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[top]Anuireans

The Anuireans maintain an almost romantic view of their various forms of government. Most regents hold titles passed down to them through generations of leaders, and they take great pride in the origins and histories surrounding individual titles and lines of descent. This romanticism derives from the ancient tribes of the Andu and their migration from Aduria to Cerilia. While the history of the Andu emigration was never documented fully, some legends combined with known facts can be taken as truth.

[top]The Andu of Old

The original clans (also known as houses) of the Andu roamed northeastern Aduria until the Shadow (Azrai) came among them. Resisting his evil influence, they moved toward the land bridge connecting Aduria and Cerilia. Anuirean bards sing that the tribes fought Azrai fiercely and fled only when they could hold out no longer. As history portrays the Andu as a vigorous and naturally aggressive people, this assertion does not seem unlikely.
As many as twelve of the Andu clans emigrated in numbers from Aduria to Cerilia (by some counts only 5 clans emigrated, though this may be to confuse the clans of the Andu with the tribes of man) each of the great clans was organized into military-like orders, each with a primary leader and a hierarchy of lieutenants and warchiefs. Early leaders of the Andu earned their positions through accomplishment and cleverness. As the tribes moved farther north on the continent and grew complacent in the belief that they had distanced themselves from the threat of Azrai, the leaders and lieutenants appointed their own successors rather than leave the election up to the general populace. They generally chose members of their families warriors and leaders they could trust and train in their own ideologies.
By the time the Deretha, the fifth tribe of Andu, perished in repeated confrontations with the Spiderlord (around ?300 HC), the tribes had already begun settling southwestern Cerilia. No longer uprooting and moving north every few years, the Andu turned their thoughts toward permanent borders and thus also to governments. Since the elves of Cerilia hardly welcomed them as immigrants (partly thanks to Azrai?s influence and partly because of the Andu?s own warlike nature), the tribes retained their military-style chains of command. Each settlement had an overall leader or lord, and that leader appointed several subordinates, or vassals, to help govern the growing populace and defend the community from the elves and other dangers of Cerilia.
When the Battle of Deismaar erupted on the land bridge, the remaining tribes of Andu constituted the largest resistance to Azrai. Drawing on their already militaristic organization, the overlords summoned support from their vassals, who in turn mustered the Andu people. They marched to battle under different banners but stood as one force against the Shadow. the Anuireans were the most numerous of the tribes that day - unsurprising since their lands were closest to the land bridge, but even so they slew far more than their share of goblins, Vos and beast-men, while others of the tribes prized their ships, and the Vos were ferocious warriors alone, the legions of the Andu fought and moved as a single unit and thus, in the words of the sage Stiele Fitz-Roele ""the loose formations of the minions of Azrai broke against them like the waves against the shore""
After the War of the Shadow the forces of Azrai that had been on the Cerilia side of the land bridge scattered across the continent. At this point fate intervened. Whilst most of the Andu chieftains returned to their lands and sought merely to keep their own people safe, with no concern for those beyond their reach, one of the Andu chieftains was far more visionary. Roele, brother of Haelyn, saw that unlike any time in the past the Andu could be permanently unified. His exceptional military skill rapidly cleared his own lands of Azrai's scattered minions he sent his warriors to aid the weaker houses in cleansing their own lands.

Roele unlike previous conquerors did not make bondsmen of his defeated foes - instead he proclaimed slavery in any form anathema. Nor did he strip his foes of all rank and wealth, instead he permitted his foes to retain their lands and power so long as they swore loyalty to him as King. This meant of course, that unlike other would be kings, Roele's enemies often yielded rather than fight to the end with the result that Roele rapidly came to conquer the entirety of the southwest of Cerilia.
To prove to his people that they had changed from individual clansmen Roele called the new unified nation Anuire, and its people the Anuireans, those who openly spoke of their clan origins were shunned and soon the loyalties of the people were to their leaders or the nation of Anuire, not the once proud clans. To encourage this Roele chose 12 dukes from the clans (12 being considered a lucky number amongst the Andu to this day) and set them over vast swathes of land often consisting of folk from more than one clan.
Roele was not satisfied with bringing peace to his realm alone however, the benefits of a single law and single army were too clear and great in his eyes. While sages argue long over the true motivations for the Empire within a handful of years of unifying Anuire armies of Anuire were marching north in force and skirmishing with the Brecht and the Basarji. Before his death, Roele conquered nearly half the known continent. In time the empire he founded came to rule nearly the entire known civilized world.

