Tur An Tiel--Bones of the Dragon.

THE LEVELS OF SYRAN SOCIETY

With the exception of the Sleurithians (whose society is so stratified that there are detailed rules as to who cleans the silverware after a feast), the Syrans have perhaps the most elaborate social system of Tur An Tiel. This probably the result of the great political engine that is the Empire, which requires a great deal of machinery to keep it running... Here then, are the levels of society...

Emperor
The top of Syran society, from whom all government and justice flows, the Emperor is both head of the Syran state, and focal point of the Syran religion, chosen representative of Syr. This role has shielded the Empire from the constant in-fighting between church and state that has caused so much trouble in Archea over the years. The Emperor wields an authority in Syra that nears absolute, though even he may be cowed by his Margraves and the Church. While even evil men who come to the throne are considered to be chosen by Syr, there is a common belief that "the weight of the justice they embody, will in time crush the unworthy". This belief has been used in both revolts caused by legitmate grievances, such as the one which unseated Gavaine the Cruel, and those caused by sheer ambition, such as the more recent one against present Emperor Geraint I. Regardless of all this, that the Emperor stands at the top of Syran society is something almost every citizen will agree upon.

Prince
The position of Prince is occupied by all direct relatives of the Emperor. In the case of descendants and siblings, they are called 'Royal Prince" (or "Princess" if female) though this generally a formal title. Distant cousins of the direct male descent are nobles with powers and landholdings similar to the Margraves. At the moment, these would be the Princes of Oldtower and Seaguard. Traditionally, the heir to the throne is the Prince of Brighthall (an ancient, and magnificent castle)--presently, Geraint having no children, this position is held by his sister Beatrice (commonly refered to as "Beatrice the Bard," or "Beatrice Ladykiller".)

Margrave
The second great power of the Empire, Margraves are mighty landowners, whose estates they run virtually as minature kingdoms. The Margraves have often had an difficult relationship with the Emperor, though years of rule have softened this somewhat. There are traditionally ten Margraves, though occasionally disputes have resulted in more, or even less. On his own land the Margrave ("Fortress Chief") has an almost unlimited power, curbed only by the Emperor's Law, and the Church's Writ.

Churchmen
A power to themselves, the Church of Syra serves their gods, and the Emperor, and not necessarily in that order. The Church have traditionally been the Emperor's greatest ally, in the reigning in the power of the Margraves, though this relationship has been strained at times through the actions of Emperors to ensure their dominance. Churchmen need follow only the Writ and the Imperial Law on the land of any Margrave, though most try to follow the will of the Margrave to remain on good terms. Internally, the Church follows its own elaborate hierarchy, which is far too detailed to go into here.

Palatine
Hand-picked servants of the Emperor, the Palatines are direct embodiments of his will. They often serve as inspectors and generals performing various tasks that the Emperor simply cannot see to himself. Palatines can be chosen from any class, and indeed, even be foreign-born. They owe their allegiance solely to the Emperor (in theory)--the laws of Margrave and Church are secondary to them, if they are even a consideration. This is an important part of the role of men who are expected to occasionally spy on those to groups. The highest person of this rank is Chief-Palatine. Presently, this position is held by Geraint's uncle Gerlois, who has the interesting role of being a former Emperor himself--indeed one of the three Emperors in Syra's history that abidicated, making his tale quite unique.

Graf
The children and siblings of Margraves, Grafs are a fairly unique group. They often serve their parents or siblings as generals, advisors or hatchet-men. Grafs are under the control of the Margrave they are related to, and by law can only be punished by them or the Emperor. They are generally seen as a scheming, idle class, given to both great shows of wealth, and backrooms politics, as their official stature gives them little true responsibilities.

Waldgrave
The descendents of those Grafs who never stand into the role of Margrave, Waldgraves serve as minor landholders, administrators, and factotems for the Margraves, when they are not merely parasites, hanger-ons, and toadys. Waldgraves are seen as a somewhat shabby nobles by society at large, without even the miltaristic splendour of a Ritter.

Ritter
Ritters are those chosen to serve as elite troops for the Margraves and Emperor, as well as their descendents. The lowest grade of nobility, the position of Ritter may be granted to any commoner by anyone of Graf status or higher. Once granted, the position is hereditary, being granted to all male descendants (and female descendants, if they so choose). Ritters are expected to come to war when called by their Margrave or the Emperor--this has long become such an unwieldy system that more often a call goes out for a certain number of Ritters. It is rare for this number to not be reached. Ritters are nobles, and thus are allowed to carry the noble weapons (Spear and Longsword) and to own a warhorse. In times of peace, many Ritters become mercenaries, or even bandits. Despite the relative poverty of many Ritters, the class still has a romantic sheen in the eyes of much of Syran society that gives it a stature far higher than the law does.

Men of Note
This represents men of various high positions in towns and cities--magistrates, sherriffs and the like. Many are Ritters and Waldgraves--even Palatines--but just as many are not. The power of these men rests solely in their position and function--while a magistrate may pass judgement on a Margrave, he can not demand homage from him.

