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Republic of Ophrailes

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A democratic republic balancing power between the Crown, the Legislature, and the Judiciary.

The Republic of Ophrailes is a nation with a curious balance of power between the people and the rulers. The government is made up of three branches - the Crown, the Legislature, and the Judiciary. Ophrailes is a Democratic Republic where the people elect their representatives. Those representatives elect the Crown Prince and most of the judiciary, and vote on behalf of the people.

Though the Crown Prince is elected, for more than a dozen generations the Leonate family has held the position. The current Crown Prince, Eviar Leonate, has ruled for 10 years after winning an uncontested election. Indeed, it is rare that anyone has contested the election of a Crown Prince since the Leonate Dynasty came into power. On the few occasions where someone has tried, they have overwhelmingly lost. The Leonate Dynasty is truly loved by the people.

The Republic is a feudal one, with noble families (the head of each holds the title of Prince) owning and governing the lands, and Peasants laboring for the good of the nation. The Peasant class includes non-landed gentry, merchants, farmers, and other laborers. Some peasants who fall upon hard times may become Bonded Peasants, who owe a debt to their Prince and lose some rights until that debt is repaid.

Geography, History, and Climate

Ophrailes was founded nearly 500 years ago, after a series of wars between neighboring kingdoms. Alliances between those kingdoms shifted with the tide, and no single kingdom was ever able to gain the upper hand long enough to end the wars. A Peacebringer of Istarum, Lucas Ophrailes, finally convinced enough of the Kings to come to the negotiating table. They were able to hammer out a treaty that not only ended the wars, but formed a new Republic stronger in unity than any of the Kingdoms had ever been divided. A key point of conflict during the negotiations was who would rule. None of the individual Kingdoms were willing to submit to another, no King was willing to bow the knee to another King. The ingenious solution that Lucas came up with was that none would have to - the current Kings would retain their titles, but relinquish authority to their heirs, who would likewise retain the title of Prince. Those heirs would elect, from among themselves, a Crown Prince. The title of King would not be used, and as the Crown Prince would be an elected, not a hereditary position, no King or Prince would be called upon to bend the knee to another - instead, they swore oaths to the Republic, not its head. Against his objections, the new nation was named after the Peacebringer who brought it to fruition. Though Ophrailes today has two Assemblies (of the People and of the Princes), originally it had but one - the Assembly of Princes. The people had no representation, and most had no autonomy or authority over their own lives. That came centuries later.

200 years ago, Crown Prince Eduard Dales nearly led the country into a civil war. The Dales family had never treated the common-folk in their lands particularly well, and other Princes who were likewise were emboldened by the accession of Eduard to the throne. Conditions for peasants living in parts of the country ruled by those Princes deteriorated, and civil unrest spread across most of the country. Those Princes not aligned with Eduard rallied armies (both conscripted and volunteer, with many volunteers coming from Eduard and his allies’ own peasantry) to support the peasants. With the support of these armies and many of the other Princes, Prince Alistair Leonate successfully led a campaign to recall him. He was then selected unanimously to replace Eduard Dales, and adeptly navigated the country not only out of the impending civil war, but to greater prosperity than ever before. Under Leonate’s rule, laws were established protecting the rights of peasants and forbidding their mistreatment. An Assembly of the People was formed, ensuring that the common-folk would have a voice in their own governance - even to the point of allowing the Assembly of the People, not the Assembly of the Princes, to elect the Crown Prince. The Dales family and their allies lost all political clout they once had. They did retain their status as nobles, and most still have a seat in the Assembly of Princes. Though it took a few generations for all the Princes to truly come on board with Alistair Leonate’s new laws, even the most stubborn and cold-hearted of Princes were convinced by the success of those changes.

Ophrailes is located in the center of the southern continent, between Spyndlemere to the west, and Tbariss, to the east. Its northern and southern coastlines are forested, while the center of the country is mostly plains. The Great Bonarey Lake (so named after a species of rather large fish endemic to the lake) sits in the center of the southern half of the country, while a mostly cold desert spreads across the northern half. The country has four seasons, with snow (sometimes significant) in the winter, hot and rainy summers, with temperate seasons in between.

Politics and Government

The government is divided into three branches, each of which with its own unique authorities and responsibilities, and with no branch having unfettered power over the others.

The Crown

The Crown branch is headed by the Crown Prince, who is elected by the Assembly of the People (originally by the Assembly of the Princes, until the end of the last civil war), from among the Princes. Once elected, the Crown Prince serves for life, or until recalled by the Assembly of Princes. Crown Prince Eduard Dales, who nearly led the country into a civil war, was the only Crown Prince ever recalled. The current Crown Prince is Eviar Leonate. The Crown Prince names several Consuls who advise them.

