Kingdom of Norak
The Kingdom of Norak is collection of numerous smaller fiefdoms, pushed to the brink by their relentless wars with the Korval League, the fight for independence having consumed much of their history and tradition. Now
The Remnant kingdoms are home to many elves, and humans alike, with humanity making the vast majority of the common folk. Though amongst the nobility and upper crust, the pale lord demands that only the worthy be uplifted with magecraft and political power and those who are uplifted without cause or heart be bring down dire consequences, and the war has only furthered this, pushing a perhaps once noble meritocracy to a horrible extreme, as the fear of new war, and the same time an eagerness to reclaim and avenge all that they've lost festers in the heart of it's people. This duality is what the nation struggles with, and what currently consumes the common discourse, though it seems clear to many, that the Pale Lord is not interested in capitulating to the foreign invaders, for now he bids his time, waiting to strike, till league tethers on the brink.
Structure
The Kingdoms of Norak are structured around the Pale Lord, to whom the Norn Lords swear loyalty, ruling as governors of their ancestral lands, with each of them being responsible for providing tithe and training magi for the Pale Lord, but with the Pale Lordbeing solely responsible for the armed forces.
Culture
The Norakeen are descendants of humans and elves who intermingled culturally over 600 years ago, even the name Norak, is a bastardization of the elven word Norlya a word that has somewhat lost it's original meaning, and instead is now a thing of pride. The Norakeen, have profound and intimate relation with magic, with much of their society revolving around it, as the chieftains were taught magic, so in time did it become a symbol of nobility, which in time would become a more widespread tool, as it trickled throughout societies upper classes. Thus to the Norakeen magic is first and foremost a tool, and a gift given to the knowledgeable to the ignorant with great responsibility to one's peers first and foremost. Those taught magic are as such chosen from the masses, elevated to protectors and servants of the realm, and though this notion still exist it has greatly deteriorated during the three wars against Korval, for how many mages were killed and cut down, it's sense of nobility has been washed out, now it remains a tool, and a tool that is not noble can be used for dreadful things, or that is the fear many within the country hold.
Social Classes
Norakeen social classes, saw radical changes during the, war with so many educated dead and high ranking members of society did not return, many lower classes have been granted unprecedented chances to ascend, especially as the Pale Lord demands more mages for the war effort, and as the need for administrators increases in an ever modernizing world. These social classes originated from a time where the old lords sought expand their influences over the many independent tribes and clans, as a promise and benefit to those who joined the new social structures, build around the Norns, and now the pale king. To this day, these social classes were guiding princibles within Norak society, though now they are so diminished they barely hold any worthAstrax
The Astrax are new addition to the social dynamic, the old norns are known as the Astrax, those who are granted or own land to oversee the Pale lords demands. In essense they are administrators of great status and importance, and though are treated as the royalty of old, all know they live and die by the grace of the lord and his emissaries. But to disobey the Astrax is to disobey the will of the pale king, and non dare do so, and so long as they provide stability and the tithes demanded by the Pale Lord they may do as they please. Generally the Astrax are chosen from the old ruling elite, and not necessarily from the Asera, in fact it is quite rare for it to be mages, as it is inappropriate for those who study something so detached the physical to rule, or atleast that's the social notion.Aseral
The Aseral are the noble ruling class capable of using magic, typically made up of elves. the Aseral are thus expected to excel and given the opportunity to do so, as they study within the finest acadamies of the Conclaves, the Aseral are elite protectors and advisors of the realm, in peace they are expected to guide the ruler and be his enforcers, and in war they spear tip and dagger of the Kingdom.Askava
Nobility that has not been gifted magic, these noble sons and daughters were the administrators and scholars of the kingdoms, now they find themselves little more than coordinators, amongst the many Cevirim who no occupy these spots in increasing numbers with many worrying that even the position of Astrax being theirs to hold alone.Cehelian
Lesser nobility, those up have gained landed or landless titles by, by service to the pale king or previously the norns, and held land in their names, to oversee and manage it for their liege. To gain such titles it was usually expected that a family had served their liege as Civirim for some years or particularly dutifully, or in rarer cases it was awarded for scholarly efforts or particularly affluent merchants as ways to tie them to the court. Such tradition still remains, with their being a great cultural appreciation for both.Cevirim
The Uplifted and honored citizenri of Norak, the Civirim are the people who have served in the army and been chosen or gained access to the great conclaves for a scholarly pursuit. While in the past the only way way to become a member of high society, these days the cevirim find themselves increasingly a part of levels of society, and as such the cultural barries collapsing swiftly around them to their benefit.Davir
The common folk, while a nessesity to the functioning of society, there is also a cultural pressure to join the Cevirim and become prober citizens, in fact there are very few people in norak that can be classified as Davir, especially in this day and age, and those that are, can definetly feel it, as many of them are excluded from social events held in Norak.Public Agenda
The Kingdom of Norak exists to serve the people, to reclaim their ancestral lands, to protect their way of life from the conquering horde of Korval. To protect the people from the misuse of magical power and those would rule them. All this the pale king promised his subjects.
History
The Remnant Kingdoms, traces it's origin back to fall of Zehelia, and the elves fled to southern mountains, here the survivors would integrate and form fledgling kingdoms with the humans that lived in it's harsh lands. Each of these small kingdoms had lived in harsh competition for the sparse resources of the land before the elves, who taught them magic and new ways to utilize the land. In these times a vague sense of unity formed amidst the kingdoms over time, connected by elven blood and soon intermarriages between them.
For the majority of it's history, the Kingdoms of Norak where centered around the powerful Vardier Kingdom in the Vardani valley, the Brynjar Clans of the northern eastern mountains and the Xemlian Conclaves of the north western mountains and the reclusive Felian Clan of the south western mountains. And though their powers vaxed and waned through the years, they would always assist one another in dire times, for saying existed in these harsh lands, my fathers foe is not mine, for he is friend of my elders, as many of the powerful factions were tied together by the old elves who yet still had living relatives in all the kingdoms.
In time a loose coalition formed between these kingdoms, sometimes they would fight one another, but always they would rally against the outsiders of the plains, who in time they would once conquer, only for them in turn to be conquered by the Korvali Hordes, pushing the kingdoms to the brink, and the fragile coalition broke apart, as they were forced to sign a peace treaty with the invaders who had butchered them. In the chaos that followed, and in the midst of internal strife the pale Lord came, an ancient elf who proclaimed himself the Savior of the Remnant kingdoms, and it's right ruler, with the promise of a new age, many desperate would flock to him, the once proud and independent spirit of Norak broken by this new kind of war the outsiders had brought to their mountains. Many of the great Norns would bow their head to him, and those who did not, would disappear, none would dare question why, and most to desperate to care and much to eager for normalcy to return.
Alternative Names
Kingdoms of Norak, The Kingdom of Norak, The Remnant Kingdoms.
Demonym
Norakeen.
Government System
Magocracy
Neighboring Nations
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