Freeman
The vast majority of Syrans are freemen--they have no title, but are still protected under Syran law. They may own property, and represent themselves in court. They are subject to all landowning nobles.

Resident Foreigners
Citizens of other nations that have come to live in Syra are protected under Syran law. They are expected to follow most rules, though certain matters of custom are waived. However, a resident foreigner may not represent themselves in court.

Bondsman
A Bondsman is anyone who, through either debt or wrong-doing, has been made the subordinate of another. The bond, as it is called, is generally a set amount of money, or period of years that must be reached before expiring. A Bondsman cannot own property, but may represent themselves in court, and are protected under Syran law. With the expiration of a bond, a Bondsman becomes once again a Freeman (or higher, if he was of such stature). It is illegal to unjustly add to the terms of the bond--doing so, if it can be proven severs the bond, and results in the holder of the bond becoming beholden to the former Bondsman for a period of years or amount of money equal to what was owed to him before, as well as what was unjustly added. Bondsman are something of the exception in Syran society--many are criminals, held in bond by the Throne. The position of Bondsman is non-hereditary, and may not be passed to any member of the Bondsman family.

Slave
Lowest level of Syran society, a slave is not a person, but property. Passing into Syran society from foreign custom, the slave may not own property, nor be represented in court. Their treatment is solely up to their masters, as they recieve no protection under Syran law. Slavery is hereditary--a slave and his family are slaves unless their master decides to free them. They are rare in Syran society, however, and the custom is viewed with distaste--many consider it a foul bit of foreign influence. Slave owners are often wealthy Freeman merchants--most nobles share the general disgust with slavery, though there are exceptions. Presently, it is rumored that Emperor Geraint is planning on banning slavery in Syra universally--the effect of such a proclamation would be enormous--and possibly dangerous...

I've posted a Tur An Tiel class in the House Rules thread. Scrutinize it and tell me what I've done wrong here.

Rhialto said:

THE LEVELS OF SYRAN SOCIETY

Click to expand...

Since Syran society has Germanic noble titles in it, would it be an alternate German Empire? (Holy Roman Empire?)

Hmm, more a medieval Romanesque Empire with Celtic names, and German titles. In its present form it does face many of the challenges of the Holy Roman Empire, however...

THE HUNTING SCORPIONS OF HOUSE KEIR

Seired Masa--a nation of dark intrigue, where the plots of the Shadow Elves turn upon themselves, like a worm devouring its own flesh. A hundred noble houses plot their ascendence under the watchful eyes of Quel-Mereda. And few among these houses have the tortured ambition of House Keir. Vile and treacherous, even for their kind, House Keir's great passion is hunting. While in the past, they have used the traditional animals--the hawk, the hound, and the greatcat--for the last twelve centuries, the family has used a dangerous breed of scorpion, grown huge and deadly. The beasts are both ravenous and vicious--several members of the House have died at the claws of their beasts. But this very danger adds to their appeal, both to House Keir, and those who have begun to do business with them, buying the brutes at enormous prices...

Click to expand...

Oh yea, me likes!
BTW, post some descriptions of your races, you may get some free artwork (if youd like, that is--got a few things to finish, then I'm free)

NarlethDrider said:

Oh yea, me likes!
BTW, post some descriptions of your races, you may get some free artwork (if youd like, that is--got a few things to finish, then I'm free)

Click to expand...

Thanks for the offer... I'll take you up on that one...

Let's see I'll start with two of the easiest--the Quaesteri and the Ulheru.

The Quaesteri are Elves. Their skin is paper-white, while their hair is dark black. Their eyes glow an eerie red. They grow their hair long, and wear dark flowing clothing--favorite colors are black, red, purple and yellow. They are, like all Tur An Tiel Elves, tall and thin, though in their case, they look almost emaciated.

The Ulheru are green-skinned--the pale green of a honeydew melon. Their eyes are a deep purple, almond shaped. They appear to be related to Elves, though are somewhat bulkier, and shorter. They wear elaborate clothing, in bright colors--they are very fond of earings, and necklaces. Their hair is a wide variety of bright colors--some speculate that in truth all Ulheru have white hair, and dye it, but there is no evidence of this. It is common for Ulheru magicians (who are generally illusionists) to tattoo themselves much like Rus sorcerers.

WAR CHANT OF THE NIBELUNGEN WOLFRIDER

The following is a translated war chant sung by Nibelungen wolfriders as they go into battle.

The wolf its teeth are very sharp, its feet is are very fleet
Loyal at home, courageous at war, defiant in defeat.
And those who ride the wolf its nature do partake
Hard to kill, hard to decieve, and so hard to break.

Oh-ho-ho, to be a wolf, a king of the mountains high
Oh-ho-ho, to be a wolf, who fears not to die.

We ride by night, we ride by day, we ride by sun and storm
We ride for miles, we ride with no rest, till we see our foe's form
Then blade and tooth are quickly bared, and blooded just as fast
For such is the riders' way until the danger's past.

Oh-ho-ho, to be a wolf, a king of the mountains high
Oh-ho-ho, to be a wolf, who fears not to die.