Legislature

The legislature is divided into the Assembly of the People (elected by the people) and the Assembly of Princes (titled nobility). The Assembly of Princes has a High Prince and the Assembly of Princes has a High Speaker, who each manage the business of their Assemblies.

Judiciary

The Judiciary includes local elected magistrates, regional appointed tribunals, and a Court of Arbitration. Magistrates are elected by the community and serve largely at the community’s pleasure. Within each prince’s territory is a Tribunal, nominated by the people but appointed by the Prince, usually from among those nominations. The Court of Arbitration, the highest court, consists of 5 Justiciars appointed by the Crown Prince, who serve for a single 20-year term, staggered by 4 years each. The appointment of Justiciars, and their identities, is a closely guarded secret, known only to the Crown Prince and their Judicial Advisor, the High Prince and High Speaker, and a select few others. By tradition, Justiciars take on the name of the first Justiciar who held their position at the founding of the nation, setting aside their given names for the duration of their service. The Court of Arbitration meets in public but with their identities hidden by powerful magic granted by Thiacris. This secrecy serves to ensure that the Court of Arbitration cannot be swayed by politics, bribery, or corruption. Decisions made at lower levels can be appealed upwards, but decisions of the Court of Arbitration are final.

The Seat of Government

The government of Ophrailes meets in the town of Nanamont, where the treaty forming the nation was signed. By tradition the land the town rests upon is not owned by any of the noble houses, but is neutral and maintained by the Crown Prince’s house.

Religion

Worship of individual Genesori varies from village to village, and most smaller villages do not have a dedicated temple. Larger towns and cities may have one or several temples, dedicated to some or all of the Genesori. Religious affiliation is seen as a deeply personal, but important choice. Those who choose not to worship the Genesori are not seen as any less (or more) than those who do.

The Economy

Ophrailes’ economy includes a healthy balance between peasants and nobility. Peasant farmers and merchants support most of the local economy, while the Princes provide economic support in times of trouble, and manage most of the trade within Ophrailes and with other countries. Peasants are supported by the nobles upon whose lands they live and work. When there is widespread drought, pestilence, or other natural hardship impacting most or all of a Prince’s land, the Prince is obligated to ensure that the peasants on their land have what they need to recover, without the peasants incurring any debt as a result.

If an individual peasant family falls upon hard times and is unable to support themselves, contribute to their community, or pay their taxes, they may petition their Prince for help. In exchange for the Prince’s help, the family incurs a debt and become bonded peasants until that debt is repaid. Bonded peasants owe additional taxes to their Prince to repay the debt; and beginning one year after a family become bonded peasants, the Prince may direct their labor, including retraining them to perform other duties. Often, the grown children of bonded peasants are sent to apprentice with other tradesmen or merchants, where they may be better positioned to earn enough to repay the family debt. Princes are also responsible for dealing with any hardships that befall bonded peasants who are indebted to them - if a bonded peasant family is unable to pay their taxes due to hardship (disease, natural disaster, what have you), the Prince is responsible for making up the difference; if crops fail, the Prince is responsible for providing food to live and seed to regrow; though this support may add to the debt the bonded peasants owe. The law forbids Princes from abusing their authority to make repayment of the debts too onerous, and provides for outright cancellation of the debt and full restoration of rights for the peasant should a Prince violate this law. In the vast majority of cases, bonded peasants are able to work their way out of debt within a few years, or a generation at most.

Everyday Life

Among the peasantry, family structure in Ophraile is relatively malleable - there is no legally recognized “marriage”. Formal consortships between two (or sometimes more) people are common and often long-lasting. The same is not quite true among the Nobility, however. In order to maintain family lineages, it is made clear from the outset of any consortship which family the children will be considered to be part of, and what inheritance rights they may have. Most often, the firstborn child of a Prince inherits the title upon their parent’s death; in the rare occasions where both parents are Princes, the firstborn usually inherits the title for the more prominent house, and the second born inherits for the less prominent house. Written contracts dictating inheritance rights are strictly adhered to, and enforced by the courts (by the High Court, any time the title of Prince is involved.) For both peasants and nobles alike, consortships do not have to be formed with the intent of producing offspring, and consortships between people of the same gender are not uncommon. Consortships between more than two people, while far less common than that, are neither unheard of, nor frowned upon.

