The Seran People

Life Within The Empire

The Empire of Sera has only begun to interact with the rest of Ashiel recently, if one could consider a span of time of nearly 700 years recent. For most of their time the Empire has shunned all outside contact and their impressive navy has allowed them to do this. The Empire exists on a series of islands within the Sea of Life. Tradition, respect and duty play a large part of their culture.

Culture

Culture and cultural heritage

Seran society revolves around a caste system (see below) and so each person in the Empire instinctively knows where they fit within the whole and they take comfort and solace in this. Each caste has their own duties to the Empire that the members of that caste tend to be diligence. There is always hope and ambition to raise one's family and bloodline to a higher caste and while not common this can and does happen.

Common Etiquette rules

The Seran people have been described by outsiders as being very reserved and overly polite and lacking in emotion, this is because most outsiders fail to understand Seran society. They are a subtle people and their reservation comes from ensuring that they are behaving properly according to their caste when dealing with all others.Being polite and lacking emotion stem from the Seran tradition of wearing masks. While the wearing of a mask can be literal in some instances, all Seran people consider themselves to be wearing a mask when in public. This mask is their public face that they show the world, the proper face of not only a member of their caste but also of a citizen of the Empire. These traditions are passed down from the first Emperor and his writings on the nature of what it means to be Seran.
To display overt emotion, to allow oneself to lose control due to excessive emotion is to walk in the shadow of demons. This is known as "letting your mask slip" and it is considered shameful behavior. On the other side of that coin, this only applies to public spaces. In the privacy of your own home, Seran people are often very expressive, fully displaying their emotions to the friends and family. It is a saying within the Empire that should a Seran "remove their mask" to you they are displaying great trust for you.

