Kingdom of Crathlia

The Kingdom of Crathlia is the island nation composed of seven major islands ruled by the Alderley Clan. I have lived in its lands all my life and hold one of its noble titles. It is the primary subject of this site. Thus, this article will be something of an overview, providing context for the other articles. More detail is or will be provided elsewhere.
As another note, this article deals with the modern-day kingdom founded in 710 SA, ruled by the Alderleys. See Tír na Creatlach for details on Colonial Crathlia as ruled by the aignaoithe.

Social Structure

While not all of these classifications are exactly legal and thus may not correspond to official materials, I find them most useful for an examination of the hierarchy of Crathlian society.

1. Noble Paragons (125+): Those who score above 125 and therefore attend Everdon Academy.
2. "Common" Paragons (Class 3, 100.00-124.99): Those who do not score over 125, but are still Class 3 (i.e., with any ability other than Healing and Draining) Paragons with the right to vote and run for Senate.
3. Healers (Class 2 Paragons, score 100+): Those with the ability to speed up the work of the immune system.
4. Amalgams (50.00-99.99): Those with only telekinesis.
5. Dregs (0.01-49.99): Those who are powerless.
6. Drainers (Class 1 Paragons, score 100+): Those with the ability to drain, or temporarily take away the power of, others. A function of this power is that, given enough time, they can kill anyone they touch.

Further Distinction and Explanation

Royal Paragons, of course, crown the hierarchy of Crathlia. While many define the royal family by the Alderley name, the true definition is much narrower: those who are sitting or will sit on the throne of Crathlia. Thus out of those currently living, King Leonard Whitewave, Queen Alexandra Alderley, and Crown Prince Victor Whitewave Alderley are the only living royal Paragons. (After my marriage: Crown Prince Victor Alderley Evenbrook and Crown Princess Cordelia Evenbrook Alderley.)
The High Clans form the next step down in the hierarchy. Colbreak, Blackburn, and Evenbrook govern North Lautney; Greengale, Daymarch, and Ironwood govern South Lautney as well as Culduff and Dublean; Waterguard governs Arden and Dalry. It is best to consider these clans to be of equal standing, although they hold different amounts of power depending on their section of Crathlia and the state of affairs in the local economy.
After the High Clans come the historical Everdon-scoring families, such as Rosmors, Colemors, Redbreak, Windweaver, Whitewave, Lightrock, and Weatherby. These clans produce senators, spouses of dukes and duchesses, generals, and others of influence. They hold counties, which no longer have much actual political power, but remain indicators of influence.
After this are the commoner Paragons (those scoring below 125 but above 100), then Healers, then Amalgams, then Dregs, then Drainers.

Demography and Population

Total Population: approximately 38 million

• Paragons (100+)- 7% (2.66 million)
• Amalgams (50.00-99.99)- 89% (33.82 million)
• Dregs (0.01-49.99)- 4% (1.52 million)

Paragons have additional distinctions:

• Class 1 (Drainers)- 1% of total, 14% of Paragons (380,000)
• Class 2 (Healers)- 0.9% of total, 13% of Paragons (342,000)
• Class 3 (any other ability)- 5.1% of total, 73% of Paragons (1,938,000)
• 125+ (not a legal distinction, but useful)- 0.01% of total, 0.1% of Paragons (3,800) (approximately 38 students per year at Everdon)

History

I will keep myself brief here, and elaborate in other locations. More detail can be found on the timeline of Crathlian History.
In 710, King Matthew Alderley the Great, the first king of Crathlia, united North Lautney under his rule, driving out the mainlanders from Alexander's Port (modern-day Lexport) and High Valley. He was assisted by Alastair Colbreak, the first of his name. (King Matthew the Great was also the first to render his name "Alderley" in association with "alderman.")
South Lautney was conquered in a long series of power struggles with local warlords. Considering the south was where Paragons who remained sympathetic to shapeshifters fled, this struggle is expected.
In 825, Queen Brigid Wavebreak of the Eastern Isles married King Donovan Alderley of Crathlia, adding Arden Isle and Dalry Isle to the kingdom of Crathlia.
With the addition of the two southernmost islands, Crathlia was united under the Wavebreak Alderley crown in 848.
On Queen Aveline Ashdown's advice, the Senate was formed in 998 to appease the controlling nobles of the young King Percival Alderley's reign and provide a fair way of influencing the royal family.
Queen Aveline's Treaty of 1002 was signed on Inis Baile Mor, establishing the modern relationship between Crathlia and the aignaoithe (particularly the shapeshifters).
Everdon Academy's first class was held in 1017.
In 1190, a rebellion led by Donovan Fletcher demanded legal separation and rights for Amalgams. Fearing civil war, King Adrian and Queen Seraphina met every demand but the right to vote for Senators.
From 1286 to 1294, the Great War was fought. The Dissipators killed more naered than any warrior, shapeshifter or human, prior to them, and were honored specially on Inis Baile Mor by the Council of Elders.

