Revision as of 19:55, 1 August 2011

Appearance

The Roa are a naturally pale people, though peasants and other laborers tan quickly in the unrelenting sun. Their complexion is often freckled. Most have dark brown or black hair (about 60%), but red hair and even blonde hair are not uncommon (about 30% and 10%). Hair is worn long, though often tied up in a bun or knot, for both men and women. Facial hair tends to be exceptionally straight, and is worn long as a sign of learning, age, or intelligence, often in a goatee, mustache, or fu manchu. Eye color is distributed somewhat evenly between brown, green, and blue.

Standing at around 5'8", the Roa tend to be either slim and wiry or excessively burly. Despite being of normal height on average there are genes present in the gene pool which cause extremely tall citizens to arise on occasion, anywhere from 6'2" to 6'8".

The Roa generally wear sturdy cotton clothes. The normal ensemble for both men and women is stiff, simple wide pants under a long robe. Robes for the wealthy and powerful are occasionally made out of silk, but this is a rare commodity.

Society / Government

The Muinnin Empire is nominally ruled by Emperor Bericus Muinnin, Sovereign of the Red Kingdom. However, Bericus is only 17, with almost no power over his empire. The land is split into six kingdoms, one for the emperor and five divided between powerful Dukes. The Dukes were officially appointed by the emperor, but some of them in fact had become too powerful and too much of a threat to deny. The Dukes fight among themselves, squabbling for land and power, and occasionally even against the forces of the emperor. For this they are often derisively called "Warlords" rather than their proper title of Duke.

The reason they can oppose the emperor is because he is not in proper control of his house. it is his "Uncle" (not actually related), Prime Minister Domal Eamon, who really sets most policy decisions for the empire and oversees the emperor's lands. He is fiercely loyal to the house of Muinnin, and would never consider usurping the throne, but he is in the habit of ruling and the young prince does not have the spine to oppose him. Because it can be claimed that Eamon is ruling, and not the Emperor, the Dukes can use this as a claim for fighting imperial forces.

The Roa are a society divided clearly into two classes - laborers and gentry. Laborers are usually peasants or craftsmen, and gentry are usually landowners, soldiers, or scholars. There is no official distinction, however, and the Roa do not think of themselves as being divided in this manner, because class mobility is in relative terms quite easy.

Peasants work the land and pay rent in crops to the local landowner, but they are not bound to the land and are not officially linked to whoever holds the fief. The fief system is theoretically based on merit, usually in scholarly pursuits or in military affairs, and is also usually hereditary. The Emperor officially controls the fiefs, but since the empire was divided the Dukes have controlled their portions. This has stirred things up quite a bit, as fief owners are rapidly changing, sometimes making things difficult for peasants.

Class mobility is usually accomplished in one of two ways - either through military achievement or through scholarly pursuits. A peasant or craftsman who joins the army and distinguishes himself through either combat skill or tactical ability can rise quickly through the ranks, eventually earning a fief or marrying into one. Similarly, there are a number of government-run universities where one can become a government official and earn a small fief, if one is devoted to a certain area of study. There are official tests, which are very difficult but available to anyone, which can earn you a rank such as this. Many peasant families that have scraped together some money will send a son off to study, in hopes that he might earn a post. The Roa greatly value tradition and learning.

While the system is supposedly based upon merit, some problems exist. The fiefs are often passed down hereditarily, and so often the lazy or corrupt son of some great warrior or learned scholar ends up in control of a large fief. Similarly, the government tests are usually on very narrow and often not truly important subjects, so many minor officials are, while knowledgeable in their area, poor rulers and often very corrupt.

Children and Family

Role of Women

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Law and Punishment

Warfare

Religion

"The Way" - oldest

Nevin Mac Murrough - Ancestor Worship, called "Murranism"

White Turbans - based on "The Way"

Fingal - Adept

Finlay - Strong right arm

Economy / Money

Skills

Craft

Societies differ in what technologies they have developed. Here is listed the normal maximum for skilled craftsmen in this society - a character coming from such a society would have no higher a modifier than this (modifier being the specialization in that division of craft).

Items whose craft DC is more than the given number +15 will be rare, potentially costing twice as much as normal, and those whose DC is the given number +20 or higher cannot be attained. This rule may be broken in trading hubs, where items have been shipped in that are not domestically produced.

A zero here means that this society has no knowledge of this type of craft.

Heal

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Profession

Common divisions of Profession are:

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Knowledge

Common divisions of Knowledge are:

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Perform

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Common divisions of Perform are:

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Other

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Magic

The Roa are a relatively magical people. Around one in a thousand has some magical inclination. Most of these go to magical academies, take the examinations, and gain a post in the army or government. A smaller number go to the academies, and then either fail the test and return home or choose to return and serve their communities. Some, instead of accepting instruction, go into seclusion and attempt to discover magic for themselves.

Because the Roa view magic mostly as a pursuit, sometimes even as a road to enlightenment, and not as a tool, they tend to focus merely on learning magic without worrying tremendously about practical applications. There are sages who have not made practical use of their magic in decades. The one major exception to this is in war, where the Roa gleefully employ as many mages as are willing.

The Roa focus on certain disciplines above others. Fire is the most popular, as its power, color, and symbolism of civilization are closely linked to the Emperor. For this reason the Emperor has a large corps of magic users specializing in Fire. Lightning is closely linked as well, due to the resemblance to fire, and for symbolic relevance as it links heaven and earth. Flesh, Metal, Water, Plant, and Earth are the other most popular disciplines. This is not to say that there are not specialists in other areas, merely that these schools are less popular and often less developed.

The relationship to the Life discipline is somewhat rocky. While traditionally the Roa have pursued Life (and Time, if they are powerful enough) towards the end of enlightenment or immortality, Life has recently been strongly associated with the White Turbans (See Religion), who make extensive use of Life and Light magic. For this reason the study of Life is now rather decreased, and even viewed with suspicion.

Most Roa magic-users are Wizards or Mages, though Adepts are fairly common as well. Roa rarely produce Sorcerers.

While there are a good number of Roa magic users, most of them never become especially skilled. Finding master wizards or mages is rather rare.

History

Early in the history of the Roa, they were a patchwork of over a hundred independent states, each with its own culture, history, and traditions. At this point they were ruled by independent barons and kings, each controlling his area despotically. The most powerful kings had forces of no more than a couple thousand soldiers.

Founding - Roa Kings

1 Muinnin

2 Muinnin

White Turban Insurrection

Bericus Muinnin

Six Kingdoms

As the emperor is too weak to hold complete sway over his empire, he has "appointed" five dukes. Their five duchies and his own land holdings make up the empire.

Imperial Lands

The Emperor (and Eamon) rules over a good section of the empire directly.

Fife

Duke: Alban Fife

Other Important Personages: Crevan Caractacus (Tactician),

The Duke of Fife is considered by many to be one of the two "Good Dukes".

Kane

Duke: Seamus Kane

Other Important Personages:

The Dukedom of Kane

Defend against the Srazhedy.

Moran

Duke: Dougal Moran

Other Important Personages:

Penrose

Duke: Ryan Penrose

Other Important Personages:

One of the two "Good Dukes", ... The Penrose family has ruled their fief for four generations...

Quinn

Duke: Fachtna Quinn

Other Important Personages:

Foreign Relations

Societal Tracks

Imperial

Imperial Burner

White Turban

White Turban Devotee