[top]Present Day Anuire

Modern Anuire does not model itself after the now-fallen empire. Long before the death of Michael Roele, the last emperor of Anuire, the internal domains of the great empire had begun to fragment. The emperor?s vassals ? counts, dukes, barons, knights, governors, and other nobles or civil authorities ? had more direct power over their subjects than ever before. When Michael Roele died without a clear heir, the empire died with him. The powerful dukes of Anuire each claimed independence - or mutual opposed dominance over lands, outside Anuire individual realms sprang up all over Anuire, ruled by ?regents,? originally appointed as guardians over territory governed by the emperor but now answerable to no man.
As a result, the various titles and orders of nobility in Anuirean lands range widely throughout the realms. A mere baron governs the sizeable domain of Ghoere, while a duchess rules the small realm of Brosengae. Theocracy emerged in Medoere, while monarchy remains strong in person of Darien Avan, Prince of Avanil. And a few strange, unconventional titles exist the Mhor of Mhoried, for example. He traces his title back to Endira Mhoried, a female ruler who received her appointment from the second Emperor of Anuire.
This ability to trace lines of descent through centuries of history distinguishes the titles and government of Anuire from those of other regions. Anuireans remain proud of their lost empire and often consider older titles more worthy of respect than any others in the land. As a result, a duke of one of the empire?s 12 duchies outranks the king of an upstart realm. Being able to trace a title back to the days of empire is more important to many Anuirean lords than the appellation itself - be it it count, prince, or king.
Typical Forms of Government: The Anuireans favor feudalism and monarchy. Regents of most realms tend to have the power normally associated with kings, though some engage councils of advisers and a few boast parliamentary structures. Because Anuire is so often a scene of war, warlike decision and decisive action are essential to the survival of a realm, and the monarchical forms with power based on one warlord serves the needs of the state.
Notable Forms of Government: Several theocracies exist within Anuire. The Anuireans take great pride in the worship and reverence of their gods, Haelyn especially. Although priests often eschew political power, some believe the marriage of church and state crucial to the spiritual lives of their followers. Others have been known to step in and serve when adequate rulers could not be found among the laity.
Weaknesses of Government: The Anuireans tend to look backward instead of forward. While few commoners or nobles believe their rulers infallible, they resist the thought of revolution. The old ways built an empire for the Anuireans - one that lasted nearly a thousand years - and many feel certain that if a new emperor were to reclaim the Iron Throne, the empire could be reborn. Further, a state that turned away from its warlord would be in danger of being consumed by the neighboring warlord. As a result, few governmental changes of any significance are likely to be introduced in Anuire. Commoners and nobles remain completely divided in almost all the realms though movement between the classes are not unknown for exceptional individuals. Many Anuireans consider enlightened feudalism the highest possible form of government. Most of the rest prefer benevolent despotism.

[top]Brechts

Always a fractious race, the people who became the Brecht of Cerilia arrived on the continent primarily by ship and over the course of several decades. They settled the lands around the Great Bay of Cerilia ? the bodies of water known as the Krakennauricht, Dauren Arm, and the Black Ice Bay?and forged their own nations out of the wilderness.

