Nove Rezaan

Feudal Theocracy

Nove Rezaan is the center of Bastion. This is true both geographically and spiritually. It is home to the people the Divine One remade and renamed into the "Ruling People," and to his voice in Bastion, the . It is also home to a great many who trade the terror of the old world's darkness for the despair of their servitude in the new world.

Noble Hierarchy

Nove Rezaan was the first kingdom granted by Alverion. Along with the title of king, he also gave Aeolith Zinwain the title Vicar of Light. This made Aeolith both a ruler of land, and head of the Church of Alverion.
The theocratic nature of the king does not continue downward in the hierarchy of Nove Rezaan. It is the law of the Church that members of the clergy, other than the Vicar, may not hold landed titles. That said, the Church tends to exert a considerable amount of political pressure on the landed nobility. In some cases it can be enough to cause questions regarding who actually rules in a particular dommain; a situation that is already complicated enough, as discussed below.

Gracious Duke, you flatter me. You know I am ever so grateful for the considerations you have granted to my son. You should also know that I could be much more grateful if those considerations were to crystalize in his favor.

— Arlvar Countess

To acquire a full understanding of the various noble ranks and hierarchies of Nove Rezaan would require days, perhaps weeks. Even then, you could likely still be unaware of obscure exceptions. On the surface, it is not overly complex. The kingdom is divided into 5 duchies. The king controls one, and the other four each have a duke. Inside each duchy there are counties (ruled by Counts), and inside counties there are baronies. The number of baronies per county, and counties per duchy varies.
That is the simple version, and the way things were in the early days of Bastion. Since then, the convoluted political games played by the arlvar nobility have rendered the system almost indecipherable. At times, these games can even lead to armed conflict. There are still four ducal titles, currently held by three dukes. After that, it becomes impossible to generalize regarding which noble is a vassal of which. This is especially true when you realize that some nobles may hold multiple titles, and each title may be subordinate to different higher nobles. Then some vassals have exceptions for certain portions of their land, and different taxes, levy obligations, or other expectations based on centuries old treaties.
It is highly advisable that anyone without years of experience in arlvar society and Rezaanian politics do their best to avoid getting pulled into any of the nobility's machinations. Unless you are a close blood relative of a highly influential noble, or control enough military force to impose your will, the game will almost certainly not end well for you.

Duchies of Nove Rezaan

and their current title holders

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Arlheim
The Vicar of Light, King Merendaer Calithion Qinfaren Amakiir

Navalorn
Grand Duke Aerendyl Kerym Sonlen Navalorn

Welendin
Duke Eldrin Tanyl Inaran Welendin

Sonlen
Grand Duke Aerendyl Kerym Sonlen Navalorn

Estil
Duke Lorsan Elyon Relorel Estil

Succession

King

The heir to the Rezaanian throne is selected by the current king. By law the only requirements for selection is that the heir be male and at least fourteen years old at the time of selection. To be a valid selection the decree must be made in the presence of at least one bishop, at least one duke, and the king's axantur. In all but one instance, selections have been one of the king's sons. In that case the king had no sons and the husband of one of the king's daughters was selected.
The current king may change his selection at any time. The king's axantur, and the Bishop of Nove Rezaan are almost always close at hand, but getting a duke to travel to Alalenora takes time. Once in Rezaanian history, a king wanted to change his selection, but the dukes delayed traveling to Alalenora. This led to the Rezaanian Succession Crisis, an event that is today denied by both the crown and the Church.

Dukes, Counts, and Barons

As discussed above, describing any part of Rezaanian politics is not simple. Generally speaking, the laws regarding inheritance of titles in Nove Rezaan have the following traits: Only males are valid heirs, and landed titles are divided among a ruler's sons. In the rare cases where a ruler has no sons, their titles fall to the closest male dynasty member. In reality, the web of marriages, alliances, quiet deals, and shifting loyalties mean that who ends up with a dead ruler's titles is almost always a messy affair. Arlvar culture values appearance and reputation above all else so outright conflict is usually avoided, but not always.

Serfs

The humans in Nove Rezaan are called serfs by the Arlvar. Serfs are tied, legally, to the land. The vast majority of serfs will never travel more than a few miles from the place of their birth. When an Arlvar acquires a landed title, he is acquiring the serfs who live on it as well. Serfs are the laborers, craftsmen, and servants of the realm. The quality of serf life, in even the best cases, would be considered quite poor by people of other kingdoms. For most serfs, it is far from the best case. Most Arlvar see serfs as property to be used.

