Duchy
The western most province of Adinerado, and a major political power in its own right. This Dukedom protects the frontier of its parent nation.
Structure
- Archduke: Leader of the Province, head of the royal family.
- Baron: Leader of a Shire, and head of a greater noble family.
- Lord: Leader of a Fief, head of a lesser noble family.
- Gentleman: Runs an estate, member of a royal or noble family, the aristocracy.
- Unlanded: Serve at all levels of government, lesser aristocracy.
Culture
Their is an etiquette for interpersonal relations that is strictly adhered to. Verbal greetings among the elites are said in the order of honorific, position, title, family name, and given name. The peasantry follows the order position, title, family name, given name, and place of birth. The higher someone stands in society to the speaker the more of their name they must use.
Physical greetings are commonly a forearm grasp for nobles and hand shake among peasants. Clergy inclines their head with hands raised and military salutes with right fist over heart, left hand on weapon.
Most common pet is the cat, especially in cities and towns. Farmers and shepherds also keep dogs. Nobles keep hawks, falcons, and hounds for hunting.
Public Agenda
To protect and maintain its citizens and holdings. Pave, repair, and secure roads. Dig wells and sewage/ drainage ditches. Provide security from bandits and invasion. Build, maintain, and secure bridges and ports. Provide courts for high and low justice. Maintain birth/ death records and citizen rolls. Enforce construction standards on homes. Mint coins and catch counterfeiters. Ensure doctors and priests make their rounds. Ensure skilled labor jobs are filled (carpenter, smith, weaver, glazer, etc.) Guard against disasters such as famine, fire, flood, and disease. Provide a mill, either wind or water. Provide grounds and security for fairs.
Military
The Order of the Ram fields seven battalions, mostly of bowmen. They are supplemented by spearmen and an elite heavy cavalry made up of the knights themselves. Their more than 40,000 fighting men defend the lands and the people. Their navy consists of seven two masted ships with square sails, each carrying a platoon of marines. Supplemented by smaller, single mast, lateen sail ships.
Religion
Both the Church of the Great Mother and the Ban Fellowship have a strong presence in their lands. The nearby Cathedral of Amalius brings strength to those who follow the church. While the proximity to Ban Isle does the same for the Sartrix. Einjar who reside within still keep to the Druid Circle and have even converted others to their faith.
Agriculture & Industry
Great farming estates produce wheat, oats, millet, barley, and various other grains. Green, red, and broad beans, cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, radishes, beets, apples, pears, peaches, green grapes, hot and sweet peppers, various berries, and more feed this region and the neighboring ones.
Trade & Transport
Trade routes follow the river south east and go by land north west. River ships capable of carrying several tons make their way down river, while wagon trains make the return trip as merchants take their goods to market.
Education
The quality of education varies from place to place, but in all areas, students are learning at the age of 7. This is true for both boys and girls. Where they learn is what varies. The wealthy send their sons and daughters to the neighboring noble courts to be trained by the College of Nobles. The poor mostly rely on the church, they teach academics Monday through Friday mornings and religious studies on Sundays after mass. Until the age of 14 they learn the basics of language and etiquette. After which point, they can choose a career path.
At age 14 students can begin the study of higher learning, starting with the liberal arts. Yaflanfalla is home to a university, and many monasteries offer similar programs. Firstly, they learn the trivium of grammar, logic, and rhetoric. They learn the knowledge of things, an understanding of those things, and finally to express one's views on those things. After completing this three-year course, a student is granted a bachelor's degree. Then they learn the quadrivium of arithmetic, geometry, harmonics, and astronomy. This is to learn numbers in the abstract, numbers as they relate to physical space, numbers as they relate to time, and numbers as they relate to both space and time (motion). After this four-year course a student is granted a master's degree.
The practical arts are only taught in specific academies or by masters to apprentices. Law, medicine, and war are taught at the royal academy in Demesne. And every major city has guilds regulating certain industries. The most common and most powerful are masonry, carpentry, glazing, and smithing. Every profession can be governed by the guilds if there are enough of them in an area. One can begin their formal training at the age of 14, with nothing more than a formal education in language and etiquette.
The creative arts are taught by masters on a one-on-one basis, these studies are reserved for those with a wealthy parent or patron. The poor can be taken in by a master if they have great talent. The leading fields are painted canvass, woven tapestries, written epics, statues, and painted pots. The younger one starts, the better.
Infrastructure
Paved roads crossing its entirety facilitate the movement of both goods and its armies. Walled towns dot the frontier with protected docks and harbors along the Arresadi. There are several major bridges operated by the Duchy to protect river crossing, water mills along the river, aqueducts to bring water to the major towns too far from the shore and sewers to dispose of the water after. And wells and drainage ditches for those with no river access. The courts exist for both high and low justice, to maintain birth and death records, mint coinage and catch counterfeiters, and provide grounds for fairs.
Type
Geopolitical, Province
Government System
Monarchy, Constitutional
Power Structure
Feudal state
Economic System
Palace economy
Gazetteer
The capital city is Japudes, and it lies at the bend of the Adi River. Upriver is Ierde Atallu and downriver is Cuar Grispefalla, both rich port towns. Off to the wilderness is Yaflanfalla, and beyond is Emusyo.
Currency
Common coinage is that of Adinerado. There are four denominations regardless of material: usually steel, copper, silver, and gold. The dinar (1), tudin (2), thrudin (3), and denier (4). The value of the metals is .05 for steel, 1 for copper, 20 for silver, and 320 for gold.
Legislative Body
Among other powers, the College of Nobles of Adinerado proposes all laws, regulates provincial and foreign commerce, and controls taxation and expenditures. The gentry rule most of the land, City Councils rule each individual city in much the same way. The noble houses each have representatives in the councils, chosen by the heads of said houses. The Archduke must sign any law for it to be passed locally.
Judicial Body
High crimes go before the Kings Court in Demesne. Local Noble Courts adjudicate Mid crimes punishable by fines, serfdom, mutilation, or confinement. Lower courts adjudicate Low crimes punishable by fines, serfdom, or mutilation. If a noble is brought to court they face a triumvirate of magistrates, each holding equal or higher rank than him.
Noble courts convene semiannually, around the equinoxes. Lower courts convene the day of a full moon. Those awaiting trial can be confined in a cell within a tower, under the watchful eye of the constable or marshal, until they are brought before the magistrate.
Executive Body
The Archduke has near complete authority within the province to enforce the law. Knights appointed by him to lead the Ram Order ensure his decrees are followed.
Official State Religion
Parent Organization
Subsidiary Organizations
Location
Official Languages
Related Traditions
Neighboring Nations
Comments