Theocratic Monarchy of Shiminore

The Kingdom of Shiminore has a very isolationist policy, and only interacts with the nations they have to, making it poorly understood by most outsiders. Order is maintained by a fairly rigid social class, with moving between classes being difficult - or simply impossible. The capital is the holy city of the Galledallian Pantheon, a religion that is known for its numerous deities, harsh punishments, and foreboding prophecies. The ruling dynasty of this land is composed of aasimar said to be descended from the gods themselves. The religious nature of the land and the zealous theocratic government makes the nation either loved or hated by many, with few anywhere in between.

History

Age of Mortals

Though not concerning Shiminore directly, this was the time when Shiminore's capital, and the holy city of the Galledallian Pantheon Azmina was built here, where the pantheon spread throughout Galledall and became the dominant religion for thousands of years.

Post-Cataclysm

The Kingdom of Shiminore was found under mostly unclear circumstances about four hundred years after the First Cataclysm. What is known is that the empire it spawned from was heavily destabilized by the cataclysms and broke apart or became too destabilized to hold onto the land. For the first five hundred years, the leaders were human, but in 639 P.C. a son was born to the ruling family that was an aasimar. A myth states that the gods appeared to the king, King Osman, gathered around the destroyed city of Azmina, ruled over and occupied by a barbarian kingdom of goliaths. The gods demanded Osman free the city and rebuild it. For the next three nights, the gods came to Osman who did nothing. he first being Poltos, who promised that Osman's family would rule forever if he were to obey. The second was visited by the god of birthrights, who told him that his family was descended from a demigod that could not possibly fail. Finally, on the third night, he was visited by the god of domination, saying that if he went to the city and fought, he would win the respect and service of the barbarians, but if he did not he would eventually fall to them instead. After such a message, Osman rallied what few soldiers he had and moved east to attack the barbarians.

According to legend, they fought for days until Osman challenged and defeated the leader of the barbarians in single combat. Many of the survivors agreed to follow Osman as their new leader. He then began to reconstruct Azmina as the gods had demanded of him, the building projects bolstered his small kingdom's economy. Soon, many pilgrims began to make the journey to Azmina. Many making donations to the rebuilding effort or even moving there themselves, bringing more wealth into Shiminore. Osman then continued to use the barbarian armies he had gained to continue conquering his neighbors, making his small kingdom grow larger. By 650 P.C. the city of Azmina had been restored to its former glory and made the capital of Shiminore. The growing religious sentiment in the kingdom caused the kingdom to be converted into a theocracy sometime afterwards. The son of Osman also had a child that was an Aasimar, and since then, every child of the house of Osman has been one.

Though the Second Cataclysm caused some damage to the kingdom, the real damage was in the loss of the gods, who had been vocal to the clergy of the holy city. During the entirety of this age however, the gods were nearly completely silent, only revealing themselves on occasion. During this age, the first Slave Knights were made to help combat outside threats, knights who were fought to the death to atone for sins that had been committed. Many of these knights were found in the goliath population, many of whom had been converted to the Galledallian Pantheon and convinced they had to atone for their ancestors' heathen ways. While goliaths made up the bulk, the Slave Knights were not exclusive to them, and anyone could become one.

Age of Restoration

By the turn of the age, Shiminore had been weakened by its separation from the gods. The boatmen of the north from Konungurald were invading the coasts, and had pillaged many of the villages and towns that resided there. For years, the boatmen would sail across, some staying for a few days while others campaigned, killed and raided for sport for months. During this time, the region of Glavenen rebelled, seeing that they had a chance to break away and become a protectorate of the New Elven Union, who later annexed the land as their own, and making enemies with Shiminore in the process. While some of the boatmen ventured deeper mainland, none touched Azmina. But a new threat loomed to the north as Altan Khot and the Golden Alliance fell. While Shiminore had never been a part of the alliance, the stability of the surrounding area had allowed them to focus on internal matters for well over four hundred years. They once again had to worry about its neighbors possibly attacking, but now one of those neighbors happened to be a red dragon with an army. Thankfully the dragon never attacked Shiminore, and they only needed to increase their border patrols and garrisons after the boatmen vanished back to their homeland.

