Helonia

The Archduchy of Helonia is a highly chivalrous feudal nation that lies north of the Allerdale Mountains. The nation was founded by an order of knights that had taken an oath to conquer the lands for their king. When they finally suceeded the king had died and his kingdom had been shattered. Thus the knights settled in their conquered lands forming the nation of Helonia.

Structure

The governmental system that controls much of Helonian society is the use and implementation of a feudal system. The functionality of the feudal system is based upon oaths of loyalty between individuals within a society or nation, from which there is little to no direct form of a centralized government. The basic principles of the feudal system is where those below the social ladder must give up their goods and service to those of higher nobility in exchange for protection and certain rights, privileges and titles.
The peasantry of Helonia form the foundations of this feudal system and are required to serve and obey the nobility without question in exchange for their protection. As such, the vows of the peasants are those of servitude. Above the peasants are the nobles and Dukes, whose responsibility is the protection of their lands and subjects from the depredations of outside threats, who in exchange for land and a title, shall fight for the Archduke when called into war. Thus, the vows of the nobility are ones of fealty.
At the very top of this social pyramid is the Archduke. The Archduke's rule is sovereign and absolute, with no laws made within the kingdom having any hold upon the actions of the Archduke. The Archduke has the right to do anything he pleases within his realm, and has the ability to create new laws or legislation should he wish it.

As descendants of the Guardians of the Helots, nearly all Archdukes of Helonia are a shining beacon of chivalry, justice, and bravery. The Archdukes have been known to truly care for all of his people, constantly finding ways to better the lives of his subjects under his rule and to root out injustice wherever it grows. Thus, the Archdukes's power serves as a check on abuses and exploitation made by the lesser nobility.
Below the archduke are the dukes. A Helonian duke has royal power within his dukedom, but he is still subject to the archduke. That means a duke acting within his own dukedom can break the law, unless he disobeys a direct order from the archduke himself. Unlike royal power, the power of the dukes has been abused although this too is rare. All dukes hold their land directly from the Archduke. The archduke also holds the dukedom of Licornemais from the absent king, and thus holds it from himself. Legally, he is two different people. In theory, the archduke can create as many dukes as he wants, though the title is meaningless without land. In practice, only the thirteen great fiefs descended from the Guardians of the Helots are held to be worthy of this status.

The Royal Court

By ancient tradition, the archduke of Helonia must be a Knight of the ancient order the Guardians of the Helots, selected by a conclave of the dukes, who are also masters of the order. Immediately following the death of the previous Archduke, these dukes must gather in the forest outside Castle Lincornemais, in a grove that only those wearing the rings of the dukes may enter. There they gather at a round stone table with thirteen seats. Then they have to elect a new archduke and grandmaster of the order. Afterwhich they must then select a new master to fill the thirteenth seat at the table. These votes must be unanimous and the dukes may not leave the conclave until they have made a decision. This can sometimes take over a week. Also present at these meetings is the Hierarch of the Arcane, who must legitimize the decisions. Once the election is finalized, the Hierarch of the Arcane will then crown the new Archduke for life in a ceremony within the traditional Cathedral of Ancient King.

Like any government ruled by a central figure, each Archduke of Helonia houses a Royal Court from which he is able to govern and manage his realm with the aid of advisers and his fellow nobles. By long custom the Archduke speaks only to the highest nobles, and rarely speaks to those of less than baronial rank. Indeed, nearly all of the archduke's servants are barons, powerful in social ranking due their constant interactions with the archduke and being sworn in fealty to him alone, for only by the archduke's direct proclamation can a patent of barony be issued. The only time a peasant would ever speak to the archduke in person is when he raises one unto the ranks of nobility by knighting them.

The Code of Chivalry

Another aspect of Helonian society that governs the actions of the nobility is the Codes of Chivalry. This code was first introduced upon the founding of the knightly order the Guardians of the Helots. Indeed, this Code of Chivalry is, in its own way, a system of laws that the Helonian nobility has to follow in order to regulate the way their dukedoms should be run. It wasn't until the reign of Archduke Louis the Rash that the Codes of Chivalry were formalized and established, with the archduke appointing many heralds to regulate the ranks and honors of knighthood throughout Helonia. The code of chivalry has since been almost unchanged to the present day.

The Seven Commandments

The Helonian code of chivalry requires that every Knight must follow seven commandments. These commandments are an integral part of Helonian society and government and are often used to dictate the actions of an Helonian noble.

1. To serve the Ancient King and his ancestors.
2. To defend the domains entrusted to him.
3. To protect the weak and fight for the right.
4. Always to fight the enemies of virtue and order.
5. Never to give up the fight until the foe be defeated.
6. Never to break faith with a friend or ally.
7. Always to display honor and courtesy.