[top]Settling the Great Bay

The piecemeal histories that describe the Brecht exodus from Aduria accounts somewhat for the development of their governments. Most Brecht fleeing the Shadow avoided the Andu tribes settled in the south of Cerilia (or became virtually enslaved by them) and sailed north around the western coast. They anchored in many harbors along the way and, while a few settled and either became part of Rjuven nations or disappeared into history, these settlers found the land along the Miere Rhuann inhospitable. The Brecht avoided the elves and the Rjuven clans and continued north, through the Thaelasian Passage and toward the mouth of the Great Bay.
As they arrived, ship by ship, on the shores of the Krakennauricht, each group of immigrants established its own system of rule. The Brecht settled their lands one at a time, independently of each other, creating no overall empire or political entity.
But this journey does not in itself account for the development of Brecht government. Most historians believe the old Brecht tribes, while still in Aduria, actually belonged to an ancient empire ? one built primarily around an impressive naval power. This certainly could account for the fact that the early Brecht developed ships at least as good as those possessed by the Masetian and the Basarji? and maintained a strong naval tradition even after they settled on Cerilia.
If this theory is true, the government of the ancient Brecht may have controlled mercantilism and expansion to a great degree. Ancient scrolls passed down through generations of Brecht noble families tell of the basic principles behind all Brecht laws. These ancient laws and customs promoted trade ? with other Brecht and other cultures ? and disparaged conquest. This philosophy, as well as their settlement in the mountainous bluffs elves seldom populate, might have helped the Brecht settlers avoid the worst of the Gheallie Sidhe (the Hunt of the Elves) when other human races had to battle for every inch of Cerilian ground they tried to inhabit.
Like the Basarji and the Rjuven, the Brecht were also absorbed into the Anuriean empire, like the Rjuven many of the Brecht Kings allied with the Anuireans and thus retained a great deal of independence, in other kingdoms the Brecht skills at administration rapidly won trusted Brecht places in government, and over the generations the Brecht came to absorb their Anuirean overlords. As a result when the Anuirean Empire collapsed, only a few Brecht nations actually ousted Anuirean nobles. Most realms had already reverted back to Brecht control, and the people bore no ill-will toward the descendants of the invaders. The governance of each state had evolved over time, and each had its own unique culture and flavor.

[top]Brechtür Today

The rulers of Brechtür?s individual realms have no interest in combining to form an empire. However, they have little objection to powerful regents within particular domains. Many realm regents take an interest in holdings other than those of law, especially guilds, but in many cases they employ vassals or allies (much like the Anuirean lords do) to control those holdings.
Although some amongst the Brecht once held ambitions of empire, those dreams dissolved along with the Brecht League of 1136 HC never to be revived. This loose alliance of Brecht realms formed soon after the collapse of the Anuirean Empire when most Brecht still considered a single Empire to be the 'natural state' for the continent. Nne of the Brecht could however agree on who should lead this land save that it was 'their time'. The league invaded Vosgaard, and was at first stunningly successful against the disorganized Vos, however the league had no clear leader; as a result, its attempts at imperialism proved disastrous when the Vos united around Tsareic Basil Zariyatam. Basil annihilated the Brecht at Lake Laden, slaying every single Brecht in the invasion force. He then led the united Vos to drive the Brecht utterly from Vosgaard and conquer several of the Brecht realms. Never again would the Brecht seek conquest after their catastrophic defeat. When eventually the Vos were driven from Berhagen and Grevesmuhl the Brecht wisely returned their attention to the improvement of their individual realms and the development of their own governments.
The Brecht took what they liked of Anuirean customs (including many of the noble titles), brought back a few of their ancient customs, and built their own, unique governments. Few nations across Cerilia have adapted as well to their situations as some Brecht nations have. Müden, for example, has two realm regents ruling side by side and working with the other regents of the domain to make the nation as prosperous as possible. In Danigau, where ancient bloodlines run deep, the realm is as steeped in tradition as any Anuirean nation? a condition which helps them stand fast against their enemies.
Typical Forms of Government: Monarchies with representative assemblies and feudal monarchies are common in Brechtür . The nobles of the realms often gain their positions through inheritance, but are challenged by the other regents of the realm, especially the guilders. Since the Brecht have a relatively sizable middle class, the leaders of most states find they have to answer to a large and vocal populace.
Notable Forms of Government: Plutocracy is not unknown. While most nations have nobles for realm regents, a few look to guildmasters or other profit-making regents as leaders. Seldom does one monarch stand alone in Brechtür. The alliance of some guilders and priests of Sera is a powerful combination.
Weaknesses in Government: Decentralized and haphazard, most of the Brecht states cannot respond quickly to outside crises. An invasion by a strong, dedicated power could sweep over many of the Brecht realms without pause? and before most Brecht could decide what they want to do. The most powerful Brecht guilders hesitate to allow the nobles to interfere in the workings or dealings of other realms? none want to reawaken the brief but doomed dreams of empire espoused by the Brecht League centuries ago.