Social

Citizens of Azmina adopt the social caste of their parents, their duties in life decided from the time of their conception. The children of farmers are also farmers, the children of merchants, merchants, and so on. While there are some exceptions to this rule, they are uncommon enough to only happen to several children once a year or so. Partly to maintain a system of social and economic stability, children have their caste shifted or lowered depending on the positions already filled. Should the nation be at peace with no plans for war, the military castes may have their children raised or lowered to fill less martial roles, while in times of war the opposite may be true. Should the state believe there to be too many artisans, a similar route will be taken to make sure everything remains balanced. One of the only ways one can elevate their status on their own initiative is to join one of the religious groups of the kingdom, of which there are many. Through ascending the ranks and being a contributing member to the Galledallian Pantheon, the state religion of Shiminore, one can not only make themselves of higher class but may also be allowed to request that their children be placed in a higher or lower class by appealing to the clergy. The priesthood, royalty, nobility and clerics are the only ones permitted to grant the ability for others to shift between classes, but it is almost exclusively done so at a young age. Those older than 10 are rarely moved, even if it would appear they could operate better in another caste. Becoming an acolyte is again an exception, but another way is to prove oneself as a capable warrior by slaying a beast or monster by themselves or defending oneself and their family against overwhelming odds. Distinguishing oneself like this will allow anyone of lower caste and make them eligible to move up to the Martial Caste, while those who defeat foes against overwhelming odds and whose actions save the lives of many may even be granted a title and made nobility, though these cases are even rarer and only occur once every few decades. The social caste also marks boundaries between most people, and interacting with people of a much lower class directly is a prime taboo of Shiminore. Marriages between different castes are similarly looked down upon, though certain exceptions do exist. Below is a diagram of the caste system of Shiminore, denoting the ranks of each by the height on the pyramid.

Political

Politics and religion are intertwined in Shiminore, with each class capable of ruling over anything moderated by another equal or higher caste that are members of the clergy. Some of the artisan class serve as an alderman and local governors, but must listen to the concerns of the acolytes. The same is true for the nobility which, while governing and ruling on a more national level, also must hear out and address the needs and concerns of the clerical caste. Finally, the nation is ruled by a monarch and their family who have almost total control but can be at any point subject to the concerns of the priesthood. While the ruling class being controlled by the priesthood has lead to conflict in the past, there is little resentment between them. The clergy mostly stays out of the way of the ruling classes while they govern unless an important matter is needs their attention. While the acolytes and clerics regularly interact with the artisans and nobility respectively, the priesthood mostly keeps their interactions between themselves and the clergy, allowing the royalty to carry out their tasks. While most other castes are technically equal, should the priesthood decide to issue an edict, it is considered higher than law, and any decisions they make must be obeyed by all including the royalty.

The royal family ruling over Shiminore is the longest running dynasty in history, soon to be ruling for two millennia. One confusing thing is that the ruler is always given the title of King, regardless of gender. The currently ruler is King Irinea Zonara, an aasimar descendant of the first rulers of Shiminore and just one of the many female rulers the land has known.

Economic

Shiminore is primarily a command economy, with the nobility and clerical castes instructing the artisans and peasants on what to make, grow, and craft. This helps the nation devote themselves almost entirely to one goal, be it war, materials for constructing new projects, or growing and reinforcing without expending too much money. However, not everyone must do what the higher castes demand, at least in this regard. The majority of the time when the higher castes instruct the lower on what to do, all the materials are provided to them for free, be it stone for crafting, seeds for planting, or whatever else is required. Though few can afford to take the risk to do things on their own, they are certainly allowed to, but the materials they get must be paid for out of their own pocket, and pay may not be necessarily guaranteed. It is a risky venture and ruins as many people's lives as it benefits. Though the caste system and command economy seem harsh to many others of Vadovass, the pay across any level of the castes is more equal, and the nation remains economically stable even during times of crisis. It also prevents higher caste members from becoming too much richer than they have any right being, though the majority of the lower castes are fairly poor compared to other nations. Excess wealth is stored in a treasury that only the royalty and priesthood have access to. As a consequence, the people of Shiminore are generally poorer compared to most other peoples, but the nation as a whole is richer than average. At least in theory, this keeps everyone from becoming too grossly rich or poor.

Religious

Shiminore is widely known for its strict worship of the Galledallian Pantheon. Its capital being the holy city of the Galledallian Pantheon, it is believed that it was born in the same lands. Shiminore is littered with shrines, temples, and monasteries of nearly every deity of the Galledallian Pantheon. More temples and shrines can be found across the entire kingdom, venerating the Galledallian gods. While the state is a theocracy centered around the Galledallian gods, worshiping them is not required, and each is allowed to worship other gods of other pantheons such as the Wizgaran or Seldarine. However those who do cannot establish clergy for those religions, and also pay higher taxes. While worshiping other pantheons is allowed, the one exception is worship of the Church of Man, which is illegal and considered blasphemous. The punishment for blasphemy is death, with no exceptions.

