While the various regions of Itherion have different difficulties and benefits, those across the Conclave had many similarities in their lifestyles. Your lifestyle depends entirely on where you live and your social status.
Hamlet/Checkpoint
Scattered throughout the whole of Itherion between each major city lies one or more hamlets or checkpoints. These are small settlements surrounded by a wall usually made of wood to protect them from creatures afflicted with
Nightfall Hysteria. Checkpoints are small settlements that do not have any residents and usually maintained by the local militia even if not occupied. Several within
Giradin’s Wall do not have these fortifications because of the protection of
Conclave Army and their vigilant patrols.
Living in a Hamlet you are likely a laborer or an innkeeper. Your days are spent working to gather food for you and your family. Your hamlet may be under the protection of the nearby city or village, as your work is used in trade and your hamlet a safe haven along the dangerous roads. Every hamlet has at least one inn to generate income from travelers. Everyone in the hamlet works to keep the inn open and stocked and in return makes some money from the income it produces.
While there are no religious buildings in a hamlet, there is usually a small shrine to the nine gods of Ifiron where the residents go to pray or conduct rituals. This shrine is often created by the residents unless a nearby church pays to have one improved on.
The hamlet or checkpoint has very little in terms of protection besides the wall. It is accepted that any warriors that find themselves in a hamlet or checkpoint that is under attack to defend it. Doing so may earn that warrior free stay at the hamlet as payment for their work. If a hamlet finds itself without protection, from monsters or disease, it is very possible to be destroyed. Much of the work of an adventurer lies in assisting the hamlets from local problems like monster extermination.
Village
A village offers greater protections than a hamlet or checkpoint. The village will have a sturdier wall and often a small group of guards assigned to guard it. The level of training these guards have, varies depending on the location. Living in the village you may have a farm outside of the village itself with a farmhouse. You may also work in the village as an artisan, assisting the village through your craft. Finding work as a blacksmith, a tailor, merchant, or inn/tavern keeper is possible in the village, but usually through becoming an apprentice or being born into the trade. Unlike a hamlet, each is responsible for generating their own wealth in a village.
Villages will trade with nearby hamlets, villages, and cities for goods and services they can't provide themselves. They will usually contain a
Conclave outpost with a Teleportation Circle, allowing for the fast transportation of messages and goods. A village is safer to live in because of the presence of armed forces, but assistance of other warriors is usually appreciated. Villages are in charge of defending nearby hamlets and usually fall under the broader protection of nearby cities. The village will have some kind of leader like a Chief or a Mayor depending on the local culture.
While there is a difference in class in a village, these class differences are fairly minimal. The main distinction is the political influence of the upper class and their access to more luxury goods. Individuals in the upper class are usually far more involved in the daily life of the village and end up contributing much of their wealth to the well-being of everyone in the village.
Villages are often in dedication to one or more of the nine gods of Ifiron. While each village will have a shrine to the nine, there is usually a small temple or church dedicated to the patron gods of the village. The gods chosen by the people depend on their history and daily needs. For example, the village of
Kruvoshire is dedicated to
Blinn since the village lies on the shores of
Blinndalk Lake and one of their chief exports is fish. Villagers travel to the temples and churches to participate in rituals and sermons. Here a villager can devote themselves more to the church and start their path to becoming a Cleric, Paladin, or Priest. The churches and temples offer various services based on the god they are dedicated to.
City
By far the most populated centers of activity, a city contains every trade known to the people of
Itherion. They are centers of commerce with large governing bodies that control it and the nearby villages. Each city has its own type of governing body depending on the culture (i.e. the Dwarven Clans, the Human democracies, and the Halfing Councils). It is in cities that the differences in class start to become more prominent. Moving up the social ladder is nearly impossible.
The walls of a city are massive compared to a village's. These walls are manned by a trained militia and sometimes infused with magic to increase their defense (such as slipperiness and regenerative enchantments). There are usually concentric walls forming several defensive layers. The most famous of these are those in the
Silver City. Every city has a
Conclave fortress with a Teleportation Circle and a full staff of mages and soldiers.
Cities also stand as religious centers for the whole of Itherion, with temples and churches to all of the gods that have public churches. Each city also has a Pantheon, where an individual can go to worship all of the nine. A few gods, such as
Thanatos and
Sirrus often have shrines that are hidden to the general public.
Cities are also the home of several guilds. These guilds help in the regulation and policymaking of various businesses. These include secret guilds like the thieve's guilds and the
Red Knife Brotherhood. Those who want to make a change to the political landscape of the city must go through the guilds.
Lower Class
Most cities have a lower working class. These individuals are usually unskilled laborers, doing the manual work that many wish not to do (i.e. cleaning sewers, moving cargo). It is not uncommon for their state of living to be poor, with smaller houses that could be argued of their status as a house. They benefit from the protection of the city that has kept many in the social class terrified to venture out where they may find a better life. This class usually does not exist in villages as they have a higher demand for a workforce and therefore don't leave anyone out of society. This is the class that many soldiers come from, or go to if they retire.
Middle Class
The largest portion of a city's population, this includes skilled laborers, soldiers, merchants, and artists. Their quality of life is much higher compared to the skilled laborers of villages. With improved protection and an increase in demand for their services, they are able to make a decent living. While not lavishing in luxury, they are able to enjoy some of the finer things in life on rare occasions.
Upper Class
The smallest population of the city are the nobles, merchant kings, high ranking soldiers, leaders, and some retired adventurers. These are individuals of vast wealth, able to use their influence to change entire landscapes of both politics and daily life. These individuals lavish in luxury and are able to hire numerous individuals for their staff. Some even have their own private militia. They use their wealth to gain more wealth and often try to keep it within their families, creating a social landscape that makes it harder to change social class.
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