[top]Khinasi

Regency in Khinasi draws largely on the traditions of the Basarji, not the Masetians who predated their influence on Cerilia?s southern coast. The rise of the Basarji corresponded with the destruction of the Masetians as a people. Most of the Masetians who survived the Battle of Deismaar became part of the Basarji culture; after only a few generations, the Masetians as a unique race became little more than a memory in all but the Island States.

[top]Across the Sea of Dragons

The Basarji came from Djapar, a land beyond the Sea of Dragons. They wandered southeastern and eastern Cerilia primarily as a nomadic people until after the War of Shadow, when they settled in the Masetian cities. Like the Rjurik and Brecht the Basarji were absorbed into the growing Anuirean Empire by a mixture of war, diplomacy and treaties. The isolated Drocandragh almost inaccessible from land was ignored by the Anuireans although they settled several of the island states.
After the initial invasion, the Anuirean overlords did not strain the Basarji states unduly, indeed the Empire depended upon the goodwill of its subjects to survive following its rapid growth. Many states achieved a semblance of self-rule within a few generations. The Anuireans are said to have discouraged cooperation between the city-states (to avoid a united rebellion) but encouraged trade and free enterprise. Many sages amongst the Khinasi often wryly note however that the fractious Basarji tribes never had any need for encouragement to fight against each other. The Anuirean rule was relatively peaceful for many years until a succession of weak, incompetent, and downright insane emperors led to 'the great rebellion of the East' when the Great King el-Arrasi led the Basarji Revolution against the Anuireans and won independence for most of the Basarji - although el-Arrasi was murdered within a decade by the Serpent's poisoners the Basarji took the name Khinasi in his honor.

[top]The Khinasi Era

The Khinasi states remain highly individualistic, with few solid, permanent alliances between them. Their realm regents often take a hands-off approach to government or involve themselves in other interests as well. In Binsada, for example, the well-respected and active Queen el-Reshid rules with a gentle hand. Her law holdings remain low in power, but she encourages the guilds and temples in her state to advance faster than their competition. In Ariya, the prince rules more directly but concerns himself at least as much with the Ariyan Temple of Avani as with politics.
While the Khinasi respect lineage and history in the same way the Anuireans do, they also have a deep respect for learning, and this allows more possibilities for advancement within their societal ranks. Perhaps this attitude developed during the Anuirean Occupation. Unable to rule or to serve their rightful lords, the kings and vassals of the Khinasi states turned to other pursuits. They found power in the temples and the guilds? and, most especially, in true magic. Internally, the Khinasi awarded
those who became practitioners of magic (as well as those who worked hard at other crafts) and the various states began recognizing ability as a possible qualification for nobility.
When the Anuireans left, few Khinasi lords could trace their heritage back to the time of Deismaar or the centuries before when they ruled over the nomadic clans. Many guildmasters, temple regents, and wizards came from less than noble stock, and the Khinasi recognized that these individuals had special gifts. They became the minor nobility of the latter age. In present-day Khinasi, many rulers can trace their lines to such humble beginnings.
Typical Forms of Government: Monarchies and dictatorships exist within Khinasi. Still, most of the enlightened and popular rulers of Khinasi states hold high titles but wield power gently. They often allow a little liberty to exist within their domains, spurring other holders on to greater deeds. As often as not, realm regents involve themselves in holdings (other than law and province rulership) not normally associated with realm rulership elsewhere in Cerilia.
Notable Forms of Government: The Khinasi recognize divine right as a reality? but not the only path to service. They tend to value skilled commoners and do not dismiss the importance of ability over lineage as easily as the Anuireans. As a result, many city-states of the region have one realm regent ? but that regent weighs carefully the opinions of others who control holdings within his domain when making decisions. Some city- states maintain parliaments and councils which share in authority.
Weaknesses of Government: The Khinasi do not like bold, decisive government. They don?t like it within their smaller realms, and they certainly dislike the notion of a Khinasi empire. When el-Arrasi organized the Basarji Federation, he did so from desperation to preserve his people against an emperor who seemed to see any dissent to his absolute rule as outright rebellion to be crushed ? not to replace the militaristic Anuirean warlords with local warlords. As a result, Khinasi states tend to be deliberative and, quite often, havens for intrigue and political machinations. While one realm regent might hold sway in a kingdom, it is expected that he consult with other domain rulers and perhaps also a traditional council or assembly. A Khinasi ruler who openly acts alone, especially boldly, will engender opposition.