Government

The king and queen--the Hereditary Monarch and the Chosen Monarch--jointly govern Crathlia. However, they are subject to the Senate, an elected body of Paragons. Senators hold ten-year terms and are elected by all Class 3 Paragons. The Senate must pass a proposition with a simple majority (more than half) before it can become law. At that point, the king and queen review it and either pass it or veto it. Vetoing a law that was passed by the Senate can be an unpopular and potentially alienating move on the part of the royal family, though it has been done.

Trade and Transport

Within the kingdom, hovertrains are used to transport both people and goods to centralized locations (cities, major towns). They are the most inexpensive form of transport. Hoverplanes are used to reach more rural locations and locations on the mainland outside Crathlia itself.

Education

Each social class (Paragon, Amalgam, Dreg) teaches themselves. The starting of schools and the selection and training of teachers is left up to each. Therefore, teaching is a job that spans all three social classes. Curriculum is dictated by the Secretary of Education.
Paragons generally hire tutors for their young children, then send them to boarding school (whether that be Everdon or somewhere else) at age 10 after testing. It's thought that schooling away from the parents benefits the child to have outside influences and create alliances with peers after they reach maturity. Working age is 18, after graduation. Some pursue further education afterwards, but post-secondary studies are by no means required. About half of Paragon students choose this path. Most marry someone they met during schooling, usually before age 25.
Amalgams attend primary and secondary day school for 7 to 8 hours daily until they graduate at 18. However, they are not required to attend school after 16 if they are employed elsewhere (usually because the family is struggling, so the child takes a job as a factory worker, waiter, etc.). Some Amalgams choose to attend university, which is required in fields such as nursing, psychology, banking, engineering, and computer science.
Dregs attend day school alongside Amalgams until age 10, at which point they may take jobs, usually in factories, on farms, or on ships. On-the-job training is common. If the family doesn't require the extra income, Dreg children often continue to secondary day school.

Written by Cordelia Colbreak Evenbrook

Maps

• 

  Crathlia, Present Day

  This is a political map of the modern-day Kingdom of Crathlia, depicting its duchies (the large swaths of land governed by the High Clans), counties (smaller subsections governed by the Noble Clans), and cities. The boundaries have largely remained consistent for two hundred years.

Founding Date

710

Type

Geopolitical, Country

Capital

Seersbury

Alternative Names

Known as Tír na Creatlach during the colonization.

Demonym

Crathlian

Leader Title

Hereditary Monarch of Crathlia

Head of State

King Leonard Whitewave Alderley

Head of Government

Queen Alexandra Alderley Whitewave

Government System

Monarchy, Constitutional

Economic System

Mixed economy

Legislative Body

The Senate

Official State Religion

Crathlian Creationism

Subsidiary Organizations

• Everdon Academy

Official Languages

• Crathlian

Related Ranks & Titles

• Hereditary Monarch of Crathlia
• Chosen Monarch of Crathlia
• Hereditary Crown Royal of Crathlia
• Chosen Crown Royal of Crathlia
• Prince or Princess of Crathlia

Controlled Territories

• Arden
• Catersburg
• Culduff
• Lexport
• Midland
• North Lautney
• Seersbury
• South Lautney

Notable Members

• Alistair Colbreak Evenbrook
• Cassius Rosmors Blackburn
• Clarisse Alderley Feyrock
• Cordelia Colbreak Evenbrook
• Dairine Rosmors Waterguard
• Kaitlin Whitewave Windweaver
• Katherine Desfade Weatherby
• King Leonard Whitewave Alderley
• King Percival Alderley Ashdown
• Lillian Whitewave Colbreak
• Marcus Whitewave Colbreak
• Ophelia Evenbrook Colbreak
• Prince Felix Whitewave Alderley
• Prince Roland Jetworth Alderley
• Prince Victor Whitewave Alderley
• Queen Alexandra Alderley Whitewave
• Viviana Blackburn Rosmors

Related Ethnicities

• Amalgams
• Dregs
• Paragons

Related Historical Events

• 1103 DA
  First Power Leveling Test