Major organizations

The Castes of Sera

Within the Empire society is divided up into castes and while they range from the lowest to the highest, according to tradition all castes are meaningful and important to the Empire. Those within a caste are likely remain within that caste their whole lives. Only by exceptional circumstances can someone rise to another caste, or through truly dire events can someone fall. Sometimes a marriage will be arranged between two members of differing castes and while the lower caste member of this union does not rise to the higher caste through this marriage, his or her children are born into the higher caste. The following is a brief summary of each caste within the Empire:
The Sweeper Caste – Sweepers are the lowest caste, the ones who do the menial and undesirable jobs within the empire, often the dirtiest jobs. They are the servants of the Noble Caste, those who tend the sewers and cart away night soil, the general laborers who assist and work for a number of the other Castes, the gravediggers and of course, the sweepers who keep the cities of the empire clean and for whom the caste is named This caste, curiously, is also the caste which houses the Assassins of the Empire and though they serve the Empire, they are not beholden to the Emperor or to any of the nobility. They are only beholden to the Empire and will do whatever is necessary to ensure its survival. The secrets of the Conjuration school of magic are taught only to the Assassins, who take great pains to never be identified or known.
The Farmer Caste – Farmers are the caste whose job it is to feed the Empire. They are the ones who grow the crops in the fields and tend the livestock and fish the seas for that makes up much of what the Empire eats. If it becomes food then a Farmer is the one who tends to it. This caste also includes those who venture out into the wilderness to hunt wild game, those who forage in forests and caves for delicacies that only grow wild as well as those who dive the depths of the Sea of Life to bring home the rarest of treats. It is from the ranks of this caste that the local Druids and Rangers also are found.
The Builder Caste – Builders are the craftsman of the Empire, stone masons, wood workers, blacksmiths, architects, engineers, tanners, weavers and so on. If it is built, then a Builder is behind it and has likely put his or her mark upon it. This is also the caste which houses those who tend to the forests, those who mine the earth for stone and metals and gems. These tasks were taken from the Merchant caste and given to the Builder caste in the 13th Dynasty. For those who can pass the rigorous testing the House of the Stone Path offers a means to learn the magic of Transmutation.
The Soldier Caste – Soldiers are the warriors and defenders of the Empire and as such are the only members of Seran society beyond the Nobles, the Priests and the Royals, who are allowed to own weaponry. This caste is made up of those who serve in the army and the navy, as well as those who keep the peace in the cities and towns. Those born into this caste are brought up and taught the ways of combat and war, or should they prove the aptitude for it they are sent to the Academy in the Capital where they learn the magic of Abjuration or Evocation.
The Merchant Caste – Merchants are those whose duty it is to keep the economy of the Empire moving. They are forbidden from hoarding natural resources due to imperial command and those who seek goods and services are likewise forbidden from directly buying from Farmers or Builders. Merchants instead own businesses and properties and provide means of obtaining those goods and services. The proprietors of inns, taverns, restaurants, gambling houses, boarding houses, stores and markets. They also own properties in which many Builders pay them rent to have a space to practice their craft while the merchant secures them work. Such services as metalworking, scribes and even negotiable companionship are available. Merchants also tend to the counting houses, managing the money of the Empire itself.
The Teacher Caste – Unlike in many other lands, all Serans have the opportunity to be educated, from the highest to the lowest caste, and Teachers are those who educate and teach, who compile knowledge and seek out new ways and methods of doing things from the other Castes. Teachers are the learned men and women, the advisors who give counsel to those in need. This is also the caste which houses the courtesans, educated and sophisticated companions who provide mental, emotional and physical pleasure to those who can pay. The caste also counts among its members the fortune tellers, among whose ranks the subtle and secret magic of Divination is taught.
The Artist Caste – Artists are those who create art and are often patronized by the other Castes. They use whatever medium is within their talents and while to outsiders it may seem like an Artist who builds a desk should be a Builder there will be an undeniable difference between the finished products. Serans believe that art is a balm for the weary soul and it is celebrated; Art has beauty and passion to it, while everything else has simply form and function. Within the Artists caste you will find painters, poets, writers, sculptors, chefs, singers. musicians, dancers and many craftsman who elevate their work to the status of an art. Within this caste are also the local Bards of the Empire.
The Noble Caste – Nobles are a caste created from the rising of members of other castes over the generations and serve as both leaders and governors of various provinces within the empire. It is their duty to oversee their lands, listen to problems their people have, dispense justice if it is necessary and carry out the orders of the Emperor. The nobles fulfill all positions of the government bureaucracy, from the clerks all the way up through the officials, the justices, the historians and the planners to the governors who rule over each province. Each 'office' within the Empire has its own specific mask associated with it and all Nobles have a mask in that style to prevent their own aggrandizement and any corruption from trying to seek out a particular official. The Noble caste also contains the secrets of the Illusion school of magic, passed down through the family bloodlines, each noble House differing slightly in how they use the magic.
The Priest Caste – Priests are those whose job within the Empire is to protect and guard the spirituality of the people, who uphold the ancient traditions of their culture and preserve their way of life. They ensure that the souls of the living are following the right path, tend to the dead so that they are properly cared for and do not return as vengeful ghosts. They are the the ones who intervene on behalf of people and speak to the various gods, those who bring blessing to lands or undertakings from the proper god. This caste is also where the local Clerics and Paladins come from.
The Royal Caste – This caste is made up of the Emperor (or Empress), their immediate and extended family and the members of the Royal Court and their children. The only way for anyone to be brought into this caste is either through birth or marriage, or a successful coup. The wife of the Emperor or husband of the Empress, must be a member of this caste, though they are always referred to as the Wife-Consort or the Husband-Consort. It is within this caste that the secrets of the Enchantment school of magic are kept closely guarded.
The Empty Caste – The Empty Caste, or as directly translated from Seran, The Caste Which Is Not is a caste which exists outside of Seran society. Member of this caste often live slightly apart from the Empire proper. It was created hundreds of years ago to act as a buffer against the rest of the world and a means for the Empire to interact with the world without losing its culture and heritage. The youngest son of the then Emperor publically volunteered to give up his status and become a member of this caste. His sacrifice inspired many to do the same. Within this caste is a smaller model of Seran society, everything functions much the same, though there are no castes as everything is of the same Caste. This makes settlements of the Empty Caste slightly less rigid and hierarchical than the rest of Seran society. Due to the fact they are not part of the caste system, but still part of the Empire, they are free to deal with outsiders much more easily. Any outsiders journeying deeper into the Empire must be accompanied by a member of this Caste at all times.