The Rules of Honor

Apart from the commandments of chivalry, there are certain traditional 'rules of honour' which are adhered to and respected by all knights. These rules are an important part of the code of chivalry. They date back to the very origins of knighthood in Helonia and mark out Helonian Knights as distinct from those of other realms. The most important rules are summarised below:

• A knight may only fight hand-to-hand, with sword or lance; he may not use a missile weapon.
• A knight shall always accept a challenge towards personal combat.
• A knight shall not draw sword against his fellow Helonian knights, except in trial by combat or within a tournament.
• A knight shall not allow himself to be captured alive.
• A knight shall not flee from the enemy, nor retreat without proper tactical cause.

History

The Guardians of the Helots was a knightly order of a young kingdom that had emerged from the chaos left after the Ballet of Scales. They were zealously dedicated to the virtues of honor and chivalry. They served their king with great with blind loyalty, for his word was law. When the king wanted to expand his kingdom he entrusted his most loyal knights with the task of conquering the neighboring kingdoms in his name. Among these knights were the Guardians of the Helots, who not only set out to complete this task but also swore an oath that they would take no titles and sleep in no castle until this task was finished.
Time went on and several knightly orders were defeated in this greedy campaign. Some were slaughtered in the battles and others simply abandoned the task as they saw no point in it. The knights of the Guardians of the Helots, however, never wavered. After 15 years of battles and travel, the task was done and the only order still dedicated to the cause were the Guardians of the Helots, who had grown exponentially in numbers into a small army. However, during this time the king had passed away and in the power struggle that ensued the kingdom was absorbed by a powerful kingdom to the west. This left the knightly order with lordless lands under their banner.
The knights found themselves without a purpose and therefore decided to settle in these lands and lord over them themselves on behalf of their dead king until the day that his heir returns to take his place as the rightful king these lands that they named Helonia. The 12 masters of the order took the titles of Dukes of Helonia and constructed mighty castles from which they would lord the lands. The grandmaster of the order was named the Archduke of Helonia and would serve as the absolute ruler in the kings absence.

Demography and Population

The Nobility

At the top of this feudal hierarchy is the Archduke. Beneath the kings are the dukes. Beneath them are lesser ranks of nobility such as viscounts, lords, and knights, all in descending order, the Barons having a special place within the courtly pecking order.
The Knights of Helonia are divided into three generalised ranking categories:

• Knights Errant - are the young sons of noble families who must prove themselves in battle to earn their spurs. They do so by setting out to protect the serfs by slaying monsters and killing bandits to prove themselves. Thus Helonia is always patrolled by a large number of knights-errant, eager to prove themselves.
• Knights of the Helonia - Should they survive to become fully honored knights, they are granted their own small landed estate to govern, called a knight's fee or tithe, and are obligated to defend that estate and Helonia should they be called to muster.
• Kingsguard - These are the most powerful and revered individuals in all of Helonia. They are brave individuals, revered as the land's most dedicated and selfless heroes. They willingly renounce all titles and worldly possessions. Thus they are considered living saints who represent the fearsome might and power of Helonia and answer only to the Ancient King himself and the archduke.

Each of the senior nobles are also master over a number of knights, whom are the lowest noble rank of society. Each knight, including the higher nobles, has a duty to raise his own full-time force of Men-at-Arms, chosen from the most physically able peasants within his domain. In return for serving his knightly lord, each peasant is given a small tract of land to farm for his family and can be expected to be called upon in times of war, to form a peasant militia of archers and pikes, commanded by the highest-ranking nobleman present.
The archduchy is notorious for its oppression of both the commoners and peasants, which most agree is stricter and harsher than those of other nations. This dark side of Helonian culture is placed unashamedly out in the open where all nobles and nobility are set high above the peasantry in all ways. Noblemen have all the say in most matters, and Helonian peasants often live in far worse conditions than those in Scaelor, Fyre or Zimea. The nobility often dispute these claims. To them, the peasantry have homes to live in and food on their tables. They can marry whomever they want without the concern of politics, and they live under the protection of their lord. They work, they eat, they sleep and they rut. Indeed, this does not sound like a bad life to most Knights Errant who, while appearing brash and dismissive to the serfs, will soon learn to adopt a more solemn and honourable bearing, befitting their sacred role as protectors of the realm. A small but growing middle class of commoners, also referred to as Freemen, make up both the professional trades and merchant class within Helonian society. Although literate for the most part they can be either self-taught or instructed by monks, as there are no public schools in Helonia.

Judicial body

Justice is generally served by the highest-ranking noble present in the vicinity of the crime, generally the lord or knight. Helonian justice is extremely harsh and entirely ruled by superstition; any peasant who is caught stealing or poaching is usually hanged. Far harsher punishment is dealt to any peasant who attacks a noble. He and his entire family will be tortured and slowly dismembered (being drawn and quartered is the preferred method) while all his closest friends and acquaintances will be crippled. Such is the price of rebellion.

Territories

Helonia is located between two mountain ranges: the Allerdale Mountains and the Fiery Mountains. The volcanic soil left here by the volcanoes on the Fiery Mountains allowed the cultivation of grapevine, which is the nations greatest export. Another relict of the yore is now-dry lava tubes which, joint with caves and humanoid-made dungeons, form the archduchy's many underground systems.