Peasants of any type typically spend the bulk of their daylight hours at their labors, though leisure time in the evenings is cherished. In many small villages, dinner is a social event where everyone will gather in a large hall and share meals they cooked in their own homes, and travelers are usually invited to join in the humble feast. In larger cities, these communal meals are less common, typically reserved for festival days and organized within each neighborhood.

For the nobility, daily life is very different. Other than the poorest of nobles, most of the nobility spend their days not at manual labor, but at more creative, intellectual, or cultural pursuits. As the nobility have an obligation to their peasants, leisure time for a noble is very much dependent on their peasants’ well-being. If the peasants working a noble’s land are suffering hardships, the noble must provide for them. A noble who has mismanaged their estate and spends their time at leisure while their peasants suffer risks being ostracized at court, and in extreme cases, stripped of their titles and land.

The practice of the Arcane is important in the Republic. For its entire history, the Crown Prince has been a powerful mage of some kind, and every noble family has at least one mage among their ranks. The powerful Gift of Jade guild, founded shortly after the reemergence of the lattice, counts among its members many of the highest ranking nobility, including several advisors to the Crown Prince, and according to rumors at least two members of the Court of Arbitration; though the guild is open to peasant mages as well. The guild takes its name from the jade gemstones its members use as a focus for much of their magic. While some of that jade comes from deposits within Ophrailes, there are trade agreements in place with the Vale of Scyllina for more.

The First Walk

When peasant children come of age (anywhere from age 14-22, though the exact timing depends on the developmental maturity of the individual, family needs, and other individual circumstances), they are taken blindfolded out into the countryside, several days’ journey from home. There they are left, with a few days worth of rations and a knife, to find their way to… wherever. Whatever village they come upon first is their new home, where they are welcomed with open arms into a new family. Sometimes parents will strategically deposit their children somewhere the parents think will give the children a good opportunity to better their lives. While they do stay in contact with and often visit their parents, it is this with this new family upon which they build their future. A young Ophralian’s first consortship is often with another young person who found the same new family.

Nobles have a similar rite of passage, though it is far more carefully orchestrated. A young Ophralian noble will be sent to live with a peasant family for two years, to learn to live as the peasants do, and labor alongside them. This is seen as an important step in the noble child’s education and preparation for leadership, as they gain a valuable perspective on what life is like for the people they govern. A noble who refuses to live among the peasants, or who refuses to humble themselves while doing so, will often be passed over for inheritance.

Current Events

In the past year, strange creatures with glowing green eyes have started coming out of the forests along the southern coast of Ophrailes, attacking small villages. Rumors abound that the Gift of Jade guild is somehow responsible, allegations they vehemently deny.

A blight is forming upon the land, beginning west of the Great Bonarey Lake in the center of Ophrailes. No cause is yet known.

Prince Skyler Dales has been making noise in the Assembly of Princes about the Leonates ruling for too long, suggesting the need for a new law preventing the election of the Prince of any House from being elected Crown Prince, if the previous Crown Prince was from that House.

Notes for Players

As Ophrailes is the union of what was once several kingdoms, names can take inspiration from virtually any real-world or fantasy-world culture or other origin, or can be entirely made up. Names without a strong gender connotation are popular and the title of Prince is non-gendered. Nobles always use their family name in addition to their given name; peasants often use only a given name. Characters from Ophrailes may be from any class level, from Bonded Peasant up to nobility. Characters from named noble houses require background approval to ensure plot consistency.

Cultural Plot and Themes

Characters from Ophraile can expect opportunities to navigate the maze of politics and shape the future of their nation; explore magic and magical beings; overcome adversity; figure out what’s going on in the forests to the south; and discover what exactly rests deep beneath the island off the southern coast. Community is important in Ophrailes, and supporting each other (especially when it comes to necessities of life such as food) is one of the core cultural morals.

Costume and RP Themes

If from a Noble family: family crests, courtly/nobile attire dyed in vibrant colors (most often shades of golden yellow, red, and purple). Leather, cotton, silk are all common materials. Jewelry is less common than in other cultures, and when present, is usually modest. All members of the Gift of Jade guild wear some kind of jewelry or other adornment which includes a small piece of jade.

If a Peasant: Sturdy clothing in more muted colors, mostly browns & grays with some yellow, red, or purple accents. Leather, wool, linen are all common materials. Jewelry, if present, is usually simple, a keepsake on a string perhaps.

