The Kingdom of Alethia
The land of Alethia is, fittingly, ruled and controlled by The Kingdom of Alethia, or at least most of the area is. The kingdom of Alethia has existed in one form or another for over nine centuries. During this period it has been an empire, a barony, and finally a kingdom. As of 1306 The Kingdom of Alethia is a powerful realm in Chrysos, and it's leaders dream of restoring the realm to it's greatest height, and of one day ruling all of Chrysos.
Structure
Government
The Kingdom of Alethia's government, as of 1306 AR, is made up of three bodies; The Anax, The House of Triumph, and The Exetastikon. These three bodies share power in Alethia, with each serving their purpose, and who really runs things changes from time to time, though typically it's The House of Triumph and The Anax batteling for power, and The Exetastikon dutifully serving their purpose. However, everything changes with war. When Alethia is officially at war then The Anax, or monarch holds supreme power of the realm, and is welcome to overrule any law, introduce new laws, and to command the entirety of the Alethian military. However, for a official war to be declared, all three branches must, at large, be in agreement about whether or not it is truly an actual war, or just a smaller conflict. The AnaxSince the 11th century AR The Anax branch of Alethia has been at the top of the realms power structure. The Anax is branch is also known as The Royal Branch, which fits, as the branch is headed by the Anax, or monarch, of Alethia, for simplicity, in this section we will use monarch instead of Anax. The Anax can not be said to only be the executive, judicial, or legaslative. Instead, the branch is a sort of glue. It's duties have varied throughout the ages, and they change depending on what the monarch wants done. In short, The Anax branch exists to further the goals, and protect the interests, of the monarch. As of 1306 AR, The Anax branch is primarily made up of The Anax's Legion, The Royal Family, and The Anax Household. These three parts of the branch each serve their own distinct purpose. As a whole, the three parts all keep the interests of the monarch at firsthand.
The Anax's Legion: This legion protects the monarch, and it goes wherever the monarch goes. They serve the monarch directly, with no ties to any lord-commanders, and it's the only legion permited to act within the bounds of The Anax's Domain.
The Royal Family: Members of the monarch's family are oftentimes called, Anax- and their relation to the monarch, so for example a son would be Anax-Son, or a cousin would be a Anax-Cousin. These Anax-relatives are highly respected members of Alethias upper-class, and they often serve in important positions of the regime, if the monarch favours them that is. It's tradition for children of the monarch to be granted leadership of the most glorious cohorts of The Anax's Legion, and eventually perhaps even generalship of a whole legion, if deserved.
The Anax Household: The Household of the king, which can sometimes be in the hundreds is a massive part of The Anax Branch's governmental power. The Household itself also holds a structure, here is a simplified version:
- At the top of The Anax Household sits the Anax's Steward. This figure is meant to organise the budget for the Anax, which also includes the land of the Anax, which includes all of The Kingdom, so the Anax's Steward is the one who has to put together a budget for the upcoming three years, and then hand it to the The House of Triumph.
- The second position is without a doubt, and this one is said by some to challange the Anax's Steward even, the Anax's Scribe. The Anax's Scribe is the one who organises the drafting of laws, at least those proposed by the monarch, and then proposes them to The House of Triumph. This means that they are required to most skillfull in words, but also in political savyness. The Anax's Scribe is also expected to make sure these laws pass.
- Then after the Anax's Steward, we have all the Anax Captains. There are typically around 4-8 of these captains, depending on the current situation in the realm, and the demands of the monarch. Each of these captains are designated an area they are to manage, and they are directly beholden to the monarch.
- The rest of the household is roughly at a similar rank, at least in regards to the larger government of Alethia. Despite this indifference to them in regards to rank, the rest of the household will still play an important part in regards to how the Alethian government is run.
The House of Triump is the name given to a primarily legaslative body that exists primarily to represent the wishes of The Warrior Cast. It's members are all either Barony-Captains, Lord-Commanders, or Doux-Generals. With the Barony-Captains being the least respected members, Lord-Commanders being respected members, and Doux-Generals being respected above all. There is no limit to the amount of members of The House of Triump. To join is simply, you must be awarded a Triumph by either your legion, or The Anax (Monarch). Once awarded a Triump, you are appointed to the position of Barony-Captain, and with each Triumph you earn you rise through the ranks.