The religious hierarchy is split between the three castes of the acolytes, clerics, and priests. The acolytes serve as general assistants to the clergy, performing religious duties as needed. Some of the acolytes are fully devoted and participate as a living, while others are from other castes and do so in their spare time, being granted the rank of acolyte in recognition for piety or devoted service. The clerical caste consists of those who oversee the rituals done in temples, religious events and gatherings and those who work with the acolytes. Some of the clerical caste are also comprised of members of religious orders, such as paladins, knights or monks. Finally, there is the priesthood. Each deity of the Galledallian Panteheon has one high priest who acts as their voice. Additionally, each Transcendent, the highest gods of the Galledallian Pantheon, has ten priests. Gods, those who are children of the Transcendents, have seven priests, while demigods have only three priests. All the high priests work and meet in Azmina, where they regularly interact and deliberate with one another about religious affairs. The priesthood has total control over the nation should they want it, but mostly keep their minds focused on their own matters. It is also the caste that has the most members lowered to the clerical or scholar castes due to there being so few positions available in the priesthood.

To the Shiminorans, religion is more than it is to many other peoples and nations. It is the primary factor in each decision made by the kingdom, from the caste system to their isolationist policy. Many outsiders are surprised to learn they can walk by a high priest of one of the war gods in the streets, who wore not robes and a fancy hat but a finely crafted yet modest suit of armor that is more practical than it is pretty. Followers of gods of commerce or trade typically double as merchants, while the priests of the gods for peasants and beggars live among those they represent as equals. Religion in Shiminore is finely woven into the every day lives of their society in a way that shows they are serious about it. While some do take advantage of their positions and enjoy the benefits that come with it, most are more interested in living as their patron deities intended and carrying out their will.

Military

The martial class makes up the majority of the soldiers and guards that operate in Shiminore. Those born into the caste are exposed to the military at a young age, and begin training once they reach adulthood. Afterwards, the majority go on to be trained as infantry, while those that show aptitude are trained as specialists, becoming cavalry or sharpshooters. While the martial caste is a fully devoted military, they are only around 60% of the total forces the kingdom has on hand. Others during war are the knights from the nobility, and the knights of the clerical caste. Most notorious among them are the Slave Knights, warriors who have been promised exoneration for their past crimes for fighting and possibly dying in battle. They fight relentlessly, often with reckless abandon for their own well being. The Slave Knights are controlled by another group, the Absolvers, who are worshipers of the Transcendent Deity Lekkas, the god of sin. While the Absolvers control the Slave Knights, they themselves are a step above them in terms of martial skill, and have peacetime duties as well. In times of war however, many of the Absolvers volunteer for suicidal missions, as every Absolver feels that death is an end they deserve for their own sins they carry.

Shiminore's neighbors are lucky that it is not expansive and aggressive as, controlling the holy city of the Galledallian Pantheon, their priesthood has the authority to call for a holy war. In such an event, the Sunar Confederacy, Domuc Empire, and Hadaran Empire would all by obligated to join the war on their side. Though this has not happened in centuries, many are wary of the possibility that it could happen sometime soon. Devoted individuals across all of Vadovass would also be expected to join, even if they are in the opposing nations, or are in neutral nations.

Foreign Relations

Shiminore maintains a consistent attitude of isolationism, not wishing to interfere or be interfered with in social, economic, or political matters. Because of this, few of their neighbors have many good opinions about the kingdom, who refuses to help in times of need such as when the Golden Alliance fell in the early days off the current age. Their seemingly harsh and dogmatic way of life is considered unattractive by many, especially to those who have opposing faiths. To those who's official religion is Galledallian though, they are seen as wise and venerable. Most devoted people of the Galledallian faith make a pilgrimage to Azmina at least once in their life.

Shiminore's primary enemy is the Almaridian Empire, whose worship of mortals is seen as heretical and unnatural. However, sharing no border keeps them far enough away from each other that they tolerate each others existence, at least for now. Shiminore also dislikes the New Elven Union strongly after they annexed the territory of Glavenen, once belonging to Shiminore. While the priests have said that the time is not right, they have sworn to reclaim the land, swearing on the blood of their mothers and fathers. This has understandably lead to raised tensions between the two, and both are prepared to fight the other. Finally, Shiminore holds great resentment towards the Haffanlanders who raid their lands once every few decades. Shiminore sees them as heathen barbarians worshiping a twisted version of what the Galledallian Pantheon should be, and some have talked about possible war with them in the future.

Magic

Shiminore has some magic users, mostly clerics and paladins. While not all of them possess magical ability, those who do are deemed as being highly blessed by the gods. While there is some magic practiced that is not done by the clergy, it is still often linked to gods of sorcery, witchcraft and magic. The Shiminorans believe magic a great gift given to mortals by the gods that should be used carefully, but never hidden away.