Writing Me

World building: Day 8, Rainforest political

Given the sheer bulk of information that I managed to include yesterday, even with just one of my two races and only discussing the economy, I'm dividing day eight into about four days worth. Today, I discuss the politics of the rainforest folk.

This society is a class based monarchy. At the top of the pecking order is the king and royal family. Descent is patrilineal. Taxes are collected from the aristocracy and lesser nobility, as well as guilds and landowners. These taxes help to fund the royal family, which is somewhat prone to excess. There has never been a queen except as the wife of the king. The king is believed to be descended from the gods.

The aristocracy is the next level in this society, and is the level in which Amie (see Gossamer Beauty) finds herself. They are related, sometimes distantly, to the king, and it is from this group that the queen is chosen. There is an intense focus on perfection, particularly on perfect looks. As Amie's story shows, women are not expected to have much of a mind for anything except their own womanly beauty and the ordering of maids and such like, and are expected to stay within their role. They are cloistered during the times in which they are pregnant until they can pass the child to servants. Men are expected to be interested in philosophy and mathematica, though the head of the household is responsible for ensuring that their income sources remain intact.

The lesser nobility is looked down upon by the aristocracy as having baser blood, ie not from the gods. They have wealth, often for several generations, but are more likely to work. Some sections attempt to imitate aristocracy in the hopes of increased status, but others are content with their wealth and more active pursuits.

Guildsmen and landowners are approximately equal in status, if not actually nobility. The distinctions between this group and nobility is somewhat blurred as it tends to be how long the wealth has remained within the family that elevates one to noble status. The level within the guild, or the amount of land one owns, is what will determine rank amongst these people.

Merchants, both shop owners and travelling merchants, are next in status. Status can depend on what it is they sell. There is significant overlap with the class above.

Commoners make up the largest portion of the population. These people work for the classes above, and include servants, shop assistants, labourers, and the like.

There is a still lower class below commoners. This group includes those who have been prisoners, or insane, or otherwise looked down upon. These people are often reduced to begging or stealing for a living. Some may find occasional day work, but this is not guaranteed. It is rumoured that one of the local beggars is a former member of the aristocracy, maybe even the brother of the king.