The House of Triumph is often divided into different factions, with some supporting the Anax, whereas others try to increase their own personal power by putting down The Anax. There is a paradox within The House of Triump though. See, to rise through the ranks one must participate in warfare, and lead legions. To get to lead a legion, you must be appointed by The Anax, and there must be a conflict for you to win glory from. At the same time, if there is enough conflict, and war is officially declared, then you lose all your power in The House of Triumph as the body is temporarily disbanded, with all members being sent to command instead.
This results in a far less unified House of Triumph, as different members have different goals, and it's up to different members to decide whether they value their glory and militaristic renown, or their stability and income.
The Exetastikon
The Exetastikon, or The Inquisitorium of Magic as most non-alethians known them, is the third branch of the Alethian government. Their job is to rule on the law, and to maintain control over the magically gifted. The Exetastikon is led led by The Alethian Jury, and First Judge of Alethia. The Exetastikon is meant to hold court, which is a rare occurrence in Alethia, and to control magic within the realm. The Alethian Jury
The Alethian Jury is made up of thee jurors. All three are typically well-practiced magicians, usually of the arcane assortment. They are the jury in times when the Alethian Court is in action, though that is rare. Instead, their everyday activity is mostly about directing The Exetastikon in their domination of magic within the realm. The First Judge of Alethia
The First Judge of Alethia is most often the Anax, or monarch, of Alethia. The duties of The First Judge of Alethia is to judge and finalize rulings in case of Alethian court. Otherwise it is the job of The First Judge to appoint new members of The Alethian Jury in the case that one of it's members passed or retired. Domination of Magic
In Alethia, magic is seen as a tool. To Alethians, all tools are weapons, and magic is no different. Legions have many spellcasters, all provided by The Exetastikon. See, The Exetastikon holds a monopoly on magic in Alethia. They have a number of ways to test children for magical capabilities, and they regularly visit villages, towns, and cities searching for anyone with an ounce of natural magical capability. These children are then ripped from their home, and brought to The Telos, or The End Halls as some call it. Though some families struggle to keep the magical capabilities of their children hidden, in order to be allowed to keep them at home, most are willing to give up their children. Magic is a tool, a weapon, and a child bearing it is just a weapon disguised in the form of a person. Once magical capabilities are discovered, the person is no longer important or real, it was, and always will be a weapon, owned by Alethia. Once in The Telos, the headquarters for The Exetastikon, these children are brainwashed and mentally enslaved to The Doctirine of The Exetastikon. Not all of these children turn out to be gifted with arcane abilities, some instead hold strange and mysterious powers. Magicians, and warriors who use magic in their craft, are both sent out to the frontlines. The Exetastikon teaches the children to leave themselves behind, and instead become a part of Alethia. They are seen as cursed in many ways, and it's a mercy that they are allowed to serve despite this. As such, many Alethians avoid contact with members of The Exetastikon, and they are called Katara, or Curselings. The Katara themselves are nameless weapons, granted titles instead of names. They are sent to serve legions, or to serve as inquisitors throughout the realm. The Alethian Court
In Alethia, there is only one court, best known as The Alethian Court. The court is rarely called, and when it is, that is a major deal. It is most often called in order to prosecute one or many members of The House of Triumph. There is rarely though a time when anyone is trialed for anything but failure. After great defeats that are unacceptable to Alethia, whether it be a catastrophic major battle, or a whole war lost, dozens, sometimes hundreds even, are charged with treason. For to lose greatly, is to commit treason in Alethia. In these trials sometimes even common soldiers are named, and tried for treason. The most common punishment is exile, or forced servitude. The greatest punishment is death, for there is no glory in a traitors death. These trials are major events, and are seen as a bad omen or sign for Alethia. Though some in the government often see it as a way to get rid of the old, and usher in the new. It's also a way of creating a major gap in the nobility of Alethia, freeing up land and titles, which will see many rise high.