[top]Rjurik

The Rjurik have departed little through the centuries from the forms of government their Adurian ancestors maintained.

[top]Rjuven Roots

Like the Brecht, the Rjuven people migrated to Cerilia by boat, avoiding the Andu tribes and coming north along the western coasts of Cerilia. They arrived clan by clan, each an extended family sovereign unto itself and led by the head of the family, called a ?jarl.? The jarls answered to no one save the god Reynir, though they respected the wisdom of his priests, the druids.
These nomadic folk generally avoided the land?s native elves and lived primarily in the areas along the Tael Firth. Cities developed out of necessity from population growth or the need to defend against goblin and orog raiders, rather than a desire to abandon the land. Rjuven clans interacted with each other when they met in the forests or on the plains, but the cities sprung up when these extended families started to trade regularly with each other and the outside world. A few ?urban Rjuven? permanently settled in the cities, but even these communities maintained a transient population.
As the Rjuven population grew, political boundaries were drawn. The clans negotiated territories for their populations; some banded together and chose kings to unite the jarls. Their domain boundaries became lines of defense against attacks of Goblins, and the dreaded Gheallie Sidhe.
The Rjuven were the first people outside of the Anuireans themselves to become part of the Anuirean empire, while a few realms were openly conquered the majority of the Rjurik accepted fealty to Roele to avoid conflict. Those Rjuven unwilling to accept fealty to Roele traveled into the unexplored north settling the northern highlands or simply continued moving in the ancient nomadic tradition.

[top]The Rjurik Now

The clans continue to be led by kings, queens, and jarls. The latter generally serve as province rulers, while the monarchs govern whole domains. The Rjurik resist the thought of centralized government (witness Jankaping, for example, which totters on the brink of civil war), but they understand the need for an overall leader. Still, unilateral government is not the way of the Rjurik? the kings and queens answer to the jarls, and the jarls answer to their people.
Beside the kings and jarls sit the druids. As the sailors of Rjurik fishing boats say, the druids ?prefer to navigate, but not steer? the realms and clans. They concern themselves with the politics and governing of the realms when they believe it necessary. Usually, they offer advice when asked, or when they feel a decision should be influenced by Erik?s will. O ften, they speak in riddles or vagaries, trying not to side against the regents they advise or the people they protect.
Typical Forms of Government: While the Rjurik have monarchs; jarls and lords? often chosen with approval of the people? rule the realms and nomads. True, the blooded and the nobility seldom give up their power completely to the commonfolk, but a Rjurik king must work constantly to please his jarls, and the jarls must in turn please their clans. Assemblies of all the people are more common among the Rjurik, and representative assemblies wield more power here than in most realms elsewhere.
Notable Forms of Government: The Rjurik turn away from arcane magics and declare them unnatural. They respect and revere their druids, yet they avoid theocracies. Each individual Rjurik believes Erik has a place in the government of the land and the clans, but a place right at the top. A king or jarl cannot ignore a druid?s advice ? it comes from the gods ? but the druids exercise enough wisdom to interfere with day-to-day government on rare occasions only. As a result, the druids continue to appear wise and gain reverence, while the kings and the jarls manage the less popular aspects of rulership.
Weaknesses in Government: The kings and queens, and even the jarls, tend to gain their positions through heredity. When no clear heir is present, kings or jarls appoint successors. This practice often leads to squabbles among the clans ? Rjurik ascension seldom goes smoothly. And even though they appoint most leaders for life, dissension does not end with the appointment. In some realms, every major decision must be ratified by a council of jarls.
The self-governing nomadic clans of the Rjurik Highlands present other problems. While most stick to traditional territories, returning to the same provinces each winter and summer and having established understandings with the jarls who rule them, they are not required to do so. A nomadic clan that unexpectedly arrives in a province can create problems for kings and jarls who try to exercise their rightful authority.

