Selríochtian

Selríochtians are the denizens of Selríocht, led by the Seelie.

Culture

Culture and cultural heritage

Selríochtians tend to be extremely traditionalist, strongly rejecting cultural changes and new technologies. This puts them at a military disadvantage in conflicts with the Unseelie, but their tactics and the versatility of their mages serve to balance this out somewhat. Selríochtians are also quite militaristic, and as such, they hold their military forces in quite high esteem.

Hierarchy

Selríochtian society has a strict hierarchy:

• High Nobility - The High Nobility are those with titles of Duke or above. Such titles are typically held by the Tuatha Dé Danann and the Seelie Fae. The High Nobility also includes Knights of High Orders, those orders that are employed by the High Nobility. In addition, all of the Tuatha Dé Danann and the Seelie are considered to be High Nobility, regardless of titles or wealth.
• Low Nobility - The Low Nobility are those with titles below the rank of Duke. The Low Nobility also includes Knights of Low Orders, those orders that are employed by the Low Nobility.
• High Commons - The High Commons are the wealthy and well-respected commoners, such as merchants, high-ranking common soldiers, and others of similar status.
• Military - The Military are the low to mid-ranking common soldiers.
• Low Commons - The Low Commons are the poorer and less respected commoners, such as farmers and laborers.

A noble's family is considered to be at the same level of nobility, even if they have no titles. It is not socially acceptable for a member of the nobility to marry or be romantic with a commoner, although there are no laws against such things. The only socially acceptable way for a commoner to become a member of the nobility is to become a knight.

Duels

Among the nobility and the military, duels are a common method of resolving disputes. It is considered inappropriate for non-military commoners to participate in duels. There are many rules regarding these duels:

1. Duels may be to first blood or to surrender, depending on the gravitas of the dispute. Duels to the death are strictly forbidden.
2. Duels must be fought between two individuals, with no outside participation of any kind.
3. In a duel, each duelist may have up to two weapons, three pieces of armor, and one item such as a potion or single-use pre-prepared spell. None of a duelist's equipment may be enchanted.
4. Taking any piece of equipment from your opponent is forbidden.
5. Acceptable weapons are arming sword, rapier, shield, dagger, and short spear. Weapons with other weapons hidden inside of them are strictly forbidden.
6. Only one spell may be cast by each duelist during a duel, and innate magical abilities cannot be used. The exception to this is if both parties agree to a magic-only duel, in which case spells and abilities may be used freely, but they are allowed no equipment, aside from items such as potions and pre-prepared spells, of which there is a maximum limit of six.
7. Duels must be scheduled at least one week in advance and must take place on specified dueling grounds, overseen by an impartial referee appointed by the official in charge of duel scheduling.
8. "Dishonorable" tactics, such as obscuring yourself from view, interfering with your opponent's vision, or attacking your opponent's back are forbidden.
9. Duels can only be spectated by the family and close friends of the duelists.
10. Betting on duels is strictly forbidden.

In most cases, the only punishment for breaking these rules is disqualification. However, breaking rules one, seven, nine, or ten is punishable by fines or prison time.

Slavery

Slavery is illegal in Selríocht, and any Selríochtian would say that the practice is barbaric. However, "indentured servitude" is legal, and the owners of indentured servants often charge them for food, clothing, and shelter, among other things, typically resulting in their indenture growing rather than being paid off. Under Selríochtian law, indentured servants have the following protections:

• Servants must be given shelter.
• Servants must be kept healthy and well-fed.
• Corporal punishment may only be used when the servant has committed a crime against the holder of their indenture, or when it is their legal sentence for committing a crime against someone else.
• Servants may not participate in duels without the permission of the holder of their indenture. Attempting to compel a servant to do so is illegal.

Other rights and protections may be decided upon in the terms of the indenture, and the default protections may be waived in said terms as well.

Common Etiquette rules

Among Selríochtians, it is socially acceptable to publicly insult others, as long as the insult is at least thinly veiled, and the recipient is of equal or lower rank. Uttering plain insults in public or insulting those of higher rank is considered quite shameful.
Selríochtians consider lying to be abhorrent, to the point that it is often considered worse than crimes such as theft and assault.
Among the nobility, it is not uncommon for lords to have an affair with a member of their court, typically given the title of Ciallboir. However, there are unwritten rules as to how these may be conducted:

• It must be done with your spouse's permission if you are married. If you are unmarried, having a Ciallboir is unacceptable, as you should be seeking marriage. If you are widowed, it is acceptable, as long as you have an heir. If you are widowed and heirless, you should be seeking marriage.
• Only nobles may serve as Ciallboir.
• Having children with a Ciallboir is entirely unacceptable.
• If you are married, you may not be another's Ciallboir.
• Any public acknowledgment of the true nature of your relationship with your Ciallboir is unacceptable.
• You may only have a single Ciallboir at a time.

Common Dress code

Selríochtians generally wear quite colorful nature-themed clothing, made of textiles, mimicking the style favored by the Seelie. The practice of incorporating actual leaves and flowers into clothing is reserved for the High Nobility. It isn't technically illegal for those of lower rank to do so, but they will be met with disdain and, more importantly, could likely be seen as attempting to impersonate someone of higher rank, which is illegal.

Art & Architecture

Selríochtian architecture tends to be extremely colorful, usually using bright colors, and their buildings are often built to resemble giant mushrooms, trees, and other similar things in shape. The nobility tends to use a lot of gold in their buildings, both inside and outside. Selríochtian cities generally leave a lot of space between buildings for various plants to grow, and also typically have many large parks, the largest of which is typically directly in the center of the city.

Encompassed species

• Asrai
• Glaistig
• Leprechaun
• Seelie
• Tuatha Dé Danann
• Vila

Related Organizations

• Selríocht