Culture
Casts
Simply put, there are three casts within The Kingdom of Alethia. They are: The Tributary Cast, The Folk Cast, and The Warrior Cast. The Tributary Cast
This is the lowest cast in Alethian society. People from this cast are seen as weaklings, for it includes primarily those in forced servitude, or those who have accepted Alethian protection in return for tribute. It means they have submitted or failed to care for themselves, and are now forced to exist as tributaries, lest they redeem themselves. The Folk Cast
The folk Cast is the largest and most common cast in Alethian society. Your respect as a member of The Folk Cast is determined by your own profession, and whether you are striving to support, or join The Warrior Cast. The Warrior Cast
The Warrior Cast is the most respected cast. It's members are soldiers, or even members of The House of Triump. These people are a level above all the others, and though there is great disparity within the cast, even the lowest member of The Warrior Cast is far above anyone from The Folk Cast. Cultural traits
To be brief, you might say that Alethian culture was completely in love with war. Everything centered around the relationship between the strong and the weak, and the belief that Alethia was strong unified, and it was Alethia's destinty to rule the weak. The culture is in many ways a supremacist culture. They consider those who are weak as lesser, and those who are able and strong as greater. They see Alethia as the frontrunner in the world, and it's up to them to expand it's borders and rule. Supremacy, Unity, and Centralization
Alethain culture is supremacist. It is seeped with the idea that Alethians are of a greater yolk than others, and that it's their right to control others. The backbone of this supremacist way of thinking comes from their unity. It's very important in Alethian society that all Alethians work for Alethia, not for personal goals. It's said that gaining personal glory, is to gain glory for Alethia. To fail in Alethia, is to verge on treason against Alethia. This unity can be seen in many ways throughout the society. For example, Alethians do not use coin. Instead, they use Alethian Tokens. These are small card-like pieces of smooth stone, inscribed with the name of the Anax at it's making. These are used to redem things from the Service Centers that exist within all major settlements. In the countryside, the use of Alethian Tokens is rare, and most simply barter with goods instead, but in major settlements, where all production is centralized they are commonplace. The Alethian Token is one example of an incredibly centralized society compared to most other societies around it. There are many examples of this, The Alethian Legions, The Alethian Token, and of course the Service Centers. Militarism
In Alethia, war is life for many. Whereas the commonfolk in most places might celebrate the glory that the lord and their knights would get from a war, Alethians are devoted to war. The most respected members of Alethian society are those who are warriors, commanders, or in the best case, generals. Alethians grow up to stories of how it is their fate to rule, and they must achieve that destiny by way of war. They idiolize soldiers, commanders, and generals all their lives. The only systems of education in Alethia are the military schools, where children are organised into groups, and trained to fight as units. Personal combat prowess is seen as necessary for all to learn. If you are stupid but strong, you are a warrior, if you are smart but weak you are a commander, and if you are neither, then you are shunned. However, even if you can not directly fight Alethias wars, supporting them is still an honourable thing. Artisans, farm-owners, and others who support Alethia by doing what is necessary, are respected in the society, though they perhaps don't see as much praise as those who directly fight for Alethia. Religion
The worship in Alethia is focused on war as well. They worhsip primarily Erathris and Kort, but in a very different way from most. To Alethians, these two gods are simply aspects of the same god. They call this god Polemos, God of Alethia. Kord is called usually The God of The Legion, and Erathris is called God of The Triumph. While worship of the two gods in their most common form is allowed, it is uncommon, just as worship of other Divine Sovereigns is. Most people in Alethia are not particularly devout, at least not by Chrysos, or Zlatzem, standards. They instead worship their version of Kord and Erathris, Polemos, by doing their part for the good of Alethia. Magic is a curse
In Alethia magic is seen as a weapon. Those who have the ability to wield it are weapons themselves. Even the highest among these casters, The Exetastikon and The Alethian Jury are feared rather then loved in Alethian society. Magic is a curse to those born capable of wielding it, and yet they are given the mercy of servitute. Though, it is necessary to extract the belief that they are persons, like the rest of those born in Alethia, from these weapons, lest their ego take control and lead them down a path of destruction. North of Chrysos, in Voinya there are these cursed ones, Katara as we call them, who have even used their curse to rise to the top of their rudimentary societies. Alethians will not let that happen in their land. The Exetastikon exists to control magic, and the leaders of The Exetastikon have been constructed in order to view things in the perspective of what is best of Alethia, making them beyond bias. This is the limit of power given to these weapons, and it's kept in check by the robust political system of Alethia. There are sometimes outsiders who come to Alethia with these magical capabilities. We do not welcome these casters, they are a danger to Alethia and a danger to our stability.