And when the battle's done, and the slain we count
We sing the dead as they fly to the sacred Mount
With howl and song, wolf and man mourn their comrades dear
'Tis a dirge lovely and sad, that fills our foes with fear.

Oh-ho-ho, to be a wolf, a king of the mountains high
Oh-ho-ho, to be a wolf, who fears not to die.

So if you face us on the field, you will rue the day
For fear and despair and retreat are not the rider way
It matters not how many fall, nor how many are bled
When battles joined riders do not stop until the foe is dead

Oh-ho-ho, to be a wolf, a king of the mountains high
Oh-ho-ho, to be a wolf, who fears not to die.
Oh-ho-ho, to be a wolf, a king of the mountains high
Oh-ho-ho, to be a wolf, whose courage reaches the sky.

I love the historys of the major NPCs, they make the whole world seem real.

Rhialto, please keep posting.

Rest assured, Nasma, I don't plan on stopping...

And now, a brief bio for...

REGENT ALYSSA QUIRINIUS, THE LADY OF STEEL

Alyssa Quirinius was born Alyssa Cordova in the city of Graes. A beautiful woman of Rus blood, Alyssa eked a living in the Seven City-States as a dancer, traveling with her performance troupe across the Aguire. Her life was that of a hundred dancing girls--until she was brought before Corneilius Quirinius.

Corneilius was the last great hope of the Quirinius family. His father and two brothers were dead--one in a duel with Marcus Aventinius, one to the Murkenmire, and the third to a drunken fall off a horse. His grandfather Cinnus was still head of the house, but this was widely agreed to be a temporary situation, seeing as Cinnus was pushing 97, bedridden, and expected to die within a year. With his death, the position of head would fall to Corneilius, or his uncle Marcellus, a dour man with a tendency to spend his days pouring over religious doctrines, and minueta. It would be a difficult position, and would require a man with a great deal of dedication to restoring the fortunes of a weakening house.

However, none of this bothered Corneilius who spent his days drinking and whoring, passing the time in a haze of alcohol and dancing girls. And then he met Alyssa, and was so smitten, he did the natural thing.

He married her.

The result was of course, simple. Cinnus banished him from the family mansion, proclaimed Marcellus the heir, leaving the pair to live on Corneilius's (largely deleted) personal fortune, and expectations. It looked as if the pair were to suffer the fate of many discarded nobles in the City of Thieves--poverty, followed by death. But fate often favors a fool, it seems--Marcellus had a sickly constitution, and a talent for offending people, and so when he was found one day in his study slumped dead over a book of hymns, no one was particularly surprised. After revivication failed, Cinnus immediately declared Marcellus's son Alcybad heir--unfortunately, Alcybad had a tendency to sleep with others men's wives, daughters, and mistresses, and was killed by the Skeletal Hand assassin Nightrose one dusky night.

With that done, the only remaining male heirs on Marcellus's side were respectively 5, and 2 years old. There was a 16 year old child, but she was a girl, and in House Quirinius's eyes, that was not acceptable. And there were some distant cousins who were enjoying the hospitality of the Illius family in Talossa after siding with the Midacci during Azerai invasion, which made them even less eligible than the girl. With such grim prospects, Cinnus swallowed his pride, and invited Corneilius and Alyssa to the mansion.

The meeting was a rolicking success. Alyssa charmed Cinnus as she had Corneilius, and so Corneilius found himself his grandfather's heir. It was a fortunate occurence, as Cinnus died two months later, and had Corneilius not been the heir, a great deal of dynastic confusion would have begun.

As head of the Quirinius family, and with a brilliant, strong-willed charming wife, Corneilius set out to win the position of Primus. He and Alyssa made numerous friends among the Advisory Council, became wildly popular with the folk, and when the election came around, the Advisory Council handed the Primacy to the Quirini.

Corneilius alas, did not get much a chance to enjoy this--a constitution undermined by years of hard living quickly led to him falling prey to illness, and dying. His young son Timon was named his heir, and Alyssa Quirinius was Regent.

Alyssa was in a difficult situation. An upjumped commoner, she would have to face the ire of the Five Families, some of the oldest, most dangerous aristocrats in the Aguire.

She suceeded beautifully, allying with the Merchants' Emporium to keep the Families in check, using the Families to rein in the Emporium, and creating her own private army of soldiers to make sure neither tried to take her on. In a short time, all of Seilen knew that the lady Alyssa was no one to be trifled with.

In the time since then, she has earned the nickname "the Lady of Steel" for she is as hard as metal, and about as cold. Her justice is swift, her rule steady. She is good friends with Archsexton Astur Vermis--very good friends, some gossips insist. She is perhaps the most powerful individual in Seilen.

But a very careful one...

THE HUNTING SCORPIONS OF HOUSE KEIR

Click to expand...

Is it ok if I get creative w/the appearance of House Keirs scorpion? I was thinking of doing the pick of the Quaesteri as a member of said house---he or she(haven't decided yrt ) being a scorpion wrangler