Customs and Common Phrases

When an Ophralian meets a stranger with whom they expect to have ongoing contact, it is customary to offer the stranger food or drink. This could be by inviting them to join you for a meal, or simply offering a small snack, wrapped candy, or the like. This custom does not apply to incidental or passing contact. Merchants typically have a small sample of their goods they will gift to potential customers.

“We always rebuild” - used when something (usually) bad happens that you have no choice but to accept and move on from. Crops fail? Time to rebuild. Sword breaks? Time to rebuild. It’s used as a reminder to one’s self not to dwell on the misfortune for too long, but instead to figure out how to recover from it.

“Dust farming” - doing something pointless/fruitless, especially when obvious that it’s pointless. “Dust farmer” - one who is doing or regularly does dust farming.

“Party of pigs” - when a situation is all messed up and those involved are unlikely to be able to fix it without outside help.

“Rot!” - catch-all swear word usable in most circumstances.

Notable Personages

The Crown Consulate

Assembly of Princes / Noble Houses

Assembly of the People

The Court of Arbitration

Gift of Jade Guild

The Noble Houses

House Crenton

House Crenton is known for throwing lavish parties for the nobility, and generous seasonal feasts for the peasants. The parties they throw for the nobility are ostensibly non-political, and nobody would be so gauche as to openly discuss politics during them. This has given rise to a sort of art form where nobles will hide political discussions within more mundane topics of conversation. Despite hosting these gatherings, Prince Urul Crenton is not politically active, preferring to play the role of host to that of head. House Crenton’s symbol is the Golden Cornucopia on a white field.

House Dales

House Dales is still recovering somewhat from the damage done to its reputation by Crown Prince Eduard Dales 200 years ago, though Prince Skyler Dales, its current Prince, has made great strides in bringing House Dales back into public view as a responsible noble house. Through astute dealings with the other Princes, Prince Dales has started to become a powerful figure in the House of Princes. There are rumors that Prince Dales may even be aiming for the position of High Prince after Prince Sarraffet. House Dales’ symbol is the Tree in Winter on a green field.

House Dunbarton

House Dunbarton is the only house with a standing militia, and as such conducts most of the military training for Ophrailes’ military. Prince Juan Dunbarton previously served as General of the Armies, before his father passed 5 years ago. Peasants on House Dunbarton lands are encouraged to join military service for 2 years in lieu of their First Walk, and wherever they most recently served as of the end of their term of service becomes their new home. House Dunbarton’s symbol is the Crossed Swords on a purple field.

House Gofraid

Prince Camden Gofraid is a skilled Shadewalker, and much of House Gofraid’s lands have a strange overlay with the Shade. Shade creatures can often be seen flitting around in the shadows, especially at night, and peasants know better than to travel alone at night, for fear of getting lost and wandering into the shade by mistake. Those taking their First Walk in this part of Ophrailes will be left early in the morning and closer to another village, so they can complete their First Walk before night falls. It’s agreed that Prince Gofraid is a suspicious, distrusting person, and that has filtered down into other members of the House. When it comes time for elections, the Prince arrives with their retinue, votes, and leaves. House Gofraid is also known for having a large number of Bonded Peasants relative to the total peasant population. Many openly disparage the House for this, saying that it’s proof they do not care for their Peasants responsibly, but Prince Gofraid asserts that they are complying fully with the laws. House Gofraid’s symbol is the Ring of Stars on a black field.

House Hadley

Prior to the founding of Ophrailes, King Hadley was one of the most powerful Kings in the region, and once the treaty was signed, his daughter Pritan was elected first Crown Prince. Since that time, though, no Hadley has held the title of Crown Prince – a fact that has never set well with them. House Hadley is known for being one of the largest Houses in the Republic, with smaller branches of the family seeming to sprout up everywhere In recent generations, the Hadleys have started to pay close attention to their consortships as well, encouraging joinings that balance each other out: a warrior will be encouraged to consort with a scholar, for instance. Some whisper that House Hadley is taking a long view towards leading the Republic by trying to achieve dominance in several areas of excellence. Prince Ameline Hadley is the current Prince of the house. House Hadley’s symbol is the Tower on a blue field.

House Lamorral

House Lamorral lays claim to the Great Bonarey Lake and much of the land immediately surrounding it. Many of the peasants living within their lands are farmers or fishermen, the latter pulling in schools of Striped, Spotted, and Silverfin Bonarey for sale in markets. The lake’s namesake, the Great Bonarey, has been in decline in recent years, with catches being smaller in both number and size – where once it was common to catch Great Bonarey weighing several hundred pounds, now it is rare to find any over 100 pounds. Prince Ulysses Lamorral has outlawed the catching, sale, or consumption of Great Bonarey, in an attempt to help the population recover. More recently, a blight has begun to form to the west of the lake, affecting fields and wildlife. What was once verdant soil is now dead swampland. The Lamorrals are quietly consulting with other Houses on this growing problem. House Lamorral’s symbol is the Kingfisher, on an orange field.