Simply put, there are three casts within The Kingdom of Alethia. They are: The Tributary Cast, The Folk Cast, and The Warrior Cast. The Tributary Cast
This is the lowest cast in Alethian society. People from this cast are seen as weaklings, for it includes primarily those in forced servitude, or those who have accepted Alethian protection in return for tribute. It means they have submitted or failed to care for themselves, and are now forced to exist as tributaries, lest they redeem themselves. The Folk Cast
The folk Cast is the largest and most common cast in Alethian society. Your respect as a member of The Folk Cast is determined by your own profession, and whether you are striving to support, or join The Warrior Cast. The Warrior Cast
The Warrior Cast is the most respected cast. It's members are soldiers, or even members of The House of Triump. These people are a level above all the others, and though there is great disparity within the cast, even the lowest member of The Warrior Cast is far above anyone from The Folk Cast. Cultural traits
To be brief, you might say that Alethian culture was completely in love with war. Everything centered around the relationship between the strong and the weak, and the belief that Alethia was strong unified, and it was Alethia's destinty to rule the weak. The culture is in many ways a supremacist culture. They consider those who are weak as lesser, and those who are able and strong as greater. They see Alethia as the frontrunner in the world, and it's up to them to expand it's borders and rule. Supremacy, Unity, and Centralization
Alethain culture is supremacist. It is seeped with the idea that Alethians are of a greater yolk than others, and that it's their right to control others. The backbone of this supremacist way of thinking comes from their unity. It's very important in Alethian society that all Alethians work for Alethia, not for personal goals. It's said that gaining personal glory, is to gain glory for Alethia. To fail in Alethia, is to verge on treason against Alethia. This unity can be seen in many ways throughout the society. For example, Alethians do not use coin. Instead, they use Alethian Tokens. These are small card-like pieces of smooth stone, inscribed with the name of the Anax at it's making. These are used to redem things from the Service Centers that exist within all major settlements. In the countryside, the use of Alethian Tokens is rare, and most simply barter with goods instead, but in major settlements, where all production is centralized they are commonplace. The Alethian Token is one example of an incredibly centralized society compared to most other societies around it. There are many examples of this, The Alethian Legions, The Alethian Token, and of course the Service Centers. Militarism
In Alethia, war is life for many. Whereas the commonfolk in most places might celebrate the glory that the lord and their knights would get from a war, Alethians are devoted to war. The most respected members of Alethian society are those who are warriors, commanders, or in the best case, generals. Alethians grow up to stories of how it is their fate to rule, and they must achieve that destiny by way of war. They idiolize soldiers, commanders, and generals all their lives. The only systems of education in Alethia are the military schools, where children are organised into groups, and trained to fight as units. Personal combat prowess is seen as necessary for all to learn. If you are stupid but strong, you are a warrior, if you are smart but weak you are a commander, and if you are neither, then you are shunned. However, even if you can not directly fight Alethias wars, supporting them is still an honourable thing. Artisans, farm-owners, and others who support Alethia by doing what is necessary, are respected in the society, though they perhaps don't see as much praise as those who directly fight for Alethia. Religion
The worship in Alethia is focused on war as well. They worhsip primarily Erathris and Kort, but in a very different way from most. To Alethians, these two gods are simply aspects of the same god. They call this god Polemos, God of Alethia. Kord is called usually The God of The Legion, and Erathris is called God of The Triumph. While worship of the two gods in their most common form is allowed, it is uncommon, just as worship of other Divine Sovereigns is. Most people in Alethia are not particularly devout, at least not by Chrysos, or Zlatzem, standards. They instead worship their version of Kord and Erathris, Polemos, by doing their part for the good of Alethia. Magic is a curse
In Alethia magic is seen as a weapon. Those who have the ability to wield it are weapons themselves. Even the highest among these casters, The Exetastikon and The Alethian Jury are feared rather then loved in Alethian society. Magic is a curse to those born capable of wielding it, and yet they are given the mercy of servitute. Though, it is necessary to extract the belief that they are persons, like the rest of those born in Alethia, from these weapons, lest their ego take control and lead them down a path of destruction. North of Chrysos, in Voinya there are these cursed ones, Katara as we call them, who have even used their curse to rise to the top of their rudimentary societies. Alethians will not let that happen in their land. The Exetastikon exists to control magic, and the leaders of The Exetastikon have been constructed in order to view things in the perspective of what is best of Alethia, making them beyond bias. This is the limit of power given to these weapons, and it's kept in check by the robust political system of Alethia. There are sometimes outsiders who come to Alethia with these magical capabilities. We do not welcome these casters, they are a danger to Alethia and a danger to our stability.