Exports

Helonia does not have any large scale productions, but it has a surprising number of vineyards. Helonian wine is considered some of the finest in all the world and its production is a sacred art among the knights and lords of Helonia. Having a high standing brand of wine is just as prestigious as slaying a mighty monster.

Military

The Knights of Helonia are feared and respected throughout the known world. Men of valour and honour, they are exceptional warriors and guardians who protect a land founded upon the most heroic of ideals. In the name of the Ancient King and for the glory of the dukes and archduke, they sweep aside evil on the field of battle, for none can stand against their glorious charge.
The Helonian military are a powerful army formed around a core of brave knights supported by scores of low-born peasants. The knights range from the youngest Knights Errant, eager to prove their worth, through the Knights of the Helonia, defenders of the land. Rarer still are the Kingsguard, wandering warriors engaged in a quest to find the heir of the Ancient King. Riding into war atop the finest steeds, from mighty Warhorses to soaring Pegasi, roaring Hippogryphs, and rarely even the archduke himself on his mighty unicorn, a charge from the Knights of Helonia is a force with few equals.
One important aspect that defines Helonian military is that, unlike the professional armies of Scaelor and Zimea, Helonia has no standing military. Instead, the Archduchy relies on the long and complicated feudal service of her knights. When a lord must go to war against the enemy, he appeals to the military assistance of his vassals. They in turn take the long process of summoning their own vassals to his banner, with most knights taking with them local peasants drilled in basic ranked pike combat or archery.

Religion

Revered throughout Helonia but almost unknown anywhere else, the Ancient King is the Helonian patron god of purity, nobility, and courage in the face of danger. He is the romanticised version of a perfect leader. He is said to be pure of heart, unmatched in combat and well versed in the arts of magic. Within the minds of many nobles the king is the very heart and soul of Helonia, a mystical elemental incarnation of the land itself and a guardian of all people living within the archduchy.
The Helonian Code of Chivalry is inextricably linked with the Ancient King; as it is he who will reward all honor and virtue when he returns to take his throne. It is believed that all those who follow the Code of Chivalry to its fullest will be blessed by the king as they ride out to bring the entire world into his kingdom. A select few powerful knights dedicate themselves fully to the will of the Ancient King. These are known as the Kingsguard. Powerful paladins that roam the lands in the name of the Ancient King.
Aside from the paladins of the Kingsguard, the cult mostly consists of clerics of the Ancient King, divination wizards and scholars, fully dedicated to finding an heir to the ancient king. Within the cult it is considered pure to not dedicate yourself to one type of magic, but rather combine divine and arcane magic in the effort to locate the heir. These Mystic Theurges are the leaders of the cult and the most powerful of which is the Hierarch of the Arcane who serves at the Archduke's side.
Throughout Helonia, there are many Chapels built upon sites of holy significance, ranging from the most humble roadside shrine, up to the truly grand and beautifully ornate flying fortress cathedrals, incorporated into a duke's castle estate. It is the sacred duty of the kingsguard to protect these shrines, however, some holy paladins will devote the remainder of their lives to defending the King's sacred places. These mighty warriors are best known as Hermit Knights, who willingly spend their remaining years defending the relics housed within such places, or standing vigil over magical items and tomes far too dangerous to be allowed out amongst common, frail-willed, and easily corrupted men.
The fame of these hermit knights can spread quickly. Each will soon gain a varied following of displaced commoners, peasants and even a few disgraced minor nobles. Over time, this rabble, sworn in fealty to the original knight or a noble-born successor, can form a brotherhood, which, if it gains official recognition from the central Grand Temple within Castle Caballarius and a royal patent from the Archduke in Licornemais, can become a landed estate monastery or King's Abbey, paying tithe and fealty unto their local duke and the archduke. It is these brotherhoods that build and maintain the wayside shrines and chapels on the archduke's highways, and it is these selfless monks who care for the many pilgrims traveling within Helonia. The master or father abbot of such a brotherhood can also march his brothers to war at the call of the local duke or the archduke when needed.

Honour is all. Chivalry is all. Rejoice, for we, the Knights of Helonia... will be your shield.

Maps

• 

  Helonia

Founding Date

655 AM

Type

Geopolitical, Archduchy

Capital

Castle Licornemais

Demonym

Helonian

Head of State

Ansure the Radiant

Government System

Monarchy, Absolute

Power Structure

Feudal state

Economic System

Barter system

Legislative Body

The Hierarch of the Arcane, who legitimizes the archdukes decisions and makes sure that the dukes and nobles are notified about archduke's laws and decrees.

Official State Religion

Church of the Ancient King

Official Languages

• Common

Neighboring Nations

• Aeryon
• Dhil Ahldur
• Sa'resteece
• Scaelor
• Valakia

Related Historical Events

• 655
  A Kingdom without a King