[top]Vos

In no other human race of Cerilia do leaders wield power as absolutely as do the tsarevos of Vosgaard. The Vos believe firmly that might makes right and that the weak deserve to be exploited - such beliefs ensure that no tsarevo of Vosgaard tolerates open defiance for to do so would be weakness - and invite attack.

[top]Vorynn's Followers

The original Vos, when they lived in Aduria, could have been called mystic warriors. They followed the teachings of Vorynn, the god of magic, but also valued military prowess. Primitive in their ways of life and forms of government, they had a simple process by which they chose new leaders: a duel of strength and sorcery, survivor take all.
When the Vos fled the Shadow, they made a longer journey than any other human race. The
southernmost of the five Adurian races, they moved through Anuire once they reached Cerilia and continued northeast until they reached the lands they still occupy today.
But moving as far as possible from Azrai?s shadow did not help them. Though only the strongest survived the trek, its arduous nature left them weak in spirit and vulnerable to malevolent influences. Azrai appeared and worked his evil on them; isolated from other human contact and unaware that the spirit which seemed to show them how to survive and regain their strength wa sin fact the very shadow from which they had fled, they fell. Azrai played upon their primitive fears and desires and corrupting their love of magic into a brutal pursuit of power.
The Vos fought against their human brethren in the War of Shadow. Later, they continued to battle with the other human races and among themselves, following the war gods Belinik and Kriesha and splitting into factious tribes. Leaders retained power only so long as they could defeat pretenders in mortal combat. War priests became powerful tribal advisers, seizing the status once held by those who wielded Vorynn?s magic.
The Vos also battled the very climate in which they lived. Unlike the Rjurik, the Vos never saw beauty in Cerilia?s northlands. Many grew to despise their brutal terrain and envy those who had better. Yet they fought fiercely to save their new homeland from those who would take it. In the last years of his life, Emperor Roele turned his imperialistic eye northeast and led a campaign to annex Vosgaard. Though heavily outnumbered and armed only with primitive weapons, the Vos fought back viciously. However, while the Vos never militarily turned back the Anuirean forces, Vosgaard itself finally defeated the foreign threat: The Anuireans lost the battle against the elements. Roele?s remaining troops retreated, leaving the wild men of the north to themselves.
So the Vos never came under the rule of the Anuirean emperors. Yet although they managed
to unite (somewhat) to repel an outside invader, they quickly broke back into quarreling tribes and war-bands. The strong survived but seldom prospered for long. The work of each chieftain generally collapsed upon his death and bloodlines grew thin.

[top]Current Vos Leadership

Today, most Vos nations stay together only out of habit or tradition. A wild folk, the Vos follow strength alone. Though not all Vos worship Belinik or Kriesha, they all fear and respect these gods? and their priests hold considerable sway.
Typical Forms of Government: In Vosgaard, the measure of a regent?s law holding is how tightly he controls the actions of his people. Broken up into small tribes, most of Vosgaard?s people suffer under the constant threat of war. Duels for leadership of a tribe are common, and few Vos realms respect the concepts of heredity or free election - a weak son will never inherit a strong realm - or at least not for long.
Notable Forms of Government: As in the Rjurik lands, the Vos gods play a great part in the rulership of the realms. But Vos priests seldom stay in the background. While war chiefs and tribal leaders may share the holdings within some individual realms, in others the priests rule them all. Vos priests use the power of their gods to subjugate their peoples.
Weaknesses in Government: The Vos fight against each other more often than not. Vendettas and feuds keep even moderate Vos tribes from evolving into anything approaching true civilization. Only a few of the southern Vos kingdoms, like Kozlovnyy, have overcome their barbaric ways and become civilized.

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