Agriculture & Industry
The economy of Alethia is centered around supplying the legions, who go fourth and bring home luxuries. As such, the Alethian Economy is in some ways a rudimentary one, producing primarily staple goods, and relying on an influx of luxuries from their tributaries or conquered enemies.
Goods like weapons, grains, and metals are primarily produced in Alethia proper, which is a land rich in mineral, but also fertile. However, goods like jewelry, paper, and other luxuries are usually produced elsewhere, and then end up in Alethia.
Anax's Domain
Roughly half of the land in Alethia proper is part of what is known as the Anax's Domain. This means it is under the rule of the central government, or more specifically, The Anax. Here, all industries are centralised and no independant trade takes place. In the Anax's Domain the use of Alethian Tokens is most common. This all means that guilds, merchant collectives, and other industry specific factions do not exist here. Instead everything is directly owned by the Anax. This ownership includes nearly all major settlements in Alethia proper, though these settlements and the areas they act as regional capitals of are typically managed by an Inax, or Governor. This Inax is responsible for maintaining the law, productivity, and of course Service Center of the area. The countryside around these areas is typically covered in farmland, as Alethia proper is fairly safe. These farms are leased out to a sub-cast of the Folk Cast known as the Farmers Cast. These Farmers are delegated with, usually, large swathes of farmland. They live in comparative luxury, and now responsible for keeping up to a schedule of production. They are required to provide all that they produce to the areas Service Center, and return they are awarded with Tokens. The primary use of these Tokens is to maintain the farms, and the biggest expense of that is to aquire labour. In times when Alethia is doing well on the war front, most of the farmland is maintained by people in forced servitude, or what most would consider slaves. These who are forced into servitude can also be aquired as manual labour from the Service Center. However, in ages when the conflicts do not favour Alethia, then these farms might be worked by more expensive actual labourers, who usually take payment in Alethian Tokens. The same goes for other industries in the Anax's Domain. Blacksmiths are organised and usually directed by foremen appointed by the Inax. Other artisans are usually treated in the same way, and everyone must hand in their produced goods to the Service Center, where countless hours are spent counting, ordering, and organising the goods of the area. Non Anax's Domain
Outside of the Anax's Domain, things are quite different though, or at least they can be. See, Alethia is still a feudal society, and once land is granted to a baron, lord, or doux, it is up to them to do with the land as they wish. They have nearly full authority to do with this land as they wish. However, most adhere to a similar structure, just on a smaller level. These barons and lords who rule small domains often have the ability to cruelly treat the people of their domain, gettting all that they can from the domain, in order to then trade it for as many Tokens as they can, which are then used to further the nobles lifestyle, or their political power. See, Tokens are also a representative of how much you have done for Alethia, it is expected of you to flaunt your tokens, and to boast of how you aquired them. However, the biggest reason these lords seek to aquire Alethian Tokens is for the ability to wage war. In order to be appointed to command, you must be able to pay. As a man at command you are expected to pay for the parts of the legion you are responsible for. For example: A baron-captain typically pays to maintain, repair, or replace the equipment, armour, and weapons of his Centurieon. A lord-commander might pay for a whole cohorts larger expenses, like horses, sleeping gear, and other high level costs. For doux-generals it could either be the worst, or the best, depending on the arrangements between commanding officiers. It is common for these nobles to go into debt for the privilage of command. Most might loan Tokens from their families, or more well-off nobles, all in the hopes that they might pay it back with politcal gain or plunder.
