finest and most well-established in Southern Mardet, especially considering that most of them are younger than others in the region by at least a few centuries. Artisans and crafters are brought in from across Mardet by promises of rich payment for good work, and the urban nobility often express their rivalries through patronage of various projects for public or private use.
The Mahrani court is renowned for its complexity and ruthlessness. This is in no small part by deliberate design- no weapons are permitted within the Auriate Palace, other than for the monarch and their personal guard, so the rivalries amongst the nobility close to the centre of power have to be expressed in a more indirect fashion, by the collection of titles and the passing of gossip. In addition, earlier Mahrani sovereigns have attempted to at least somewhat emulate the opulence of the glory days of Tethas, with a resulting proliferation in ceremonies and degrees of rank.
The standard household is built around a single inner courtyard/garden, which by custom is solely for the support of those living in the house and thus exempt from tax assessment. Those who cannot work raise the children, who themselves will start working at around the age of 10. Basic literacy and numeracy are encouraged, but far from common outside of the cities. In the countryside, social mobility is highly limited; someone may, by careful marriage and shrewd purchase, expand their family farm to a large estate, but they are still ‘merely’ a farmer in the eyes of society. For rural people, the only real way to advance themselves and their families is service in war- conspicuous skill and bravery are encouraged, with the aristocracy encouraged to award them with the best plunder, the best provisions, and (in exceptional events) recommendations to their own liege-lord. Large swathes of the lower nobility, and even some of the High Blood, proudly claim descent from such individuals.
In the cities, more pathways to success are available, largely through higher education at the academies or service in the households of the nobility. Business success, although capable of bringing in truly staggering wealth, especially in the famously high quality Mahrevin glass, does not grant high status in most cases, except in the case of official royal patronage. The Mahrani cities are some of the finest and most well-established in Southern Mardet, especially considering that most of them are younger than others in the region by at least a few centuries. Artisans and crafters are brought in from across Mardet by promises of rich payment for good work, and the urban nobility often express their rivalries through patronage of various projects for public or private use.
The Mahrani court is renowned for its complexity and ruthlessness. This is in no small part by deliberate design- no weapons are permitted within the Auriate Palace, other than for the monarch and their personal guard, so the rivalries amongst the nobility close to the centre of power have to be expressed in a more indirect fashion, by the collection of titles and the passing of gossip. In addition, earlier Mahrani sovereigns have attempted to at least somewhat emulate the opulence of the glory days of Tethas, with a resulting proliferation in ceremonies and degrees of rank.
History
Before the rise of the Tethan Empire, the region of Mahran was home to many small, warring kingdoms, most of which are unknown apart from names. The conquest of the region was one of the first great achievements of the Tethan Empire; in 7 YT, Servan himself commanded his armies in the crushing victory of the Battle of the Quadruple Alliance, after which all resistance between Lake Servan and the sea crumbled. By 100 YT, the last of the six provinces of the area had been transferred to civilian governors, who ruled over a relatively sparse, scattered population. The largest settlement, the city of Amodis (modern day Amaud) had a population of barely 10,000, tiny by the standards of other provincial capitals. Successive monarchs attempted to stimulate growth in the area, but they experienced limited success at best. When the Wars of Sundering came, the Tethan régime in Mahran disintegrated pretty much immediately. Soon, warlords once more ruled the southern plains, and most vestiges of Tethan civilisation were cast down in ruin. As an example, Amaud itself never recovered- today its population is half of what it was before the Wars, and the ruins are freely quarried for materials for other settlements and building projects.
Amongst the many would-be kings and petty tyrants of the time, the man known to his contemporaries as Tirodis seemed thoroughly ordinary. His origins are obscure, although later official stories claim he was descended from the royal blood of pre-Tethan kings, a dubious version of events at best. He first appears in the historical record in 79 YC, mentioned in a fragmentary chronicle as being defeated by a rival called Teraeus and driven back across the River Adô. It was at this point, however, that something strange happened- Tirodis (or Tiraud I, as he is known today) was apparently gifted with divine favour. According to his own account (the so-called Song of Tiraud), prophetic dreams guided him to a small, obscure village on the banks of the Adô. In its little rural chapel, Tiraud laid hands upon the altar, which was immediately imbued with divine power which lingers to this day. From that moment forth, Tiraud seemed invincible. He established his headquarters at that same little village, known today as Mahrevin, and there rebuilt his army, with the newly-consecrated Salamander Knights at its core. This force first defeated and killed Teraeus, then rapidly expanded Tiraud’s territory into the Kingdom of Mahran, with the man himself crowned king in 86 YC. He would continue his conquests until his death in 118 YC, at around 63 years of age. Doubtless Mahran would have continued to expand, but Tiraud II, son of the late king, decided to spend his reign focussing on the consolidation and organisation of the kingdom his father had won. Under him, Mahrevin was truly transformed from a barely-noticeable village into a swelling metropolis, and the first version of the Auriate Palace was constructed.
Following monarchs tend to emulate either Tiraud I or Tiraud II- either the warrior, or the administrator. The borders have remained relatively stable for the past two centuries or so, with the Mahrani finding themselves awkwardly wedged between their neighbours, not yet feeling strong enough to launch in incursion into the territory of one for fear of the combined might of the rest. Many, however, fear that Mahran will one day go on the warpath once again, a course of action which will almost certainly drag all of South-Eastern Mardet into war.
Amongst the many would-be kings and petty tyrants of the time, the man known to his contemporaries as Tirodis seemed thoroughly ordinary. His origins are obscure, although later official stories claim he was descended from the royal blood of pre-Tethan kings, a dubious version of events at best. He first appears in the historical record in 79 YC, mentioned in a fragmentary chronicle as being defeated by a rival called Teraeus and driven back across the River Adô. It was at this point, however, that something strange happened- Tirodis (or Tiraud I, as he is known today) was apparently gifted with divine favour. According to his own account (the so-called Song of Tiraud), prophetic dreams guided him to a small, obscure village on the banks of the Adô. In its little rural chapel, Tiraud laid hands upon the altar, which was immediately imbued with divine power which lingers to this day. From that moment forth, Tiraud seemed invincible. He established his headquarters at that same little village, known today as Mahrevin, and there rebuilt his army, with the newly-consecrated Salamander Knights at its core. This force first defeated and killed Teraeus, then rapidly expanded Tiraud’s territory into the Kingdom of Mahran, with the man himself crowned king in 86 YC. He would continue his conquests until his death in 118 YC, at around 63 years of age. Doubtless Mahran would have continued to expand, but Tiraud II, son of the late king, decided to spend his reign focussing on the consolidation and organisation of the kingdom his father had won. Under him, Mahrevin was truly transformed from a barely-noticeable village into a swelling metropolis, and the first version of the Auriate Palace was constructed.
Following monarchs tend to emulate either Tiraud I or Tiraud II- either the warrior, or the administrator. The borders have remained relatively stable for the past two centuries or so, with the Mahrani finding themselves awkwardly wedged between their neighbours, not yet feeling strong enough to launch in incursion into the territory of one for fear of the combined might of the rest. Many, however, fear that Mahran will one day go on the warpath once again, a course of action which will almost certainly drag all of South-Eastern Mardet into war.
Founding Date
86 YC
Type
Geopolitical, Kingdom
Capital
Demonym
Mahrani
Head of Government
Government System
Monarchy, Absolute
Power Structure
Feudal state
Economic System
Traditional
Notable Members
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