Laws & Justice

The laws a person is subject to in Nove Rezaan are at the whim of the noble who rules the domain they are in. One could say that the highest law in the land is "do not offend the local lord." There is, of course, considerable leeway for other nobility, especially those of higher rank. For visitors or serfs the concept of justice can be precarious.

Axantur

Axantur is a position that encompasses numerous roles. First and foremost, they are a ruler's law master. They oversee contracts with merchants of other kingdoms, treaties with other nobles, and the writing and execution of the ruler's laws. In most cases a ruler will hold court to render verdicts and decide sentences for the guilty, but it is their axantur that will gather all the relevant information and provide summaries and advice. Axanturs also act as a second in command in almost all aspects of governance. How much an axantur is an extension of a ruler's will, and how much they exert their own will can vary widely. Axanturs tend to employ numerous assistants, often young nobles or ohtari, to carry out their work of administering the realm.
Given the power the position holds, and the nature of arlvar society, choosing an axantur can be a delicate endeavor. The vast majority of rulers select their heir. In cases where that is not the case the most likely choice is an elder member of the ruler's dynasty. One seen as too old to be likely to maneuver for the title themselves.
It should also be noted that the Axantur's role generally only applies to dealings with other realms, or other nobles. The laws for the serfs are different and they are not seen as worth the trouble of investigation or arbitration. The ohtari (covered below) fulfill all the roles of justice, such as it is, pertaining to serfs.

Vices

While never specifically mentioned in , vices such as gambling, prostitution, narcotics, and others are all forbidden by the Church of Alverion. As the king of Nove Rezaan is also the Vicar of Light, it is no surprise that the kingdom's laws match the church. In practice, these laws only pertain to serfs. The nobility partake of every vice you can think of, and some you can't. Some of the wealthiest people in all of Bastion are the black marketeers that facilitate the hedonism of Nove Rezaan's nobles. The ubiquity of this behavior is the reason the laws don't apply to the nobles. None can accuse another of such a crime without inviting scrutiny on themselves.

Military

Ohtari

When Nove Rezaan was gifted to Aeolith he divided the land such that all the Arlvar either held a title or were closely related to a title holder. Over time, the Arlvar population grew, but Nove Rezaan did not. Within Aeolith's lifetime the problem had not come to a head, but he could see the future well enough. His solution was to create a new caste of people. The ohtari are arlvar who hold no titles, nor are they near the front of the line to inherit any. They are still technically nobility, though you will never hear a member of the high nobility admit that.

Some of you were born Ohtari. I expect you to know. Others have only recently seen the world shift around you. You feel betrayed. You feel as though something has been stolen from you. Maybe that is so; the "high" nobility do love their games. None of that matters now. Today you will do something many of you have no concept of. You will work. In time, if you are wise enough, you will come to realize the truth. The dukes, the counts, the barons, and those still close enough to grasp at titles are children. They play games. They are all, together, enmeshed in one giant make believe that sees them all as masters of His world. You will come to see that real power is not a title. It is what one man can accomplish with his own hands and his blade.

— Ohtari Glavedancer

They are the martial caste of Nove Rezaan; amounting to the realm's standing military. Their primary role, however, is maintaining the status quo; that being the nobility in power, and the serfs working. For this job, they are paid handsomely in coin, provided estates, and allowed to participate in noble society. For the majority of ohtari, the fact that they are not, nor is it likely they will ever be, high nobility is a cause of great frustration. Their outlet for this frustration are the serfs. While there are exceptions, most ohtari are quick to judge serfs guilty, and be brutal in their punishments.
In cities or larger towns ohtari will often employ serfs to act as guards. These serfs are reviled by their communities. They are seen as selling out their neighbors for the privilege of being the one to crack the whip. If a serf ceases to be a guard, for a reason other than death, they almost always live short lives thereafter. Once they lose the protection of being a part of the ohtari structure, they are easy targets for reprisals.

Levies

In the case of large scale conflict, the nobility will press serfs into service. They are often poorly equipped and poorly trained. Arming and training a subservient populace is not a wise decision for those in power. If they are provided weapons other than the tools they could bring, it is usually bows. While becoming a skilled marksman takes a great deal of practice, it does not take skilled marksmen to line up in groups of hundreds and send volleys into enemy lines. Those who aren't used as archers are used as fodder to supplement the ohtari in battle.

Nove Rezaan

Structure	Laws	Military
Nobility	Axantur	Ohtari
Succession	Vices	Levies
Serfs

Capital: Alalenora
Current Ruler: The Vicar of Light, King Merendaer Calithion Qinfaren Amakiir
Succession: Appointed

Demographics:

• Nobility
  • Arlvar
• Serfs
  • Mostly Human
  • Some Deshvar

Demonym: Rezaanian