Roughly half of the land in Alethia proper is part of what is known as the Anax's Domain. This means it is under the rule of the central government, or more specifically, The Anax. Here, all industries are centralised and no independant trade takes place. In the Anax's Domain the use of Alethian Tokens is most common. This all means that guilds, merchant collectives, and other industry specific factions do not exist here. Instead everything is directly owned by the Anax. This ownership includes nearly all major settlements in Alethia proper, though these settlements and the areas they act as regional capitals of are typically managed by an Inax, or Governor. This Inax is responsible for maintaining the law, productivity, and of course Service Center of the area. The countryside around these areas is typically covered in farmland, as Alethia proper is fairly safe. These farms are leased out to a sub-cast of the Folk Cast known as the Farmers Cast. These Farmers are delegated with, usually, large swathes of farmland. They live in comparative luxury, and now responsible for keeping up to a schedule of production. They are required to provide all that they produce to the areas Service Center, and return they are awarded with Tokens. The primary use of these Tokens is to maintain the farms, and the biggest expense of that is to aquire labour. In times when Alethia is doing well on the war front, most of the farmland is maintained by people in forced servitude, or what most would consider slaves. These who are forced into servitude can also be aquired as manual labour from the Service Center. However, in ages when the conflicts do not favour Alethia, then these farms might be worked by more expensive actual labourers, who usually take payment in Alethian Tokens. The same goes for other industries in the Anax's Domain. Blacksmiths are organised and usually directed by foremen appointed by the Inax. Other artisans are usually treated in the same way, and everyone must hand in their produced goods to the Service Center, where countless hours are spent counting, ordering, and organising the goods of the area. Non Anax's Domain
Outside of the Anax's Domain, things are quite different though, or at least they can be. See, Alethia is still a feudal society, and once land is granted to a baron, lord, or doux, it is up to them to do with the land as they wish. They have nearly full authority to do with this land as they wish. However, most adhere to a similar structure, just on a smaller level. These barons and lords who rule small domains often have the ability to cruelly treat the people of their domain, gettting all that they can from the domain, in order to then trade it for as many Tokens as they can, which are then used to further the nobles lifestyle, or their political power. See, Tokens are also a representative of how much you have done for Alethia, it is expected of you to flaunt your tokens, and to boast of how you aquired them. However, the biggest reason these lords seek to aquire Alethian Tokens is for the ability to wage war. In order to be appointed to command, you must be able to pay. As a man at command you are expected to pay for the parts of the legion you are responsible for. For example: A baron-captain typically pays to maintain, repair, or replace the equipment, armour, and weapons of his Centurieon. A lord-commander might pay for a whole cohorts larger expenses, like horses, sleeping gear, and other high level costs. For doux-generals it could either be the worst, or the best, depending on the arrangements between commanding officiers. It is common for these nobles to go into debt for the privilage of command. Most might loan Tokens from their families, or more well-off nobles, all in the hopes that they might pay it back with politcal gain or plunder.
Trade & Transport
The tributary system
Alethia relies in large upon tribute, at least as far luxury goods, labour, and auxiliaries are concerned. These tributaries are sometimes established with diplomacy, being the result of longer periods of intimidation or a realm being threatened by another. However, Alethia also likes to establish these regular tributes when they end their conflicts with another realm. These tributes are oftentimes divided among those who secured this victory, and of course, the Anax.
Alethia relies in large upon tribute, at least as far luxury goods, labour, and auxiliaries are concerned. These tributaries are sometimes established with diplomacy, being the result of longer periods of intimidation or a realm being threatened by another. However, Alethia also likes to establish these regular tributes when they end their conflicts with another realm. These tributes are oftentimes divided among those who secured this victory, and of course, the Anax.
Alethia, unchallanged
Founding Date
Sometime in the 5th century
Type
Geopolitical, Kingdom
Alternative Names
Alethia
Demonym
Alethians
Leader Title
Currency
The Alethian Token is the official currency used in Alethia. They are granted by your superior as you deliver what you have produced, or manufactured. Companies, stores, and independant groups do not exist within Alethia. Instead in, and around, major settlements, there exists a Service Center, where you are required to hand in all goods produced, and in exchange you are granted Tokens that you can redeem for other goods at the Service Center. This way, all goods are gathered and traded with these Tokens at the massive Service Centers.
In the countryside, outside of Alethia proper though, barter is most common. It is not outlawed to directly barter, as there is simply not a strong enough beurocratic system to manage every little hamlet, lord's estate, or village.
Legislative Body
Laws are proposed by The Anax branch, and specifically by the Anax's Scribe. They are put to The House of Triumph, who then either approve or disapprove of the law.
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