House Leonate ♕

Since the near civil war 200 years ago, the Prince of House Leonate has held the position of Crown Prince of Ophrailes. The current Crown Prince, Eviar Leonate, has ruled for 10 years. Crown Consort Sawyer Leonate represents House Leonate in the Assembly of Princes. It has been a tradition in House Leonate for several generations that whatever excess funds the House has at the end of the year, beyond their projected needs for the next year, would be used to reduce the debt owed by any Bonded Peasants owing House Leonate. This has made House Leonate quite popular with the peasant class, and has resulted in them having fewer Bonded Peasants than any of the other noble houses. House Leonate’s symbol is currently the Golden Crown on a gray field, but prior to that was the Lion Rampant on a gray field.

House Morrow

House Morrow is led by the twin Princes, Dhoma and Yesta Morrow. Most of the nobility in House Morrow are mages of some kind, and the practice of magic is encouraged not only amongst the nobility, but by the peasantry as well. Every year, any peasants who wish to be tested for magical aptitude are invited to travel to Castle Morrow, and if they are found to have talent, are offered an apprenticeship in the Gift of Jade guild. Prince Dhoma is a powerful archmage and guildmaster of the Gift of Jade guild, while his sister Yesta is a practitioner of Divine magic. House Morrow’s symbol is the Sun on a burgundy field.

House Sarraffet

Prince Tyrodes Sarraffet currently holds the title of High Prince, the top-ranking Prince in the Assembly of Princes. House Sarraffet is one of the wealthiest noble houses, counting among them many merchants with significant national and international interests. The bulk of trade with other nations, particularly via the Myos Islands, flows through House Sarraffet. House Sarraffet uses their wealth to ensure their peasants have what they need to live comfortably and work their trades. Most Bonded Peasants who owe a debt to House Sarraffet do so because of failed trade investments, piracy, or other similar misfortune. House Sarraffet’s symbol is the Tradesman’s Scale on an orange field.

Lesser Nobility

In many cases, especially among the larger noble houses, when a Prince has several children, they will subdivide their lands and while one of their children will become the next Prince, the others will be given the title Marquess and given an allotment of land to own and manage. There may be several Marquesses in a given Prince’s domain. These Marquesses do not have a seat in the House of Princes, though many of them do serve as advisors, aids, or in other official or unofficial capacities. A Marquess who has also served in the military is referred to as a Margrave (see Knights, below).

The Military

Ophrailes has a national military, not tied to any individual house. Houses are forbidden from forming their own military, except for House Dunbarton. In exchange for being allowed to maintain a militia, House Dunbarton agreed to train the national military (at the government’s expense) and relinquished their right to be considered for Crown Prince.

The Military is divided into officers and soldiers. Officers are usually from noble houses, though sometimes peasants who show particular promise can be made officers. Soldiers are usually peasants, though again this is not always the case. Military service is voluntary, though the Crown does have the right to conscript people into service in times of war.

When the child or grandchild of a Prince chooses to join the military, they are given the honorific of ‘Knight’ in front of their rank (e.g. Knight Lieutenant, Knight Soldier, etc.) Knight Officers’ children who join the military are given the same honorific, and this continues for as long as there is an unbroken chain of Knights. Children and grandchildren of a Marquess who join the military are given the honorific of ‘Knight Errant’ in front of their rank. Unlike the ‘Knight’ honorific, the ‘Knight Errant’ honorific does not automatically carry through to future generations.

Noble Titles

Crown Prince - The Prince of a house who has been selected by the Assembly of the People to lead the nation High Prince - the head of the Assembly of Princes Prince - the head of one of the major Noble Houses Marquess - A non-heir child of a Prince who has been granted land and title. Margrave - A Marquess who has also served in the military. Lord - other members of a Noble House Knight - The child or grandchild of a Prince, who has served in the military. Inherits to future generations as long as the tradition of military service is unbroken. Knight Errant - the child or grandchild of a Marquess, who has served in the military. Does not inherit to future generations.

Education

All princes have a legal obligation to provide for basic education for any child whose parents request it. This mandatory education includes the ability to read, write, and perform basic arithmetic. Beyond that most education for peasants is provided through apprenticeship in a trade.